I agree with kids playing a variety of sports at an early age, but to the level of competition they play each sport concerns me. I have two sons (11 & 9 ) who play basketball competitively, but we as Father and Son (s) play, tennis, flag football and we work on boxing skills. To have kids playing competitive full contact Football and then within a few weeks competitive Basketball and into Baseball in my opinion is too much for a youths body and mind. Because of our money driven society the majority of parents make their kids destination the NFL / NBA or MLB and forget to make the journey fun, loving and memorable.

I have all ways thought that practice was more important than games. I give this analogy; in school you study 5 to 10 days or more to take 1 test. It is no different in sports, no matter what the sport is. You must take the time to teach the individual fundamentals, show and work on how they apply to the over all offense and or defense you are running. You need to do this over and over again, most people learn best though repetition. For instance you wouldn't hire some one for a job they know little about and then constantly tell them to do things when you haven't shown them how, but I see coaches do this time and time again. Take rebounding, I don't know how many times I have heard a coach yell from the bench to Timmy or Suzy, "Box Out, Box Out" when I know they have spent hardly any time on boxing out. These skills are not written in to they're DNA. They do not come with the ability to jump high and run fast.
Just as using different exercises to better improve muscle strength is best, so you don’t get burnt out on one routine. I think it is best for kids to play different sports to best improve their hand eye and foot coordination. Most play in to the other and keep the player conditioned and working in a team atmosphere. Basketball most of all, I think, based on the amount of running, jumping and lateral movement. I am amazed at how I have to work against the coaches of the other sports my players participate in. They all tell the kids and they're parents that they should play only they're sport, this started in 6th grade or earlier. I have a simple out look on this, when it is basketball season I am pretty strict about being at practice and games, with penalties for missing either. In the spring and summer I carry a large roster so I always have enough for practice and games. I encourage my players and have gone to see them play at time's the other sports they are in volved in. This in contrast to they're other sports coachs, who are militant about playing and working on just they're sport, has lead a few of those players to quit that sport or team or just hate the coach, while I have become beloved by most of my players and basketball has become, for most, a sport they love to play

Scott is absolutely right. The harder you "squeeze" kids the harder they fight back. Do we want them to love the game or view it as a job they have to go to?

This is so true.I have a 13 yr old boy,he has been playing b-ball since 7yrs old.this last year
he played for his jr high team,from oct to feb,
then played AAU ball untill this june.the last 6 weeks of AAU,was tough on him,he was just tired of playing and practice.just burned out.
now,I am worried he wont ever get that drive
and love for the game he once had,back.He is going to just relax and be a kid this summer,He
and I will play some ball in the drive way.I hope he will be ready to play again for his school team in oct.

This is a never ending problem. I coached a sixth grade school team last season, and we had a player who is an absolute joy to coach, always works hard, listens, and was easily one of the top 2-3 kids in our entire league (18 teams). Our school rules state that we are limited to four events (practices + games) during the week (usually worked out to three practices and one game), and equal playing time in games for all players. His father completely disagreed, and thought the kids should be playing many more games. So halfway through our season, he put his son on an AAU team that practiced two times per week, and played 3-5 games/week. Within two weeks of this schedule, he looked like a completely different player. His fundamentals eroded quickly, had very little energy, and went from one of the best in the entire league to the fourth or fifth best player on our team. The poor kid just could not handle the load. Both our AD and I tried to approach the father, and were told that we didn't know the first thing about basketball, and he knew what was best for his child athletically.

Kids need the opportunity to be kids, enjoy all kinds of sports. It has to be fun for them! Recently a young man who was one of the best high school players in the state of KY. who led a small school to 3 consecutive state tournaments and the semi-finals this past season. This young man who had numerous division 1 scholarships, said he has had enough basketball, he is suffering from "hoops burnout" has played nothing but basketball since he was 8 yrs. old. Camps, leagues, AAU, middle school and high school, games every summer. Had no desire to continue his game because of burnout, will attend college in KY on academic scholarship. This is what basketball coaches/parents want to stay away from. Players should love and have a passion for the game!!

I''m 17 years old, and I have played baseball and basketball since i was old enough to understand the games. the past few years, i have been getting tired of just going to practices, and dreading game days. i completely agree with the burnout theory and the pressure to go out and play, and play well, from parents, coaches and peers has just made sports something I really don''t look forward to anymore

Sorry to hear that, Jake. Just make sure to work hard and have fun. Sometimes, coaches forget that it's a game.

Can't agree more on that. Kids should take part in several sports activities. First reason ? Having fun. Second. Discovering a variety of new sports. I live in a country (Canada) where a lot of people are hockey lovers and in my province a lots of kids play this game pratically on 12 month basis. This is too much and I am suspecting that some of these kids will drop out soon because it is too demanding. One of my basketball player plays also hockey and told me this past winter that he will quit hockey. Why ? Because it is not fun anymore ! He's only 12 years old ! There is a problem somewhere.

So is it wrong for coaches to keep the door open? I understand burn out and i dont want that. I ecourage kids to play all sports. I tell them when they are not playing another sport the door is open mondays and wednesdays for open gym or individual help.

Fun story: one of our 13-year-old players is a competitive fencer who missed one of our games while reaching the finals in the regional fencing tournament. Next week, we put him on the opponent's point guard, and he totally contained the guy near the hash mark. His teammates congratulated him at the end of the third quarter for putting his fencing footwork to good use. En garde...

after 33 years of public school coaching in Texas, my other big concern is some over zealous parent coaching a summer league team and teaching bad habits, or not teaching anything at all---- and being concerned about one thing ..... WINNING. I have seen it dozens of times. more kids are ruined by this than anything else. Personally, I prefer my kids go to a good camp, meet some new kids, get some new ideas from professionals. I think the kids know what their level of interest is and it should be their decision how much they want to play. I want them fresh when they come back, not burned out.

i have a son whos played b-ball since he was three he loves the game. he''s nine now and he wanted to play all year we let him putting him in a variety of b-ball camps and leagues. he''s in a park league now and struggling to play as well as he has in the past.we will be taking a break this summer and i recommend a break between sports or other activities due to burn out. they really need time to play and just be kids.

What you say is definitely true. But this is a battle that will never be won because parents are sold on this stuff as the way of getting their son/daughter a scholarship. The numbers of kids in Summer AAU basketball continues to rise and they will continue to do so, even though the results - a better player - are not being produced.
It is much more fun to travel around the country playing in Showcase Tournaments where you are promised the world and leave without your wallet.

Ive been in coaching for 12 years now, started out in little league baseball and am now at high school basketball and i also umpire baseball and football at all levels. You see this all the time, kids getting pushed by parents to do all of these sports all year round, tournaments every weekend, practices and games during the week. I dont like seeing that, kids may say they want to do that and be telling the parents that they want to do more and more but the parents need to be smart about what they are letting the kids do and how much. simple as that.