On Super Bowl Sunday, two of the NFL’s brightest stars take the field as Patriots veteran quarterback Tom Brady and Seahawks third-year pro Russell Wilson try to lead their respective teams to another title.
Now imagine Brady and Wilson taking the field… the baseball field. Brady (selected in the 1995 Major League Baseball draft) and Wilson (selected in the 2007 draft) both had the opportunity to go pro in another sport. As the two square off on sport’s biggest stage, it got me thinking: what’s happened to the multi-sport athlete?
Youth sports have become increasingly demanding and it’s becoming scarily commonplace for kids (of all skill levels) to drop other sports to focus solely on one. I’ve seen it so often that the justifications become internalized as if we are doing our kids a favor—teaching them about sacrifice, tough decisions, what it takes to be great. The problem is, we’re not!
As a mom of three daughters, I get it. When it’s all parents talk about, when coaches are pushing for more practice time, when your kid’s friends are on travel teams… how do you draw the line?
I would encourage you to pull back and think about what type of experience you want your child to have. Chances are it wasn’t all about getting a scholarship or going pro. And even if it is, playing more than one sport is beneficial not detrimental! To reach that level requires tremendous internal motivation and drive. When we tell kids they need to choose one sport, it becomes our choice and the motivation quietly shifts to the external. What does that ultimately lead to? Burnout, apathy and disappointment.
Sports can be an incredible teacher, but only if we let them. Make sure the lessons learned are positive ones.
Resources: For more information (including discussion on the health / injury risk of specialization): http://changingthegameproject.com
Molly Fletcher helps inspire and equip game changers to lead well and with purpose. Her book, “A Winner’s Guide to Negotiating: How Conversation Gets Deals Done” (McGraw-Hill, 2014), draws on her decades as a sports agent and negotiator on behalf of pro athletes, coaches and broadcasters. Follow Molly on Twitter @MollyFletcher.
