ENCOURAGE YOUR KID TO PLAY MULTIPLE SPORTS
(and other non-competitive activities). By Paul Ohanian and Paul Krome
College coaches say they would prefer multi-sport athletes
rather than players who specialize exclusively in lacrosse. But do follow their own advice?
Chris Bates, Princeton 12-year-old son, Nick, plays soccer,
basketball and lacrosse
On recruiting multi-sport athletes: “These guys have a high level of athleticism but probably haven’t peaked yet as lacrosse players. Once they get to college, they will specialize, develop and
blossom.They have a steep growth curve, whereas some who have been single-sport athletes tend to burn out. They don’t have as much left in the tank.”
Advice to parents: “Understand what you are getting for what you are paying. You want to be in a good teaching environment. With so much focus these days on games, games, games, what’s getting lost is practice, practice, practice.”
About his son: “Even now, some of his coaches want him to play across several seasons. We have to draw limits, and explain that in the spring, he’ll be playing lacrosse and not soccer, which he plays in the fall. I’d frown on having my son play just one sport. There are lots of transitive properties — spacing, vision and defensive footwork — that he brings from one sport to the other.”
Matt Kerwick, Cornell 9-year-old son, Thomas, participates
in swimming, running and karate 8-year-old son, Sean, plays soccer, ice hockey and lacrosse
On recruiting multi-sport athletes: “We see more well-rounded athletes who have an ability to accept different coaching styles. They understand the dynamics of being on a team. That’s not to say that we don’t like seeing athletes who are also involved in individual sports, where they have to have the discipline to push themselves to be their best.”
Advice to parents: “Don’t think your kid is
missing out by not playing lacrosse all year long. We’d rather see them in multiple sports. College coaches are more interested in the intangibles.”
About his sons: “One of the things I love about having my kids involved in multiple sports and activities is the friendships they make. They learn lessons about being good teammates and working as a group.”
66 LACROSSE MAGAZINE March 2014 >> We asked fi ve college lacrosse coaches what other sports
their kids play — and how they feel that has benefi tted their overall youth or high school sports experience.
Janine Tucker, Hopkins 21-year-old son, Ryan, plays
lacrosse at Virginia; also played soccer in high school 20-year-old son, Devin, played soccer and lacrosse in high school
On recruiting multi-sport athletes: “It also allows them to be leaders, to stay in good shape, to stretch themselves as athletes, communicators, teammates and leaders. Maybe in one sport the kid shines and is a leader. In another sport, they may not be the superstar. So they learn to be humble, to be a good teammate and to support the go-to players.”
Advice to parents: “One of the fi rst questions I ask is, ‘Do you play basketball?’ If they do, they understand angles, footwork and how to get low on defense. We also love soccer players. They can run all day. There’s pressure for kids to specialize in lacrosse. I see
it backfi ring. Often it’s the parents who want to their kids to
specialize. That’s dicey. A lot of these lacrosse recruits are on teams that go 20-0. If you play soccer on a .500 team, you learn to manage tough losses and pick yourself up.”
About her kids: “Ryan wrestled through middle school. In eighth grade, I watched a transformation of him. He transformed his whole mindset and developed that mental toughness to zero in on an opponent, to challenge himself to fi ght for that extra point. With both of them, playing multiple sports exposed them to different kinds of coaching. It helped them get a big-picture understanding that teams do things differently. It helped in life, sports and the classroom to communicate differently and assert themselves.”
Jeff Tambroni, Penn State 12-year-old daughter, Carissa, plays ice
hockey, fi eld hockey, golf and lacrosse 10-year-old daughter, Maddie, plays fi eld hockey, lacrosse and golf 6-year-old daughter, Ella, is a gymnast and plays soccer
On recruiting multi-sport athletes: “Multi- sport participation increases the athletic I.Q. There are parallels between sports, and we’ll look at a player’s athleticism in another sport and project his potential as a lacrosse player.”
Advice to parents: “Sometimes we speak out of both sides of our mouth by saying we encourage athletes to play two or three sports in high school, while we’ll recruit the player who is the best fi t for our program, whether they play one sport or three. But all things being equal, considering two players with comparable skills, we’ll take the multi-sport athlete.”
About his daughters: “We make sure that there is a balance so that each sport stays fresh. I love that they are learning about being part of a team and also developing friendships.”
Scott Marr, Albany 17-year-old son, Kyle, plays ice
hockey and lacrosse 16-year-old daughter, Jordyn, plays ice hockey, lacrosse and golf
On recruiting multi-sport athletes: “We like the diversity these kids experience — different rules, skill sets, coaching styles, strategies and muscle memory. They may experience different roles on different teams, like being the best player on one team but a supporting player on another. That gives them great perspective.”
Advice to parents: “Don’t succumb to the pressure. The myth is if you miss this tournament or that camp, you won’t make it. That’s not true. I don’t feel like you get the best out of kids when they play a sport nine months out of the year. Nothing feels really special anymore.”
About his kids: “One of the hockey
teams my daughter is being
encouraged to play for has a coach who said he doesn’t want her to play other sports. I can tell you she won’t be playing for him next year. Their enthusiasm is much stronger when they return to a sport that they haven’t played for several months. They’re excited to get the stick back in their hand. Taking a break keeps it fresh.”
A Publication of US Lacrosse
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