Talking Basketball

There was a time when a high school athlete was just that, an athlete. When the season changed, so did the shoes. Football cleats in the fall, basketball shoes in the winter, and come March, it was time to lace up the track spikes. Remember the husky offensive lineman that dominated heavyweight wrestling and was a heckuva shot putter? There was the lightning-quick running back that had a dead-on jump shot and was a great leadoff man for the baseball team. How about the outside hitter on the volleyball team who had great post moves on the basketball court and could crush a golf ball? At one time they existed, but now three-sport athletes are all but extinct. I remember what it was like to lose in the football playoffs. It was disappointing, but one thing that eased the heartbreak was basketball season. On Monday after the loss we checked in our pads as quickly as possible and we rushed to the gym to get our basketball gear so we could start practice right away. Then, when basketball season was over, it was on to the track or baseball field. Now, those days are gone. In a day and age when everybody wants an athletic scholarship or wants to sign a professional contract, specialization runs rampant. Football season never stops; basketball season runs 12 months a year and baseball season starts and ends in February. There are plenty of reasons for the death of the three-sport athlete. Money tops the list. With the amount of scholarship money and, for a rare few, professional money that is available, honing your skills in one sport is understandable. Time is another issue. We still have 24 hours in the day, but for some reason it seems as though days are getting shorter. Teenagers and their parents don't have time, or won't make time, for all of the sports. Coaches have also had a hand in killing the three-sport athlete. Coaches want to win and many of them think they need their players for the entire season and at least one off-season in order to win. Plenty of coaches discourage their athletes from participating in more than one activity and push their players to participate in summer leagues and camps. Many of the reasons for one-sport specialization are valid but there are problems with this plan, too. Burnout is a major issue. Cheeseburgers are great, but not every day for every meal. After about three days of the cheeseburger diet, you might be willing to give your right leg for a turkey sandwich. Practice makes perfect, but balance breeds sanity. Too much of a good thing is still too much. Day after day in a gym can make even the most dedicated player lose his love for the game. One-sport specialization can also cause athletes to lose their competitive edge. Months of practice with no games and no competition is no good. In addition, athletes are often pushed into one sport too early. In some cases preteens are already concentrating on a single sport. What if a father pushes his son toward baseball, only to find out at age 17 he can't hit a curve? If daddy dearest would have let his child participate in more than one sport, he may have found out that Junior can stroke it from 3-point range. Specialization is understandable, and if managed correctly, can be beneficial. There are plenty of great high school football players or basketball players these days but very few outstanding all-around athletes. It seems somewhere along the way, high schoolers forgot how to change their shoes.