The pendulum of opinions, expert and not, of the number of sports a child should play each year has swung during the last four decades.

In the 1970s, kids played three sports a year because their sport was only offered one season a year. Then in the 1990s, coaches preached and parents believed that the only chance an athlete had to be very successful – meaning a chance for a college scholarship – in any given sport was to play that sport and that sport alone.

And now here we are in the year 2020, with one of the focuses of the NFL Draft being touting is that a very high percentage of players selected played at least two sports in high school. I can tell you firsthand, that’s helped keep our boys motivated to not focus on one sport.

And why should they play more than one sport? Having fun playing a second sport is reason enough to do it, but there are also other benefits to taking a break from a favorite sport.

For many kids, that second sport is even more enjoyable than their “main” sport because they don’t feel the pressure. My son’s favorite part about being on the travel soccer team is he’s not the star, and it’s not a case of “how he plays determines if the team wins or loses,” like has happened on a few of his basketball teams.

Playing a second sport also gives your body a break. Although running is part of many sports, just switching the surface can help save wear and tear. There is a lot less impact on my son’s feet and legs on the grassy pitches than the hardwood courts. Even today’s turf fields are often as soft if not softer than “real grass.”

Usually, regardless of what the sports are that they play, the skills honed in one transfer in some fashion to the other and vice-versa. When my son played lacrosse – his third sport at the time – the offensive techniques of picking and constantly being in motion on offense carried over into basketball season. Likewise, his zone defensive skills learned on the court helped him in his middie position on the lacrosse field.

The Football Development Model has an entire section dedicated to developing the whole person through their participation in multiple sports. It’s a focus on a real-life situation that at some point comes up for discussion in almost every football household.  

In this real-life example, we’ve captured three reasons to play more than one sport: physical, mental/emotional and strategical.

Jon Buzby has been involved in and writing about youth sports for the past 30 years with perspectives as a parent, coach and board member. Jon is an award-winning writer and his latest book, “Coaching Kids Made Easier,” is available on Amazon. Send comments or future blog topics you'd like to see to JonBuzby@hotmail.com and follow him @YouthSportsBuzz on Twitter.