Weight training and practices are not the only ways for a high school athlete to improve his or her play. Cross training, or training in more than one sport, can be valuable. Some play two sports because they enjoy both, but others may do it to stay in shape for their main sport.
“A lot of people come out for different sports just to give that level of conditioning as well as keeping that competitive edge,” Chad Beaver, boys’ track coach and an assistant football coach, said. “Some [football players] do track, some do lacrosse, some are playing basketball, but the overall goal is to become a better athlete.”
The major benefit of cross training is injury prevention, as doing a different activity than usual exercises those muscles that normally would not be active, according to http://runnersworld.com. However, there are many other advantages to playing multiple sports to train, as it can fine tune some of the skills needed.
“Some skills [cross training] can help are agility, balance, ability to control body in space, and the ability to manipulate an object, whether it’s a soccer ball, a football, a shot put, or a lacrosse stick,” Beaver said.
For example, http://livestrong.com recommends sports like wrestling, basketball, and track and field to cross train for the football season. Wrestling can help upper body strength, foot speed, and balance; basketball can help a wide receiver or defensive back improve ball tracking and maneuvering in routes; in track and field, shot put can improve foot speed and strength, while events like the 100-yard dash can improve explosiveness and speed.
“It really depends on the position and the sport. In track, football skill position players are the runners and sprinters, while the linemen are typically the throwers,” Beaver said. “I tell football players that if they aren’t already doing a spring sport, to do track, because it’s valuable for them to compete with their teammates every day like that.”
Football is not the only sport where cross training can be valuable, however. Danielle Smith, sophomore, plays both lacrosse and basketball, and recognizes that doing both has many physical benefits.
“I think a lot of the moves from basketball transfer to lacrosse, so it makes it a lot easier. They help me with footwork and agility especially, since they’re both running sports,” Smith said. “Doing the dual sports definitely helps with conditioning, too, and going straight from basketball to lacrosse helps a lot.”
Likewise, Anna Powers, junior, runs both cross country and track mainly as a method of training for her track and field event: hurdles.
“Hurdles is my competitive sport, and cross country is what I do to be with my friends and to stay in shape and keep my respiratory system working well,” Powers said. “Cross country is just something to keep me active.”
While weight training and practice are important to success in a sport, high school athletes can consider cross training to improve their game even further.