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: 3/12/25
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 12, 2025
Boys Basketball Quarterfinals
DIVISION 1
East Lansing 72, Ann Arbor Huron 49 The Trojans avenged last season’s Quarterfinal loss to the River Rats – Lansing State Journal
Flint Carman-Ainsworth 54, Byron Center 51 Fred Thomas IV sank the game-winner at the buzzer for Carman-Ainsworth – WNEM
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 73, Macomb L’Anse Creuse North 42 The reigning champion Eaglets will play for a repeat opportunity – MLIVE-Detroit
Wayne Memorial 70, Detroit Martin Luther King 44 Wayne followed Carlos Medlock Jr. in continuing its run – Detroit Free Press
DIVISION 2
Grand Rapids Catholic Central 59, Marshall 43 The Cougars will return to Breslin for the fourth time over the last seven seasons – Grand Rapids Press
Kingsford 48, Freeland 46 The Flivvers held off the Falcons’ comeback attempt to earn a trip to East Lansing -- MyUPNow
Romulus Summit Academy North 68, Lansing Sexton 41 Summit will return to the Breslin Center for the second time in three seasons – WILX
Warren Lincoln 49, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 30 The reigning Division 2 champion earned a return trip to Finals weekend – Macomb Daily
DIVISION 3
Riverview Gabriel Richard 62, Jackson Lumen Christi 30 Gabriel Richard finished a three-game sweep of the league-rival Titans – Southgate News-Herald
Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac 74, Flint New Standard Academy 44 ATAP earned its first trip to the Semifinals to go with last week’s first Regional title – Oakland Press
Ishpeming Westwood 48, McBain 40 The Patriots extended their trip downstate into Finals weekend by holding off the Ramblers – Upper Michigan’s Source
Pewamo-Westphalia 50, Schoolcraft 45 The Pirates came back from a halftime deficit to advance – WLNS
DIVISION 4
Allen Park Inter-City Baptist 63, Kingston 50 Inter-City will make a repeat trip to Breslin after winning this Quarterfinal rematch from a year ago – Southgate News-Herald
Crystal Falls Forest Park 45, Pickford 43 Forest Park scored the game-winning points during the final minute to pull past Pickford – Upper Michigan’s Source
Fowler 65, Bellaire 27 The Eagles earned their first Semifinals trip since 2002 – Lansing State Journal
Wyoming Tri-unity Christian 56, Adrian Lenawee Christian 43 The reigning champ Defenders will continue to pursue a repeat – WOOD TV