Being a student-athlete at Gibbons is a huge time commitment. Workouts, practices, games, and team activities can take up all of your afternoon, leaving little time for homework.
Athletes are encouraged by their coaches to get their work done in their flex so they have time to rest at home. What student-athlete would want to have this time commitment 2-3 seasons per year?
As a surprise to many, there is a plethora of student athletes who play multiple sports year round. Male student-athletes who want to keep improving their speed may play a sport in the fall like football or soccer, and then run track in the winter or spring. It is also common for the girls playing flag football in the fall to then play another sport like basketball in the winter or soccer in the spring.
“As someone who plays three sports, they are always keeping me busy, while helping me become a better athlete for all of my sports,” said junior Alex Rodriguez.
Playing multiple sports always comes with its pros and cons. Student athletes who play multiple sports stay conditioned, become adaptable and versatile in different situations, and build connections with old and new teammates.
For student-athletes looking to get recruited, it is helpful for them to play multiple sports as some coaches have voiced how they love athletes who play multiple sports.
“I love golf and soccer and I didn’t want to choose one over the other even though I am focusing on getting recruited in only one of my sports,” said junior Declan Daner.
For those playing in college, especially Division I, playing multiple sports can be quite beneficial. College programs can be year-round depending on what sport you’re playing. When College programs are in season, they conduct lifts, practices, study halls, meetings, and film study. When they aren’t in season, their workload stays the same, besides playing actual games. This is a huge time commitment for all athletes and the truth is, this isn’t for everyone.
This always has its drawbacks however, as playing multiple sports wears down your body, especially in back to back seasons. Risk of injury is something that deters athletes from competing in multiple sports, but studies have shown that multi-sport athletes actually have less of a risk of injury.
A study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine conducted a study on NBA first round picks from 2008-15. They concluded that those who played multiple sports in high school played in more games and sustained less injuries than those who didn’t.
Although playing multiple sports throughout the school year adds on a huge time commitment and a substantial physical toll on your body, the benefits of playing multiple sports outweigh the cons of it.
