Caligiuri: Playing different sports has long-term benefits

Kenzie Kent of Boston College is a two-sport athlete. (Getty Images)

Undoubtedly, the most misperceived notion among high school parents is the value they place on sport specialization. Contrary to mainstream thoughts about creating and maintaining durability, it is not the overexposure to multiple sports that yields injury, rather the absence of sport diversification across multiple seasons that creates vulnerability for them.

Regardless of the level of talent possessed in any given sport, it is the athlete’s ability to perform and succeed in other sports that draws more respect and admirable attention to collegiate coaches.

Many FBS football coaches, for example, will forgo multiple opportunities to watch a high school football player continuously dominate their competition and instead, wait one more season to watch them play basketball — a sport that requires footwork, fitness and hand-eye coordination to be the forefront of their skill-set.