The trend of specialization in specific sports is evident at the high school level. Additionally, more youth athletes are increasingly specializing at younger ages.

The belief underlying specialization is often the result of what the athlete has been told by those he trusts. More specifically, they are led to believe that specialization will afford them their best chance at securing a scholarship and/or it will maximize their performance on the field.

However, does it actually play out that way?

More specifically, if a youth athlete quits other sports to concentrate on football, does that actually improve football prowess? Further, if this is not the case, then the next logical question is, participation in which sports will augment football performance?

A recent USA Football blog highlighted the fact that the vast majority of 1st round NFL draft picks were high school multi-sport athletes.

Perhaps these players have a better athletic foundation, and are better football players because they played multiple sports in high school. Whether this is true or not, doesn’t really matter too much. After all, most football coaches like their players to participate in other sports during the offseason.

Further, top flight college coaches, such as Ohio State's Urban Meyer, are known for their attraction to multi-sport high school athletes.

Here are some of the physical attributes you will develop by participating in sports outside of football.

Basketball

Quickness, acceleration, footwork, agility, kinesthetic awareness (knowing one's body position while moving athletically), cardiovascular fitness, vertical jump, hand-eye coordination, and explosiveness. Basketball is also excellent for teaching athletes how to use their body to block others from the ball. This is especially important for defensive backs, wide receivers and tight ends. Just looking at the large number of successful tight ends in NFL who played little college football, instead focusing on basketball, should be all it takes to see the value here.

Track and Field

Top end speed, explosiveness, acceleration, cardiovascular fitness, and overall power (field events). No matter the sport, and especially in football, an athlete can never have too much speed or acceleration. Hurdlers, jumpers, and sprinters all receive excellent training that will ultimately aid their football game.

An effective track coach will refine a runner's biomechanics. Improved biomechanics often leads to higher top-end speed, better acceleration, and greater mechanical efficiency. The majority of youth athletes can stand to refine their biomechanics and learn to run and accelerate faster. I have come across few youth athletes who utilize perfect technique.

Baseball

Hand-eye coordination, acceleration, tracking balls in flight.

Wrestling

Strength, power, leverage, overall conditioning/endurance, and hand technique (especially important for linemen, wide receivers, and defensive backs). The sport teaches an athlete how to remain explosive and athletic while maintaining a low center of gravity.

Soccer

Agility, footwork, overall quickness, straight line speed, stamina, cardiovascular fitness, and recovery.

Tennis

Quickness, hand-eye coordination, and endurance.

I am often asked, "which sport is the best option to increase my football skills?"

Keep in mind, every sport usually has something benefit to offer. Although there are many that would disagree, I believe that baseball offers the least benefit to football skills.

For the skill position athletes in football, I recommend basketball, soccer, and track. For defensive players, I recommend wrestling. Ultimately, playing any sport in the offseason can deliver some benefit.

What About Offseason, Football Specific Training?

The training landscape has changed dramatically in recent years. The growth of high quality, football-specific training centers has been rapid.

In the past, players received football training from team coaches during the football season. They played other sports, and/or lifted weights, in the offseason. However, that has changed as an increasing number of young athletes turn toward sports specific training.

Athletes eyeing potential scholarship offers, or those hoping to earn a starting spot next season, can surely benefit from football specific training. However, the benefits of participating in other sports are too great to ignore. In most cases, I try to recommend an athlete does both, which maximizes their return on investment.

Please note, quarterbacks may be the exception. The demands of that position require a higher level of focus that other football positions. Quarterback coaches have been on the scene for decades, even at the high school level. In football, this is the one position that has placed a premium on long-term position-specific training. The level of quarterback play at the high school level has elevated in the last decade, largely because of the spread of this type of training.

Does that mean quarterbacks should avoid playing multiple sports and focus on quarterback specific training instead? No, I would not recommend that. However, the majority of quarterbacks who have reached the pinnacle of the sport have utilized quarterback specific training.

If you're a football player, you stand to benefit from offseason, positional or sport specific training. That being said, don't discount the benefits that other sports can offer your football game.

Steve Faber is a freelance writer and content strategist who’s been marketing online since a stint with a high profile e-commerce start up during the first Internet boom. His firm, Most Pixels Marketing, works with organizations to create content and formulate effective content strategies to get noticed, engage customers and drive sales. His son just finished playing his fifth football season this fall and is looking forward to high school ball next year. Catch him at http://www.mostpixels.com.