Multiple Sports
- Thread starter MSK357
- Start date
My dd was a developmental player (part time now) last year. My dd did track and DA part time. If she was full time DA and full time track this year and tasked with getting a 4.0 plus big SAT score, I think it would be too much for her. Not a true Unicorn. She tried to ask coach if she could just show up for the 100 relay but was told you have to come to all practices and be at the all day track meets on Saturdays. That is way too much for most kids imo 
To play multiple sports you need coaches that are flexible. Freshman daughter played Varsity Basketball, is running the 100/200 & Long Jump in track, and plays keeper in club. Both coaches at the High School understand soccer comes first, and her soccer team understands if she may miss a practice or two but usually makes it up with keeper trainer.
MSK357
GOLD
So I guess that means DA is out of the question if a kid wants to play multiple sports in highschool, or does that just apply to highschool soccer as long as lets say a softball coach is flexible with practice attendance? I know you cant play highschool soccer if you're in DA Full time (minus some sort of waiver)
jpeter
PREMIER
No for the highly motivated & organized person possible with certain sports and it's done all the time.
Certain sports like volley ball and track are more compatible on the scheduling but yes some sacrifices are needed. Best to be up front with all parties involved and work things out, we be tiring going 5 days a week and will miss out on some activities for sure but that's life, you can always rest when you get older.
My Freshman DD is playing DA soccer while doing HS Cross Country and HS Track. She talked with her club coaches and HS coaches before committing to make sure they were all okay with it. All the coaches are working with her to avoid overtraining issues, as that is a big concern. She also talked through the game/meet conflicts with coaches prior to the HS seasons and got consensus on critical matches/meets.
Given her HS sports are less team-oriented makes it easier. Trying to do field hockey/basketball/lacrosse plus DA would definitely be a bigger challenge -- and likely the HS coaches would be less open to it.
It is not perfect and she feels the stress of trying to do multiple sports -- lots of practices plus need to keep grades up. It will probably work to do DA & multiple HS sport again her sophomore year, but I think by Junior year she will need to choose between DA and HS sports.
The biggest components to her making it work this year are her strong desire to put in the training effort for multiple sports each week, her open communication with all her coaches, and the willingness of her coaches to work with her. I think if any of those were less, it could turn into a bad situation very quickly.
Good luck to your DD with her attempts to "do it all" for as long as she wants to!!
I've read that Cross Country can actually slow your player down in soccer, while sprints in track is the better way to go. Have you noticed any of this? We have one girl on our team that goes 1600 and 3200 in track and then longer for Cross Country, will probably scholarship up for running as her times are great for a Freshman. She plays outside back and I can't tell what if anything has happened to her speed.
I would be wary of participating in any track or cross-country training longer than 1500 meters or a mile. Seriously competitive long-distance runners become just skin and bones, especially women. A good CC runner may be able to run all game long, but he/she will rarely be fast enough to be first to a loose ball.
The gr8t Tad told my dd the same thing. He was such a good coach. Gave freedom to choose. He always told me that soccer is full of adversity and many challenges. My dd would get yelled at for taking a quick breather after sprinting half the field for a run or going after all the loose balls and getting dirty. Other players look better sometimes because they don;t stop. Great point is what I'm trying say @espola
Everyone is different, but I would classify my DD as both a "seriously competitive long-distance runner" and "fast enough to be first to a loose ball" at the DA level. She definitely has a different body shape than her HS XC teammates who do tend to be very lean, so she may be the exception to the rule.