above: Scotty Royster
Whether your child is trying a new sport this season, is on one or more travel teams or is somewhere in between, spring is a big sports season. The pressure to do more—more travel, more practice, more sports—can feel overwhelming.
Not sure when your child should focus on a single sport? Do you force them to stick with something they aren’t loving? How do you console your child after a tough loss? To answer some of these common questions, we turned to Scotty Royster, an elementary school teacher specializing in physical education and health (as well as a popular lacrosse influencer—follow him @laxguyscotty).
At what age should a child specialize in a sport?
I believe that kids should be playing multiple sports for as long as they possibly can. It makes the child a better all-around athlete, which in turn makes them better at their main sport. Specializing in a sport too early also makes the athlete more prone to burnout. A reasonable time to start specializing in one sport would be around junior year of high school.
Should most kids be playing more than one sport each season?
One sport a season is better for them. I played football in summer/fall, basketball in the winter and lacrosse in the spring up until my junior year of high school. If any of those sports overlapped, it became overwhelming not only for me but also for my parents. One sport each season is plenty and keeps each sport fresh.
What should you do if your child wants to try a sport but everyone in their peer group has been playing already?
Let them play. Make sure they are cognizant of the fact that they will be behind their friends skills-wise.If they can handle it, it’s fair game. Another factor is do they like the sport, or do they just want to be around their friends? If they truly love the sport, a recommendation would be to get private lessons. It’s important that private lessons are are also supplemented with training at home.
What’s the best way to encourage a child after a tough loss?
Different children handle losses differently. But all kids like a parent being attentive and listening to them. The last thing any child wants is a parent to tell them what they did wrong or what they could’ve done better. There’s a time and place for instructing—after a tough loss certainly isn’t it.
What should you say if you sign your kid up for something, and then they don’t want to do it?
I think it serves as an opportunity for a lesson about commitment, especially if they asked you to sign them up. My parents never let me quit anything after I signed up, and to this day I thank them for that.
What spring sport do you think every child should at least try, and why?
In my completely non-biased opinion [said with sarcasm], every child should at least try lacrosse. Lacrosse is the perfect blend of finesse, physicality and strategy. The lessons I gained from lacrosse are lessons that have stuck with me.
There’s chatter on TikTok that if your child isn’t really focused and getting expert instruction by age eight, they will never catch up. Is that true?
Don’t believe that for a second. Charlotte North is the best women’s lacrosse player in the world right now, and she did not start playing until she was in eighth grade. Also expert instruction for an eight-year-old isn’t needed, because at that point the child is still going over the fundamentals.