Starting a thread off a comment from another thread (sorry I haven't figured out how to copy and paste a quote yet)about spring sports interferring with each other. It just spoke to kids not attending meets because of other sports. That's not what my question is about.
My son enjoys wrestling and wants to compete in some of the spring meets. I advised him against it because he is also competitive in track and would be devastated if he were to get hurt at a wrestling meet and couldn't run. Not to mention what his track coach would have to say. I know that in any sport, you cannot play with any fear of injury because that's when you'll get hurt. With that said, I wonder what you coaches think of kids being in two sports at once. Would you be ok with your kid competing in another sport during wrestling? Especially if the other sport was at a higher competitive level? I heard no implications that the kids shouldn't play baseball or track during this time of year. I'm not accusing anyone of anything. I'm just curious what your thoughts are on this.

This is a great question. I am a head football coach, but also coach varsity wrestling and track. As an athlete in high school I was also involved in football, wrestling, and track. At Wood River, we encourage our kids to get out for 3 sports because we are not a big enough school to have kids pick and choose what sports they will do. Unfortunately we are getting to a point in high school athletics that you almost HAVE to compete in your sport of choice year round to stay ahead of or with the competition. It is a tough decision and a hard question to answer. I love baseball, but I will tell you this... In Wood River for the last 2 years we have not had a legion baseball team, and it has been great because there is no conflicts with baseball getting in the way of our summer activities (camps, weight room, clinics). I know i didnt really answer your question, but this is going to only become more of an issue as high school athletes become more refined in their sport of choice.

I've said before that I'd rather my son be a 3 sport qualifier than a one sport champion. That's just my opinion. But he's inching up the podium in wrestling and would like to on top and therefore wanted to wrestle at MWC. I had just come back from USA state where a kid broke his leg. Once I told him about that, he couldn't wrestle because he knew he'd have that in the back of his mind. AND he's inching up the podium in track as well so he decided to focus on the one sport for now. Once track is over he'll feel better about summer camps but I just wondered how coaches felt about having kids compete in another sport while out for theirs.

Sunday used to be a day of rest....not just religiously speaking, but sports speaking. Not now! You can't even get into the gyms around here on a Sunday..... Off season volleyball, pitching lessons, youth tournaments, basketball shooting leagues......... I had a young man get hurt, catching for a pitcher this year in January. I wasn't happy.

I have never pushed spring wrestling, because I want them to focus on track and baseball. And fortunately, most of them do (85% over the last three years). When summer comes, I expect a little more time to be dedicated to wrestling. (20 or 30 matches, with 1 hour of mat time drilling or technique can become the equal of 1 match).

All this coming from a coach and program that has not experienced much success since starting the program 5 years ago. Should I be thinking about changing my philosophy and start stepping on some toes? Sadly, maybe it has come to that. I am anti-SportsSpecialization.... Always have been.... But it is everywhere, at all ages..... Joining the masses isn't what I want.... Keeping up with the Joneses, isn't always the answer, but I'm feeling some pressure to keep up...

That is my head shaking vent for the day...... I am sure I didn't answer the original question, because I don't have the answer.

I'm against HS athletes that are in a spring sport wrestling in the spring. I don't think it is fair to the spring coaches. I coach three sports during the school year and softball in the summer. I look at it this way- I don't want my wrestlers attending football, track, baseball, soccer, etc. camps during wrestling season.

On the other hand, I see a lot of one or two sport athletes that aren't doing enough when they are in the off season. If you want or claim to be a good wrestler and aren't doing anything in the spring, why are you not wrestling more? I want kids busy all the time, whether its wrestling full time or playing sports three months at a time.

Competing in dual sports at the same time must come from the fact that 1) the athlete is really good at one of them and wants to continue competing or 2) the athlete really wants to get better in one of them because he loves the sport.

Most of the wrestlers that are doing track are out because they are encouraged to by their football coach and even wrestling coaches to stay in shape, get a little faster and quicker. With that said, those wrestlers still want to compete in wrestling as well. Let's face it track for most kids does take a back seat to the other sports. Yes, there are great track kids out there that are good wrestlers...knightmare definitely has one of them....could be state champ in track this year. Those upper level track kids that wrestle need to stay competitive in track for those few months and do what you do best that time of year....run Forest run. No wrestling coach is going to bock about a potential track state placer or even state qualifier not wrestling during track season. There's plenty to do after track if they so seek it. June is full of wrestling camps and so is July. Then take a break and start lifting like a mad man....that should go through football season.

Baseball in these small towns is dieing. I've seen it in Oakland started 20 years ago...man I've been here a long time. We haven't had a legion team here in years and have to send a few to other bigger towns to make teams. If there is one sport dropped by a 4 sport athlete it seems to always be baseball in my opinion. So I would say the same thing about baseball as track. If you are real good then play hard. If your just there to be part of team and some of your friends are playing then try to get some wrestling in at the same time....especially if you are either 1 or 2 from above mentioned text.

Track and baseball coaches should try and understand just as the wrestling coach will try and understand...each has their competitive athletes. If their not very competitive in one but are in the other then its a no brainer. Kids are trying to get better to get some kind of college scholarships in athletics. If track isn't their sport then give track what you can while trying to do something at a higher level in wrestling.

Of course kids should always be striving to do well in the classroom to obtain scholarships by that means. Not every kids is that gifted.

Frankly, I don't know how kids do it these days. There used to be a time where you picked up football in August and put it away in November, at which point you played basketball or wrestled until February, then it was on to track or golf until May and then baseball in June and July.

Now, these kids seem to be pulled in a zillion different directions. Kids out for track here in Wayne are in the wrestling room early in the morning working on drills. And if they're not doing that, they're lifting weights for football. Kids who play basketball and baseball are pitching and hitting in the cage in January before school, then spend 2-3 hours at basketball practice. It seems like each sport's offseason workouts are in direct conflict with the regular work that in-season sports require.

I don't have an answer or an opinion on the matter. I know I hear from in-season coaches who get miffed because the off-season coaches are "making" their kids compete in weekend tournaments, attend camps, etc. And I realize that it's the off-season stuff that turns good athletes into great ones.

I just don't know how kids do it. I'm getting winded just describing what I see on this issue...

I believe on a certain level you have to take into account the talent, and goals of a particular athlete. If you have an athlete with particularly high goals, those goals are not achieved by magic. I would definitely be accommodating to an athlete that came to wrestling but was at heart a track athlete. I don't believe that you can do two things to your potential at the same time, but if my in season (wrestling season) is another great athletes off season, I would rather they be out for wrestling and miss a little for important off season activities for their main sport.

Again, at a certain level I do believe that an athlete needs to chose that sport to which they want to put all their effort into. For example, if wrestling division one is the goal, I dont think you can let anything else stand in the way.

The really good athlete will be able to achieve success if they work hard at all. The problem is when coaches require you to attend a camp and the younger athlete gets worried they won't play so they begin to specialize. The bottom line is its not the hours you put in the weight room, mat field but what you put in those hours.

It is up the to the individual athlete. My kid is finishing up wrestling and has been going to baseball practice since January. Started track in March and is balancing 3 sports at this ime. We will be putting wrestling away after this weekend until track is over. During baseball season we will be lifting and attending camps for both wrestling and football. If they are good enough to compete on three playing fields at once allow them. A person could get injured at anytime/anyplace. If they can handle it allow them the space and time. Don't force them to choose especially when their younger. If there is a way you could make it cheaper I would be all for that!!

I played baseball, football, and wrestling from a young age all the way through high school. Lettered in all three and loved it. There was no burn out and I loved the change of seasons. Wrestling made me a better baseball and football player for sure and I could have done any of the three in college but choose wrestling. I would love to have been able to play baseball in college as well. There was no summer wrestling for me because of baseball, but baseball was always my favorite.

quote:

Originally posted by NWI:
Frankly, I don't know how kids do it these days. There used to be a time where you picked up football in August and put it away in November, at which point you played basketball or wrestled until February, then it was on to track or golf until May and then baseball in June and July.

Now, these kids seem to be pulled in a zillion different directions. Kids out for track here in Wayne are in the wrestling room early in the morning working on drills. And if they're not doing that, they're lifting weights for football. Kids who play basketball and baseball are pitching and hitting in the cage in January before school, then spend 2-3 hours at basketball practice. It seems like each sport's offseason workouts are in direct conflict with the regular work that in-season sports require.

I don't have an answer or an opinion on the matter. I know I hear from in-season coaches who get miffed because the off-season coaches are "making" their kids compete in weekend tournaments, attend camps, etc. And I realize that it's the off-season stuff that turns good athletes into great ones.

I just don't know how kids do it. I'm getting winded just describing what I see on this issue...

Try being one of the parents!? I can't wait for summer wrestling camp!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Big D,

It isn't out of the ordunary for my son to have track practice, drive 25 minutes for Wrestling Practice then drive across Lincoln for baseball practice. He loves it, he gets tired but he loves it. My wallet doesn't like it and I still have one more kid to do this with. I do know when he gets to HS it actually slows down for him in some aspects.

Chief storm, I hear you. I come from the time when it was unheard of to do anything on Sunday. I say don't abandon what you feel is right. Whatever that may be. If you do the right thing, right things will happen. There's nothing wrong with a kid just fishing or otherwise just enjoying a stress free youth. I want to clarify that I don't have a problem with either philosophy. I was just looking for opinions.

btw thanks 525 for the kind words. I love watching him run but would also love to see him win a title in wrestling even more so it' was a little tough to let him skip the mwc.

I dont want to ruffle any feathers (which I suppose is generally code for, "I'm going to ruffle some feathers") and I do mean for this to sound like an honest question.

Does this topic point to why Nebraska struggles to compete with "the wrestling states" on a regular basis? Do kids in other states (i.e. California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, etc) attempt to participate in multiple sports? More importantly, do they attempt to participate in spring sports? I know many play football, but after the regular high school season when freeco kicks in, are these other states splitting attention. I am amazed by the dominance put forth by many of these states and the sheer number of kids they bring to major competitions. What will it take to get there? Nebraska takes 15ish kids to Fargo total and teams like California, Pennsylvania, even Missouri have teams of 30, 40 or 50. Per age group.

Well put 525 you hit it right on the head.My son is out for track because of football as you know he will never be a track star.as knightmare you got to witness that first hand with his great hurdle race lol.But Told track coach will be out for track but preparing for certain offseason events will come first if there really is a thing of off season anymore in ANY sport.The track coach was fine with that.Our football coach is all for kids doing wrestling. But like someone said they want you off the couch doing something.

Ok, my turn to ruffle some feathers, but how many of these kids spend this amount of time or more doing school work or volunteering in their community. Isn't most of this supposed to be a means to a better education?

My son skipped the MWC to play baseball this weekend. He has missed baseball practice and games to wrestle, he has left track practice early and missed track practice for wrestling and baseball. It is a balancing act and I also make sure his grades stay up because he wouldn't be able to participate in any of his sports. I am more proud of him being on the honor roll than a win, a hit, or a race/jump. No matter what he does or where he goes its his education that will determine his success in life. Sports help shape his character but education is his key to success. I hope sports helps me to pay for some of this education.

I think the kids should be able to do what they want. If that entails attending wrestling meets while also competing in track/baseball, so be it. I believe they will eventually find their niche and gravitate towards a particular sport. If not, that is fine too. My brother participates in three sports and excels in all three of them. He goes to wrestling open gym and wrestling tournaments during baseball season, has pitching lessons during wrestling season, etc. In fact, this last week he wrestled at sophomore nationals, had a 30 hour/3 day drive back home, got home Sunday night, and hit 4-4 with two home runs on Tuesday. I think that each sport helps him in the others by just helping him to become a better athlete overall.