Vary kids' sports and allow occasional respite

By DAN STRAYTON
As published July 5, 2007

Dear Dan,

With fall sports, winter sports, spring sports and summer sports, I feel like my 9-year old never gives himself a rest from playing sports. I think he needs to give his body a rest but other people swear he will "fall behind" the other kids in his sport if he doesn't play year-round. Do you have any advice from a fitness and athletic performance perspective? –Mary, Mt. Airy

Dear Mary,

It sounds like your son is quite the athlete. My advice for any parents who are looking to get their children into shape for future athletic glory is to, first, avoid focusing on one sport too early and, second, give them a break.

One of the best things you can do for your son's athletic "career" is to encourage, or require, that he play a variety of sports throughout the year. Doctors and physical therapists are concerned that kids are specializing in one sport too soon and, as a result, are wearing their bodies down earlier and causing more injuries at a younger age.

The repetitive nature of playing the same sport all year round places a great deal of stress on the muscles, joints and connective tissues of the body. Time away from a particular sport gives the body a chance to repair and recover from the stresses of that sport.

All sports place stress on the body and its muscles and joints. By mixing up the sports you play, you'll spread those stresses out rather than focusing them on one area of your body. Soccer, basketball, football, baseball, lacrosse, field hockey, volleyball, even bowling, all have repetitive motions that stress the body in the same way over and over again.

By changing sports throughout the year, you change the stresses and provide your body with the time it needs to rest and recuperate. As a result, you'll reduce your chance of injury and improve your chances at excelling at your sport because you'll have a fresh, fully recovered body to play with.

Likewise, each of these sports challenges the athlete in a different manner, physically and mentally. The constant sprinting associated with soccer will develop one aspect of your young athlete while the quick "cutting" and jumping associated with basketball will develop another. Baseball and lacrosse will develop hand-eye coordination differently than football or basketball.

By playing a variety of sports, your child will become a better overall athlete, something that will pay huge dividends down the road. This exposure to a variety of sports may also help them better choose which sport it is they want to focus on as they enter their older years.

My last bit of advice for parents is to be patient when starting your child in organized sports. Regardless of what other parents may say, waiting until your child is 5, 6 or 7 years old to start playing sports will not put them at a significant disadvantage.

Sure, you may notice a difference within the first season they play as your child adjusts and learns the game but, in the long run, a child who delays getting into organized sports has less chance of "burning out" and getting injured and a greater chance of enjoying sports and performing well in the future.

Finally, do not rely on organized sports to provide your child with his or her exercise outlet. Most sports practices and games provide little in the way of real exercise as much of the time is spent standing around waiting to perform the next drill, waiting to get into the game or waiting for the action to come their way.

From a fitness perspective, there is no substitute for good, old-fashioned play. Hit the playgrounds, run around in the yard, go tramping through the woods or meet the neighbors for a pick-up game of some sport (they will probably improve more playing in an unstructured pick-up game than in most organized practices). Very often, active play can do more to develop the overall athlete than season after season of organized sports, especially at the younger ages.

Think about what a 5-yr old does on the playground. He runs, jumps, climbs, chases, crawls, sprints, hangs, plays tag, walks up slides, etc. This is the kind of activity that develops strength, coordination, agility, stamina, speed and other traits that will pay off in organized sports later in life.

So, rather than signing your 4 year old up for "soccer", how about taking him to the playground everyday and train the whole athlete!

The years from ages 5-12 should be spent developing the basic athletic skills of speed, agility, balance, coordination, stamina and strength. Sport skill development can accompany this training but should not be the primary focus.

Developing a solid base of fitness and athleticism is more important at a young age than learning the nuances of one particular sport or one set of specific sports skills. Have them play a variety of sports, take a season off every now and then and enjoy the freedom of unstructured play and you'll be well on your way to developing a healthy, happy and successful athlete.

Good luck and keep moving!

[Dan Strayton, general manager at Health Unlimited on Century Drive in Mt. Airy, holds a master's degree in exercise physiology and would be happy to answer any questions you may have about exercise, health and fitness. Write to him in care of the Mt. Airy Messenger, P.O. Box 897, Mt. Airy, MD 21771-0897; or send e-mail to dans@myhealthunlimited.com.]