The Stats Don't Lie: Multi-Sport Athletes Achieve Greater Success

The NFL draft just swept through Chicago, and with its culmination all 32 teams have an impressive new crop of elite players to train. Every draft pick made it to this stage through hard work and dedication to the sport of football, but surprisingly, a majority also owe their remarkable athleticism to dedication in other sports.

Adam Provost, Senior Director of Sales & Marketing at USA Football noted on Twitter that 91% of NFL draft picks in rounds one through three were multi-sport athletes in high school. An overwhelming 28 out of the 32 first round draft picks played two or more sports.

This phenomenon is actually a well established trend in all sports. Recently its been noted by several sports journalists and football coaches that multi-sport athletes tend to be the best prospects for sports teams at all levels of competition. “First of all, it speaks to their athleticism,” Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham told Deseret News. “The more sports they can do, the more talented they are as an athlete.” Of the 26 former Utah football players to make it into the NFL, 18 of them played multiple sports in high school.

Tom Finks, Executive Director of the Chicago Bears Youth Football Camps posits that this holds true for both competition and training. “Cross training athletes are better prepared to meet whatever physical demands their respective sport requires,” says Finks. “Our Football camps are first and foremost about athletic development--running, throwing and catching. The unique qualities and skill challenges of football camps truly help athletes of every sport.”

Offseason, non-contact training camps like the Chicago Bears Youth Football camps are an amazing way for kids involved in any sport to stay active and fit. While designed for football, hockey and lacrosse players benefit greatly from this curriculum, as the approach to contact is very similar but taught in a safe, non-contact manner. Likewise, soccer and basketball players benefit immensely from foot work and agility drills found in football camps. In a safe, non-contact format, CBYFC teach the Heads Up Blocking and Tackling skills so kids are better, safer football players, but also better athletes in general.

Finks encourages children to choose multi-sport participation--which in fact accelerates a child’s chance of becoming an elite player in a single sport. In fact, he saw the benefits in his own son’s hockey improvement.

“A season of football did more for my son’s hockey production than anything” says Finks. “His footwork improved and his confidence in contact improved. I would love to see the culture return to a seasonal sports discipline. Kids would be happier and truly better athletes.”

Local camps provide a great opportunity to cross train. For hockey, soccer or basketball players seeking some football skills, the Chicago Bears Youth Football Camps are available in your area as follows:

Mon. July 13 – Fri. July 17, 8:30-11:30am

Barrington, IL, Barbara B Rose Elementary School, 61 West Penny Road

Visit www.BearsCamps.com for more information.