OT- Myth... Playing Multiple Sports

[JoeSchmoe]

Just throwing out a PSA as distraction given the team's woes.

You hear all the experts saying that kids have to play multiple sports... They need to take some take some time off... It'll all help you in the long run.

As a father of an elite athlete, I'll say it's a bunch of bull 💩.

My son played AAA hockey as well as elite ball since he was little. Every year he'd hang up the skates in April and pick up the baseball glove. After Labour Day, the baseball cleats were hung up and he was back on the ice. Every year, he was among the top kids and leaders on both teams.

Having seen the OHL draft come and go last spring, there were zero top draftees that were legit two sport kids. All the kids were the same kids that were in the hockey wringer all year round. I know of just one kid that got drafted in any round that played any elite level ball (though admittedly I don't know anywhere close to all the kids).  Looking back, my son was always up there with and ahead of many kids that went on to get drafted, but I feel I did a huge disservice to him by getting him playing a 2nd sport all along.

He's decided to try the baseball thing full time to see where that could possibly take him. Again, every top kid whos in the "rankings" has been playing year round for a very long time now. It's a later peaking sport, so I think he still has time, but still he could be a lot further ahead than he is now. As a pitcher, his arm will thank him for not going all out since he was little, but the kids his age that are getting the college committments have been year rounders for a very long time now.

Lesson- if you have a kid that's an elite athlete that wants to go somewhere with it... Don't listen to the same people I did. Let them play year round if they want to. Despite what the PC crowd will tell you, in the 2020's it's a necessary thing if you want to get to the next level.

Go Sabres!

[French Collection]

5 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

Just throwing out a PSA as distraction given the team's woes.

You hear all the experts saying that kids have to play multiple sports... They need to take some take some time off... It'll all help you in the long run.

As a father of an elite athlete, I'll say it's a bunch of bull 💩.

My son played AAA hockey as well as elite ball since he was little. Every year he'd hang up the skates in April and pick up the baseball glove. After Labour Day, the baseball cleats were hung up and he was back on the ice. Every year, he was among the top kids and leaders on both teams.

Having seen the OHL draft come and go last spring, there were zero top draftees that were legit two sport kids. All the kids were the same kids that were in the hockey wringer all year round. I know of just one kid that got drafted in any round that played any elite level ball (though admittedly I don't know anywhere close to all the kids).  Looking back, my son was always up there with and ahead of many kids that went on to get drafted, but I feel I did a huge disservice to him by getting him playing a 2nd sport all along.

He's decided to try the baseball thing full time to see where that could possibly take him. Again, every top kid whos in the "rankings" has been playing year round for a very long time now. It's a later peaking sport, so I think he still has time, but still he could be a lot further ahead than he is now. As a pitcher, his arm will thank him for not going all out since he was little, but the kids his age that are getting the college committments have been year rounders for a very long time now.

Lesson- if you have a kid that's an elite athlete that wants to go somewhere with it... Don't listen to the same people I did. Let them play year round if they want to. Despite what the PC crowd will tell you, in the 2020's it's a necessary thing if you want to get to the next level.

Go Sabres!

The thing I think of when going 12 months a year at one sport is repetitive strain injuries and mental burn out.

I wonder if the young goalies needing hip surgeries are victims of this stress.

I know when I was playing my best at sports it was nice to step away for a few months and feel that burning desire to play again as the season was approaching.

As far as the OHL draft, money and politics are involved there. We experienced it during the COVID-19 shutdown. Some GTHL teams found private rinks, practiced and played while other teams followed protocol and stayed away from the game.

OHL scouts went to these private showings. There were almost entire AAA teams drafted while some others had one or two kids picked. I can’t believe the 16th best kid on one team is better than the second best kid on ours but that is what happened.

Good luck with the baseball.