With so much possibility on the horizon, it’s no small wonder that athletes are always looking for ways to get ahead and set themselves apart. One way to do this is to participate in other sports during the off-season. Injuries are reduced, athletes are less likely to suffer from mental burnout, and they also learn how to negotiate new challenges.
Fall
Football complements most other sports with its emphasis on speed, strategy, footwork and maneuverability. It works especially well with basketball, wrestling and track.
Soccer is great for improving footwork and reflexes. Tennis, swimming and lacrosse are some sports to consider in other seasons.
Volleyball is an excellent sport for improving hand-eye coordination, and a popular off-season sport to complement volleyball is basketball.
Cross country is an excellent way to improve cardiovascular fitness and increase stamina. These attributes are important in all sports, but especially beneficial in swimming and volleyball.
Winter
Basketball focuses on agility, footwork, hand-eye coordination and protecting the ball from other players. This goes will football, soccer, volleyball and tennis.
Wrestling is a great way to improve strength, leverage and balance, as well as refining hand technique. This is a great choice for football players.
Swimming will help facilitate development of core muscles and increased stamina, both extremely important aspects of many sports, especially soccer and tennis.
Spring
Track is great for cardiovascular fitness and assists players in all sports reach their full potential with speed and explosive power. Track is a great way to stay healthy for all other off-season sports.
Tennis helps improve reactive reflexes and helps athletes learn how to read and anticipate their opponents. Tennis works well as an off-season sport for soccer.
If participating in a second sport isn’t appealing, then strength training offers a healthy alternative to staying active for all sports.
Bianca Wilson is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
