[Bobcat4years]

My son will be a freshman and we are trying to decide if he should play football and baseball or focus just on baseball?
Pros and cons?

[LCHSbulldogsalum]

My son will be a freshman and we are trying to decide if he should play football and baseball or focus just on baseball?
Pros and cons?

First off, it's high school.....so tell him to HAVE FUN!

Secondly, is he (will he) be pretty good in football or baseball? If he is going to just "ride the bench" in football, but may be good in baseball (or visa versa) then maybe focus on just one.

There's nothing wrong with playing multiple sports. Playing three, now that could be a problem. Playing 2 shouldn't wear down the body much and should have plenty of recovery time.

[anotherfootballnut]

Play as many sports as he can , have fun and enjoy high school . You neve know what the future holds

[Eagle84]

Play as many as possible. Will make him a better player later

[Blue-N-Gold]

Both. I love to see kids playing more than one sport.

[dawg fan]

Football has derailed a lot of good baseball players, if he plays football and gets to play much he will get injured at some point just a matter of when and how bad!

[MR. Slate]

Football has derailed a lot of good baseball players, if he plays football and gets to play much he will get injured at some point just a matter of when and how bad!

That's a bunch of bull.

[dawg fan]

That's a bunch of bull.

I think you would be hard pressed to find any body that has played football for any length of time that has not had some type of injury. My son played all 4 years of high school and every game there is always players getting hurt from one team or the other, some minor some season ending some career ending. Dont get me wrong I love football, kids learn a lot of life lessons from football they don't get from other sports, but if you are any good and spend a lot of time on the field you are going to get injured at some point.

Lc had about 50 players last year, about 25 saw the majority of the playing time, I know they had at least 5 season ending injuries and several more that mist multiple games. If you don't think kids get hurt playing high school football then you not been to a high school game.

[Spirit100]

Play as many sports as he can , have fun and enjoy high school . You neve know what the future holds

A BIG THIS....I was a three sport athlete playing football, hoops, baseball early and then track my Junior/Senior years.

My son plays football, takes winter off to lift, and runs track and plays baseball in the spring.

I've seen plenty of injuries in baseball as well. Injury is a known risk...and colleges, if your son is a next level player, value well rounded athletes.

Worse than witnessing an injury is 1 sport BURNOUT!!! Good luck with his decision...

:Thumbs:

[Catfan09]

Play as many as you enjoy! However, depending on the coaches and their ability to share or should I say inability,could make things less enjoyable. They might pretend to encourage multi-sports but they then produce schedules (in the offseason)that make it almost impossible.

[dawg fan]

I think I have come across as I am against football, nothing could be further from the truth, I love the game,Iif the seasons were reversed it would make more sense, but the school year starts with football, so a broken leg, arm, ankle, acl all are fairly commom football injuries that derail the athletes for basketball and baseball.

[Jackson Purchase]

Kids should take every opportunity available. You never know what sport they'll be good at. Most times you love one the most, while your better at another. You live once. High school is so short! Cherish it, hang onto it, simply do it ALL.

[PRIDE101]

I think I have come across as I am against football, nothing could be further from the truth, I love the game,Iif the seasons were reversed it would make more sense, but the school year starts with football, so a broken leg, arm, ankle, acl all are fairly commom football injuries that derail the athletes for basketball and baseball.

There is so many great basketball players in EKY ....LOL. Attitudes toward basketball have derailed so many good football players it is a shame. That is the truth.

Studies have shown that basketball has just as many injuries as football.

[baseball1974]

It's a shame that high school sports have come to this. The truth is, each sport prepares you in different ways for the next. There are skills in football and an aggressiveness that will give you and edge on the baseball field. You work different areas and strengths when you play multiple sports. You can be a great a player by focusing on one sport, but you will be a more well-rounded athlete by playing more than one. Everytime I have ever been asked this question I always go back to one thing, if there is a sport where your son will get paid to play after high school or college then by all means limit his opportunity for injury. If you are just focused on them playing college then there is no reason why you shouldn't play more than one if you enjoy it.

[WETSU]

I think you would be hard pressed to find any body that has played football for any length of time that has not had some type of injury. My son played all 4 years of high school and every game there is always players getting hurt from one team or the other, some minor some season ending some career ending. Dont get me wrong I love football, kids learn a lot of life lessons from football they don't get from other sports, but if you are any good and spend a lot of time on the field you are going to get injured at some point.

Lc had about 50 players last year, about 25 saw the majority of the playing time, I know they had at least 5 season ending injuries and several more that mist multiple games. If you don't think kids get hurt playing high school football then you not been to a high school game.

I played football from the time I was 7 until I was 20. Had one sprained ankle from stepping on a sprinkler head and had one minor concussion. Injuries can happen in either sport. A friend of mine quit football because he didn't want to get hurt and took a baseball to the had and cracked his skull. You can't play a sport in fear of getting hurt. If a kid is a lock for D1 in baseball then by all means just play baseball. If not then play both if he likes both sports. Have fun and enjoy it. One of my biggest regrets in sports was choosing not to play baseball my last two years of high school.

[Stardust]

First off, it's high school.....so tell him to HAVE FUN!

Secondly, is he (will he) be pretty good in football or baseball? If he is going to just "ride the bench" in football, but may be good in baseball (or visa versa) then maybe focus on just one.

There's nothing wrong with playing multiple sports. Playing three, now that could be a problem. Playing 2 shouldn't wear down the body much and should have plenty of recovery time.

Play as many sports as he can , have fun and enjoy high school . You neve know what the future holds

Both. I love to see kids playing more than one sport.

A BIG THIS....I was a three sport athlete playing football, hoops, baseball early and then track my Junior/Senior years.

My son plays football, takes winter off to lift, and runs track and plays baseball in the spring.

I've seen plenty of injuries in baseball as well. Injury is a known risk...and colleges, if your son is a next level player, value well rounded athletes.

Worse than witnessing an injury is 1 sport BURNOUT!!! Good luck with his decision...

:Thumbs:

Kids should take every opportunity available. You never know what sport they'll be good at. Most times you love one the most, while your better at another. You live once. High school is so short! Cherish it, hang onto it, simply do it ALL.

You all are SPOT ON!!!

Guy's, I am a High School baseball coach and I am the FIRST to tell you to play as many sports as possible in High School. The reality of it is, none of our children will get payed to play, so let's allow our kids to make as many memories as possible. I encourage our baseball players to concentrate on the season that you are in and not worry about the next season/sport until it is time.

My own story includes my son, who was a two year starter in football at a 6A school give up football his Senior year. It devastated me, and as much as I wanted to talk him out of it, I let him make his own mature decision. He did not want to play football because he wanted to focus on Baseball and ensure his opportunity to play in college. Well, the football season progressed and he was miserable sitting in the stands cheering for his team versus being on the field side by side in the trenches. Yes, it would have sucked if he would have gotten seriously injured, but the reality of it is that an injury can derail your season once baseball starts. If you play a sport, any sport, you are at risk of injury that could affect your ability to compete at your best level. He missed out on an opportunity that to this day he regrets.

He went on to play college baseball, and as I told him of my own experience, college athletics is a JOB it is no longer fun! So, let your kids play additional sports. Let them make memories that will last way longer than their playing days. I've rarely every heard of a MLB player who was not a 2-3 sport athlete in High School. So, if your son has ability, he will make it regardless of him working three extra months on Baseball during the Fall.

[TheTigersEye]

Kids do get hurt playing high school football. It's a tough game but at the same time being hurt and injured is two different things. You are only in high school once and should play as many or as few sports as you would like. We actually had a great article in our local paper about this very topic a few weeks ago. Different sports teach much different skills and you are better for it, and now doctors are saying their is more chance of injury from specialization due to overuse, so there is pros and cons to both sides.

[Old Ball Coach]

Two names that jump out at me:
Kent Phelps; Geordan Blanton.

[Mack01]

Play all you can an enjoy High school time goes by fast

[mandan]

Let them play whatever they want to...it's high school. Unfortunately, getting fellow coaches to cooperate in sharing athletes is a problem at a lot of schools.

[Cledog30]

Nick Saban said in a ESPN 30 for 30 that he prefers a 2 sport athlete than a 1 sport athlete..

[Redneck]

I read an article a couple of weeks ago that my good buddy DALE posted on Facebook about how multi-sport athletes are less likely to get injured.

Me myself, I played football, basketball, and baseball my whole life (started playing football in 2nd grade). I broke my leg my freshman year in a JV football game, I was back a few weeks into basketball season.

Injuries can happen at any time, no matter what you are doing. I could break an ankle or tear an ACL walking down the sidewalk.

If you play the game afraid of getting injured, that's when you end up getting injured.

[Single Wing 77]

I think baseball is the most dangerous sport to play year round. Especially if the kid can pitch. It's my experience that the explosiveness that football builds really complements the game of baseball. While at the same time letting the arm rest. On the flip side, baseball is a great, low contact sport that lets a football players body rest while helping them stay in shape.

[Single Wing 77]

Plus there is enough time between football and baseball that a broken leg/arm would heal. As far as a knee ligament goes, they can happen anytime, doing anything. I have a buddy who tore his acl jumping down from a pickup truck bed.

[WILDCAT NATION]

I think baseball is the most dangerous sport to play year round. Especially if the kid can pitch. It's my experience that the explosiveness that football builds really complements the game of baseball. While at the same time letting the arm rest. On the flip side, baseball is a great, low contact sport that lets a football players body rest while helping them stay in shape.

Football and baseball are a great combo. Outdoor sports. Different muscle usage. Year round conditioning that doesn't lead to burnout. Plus they are both fun team sports. Very few places in the world are more fun or memorable than the times spent in a football locker room or a dugout with your teammates.

[Single Wing 77]

Football and baseball are a great combo. Outdoor sports. Different muscle usage. Year round conditioning that doesn't lead to burnout. Plus they are both fun team sports. Very few places in the world are more fun or memorable than the times spent in a football locker room or a dugout with your teammates.

Couldn't agree more. Especially about the memories made.

[August West]

Like others have said if you are a high level D1 prospect then concentrate on that sport. But if not play as many sports as possible. Looking back if I could do it all over I would tryout for every team and try to play ever sport. It goes by to fast and once your high school days are over there is no getting those days back.

[Single Wing 77]

I disagree with the whole D-1 only play one stigma. A car crash could end your career as fast as a football game could. I know a guy who jumped down from the back of a flatbed and tore an acl. I also know a guy who blew three knee ligaments playing basketball in high school and it changes the level of offer he got from football. I'm just saying, if the kid loves a sport then let them play. A good example is Jeff samardzija, he played baseball and football at notre dame. Currently pitches in the MLB. If you love playing the sport then play.

[Dehombre]

Play em all helps in different muscle development keeps them from burning out on 1 sport

[WILDCAT NATION]

No question. Play both. They are a great combination. One will help the other.