By Isaac Lasker,
Staff Writer.
It is one of those times of year that every multi-sport athlete either despises or cherishes: the switch from a fall sport to a winter sport. A large variety of sports are offered at Santa Rosa High School, from golf to swimming to basketball. While some students are satisfied playing one sport, knuckling down on their favorite choice or what they are first-rate at, some students prefer to do a little more. Training between sports fluctuates depending on the skill sets needed to participate in each, creating difficulty for the students to translate their athleticism and expertise into other sports.
Now, what specific hindrances occur? After playing one sport for a while, the focus is often solely on that particular activity without much time to split between sports. Even in cases where two sports are played simultaneously, one sport usually receives more attention than the other. Junior William Philp spoke on the transition between sports: “It feels like what you just had going through your head, whatever goals you just spent a whole season working towards, you got to scratch it, move forward and continue to put in the work. Just now, that work is achieving a different goal; the new task at hand.”
While it is true that a restart can be refreshing, it can also be challenging to adapt. For instance, a football player is likely focused on drills, plays, running and catching. However, when transitioning to basketball in the winter, the emphasis shifts to completely different types of drills and plays, along with skills like shooting that aren’t used in football.
Beyond skills focused on during training, the physical transition between sports can also pose challenges. Moving from the short sprints up and down a basketball court to the grueling 800-meter races in track and field may reveal that the body hasn’t fully adjusted to the different physical stressors. To mitigate the shock, one of the best strategies is to allow the body ample recovery time between seasons while maintaining skills from the previous sport by practicing in small amounts or dedicating more time to practice on days without other sport commitments.
