In the United States, over 44 percent of athletes, particularly high schoolers, play multiple sports while around 30 percent play one. There is a constant debate of whether or not being a multi-sport athlete is better than being a single-sport athlete.
There are two different kinds of athletes that focus on one sport. The two kinds are athletes who focus on one sport all year long and those who only play during the season. Single-sport athletes often find that they are more confident and have increased motivation as they can focus on one singular sport as opposed to two or more. If they only play that sport in the season and not all year, they have time to take breaks and focus on their studies.
Multi-sport athletes can develop good time management, as they have to balance both school and sports at the same time. There are also two types of these athletes, those whose sports overlap, and those who are spread out through the year. These athletes are less likely to get burned out by a sport because they have other ones in between.
Most studies show that there are more benefits to being a multi-sport athlete, mainly due to the cons of doing one sport. These studies explain that single-sport athletes are found to be more prone to injuries. This is because they tend to overuse a single injured part instead of switching between muscles, bones, and tendons (which get injured the most). For example, if an athlete only plays volleyball, their arm may get overused from hitting for so long. If an athlete plays volleyball and soccer, they are less prone to overuse related injuries because the sports focus on different parts of the body.
Although single-sport athletes can focus on one sport to get better at it, multi-sport athletes can obtain cross-sport skills. For instance, if you are a runner in track, it can help you run faster or longer in basketball. This allows for better hand-eye coordination, speed, and agility.
However, some multi-sport athletes may find that they have trouble keeping up with all their sports and school work, as they have to get some of it all done in one day. This can be very stressful. Single-sport athletes get breaks every once and awhile that allows them to recuperate and get school work done.
Although it is still argued which one is better, most people and studies agree that playing more than one sport is better for an athlete, overall. However, you should do whatever is best for you.
