Part two of a column that began last week

Part two of a column that began last week:

I believe a big reason for the increasing amount of specialization we see in high sports is the advent of club teams that operate year-round when the athletes aren’t involved in their high school seasons.

For a price, these clubs allow players to compete continually in their perspective sports in between prep seasons, giving them valuable game experience that others who don’t participate in clubs find almost impossible to duplicate. According to coaches I’ve spoken with, players who don’t participate in clubs naturally end up at a disadvantage—less playing time, less time to improve.

Especially in sports like water polo, soccer and volleyball, coaches are no longer just happy to see their athletes involved in clubs—they expect it.

Oftentimes, and I’ve heard this firsthand from numerous athletes, non-involvement in club teams means less chance for playing time in the prep season. What this means is that athletes are less inclined to try out different sports in different seasons because they feel they’ll lose ground to others in their favorite sport. Essentially, this system has made it a disadvantage to be a multi-sport athlete and in fact many of this area’s high school athletes are playing one sport all year round.

Now I’m not saying we shouldn’t have club teams, but I am saying that coaches shouldn’t put as much weight into whether or not their athletes are involved with them. There has to be some type of middle ground, some system that doesn’t shun the 15-year-old that can’t decide between volleyball and basketball and wants to play both.

But coaches are faced with a constant paradox when it comes to the specialization of athletes in California, making it difficult for them to arrive at one solid position on the matter.

That’s because while most will agree that playing a variety of sports rather than just one sport is beneficial to the individual, most attest to the fact that club athletes who focus in on one sport are better equipped at performing come the prep season.

Take for instance La Reina head basketball coach Jerry Anderson, father of former Regent standout Shane Anderson, an athlete who excelled in volleyball, basketball and softball while in high school.

After receiving a full-ride to Stanford on a softball scholarship, Shane got her degree and is now close to finishing up her law degree at the University of Maryland. Now I’m not saying she’s had this success because she was a multi-sport athlete, but its definitely worth mentioning.

So the part of Anderson that’s a coach hopes each year to get players that have spent the off-season either with clubs or with traveling teams specializing in basketball—but the father in him still thinks that playing three different sports had a very positive impact on his daughter.

"It makes for a much more well-rounded individual," he told me. "And if the kid has the natural, physical abilities, why not spread that wealth instead of concentrating it in one area?"

And I agree. Different sports require different skills and decision-making abilities, plus, tackling a new sport is always an added challenge than just trying to perfect an old one.

But as a coach, Anderson illustrates the point of just how much coaches value the off-season experience of a player who has competed in clubs. In fact, he sees an increased number of La Reina girls’ getting involved in clubs as sign that the program is on the way up, and who would argue with him?

Clearly their must be some kind of golden mean out there, some way to keep kids interested in multiple sports without taking away from their ability to excel in one.

Here are some suggestions:

Shorten the club season. As soon as an athlete finishes his/her high school season clubs begin right away, leaving only a matter of weeks for rest and relaxation. These clubs are highly competitive and taken very seriously, but why must they operate 11 months out of the year? Let’s not burn our best athletes out.

More cooperation among coaches. Instead of telling your athletes you want them working all off-season on their jumpshot, why not encourage them to stay in shape and stay competitive in another sport. Coaches shouldn’t hoard their athletes to themselves—they should think about the individual and think about other programs at the school.

Don’t force kids to grow up too fast and don’t think every athlete is destined for professional greatness.

Sports are supposed to be fun, not a job. Everybody wants to be the best they can be, but why give up the chance to enjoy everything for that one rare shot at the big bucks? Let’s start caring about the present and less about the distant future.