Kids who love playing sports sometimes struggle with which one to choose. But with all the demands on a family’s time, playing multiple sports often proves difficult, too. Coaches and parents sometimes think choosing a single sport gives their athlete an edge. However, many experts believe kids should play multiple sports for better mental, social and physical conditioning. To make that easier, KidzToPros (KTP) created an all sports camp, Play It All Sports, that enables campers to participate in sports such as tennis, soccer and basketball – all at once! This helps kids develop and refine different physical and mental skills, while limiting the amount of time required for sports.

The Advantages of Multi-Sport Athletics

A child’s body constantly grows and changes, along with their brain. When they play multiple sports, kids learn to be strong and fast in different ways. This broad exposure prevents the overuse of certain tissues and muscles. That’s how playing multiple sports reduces the risk of injury for young athletes. 

At KTP’s Play It All Sports, kids work on speed, balance, hand-eye coordination and endurance. Cross-training, or playing different sports, keeps a child’s whole body engaged. Separating core muscles give some a work out, while other muscles rest and recover. Rest and recovery proves vital, so bodies heal and get stronger. 

Beyond just the physical, multi-sport players, more than single-sport athletes, enjoy a greater variety of mental stimulation and extended sports play without getting burned out. They also tend to stay healthier in every way, without as much fatigue. 

KTP Play It All Sports advances the idea that we should keep young athletes healthy and enjoying sports for as long as possible. This is why our well-rounded routine, along with appropriate recovery time and positive coaching, helps kids continue active lifestyles into adulthood. 

Play It All Sports: Grooming Kids to Become Better Adults

Attending KTP’s Play It All Sports camp benefits your child as an adult, too. They learn valuable lessons from coaches, instructors and peers that last a lifetime. 

According to the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, organized multi-sports programs help kids grow into adults who: 

Stay Active & Physically Fit

Youth athletes tend to engage more in low-risk, health-related behaviors than non-athletic kids. For example, they eat more fruits and vegetables. They don’t often smoke or take drugs in high numbers. Kids involved in sports make healthier eating choices when out with friends. This results in healthy adults who establish these great habits as children. 

Graduate from College

Thanks to studies conducted by AtYourOwnRisk.org, the public-facing website under the National Athletic Trainers’ Association umbrella, we know that high school athletes achieve more in school. This early success in elementary and middle school sets them up for equivalent success in high school, after which athletes are more likely to attend and graduate college. From there, college graduates exhibit healthier lifestyles as post-graduates and later in the professional world. 

Collaborate Well with Others

Modern work environments require colleagues to collaborate. Kids practice this with other youngsters in a variety of settings, especially athletics. After all, multiple sports showcase different players with multiple skills. If everyone had the same strengths or skills, teams wouldn’t peform as well. This experience prepares kids to see the value of diversity early on.  

Value Accountability

Loss teaches people how to fall down and get back up. Young athletes take responsibility and hold themselves accountable for a positive outcome. Years from now at work, that trend will continue. Understanding the value of supporting and encouraging coworkers, with everyone doing their part to succeed, is vital and gets everyone to the next level as a team. 

Set and Achieve Goals

Active kids practice setting goals – and finding the paths to reach them. This hones leadership skills and better group dynamics as adults. Multiple sports promote the idea that everyone can achieve goals with a positive mindset, discipline and hard work.

Studies suggest that adults who play sports as children also earn more and enjoy faster career advancement than those who don’t. 

Neural Brain Connections and Their Importance 

When kids play multiple sports, they benefit from increased blood flow to the brain. This means more connections develop between nerves, helping improve memory, solve complex problems and stimulate creativity. At KTP, our campers form those connections early on, making them better communicators as they grow older. 

Physical Conditioning

Participating in KTP’s summer sports camps near you equips young athletes with a fun way to increase physical conditioning and develop foundational skills necessary for playing any sport. Our campers maintain a good standard of mobility with a wide array of movements. For example, kids who love playing basketball can learn a lot about body movement and develop valuable motor skills while playing soccer, as well. 

When kids move easily between different sports, they learn flexibility and become more creative decision makers. Developing well-rounded athletic skills increases endurance and physical strength, and decreases the rate of injury.  

Mental Conditioning

Kids also benefit mentally and psychologically when playing multiple sports. They feel freer to experiment, try different moves and trust themselves more as they learn. Parents enjoy watching youngsters learn and grow as athletes and kids. When children get involved in sports because it’s fun, they tend to stick with it longer. They play for the joy of it, and don’t stress or fear failure as much. 

Social Skills

Playing different sports gives kids a chance to make friends outside their usual circles. They gain self-confidence socializing with diverse groups, without the pressure associated with more intense or focused sports environments. 

At KTP Play It All Sports, campers enjoy trying new experiences alongside peers. They stay active and learn about themselves from others’ points of view. 

Early Engagement 

The best part of childhood is the fun of discovery. KidzToPros provides kids a way to engage in sports without feeling pressure to pick just one, starting at the early age of four. 

At KTP’s all sports camp, we give campers the space they need to play, develop and have fun. Our campers turn into well-rounded kids, with reduced risk of physical injury or mental fatigue. 

Check out our popular summer sports camps near you, and help your child get started on the path to becoming a well-rounded student and adult. You’ll give them an edge mentally, socially and physically – both now and in the future!