Should coaches prevent or discourage athletes

[ELA]

This is a question that comes up all the time:

 

"Should coaches prevent or discourage athletes from playing other sports in high school?"

[throw46]

No NO NO NO NO NO NO NO and NO.

 

Coaches who do deserve to be fired. I think it very selfish. I want every team at our school to be as good as they can be.

[gobigred]

This is a question that comes up all the time:

 

"Should coaches prevent or discourage athletes from playing other sports in high school?"

Absolutely not. No coach should penalize a player in any way for playing other sports either. The decision to participate in high school athletics, which are extra curricular activities, should be made by the student without interference. Sports are an enhancement to the education experience, not a core learning activity.

 

Any coach who tries to prevent a kid from participating in other sports is putting his / her own ego ahead of the student athlete's wishes, and is disrespecting the other coaches at the school by hoarding athletic talent.

[ballhawk]

I think coaches should encourage athletes to play as many sports as possible as long as those sports don't overlap.

[possum]

I think coaches should encourage athletes to play as many sports as possible as long as those sports don't overlap.

Thats a good point, and I think major sports should overlap.

[Red81KPsmash]

Student athletes have a four year period in high school in which they can play whatever sport they want. I have seen coaches, particularly basketball and baseball coaches encourage their athletes to participate in fall and summer leagues which take some good football players away. What I really hate is that some high school coaches tell their players that playing in these leagues is the only way they can get a scholarship. Let the kids be kids.

[TribeFan]

I agree with Red81KPSmash when it comes to high school sports let the kids be kids. You must realize only a small % of student athletes extend their athletic careers to the college level. So often parents and coaches get caught up in the "star" state of mind, and by that I mean they think their son or player is going to be the next great player (Jordan, Manning, Nicklaus) when if they really looked reality in the face they would see a college prospect but not a college "star". And most of the time when you have a special player on a team he becomes only average when he or she moves to the college level. I read an article several years ago in SI that said only 3% of high school athletes ever compete on the professional level.

And for the argument that a player may sustain an injury while competing in another sport, that is a bunch of BS; because a person can get injured walking down the street. I believe parents are looking through rose colored glasses and only see $$$$ signs or what they believe to be dollar signs. These high school years should be the greatest years of a young persons life, you can still push and manage their time while dealing with athletics but let them have fun while doing so.

[beethoven]

Has anyone watched gold star racing on the history channel??

 

The kids are 9,10,11 years old?? and are competing in go-cart races. These kids go to racing school, they have trailers with mechanical shops and hundreds of spare tires. The parents get fighting, cussing, screaming mad and really push these kids.

 

You talk about pressure in a sport! WOW!

[ELA]

Most of us in the profession know of head coaches in some sport that tells his kids not to play "SPORT X" or "SPORT Z" if they expect to start for him. I think these men are just plain greedy no matter what they think about the players potential in another sport.

 

I once had a principal call every head and assistant coach in the school into the library. He made this statement and simply walked out: "Any coach with tenure who tells a child in this school not to play another sport will be fired from their coaching responsibilities within 48 hours. Any non-tenured coach will be fired."

[Baldcoach]

Personally I tell every kid to play as many sports as possible. It makes them a better all-around athlete imo. Also I think kids should get involved in as many non-athletic extracurriculars as possible. It makes them a better all-around person imo.

[Antwan]

Personally I tell every kid to play as many sports as possible. It makes them a better all-around athlete imo. Also I think kids should get involved in as many non-athletic extracurriculars as possible. It makes them a better all-around person imo.

No doubt.

[37421]

Great points, all. One thing that isn't mentioned much is the absolute imperative at small schools (A, AA) to have all of your athletes playing. It is all but impossible to be competitive while having good athletes biding time during other seasons. I realize that football takes year 'round lifting to be successful, basketball takes year 'round shooting and baseball takes year 'round hitting to stay at the top of your game. But it seems to me that so many kids "specialize" and cheat themselves out of benefits of other sports. Want your baseball players to be strong and mentally tough? Encourage them to play football. Want your football players to have more wind. better footwork and hand-eye? Basketball's the ticket. Want your linemen to use leverage and strength? Get 'em to wrestle. Done correctly all will benefit.

There is a problem with burnout and the parents and coaches need to look out for it. My son hasn't had a break of more than two weeks for the last four years. He wants to do it all- plays three sports, is in chorus and active in church. Guess what suffers? Grades. It's a real balancing act and occaisionally requires what we call "re-focus" (read as "you're grounded and don't even think of going out for one more sport until...)