There are many benefits to playing multiple sports throughout the year. Some of the benefits include:

1. AVOIDING BURNOUTS: It is important to remember that kids play sports because they are able to have fun with their friends, they enjoy playing, and they like to compete.

2. REDUCING THE RISK OF OVERUSE RELATED INJURIES: By playing a variety of sports, especially during the critical development years, athletes are better able to develop all of their muscle groups instead of just specific muscles for one sport. This lessens the risk of overuse related injuries because athletes have the chance to let some muscle groups relax and do different movements.

3. DEVELOPING BETTER SKILLS AS AN ALL-AROUND ATHLETE: The more sports and activities that kids are involved in early on in their lives, the more opportunity they have to develop themselves as an athlete, not just as a baseball, soccer, basketball, or football player. Many skills and techniques transfer from one sport to another.

4. DEVELOPING MORE MENTAL AND LIFE SKILLS: Playing multiple sports can help kids build important life skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, communication, and responsibility. While playing one sport also teaches valuable life lessons, playing a variety of sports allows for lessons to be taught and learned in different environments.

5. BUILDING CONFIDENCE: Sport is a great vehicle for building self-confidence in youth. With each different sport, there are different levels of success that athletes can achieve, both big and small. As athletes succeed in sports, their self-confidence increases because they start to understand they can overcome any obstacles that may stand in their way, both in sport and in life.

This article was provided through PCA’s partnership with USA Baseball. For more information about playing multiple sports and other valuable tips, please visit USA Baseball’s Online Education Center.