Playing multiple sports benefits children in several ways, including reducing the chance for overuse injuries and burnout.

Nowadays playing multiple sports often means opening your wallet multiple times for equipment, league fees, travel expenses and more. But that doesn't have to be the case. Sports sampling - or trying multiple sports - is an excellent way to see what your child likes to play before committing to a full season of it. 

Sports sampling can happen in physical education classes in school, or at community centers, parks, summer camps and festivals. 

Through the Greater Columbus Sports Foundation, and in partnership with many local companies, we created Community Youth Camp in 2021. Each year since, we've given kids the chance to sample more than a dozen sports including baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey, cycling, track & field, futsal, volleyball, pickleball, tennis, field hockey, karate and yoga. 

Additional benefits of playing multiple sports include:

  • Increased physical capacity and motor skills (source)
  • Becoming a more well-rounded athlete (source)
  • Learning to be a better teammate (source)
  • Better chance to win the Super Bowl*

In 2023, Community Youth Camp has two sessions (June 20-23 and June 26-29), both at KIPP Columbus. On each day, campers will play two sports in the morning, take a break for lunch and a life lesson activity then play two more sports in the afternoon. It's a jam-packed week of doctor and expert-recommended sports sampling!

 

Did you Know?

Year after year, the winning Super Bowl team* is stacked with athletes that grew up playing multiple sports. Just take a look at this sample list of All-Stars that played multiple sports:

  • Patrick Mahomes (baseball, football and basketball)
  • Johnny Gaudreau (baseball and hockey)
  • Joe Burrow (basketball and football)
  • Chris Olave (track & field, basketball and football)
  • Joel Embiid (volleyball, soccer and basketball)
  • Joey Votto (hockey, basketball and baseball)