Benefits of Being a Multi-Sport Athlete Essay Example

Why should athletes try to engage in as many sports as possible while they are young? Research shows that participation in a wide variety of sports benefits athletes more than you think. Specialization is when an athlete chooses a main sport, competes for an extended amount of time, and quits all other sports. This idea is beneficial in some situations, but it does more harm than good. Competitive sports allows athletes to get out of their comfort zones and expand their circles. An athlete who participates in multiple sports often avoids injuries, burnout, and identity crisis. 

Participating in multiple sports often expands the athlete’s performance in both activities as well as keeping them healthy throughout the season. Younger multi-sport athletes often never have career-ending injuries due to the different muscle movements constantly happening through their bodies. Christopher DiCesare, a biomechanist in the Division of Sports Medicine at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in Ohio, states that participating in just one sport can “hinder motor development and lead to compromised hip and knee coordination during dynamic landing and jumping activities, which can lead to increased chance of potentially life-altering injuries”(https://consumer.healthday.com). As a result, specializing in one sport will not allow the athlete to develop muscle coordination that can help reduce injury. Overtaking your muscles when you focus on one sport can lead to more serious injuries such as tears, sprains, strains, and fractures. When your muscles are used to doing the same thing repetitively, the muscles start to break down to fatigue. Giving your muscles a break and allowing them to do something different will benefit them in the long run. When you participate in multiple sports, you give your body a chance to work other muscles instead of the same ones. Working different muscles at different times leads to more production in different activities.  

An athlete who participates in multiple sports often never experiences athletic fatigue: burnout. Burnout often happens when an athlete gets mentally fatigued from doing one sport. For example, “When athletes play one sport too often and too early on in their lives, it can result in the athlete losing the fun aspect of the sport”(usabdevelops.com). Many parents allow their children to pick the sport they want to play, but they present the option of doing two sports. Many younger athletes focus on one sport their entire lives, allowing them to forget the reason they started playing in the first place. Competitors lose their drive to want to get better, and attention to detail. When participating in multiple sports, athletes get a variety of different situations, teammates, and sportsmanship. Different environments can teach the athlete similar solutions to different problems. Allowing athletes to participate in a variety of sports gives them the opportunity to enjoy both sports for an extended period of time. 

Being a multi-sport athlete can have social and psychological benefits for both athletes and parents. Different sports allow young athletes to experience new things, try adventures, and explore more concepts. Dr. Suzzanne Brown explains “It becomes really narrow when you constrain it just to the football environmentIt becomes really narrow when you constrain it just to the football environment” (playerdevelopmentproject.com). When you constrict an athlete to one sport, you are taking away his/her sense of identity. Furthermore, engaging in more than one activity can give athletes a sense of motivation. O'Sullivan states “If you force someone to choose really young, you’re taking away ownership.”(playerdevelopmentproject.com). Players will feel like they do not have control over their decisions; They will never feel like they can choose what they really want. Athletes have a sense of pride when they accomplish something, even if it is as little as figuring out their heart's desires. Mental Health is important for athletes all around the world, and participating in a wide range of sports can assist in pushing through obstacles that may come their way. 

In conclusion, playing numerous sports has advantages that will help athletes improve their enjoyment of each activity. Participating in multiple sports gives the athlete a chane to avoid burnout by allowing them to enjoy something different every now and then. It reduces the chances of life-altering injuries from overuse of the muscles in an ahteltes body. Mutli-sport athletes also avoid identiy crisis due to allowing tem to choose their own path. Many athletes think it is a burden to play two sports, but it is a blessing other athletes get to experience. Athletes should jump at the opportunity to engae in more than sport, and it should never be frowned upon.