A Couple Quick Thoughts on the Value of Playing Multiple Sports
February 24th, 2009 - byKatie Trainor coaches women’s lacrosse at Goucher College in Maryland. She had some valuable things to say to the Baltimore Sun in an interview, including the role of Camps and the importance of playing multiple sports in high school.
Coach, how many camps should a kid play in during the summer if she wants to play in college?
Katie Trainor: I think that is a decision that a player should make with her parents. Obviously camps are expensive and you need to do your research as to what is the purpose of the camp. If you want to be seen by a certain coach or spend time on a specific campus, then you should go to a camp at that specific college if it is offered. I do not think that players need to be participating in camps all summer — that is an expensive choice and I am a firm believer that the students these days need a bit more free time and fun in the summer. Too many are spending every waking minute of the summer being shuffled to and from lacrosse tournaments and camps, causing burnout.
Coach, are you a fan of multi-sport athletes when recruiting?
Katie Trainor: Absolutely. I think that multi-sport high school athletes have a lot to offer. It’s important not to specialize too early as it promotes a higher burnout rate and also creates situations of muscle overuse. Single-sport athletes can get sick of the sport when they get to college. Participating in multiple sports in high school is a great way to increase one’s overall athleticism in an organized, competitive environment.
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When I delivered College Recruiting Simplified at Warsaw High in Warsaw, IN (alma mater of former Laker Rick Fox), I had a long talk with athletic director Joe Santa. Joe had recently delivered a presentation on the value of multiple sports at a conference in San Diego.
He used current Chris Kramer as an example. Chris is currently a key player for Purdue Basketball. Many families might think, “Well, to get my kid to D1 Basketball in the Big Ten, we have to do basketball year round – nothing else!” Chris Kramer and his family didn’t think that way. When Chris played at Huntington North (IN) High School, he played football, basketball and baseball. He earned eleven varsity letters over four years and set fifteen different school records in three sports. He had D1 offers in three sports.
You know why he played three sports? He said, “Because my friends are playing!”
-Charlie Adams, NCSA Educational Speaker
