Let's Play 2 (or 3, or 4)
February 16, 2012
A few conversations I had at last week's Women In Sports Leadership conference further affirmed a point I've been making for years -- high school athletes, if they'd like, shouldn't hesitate to play multiple sports.
Doing so does not hurt, but might just help their chances at landing that prized college scholarship -- on top of adding another layer to the high school sports experience.
Reaffirming this for me last week was Michigan State softball coach Jacquie Joseph, who spoke on that subject at the WISL conference. She's heading into her 24th season as a head coach at the Division I college level -- so she's been around for some of the evolution of both high school sports specialization and college recruiting. Plus, she coaches a sport that sees its share of athletes playing just that one.
Later, I spoke with a high school coach who leads teams in three sports and also played one at the Division I college level. She's a believer in this as well.
Some of the things I've been told over the years about playing more than one sport:
- It allows an athlete to learn more skills and hone more parts of his or her athleticism.
- Using another range of movement further helps condition an athlete's body and make it more resistant to injury.
- It's hardly rare to see a college football coach watching a prospect's basketball game -- coaches like to see how athleticism transfers across sports, and sometimes will see something from an athlete playing basketball that he didn't show on the football field. (Football and basketball are used in this example, but the same applies to a number of similar situations.)
- Athletes get an opportunity to play whatever they'd like only this once (unless they turn out to be that rare college athlete who takes on more than one sport at that level).
These are hardly new arguments. But they are always worth repeating -- especially when the people frequently making them (college coaches) are the ones single-sport athletes often are trying to impress.
Today in the MHSAA: 3/15/23
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 15, 2023
1. GIRLS BASKETBALL Reigning Division 1 champion West Bloomfield handed Flint Carman-Ainsworth its lone defeat, 66-34 in a Quarterfinal – Oakland Press
2. GIRLS BASKETBALL Hart earned its first Semifinals trip with a 45-41 win over Buchanan in Division 3 – CatchMark SportsNet
3. GIRLS BASKETBALL Lansing Catholic earned its first trip to the Semifinals since 2004 with a 78-69 Quarterfinal win over Redford Westfield Prep in Division 2 – Lansing State Journal
4. GIRLS BASKETBALL Hemlock continued to build on a memorable comeback story with a 52-37 win over Elk Rapids in Division 3 – Saginaw News
5. GIRLS BASKETBALL Detroit Renaissance is headed to the Semifinals for the second time in three seasons thanks to a 52-37 win over Grosse Pointe North in Division 1 – MLIVE-Detroit
6. GIRLS BASKETBALL Blissfield edged Ovid-Elsie 45-41 to advance in Division 3 and will make its first Semifinal trip since 1973 – Monroe News
7. GIRLS BASKETBALL Two-time reigning Division 4 champion Fowler will return to Breslin Center after a 47-43 Quarterfinal win over Kingston – Lansing State Journal
8. GIRLS BASKETBALL Salem continued its memorable Division 1 run with a 55-52 win over Riverview – Hometown Life
9. GIRLS BASKETBALL Frankenmuth is headed to the Semifinals for the first time since 1996 with a 51-36 win over Houghton in Division 2 – Saginaw News
10. GIRLS BASKETBALL Maple City Glen Lake is among those returning to Breslin Center, this time in Division 4 after a 57-49 win over St. Charles – Up North Live
Also of note …
GIRLS BASKETBALL Baraga is returning to Breslin for the second-straight season thanks to a Division 4 win over Mackinaw City, 40-36 – Upper Michigan Source
GIRLS BASKETBALL Rockford is headed to Breslin for the second-straight season after a 50-36 Division 1 win over Holt – Grand Rapids Press
GIRLS BASKETBALL Madison Heights Bishop Foley will return to Breslin Center in Division 3 thanks to a 34-32 win over Sandusky – Oakland Press
GIRLS BASKETBALL Adrian Lenawee Christian also is making a repeat trip to Breslin after a 49-36 win over Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep in Division 4 – Adrian Daily Telegram
GIRLS BASKETBALL Last season’s Division 2 runner-up Grand Rapids West Catholic will contend again this weekend thanks to a 51-37 win over Holland Christian – FOX 17
GIRLS BASKETBALL Goodrich advanced in Division 2 with a 52-27 win over Warren Regina – Mid-Michigan Now