Many students in high school have a favorite sport and solely want to focus on that sport. But, what if playing two sports, or being a multi-sport athlete, is actually better for high school athletes?

In a recent interview, Mr. Jason Kuffel, an assistant coach for both varsity lacrosse and basketball, said that being a multi-sport athlete benefits an athlete in many ways.

“Some benefits of being a multi-sport athlete are that these athletes are exposed to different teammates and coaches, and, most importantly, they are given the opportunity to compete in different ways,” said Mr. Kuffel.

He also said that multi-sport athletes have great leadership skills and a majority of their peers look to them as role models.

Some would argue, though, that cross-training for a single sport is more effective than being a multi-sport athlete.

“I believe that at a younger age, until around 16, a person should try to play many sports. But, once they hit 16, they should focus on primarily one or two,” said Mr. Rich McLoughlin, the performance trainer at Saint Viator.

What makes these athletes, in particular, stand out? As mentioned earlier, they are great leaders, they always know how to tackle a situation and they are always organized.

“Dual-sport athletes are usually in better physical shape than others, but more importantly, they are also more prepared mentally for certain events to occur,” said Mr. Bill Sanford, the varsity lacrosse coach and dean of students at Saint Viator. “They know how to handle losing a star player, or losing a tough game, and that’s a really important trait for having after school and sports are over. This will help them in the workplace, since they will know how to tackle any situation thrown at them,”

Multi-sport athletes may be very diverse, but they all share one common goal of trying to be the most successful person that they can be.