Doing two things at once puts us out of balance.

Two sports in the same season, it doesn’t end. We just switch which team gets dibs on our kids. Now that fall soccer is over we head into the winter season. The fall soccer players are taking on winter sports, but also playing indoor or futsal, or just plain training outside.  Two sports in the same season: I call this overlap season. Well, overlap used to be a season, now it’s year round.

The justification used to be, run in order to get (or stay) fit for soccer season. Or play high school for fun but be serious about your club team. The problem is: good athletes are good athletes. Everybody wants them. And you don’t want to limit their options (too much), because your pretty good soccer player may turn into a state champion miler!

It would be nice if we could simplify, but I don’t see the overlap and multi-sport seasons stopping any time soon. So, the question becomes: how do we prepare them for the inevitable? Let’s look at this from three vantage points: the coach, the parent and the athlete.

If You’re a Coach

If you’re a coach, you’re primary objective is to develop your athletes, but they must remain healthy in order to train to play their best. When they are pulled in multiple directions during a season…

If You’re a Parent

If you’re a parent, you’re primary objective is guiding your child toward growth and health and achieving his/her potential. This may or may not, ultimately, include sports; however athletics offers tremendous opportunities to move this process forward. Kids who love challenging their bodies on the field of play probably find a lot of life in them. So, when they are being tugged limb from limb…

If You’re an Athlete

If you’re an athlete, overlap season is VERY confusing. You’re good, maybe very good, at more than one sport and you don’t want to give anything up. You’re afraid that if you take a season off, you may fall behind your current competitors. So, when the drive to compete, the fear of failure and a little bit of ego have you squeezed in the vice…

Coaches, parents and athletes, the issue may seem hard but the solution really is simple: put the needs of the kid first. Let’s not make this so complicated.