Multiple Sports

Do any of you have kids playing multiple sports at a competitive (not rec) level? How do you handle the time commitment?

futsalandtennis wrote:Do any of you have kids playing multiple sports at a competitive (not rec) level? How do you handle the time commitment?

Yes! and we have several kids.

My advice: 1) CAR POOL, 2) CAR POOL, 3) CAR POOL

Also it is very helpful not to sign your kid up to a sport that is practicing 15-20-25mi away from were you live. It will kill you! Target 5mi or less, you will love it if you can work it out.... so many more people can help you if you are close.

My DD is busy 5-6 days a week, but she still has time at home and with friends several days a week.

Yes I do...we are upfront with all coaches and let them know in advance which sport will win out in head to head games...we travel a LONG way to practice for all sports and no chance of carpool but it is the only option if she is going to play the sports she loves at the level she is at. Homework and instrument practice are both done as we drive (imagine the looks we get) but it is what works for us.

Yes, soccer & volleyball. We had to make it clear to the volleyball club that soccer was top priority, and if there was a conflict, soccer would win. Fortunately, there were only 2 times that happened all year. At least within the volleyball world, there are only a handfull of clubs that will work with select soccer players, and the ones I talked with said she will have to choose one or the other at 14.

97mom wrote:Yes I do...we are upfront with all coaches and let them know in advance which sport will win out in head to head games...we travel a LONG way to practice for all sports and no chance of carpool but it is the only option if she is going to play the sports she loves at the level she is at. Homework and instrument practice are both done as we drive (imagine the looks we get) but it is what works for us.

I wonder how it would look to have our piano put in the back of our Yukon!

Soccer and Volleyball for us too... We had the ability to put our own club volleyball team together for U11 & U12 to work around the soccer schedule and were flexible enough to understand the other select soccer players on the team would be missing parts of volleyball tournaments to attend soccer games. We only held one longer volleyball practice per week. Heading into U13 year I think the plan is for my daughter to play select soccer and try out for school volleyball with maybe some beach volleyball thrown in during the summers. The second full select sport is a bit much with other middle school activities. We haven't tried to play on the very top teams of either sport- both are ranked in the 20s. I'm sure the day will come very soon when she'll need to pick just one to focus on.

Thanks all! I am very curious to hear stories of what works and how it would work in an ideal world. My daughter's been playing soccer for several years, but I am only now getting into it as everyone seems to be trippin' about going select. I'm run a tennis progam and am thinking of adding a soccer program (somewhat similar to the soccer/volleyball scenario weatherbug spoke of) for kids who want to do both. I just wonder if it's possible to have a true multisport athlete anymore?

Soccer and Track, nice part about track is it starts tonight and ends either July 14th (Regionals) or July 28th (State) then back to Soccer... She does really like Tennis so we do camps in the summer and starting volleyball this summer as well but that is not competitive

If you are as fortunate as we are, you will find that your dd's soccer coach is as equally talented at coaching other sports...our girls also play a mean game of basketball with the same coach - makes scheduling amazing!

It is preposterous that kids, beginning at the age of 8 or so, have to choose and stick with one sport. Playing other sports provides perspective on competition and alternative strategies than can be applied across almost all sport relative to fitness, mental approach, spacing, court/field vision, etiquette and sportmanship.
I am sure there are many "former athlete" parents on this site who played multiple sports in their "glory days." We played football, then soccer, then baseball, then track (or softball, basketball, volleyball, wrestling, tennis, swimming, etc.). There's so much more to learn and wisdom to gain by allowing the kids the opportunity to enjoy other sports.