Baseball Only...Drop Football?

I'm sure there will be lots of experienced advice coming, but I will tell you that our freshman quit football to focus on baseball. He was worried about injuries from football causing him to miss baseball playing time. His travel team coach actually addressed it yesterday & he said although playing football doesn't mean they won't do well at baseball it does mean that they won't be as concentrated for the two sport players. I will also add, that my son is a decent but not amazing football player, so the sacrifice for him isn't great.

Where's your son's head at on the issue?

I'm with wraggArm. What does your son want to do?

Mine is an incoming freshman who has decided this summer no more football for him. While I think it is his best choice I tried not to influence him too much. Laid out the pros and cons and let the decision be his.

We have had the same dilemma with our 2013. It's a personal decision and only your family can answer it. The only thing that I'd suggest is don't try to do both this fall no matter what he wants to do. Double that if he's a pitcher!

Like the others have said, it is a decision best left (with your guidance) to your son. Should he be unsure if he wants to pursue baseball or football in college, let him play both. As others have said, if his collegiate route is most likely baseball, then that's something he would have to decide. But, there are many high level baseball players who have played both and been successful at the highest levels of baseball. Adam Dunn and Joe Mauer are two examples off the top of my head of MLB players who were legit football and baseball players in high school.

Best advice I received when I first got here, from a wonderful lady that I never had the opportunity to meet, and wish I had.

"Play both sports until the competition tells you otherwise."

Having a son who finished his Freshmen year in college the biggest difference between HS and college ball is the size and speed of the players, so playing (at least working out) for football is generally not a bad thing, other than a baseball program is more lower body/core focused.

Like others have posted it is your sons decision.

Son, a 2012, found that a winter sport (basketball) worked out well with baseball. He gave up Fall basketball in favor of fall baseball.

Though he is very athletic, and big, 6'2, 200, we discouraged him from a young age from playing football. Too many horror stories for it to be worth it.

But don't get me wrong; it's a great sport all-in-all. Just hard to defend those after whistle hits in youth ball. Sounds like your guy may be past that and as a QB perhaps he may have a different calling when all plays out.

Good luck! If you are comfortable with the safety issue then I would agree, leave it up to him.

His future is baseball but he's always played both. Diffence is location. Easy to get enough baseball in Florida and still take a break for football. It's tough for him to get his normal amount of games in (80-85) and not play fall ball here in the northeast. Not to mention he'll be missing some pretty key tournaments in the fall if he plays football.

He still has a few weeks to think it over.

After playing fall ball and football in 8th grade my son approached me about football and baseball. He was also playing basketball at school. He had played travel s0ccer through 8th grade.

He said he didn't feel the banging in football on Friday's mixed well with weekend fall ball (played slot and linebacker). He sometimes didn't feel 100% playing baseball. One weekend all he could do was bunt and hit and run after getting his hand mashed between two helmets.

I asked him if the way he physically felt was the only reason for his thoughts. He admitted (while a very aggressive football player) he was afraid of getting injured playing football and not being able to play baseball. I told him this is the number one issue. You can't play football afraid of getting hurt. If you don't go all out you probably will get hurt.

My son decided to play high school s0ccer. The coach had been coveting him as a goalie since he was ten. While my son never had passion for s0ccer, he excelled at it. He suffered his scariest injury (for me) playing s0ccer. He dove head first to take the ball off the shooters foot on a breakaway. He got kicked in the head. The shooter tripped over him and fell with his knees on his neck. My son laid on the field motionless for what seemed like an eternity (3-5 minutes).

He then tore his MCL and PCL in the first weekend of his post junior year showcase season in a freak collision at the plate. He was on crutches for three months and a knee brace for three more. He then fell doing an agility drill during rehab seperating his shoulder requiring shoulder surgery.

The moral of the story: Your son can get hurt doing anything. My son is a very aggressive athlete. He was injured badly in s0ccer, baseball and knee rehab. The worst thing that happened to him in football was a hand sprain. The big thing is your son can't go on any field thinking he could get injured.

My son played high school s0ccer and baseball through high school. He stopped playing basketball after frosh season to spend winters preparing for baseball. Dropping the winter sport was a wise choice for him. He loved basketball almost as much as baseball. But I warned him he would grow up to be a 6'2" white guy (For the PC crowd it's just a joke. I'm not prejudiced against people who are 6'7").

As far as playing baseball and football without thinking about injury, without having read any responses yet I know there are some quality answers based on this question being asked before. I played football and baseball.

Great point RJM. My son gave up wrestling a couple years ago so he could spend winters prepping for baseball in the spring. I'll wait till he gets back from Atlanta in a couple weeks and then throw out some thoughts on the topic.

JMO... Football is the one sport that if you are not 100% decided to play... that means you should not play. Other sports, if you are 60/40, what the heck; give it a whirl.

BK

I think the posters that asked you where is your son's head asked you good questions.

My son wanted to play both footbal and baseball. Many of my baseball friends thought I was nuts to let him play football and take the risk of hurting himself thus hurting his chances to play baseball in college.

Mhy son and I discussed the pro and cons of his playng both sports. The pro's won out. If you asked him now he will tell you how much he loved playing

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But...starting Vsty QB as a Soph adds muscle, speed and athleticism and the chance to build on leadership

This is exactlhy what my son did, he started at QB for three years starting in his soph year. Almost every college coach he talked to mention that he played football and how they liked baseball players that played football. The leadership aspect was big deal for the coaches. For my son the workouts for football and the break from baseball were great for him in improving his strength for baseball.

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Not to mention he'll be missing some pretty key tournaments in the fall if he plays football.

We discussed this and it just meant that he had to get things done in the summer before the fall...it can be done.


Dislclaimer---my son did get hurt his soph year ( broke his collarbone--yes i continued to let him play his junior and senior year despite some of my baseball friends kindly suggestions) But at the end of the day he is playing D1 ball at a school he loves. So it all worked out----sit down with your son and see what he wants to do...if he wants to do both..I vote to let him....the other stuff can all be worked out.

I played three sports--football, basketball, and baseball-- for four years in high school. There is no way I would have given up any of the three to focus more on one of them. I wasn't a stud in any particular sport although I did start on the football team my senior year. Baseball remained (always has and always will be) my favorite sport. I am now a Certified Athletic Trainer. These are conversations I have regularly whether to play this sport or that sport with regards to injury possibilities.

I can tell you in the 6 years I played football, I suffered 1 concussion and missed a total of 1 quarter of football due to injury (ankle sprain). In that same 6 years playing baseball, I suffered a minimum of 3 concussions.

Injuries happen. I had made the comment on a story on Facebook today along the lines of "The only way to prevent a concussion is... WAIT there is NO WAY to prevent a concussion." Even if you sit at home and don't do anything, there is a risk of suffering a concussion. I don't mean to downplay the risk of injury in any sport. Or the severity of concussions, etc.

What I'm saying is you have to look at the risk, you look at the reward, and you weigh your options.

Personally, I am not a fan of giving up a sport to focus on one sport. I see too many overuse injuries because baseball players, softball players, s****r players, basketball players, etc all decide they are going to play one sport 9-12 months out of the year. They won't suffer nearly as many injuries if they play multiple sports.

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Originally posted by BK_Razorback:
...starting Vsty QB as a Soph adds muscle, speed and athleticism and the chance to build on leadership....

I'll just add some pro and con experiences to the good feedback thus far and your own observations, which I agree with...

-although you can get hurt in any sport, and despite the stories here, I have definitely seen a higer percentage of significant injuries with football than any other boys HS sport. Several of our baseball players are forever gimpy or limited due to football injuries.

-both football and baseball seasons seem to be stretching longer and longer where you will have a steady diet of scheduling conflict (football- summer conditioning, passing leagues, season, playoffs, etc. baseball- season, playoffs, summer HS ball, travel, fall scout league, showcases, winter conditioning, etc.)

-winter sports seem a bit easier to fit in with baseball, although you have to be well established with your baseball team, otherwise you get a late start and may jeopardize making the team or winning a position. Also, of course, he would have to love the chosen winter sport as much or more than football.

-you don't want son to have any regrets about not experiencing something he really wanted to do. HS sports are a great thing. Aside from possible injury, if he can handle multiple sports and still establish his position in his favorite sport, I tend to lean toward going for it.

Best wishes and enjoy those years to the fullest.

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Originally posted by Bulldog 19:

I am now a Certified Athletic Trainer. These are conversations I have regularly whether to play this sport or that sport with regards to injury possibilities.

...

Personally, I am not a fan of giving up a sport to focus on one sport. I see too many overuse injuries because baseball players, softball players, s****r players, basketball players, etc all decide they are going to play one sport 9-12 months out of the year. They won't suffer nearly as many injuries if they play multiple sports.

Bulldog is much more qualified than I to say this, but it is identical to what our pediatrician had to say through the growing years. Dedicating year round to one sport is both physically and potentially mentally damaging.

I know that is not what the poster is saying but its worth repeating in this context.

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Originally posted by RedSoxFan21:

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Originally posted by Bulldog 19:

I am now a Certified Athletic Trainer. These are conversations I have regularly whether to play this sport or that sport with regards to injury possibilities.

...

Personally, I am not a fan of giving up a sport to focus on one sport. I see too many overuse injuries because baseball players, softball players, s****r players, basketball players, etc all decide they are going to play one sport 9-12 months out of the year. They won't suffer nearly as many injuries if they play multiple sports.

Bulldog is much more qualified than I to say this, but it is identical to what our pediatrician had to say through the growing years. Dedicating year round to one sport is both physically and potentially mentally damaging.

I know that is not what the poster is saying but its worth repeating in this context.

The orthopedic specialists came up with a name for the wear and tear on the same body parts in the same motions caused by focusing on one sport at two young of an age. It's called Repetitive Stress Syndrome.

Because my kids were so active in sports at young ages they had annual physicals by an ortho. He said the amount of sports they played would be scary if it was all one sport. But they were playing four (football, s0ccer, basketball and baseball/s0ccer, field hockey, basketball and softball). As it turned out when my son had shoulder surgery senior year, the specialist said there was much wear and tear in his shoulder from how aggressively he played sports. It wasn't wear and tear from pitching. He only pitched six innings per week when he was twelve. He was very limited before age twelve. He was mostly a relief pitcher after age twelve.

My son continues to play prep school ice hockey. Every game he comes off the ice injury free is a victory. He broke both his non throwing arm radius and ulna 3 years ago. I'm hoping this is his last year on skates.

Our son is a 2012 graduate. He decided a month ago to play D1 baseball at a great school/baseball program. It was the toughest decision to date for him as his no. 1 passion has been football.

Well the phone was not ringing off the hook from D1 football guys and family and friends were telling him to play baseball, but his heart was screaming football!!!!!!!! He was an all league selection etc, etc but a big D1 offer never came.

Now that he has come to his senses, he is good to go but his first love will always be football. That's how God made him. Anyway, he was invited to play in a Senior Allstar football game this summer and needless to say he is a Pig in Mud - loving everyday preparing to play his last football game.

If I had to do it again, I would not change a thing. Let your son's enjoy high school athletics and play any sport that they want. I know football helped with his strength and quickness, and especially his mental toughness.

Amen,
Lefty...

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Originally posted by BOF:
Best advice I received when I first got here, from a wonderful lady that I never had the opportunity to meet, and wish I had.

"Play both sports until the competition tells you otherwise."

Having a son who finished his Freshmen year in college the biggest difference between HS and college ball is the size and speed of the players, so playing (at least working out) for football is generally not a bad thing, other than a baseball program is more lower body/core focused.

Like others have posted it is your sons decision.

^^^^^^
X2 on this statement

If he's a stud athlete, then utilize the talent.
20 years from now I would be willing to bet that the decision to play only one sport through HS will be regretted.
How many great QB's do you know that are equally great pitchers? That power hitting 1B that is also a terror at DE? Speedy WR that stretches the field also tracks line drives in the gap like they were pop ups?
I know a former Big 12 all conf. player(infielder) that was a stud point guard and helped his basketball team to the regional finals his senior year.
Keep playing if he's got the talent and is having fun! You only have one shot through high school.

I thought it would be worth re-attacking this post once more with football nearing & my 2015s situation changing since the original post.

Our son just finished 7v7 short season & starts 2-a-days in the next couple weeks. He's still debating starting QB or fall-ball tournaments.

Biggest change for him is the recent interest from some solid D1s. A couple of the D1s have advised against football due to injury with one encouraging the change of pace & time to build athleticism. The advocate D1 still stated to "BE CAREFUL."

My son is concerned he'll lose ground with recruiting if he doesn't play Jupiter & Cobb this fall. In addition, he's been asked to visit 3-4 schools with football making it tough. Any new opinions or others with this issue?

Life is short, participate in it, there is plenty of life after competitive sport to be a spectator.

Any coach advising against participation in other sports is likely not working in your sons best interest, but their own. I would never advise one of my children to go through life with fear of any boogie man that may diminish future opportunity. Live today, tomorrow is not guaranteed.

I always told my kids, you will never regret the decision to play, but you probably will regret the decision not to.

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Live today, tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Amen.

I have a 2013 that played football and has been pressured by coaches and former teammates to play again (every year) since he stopped after his freshman year. At 6'4 235 and fast I understand why this continues but we've seen and heard too many stories about injuries in the sport and he had become better at baseball. The hard work and single sport focus paid off as he recently committed to play in college. It is hard enough to develop into a college level ability player in one sport and he knew that early in his high school years fortunately. There were times when he talked about playing football again but never did return to that sport and I'm glad he didn't.

I say continue to do both. You never know where football may lead him. He could end up at a school that will allow him to play both. There were a couple of schools that would have allowed our son to play both and a lot of the baseball coaches that recruited him liked that he played multiple sports. Injuries happen so as someone stated above, live today, tomorrow is not guaranteed.

I played s****r and baseball all of my life. I'm going to play baseball at a small D3 school. I quit s****r after my freshman year. Recently my friends and I have been playing pickup games a couple days a week and I have to say I miss it and I regret quitting a lot. That's the biggest question he has to answer. Am I going to regret doing this? Right now his answer will probably be no. I understand because I didn't at first, but 3 years later I regret the decision a lot. I wish I had kept playing. Granted pickup games and on a real team are totally different but it's just something he should think about. If he could become a two sport college athlete why not? Keep the door open. Starting QB as a sophomore, sounds like he's pretty **** good. My personal opinion would be to keep the door open as long as possible.

I have not read the replies so far, but if they were anything like the replies I received when asking a similar question, it will be a mixed bag.

My son played 3 sports, two by choice, one was forced on him. The bottom line was that while he had talent and could have even played a 4th sport, his bread was buttered on the baseball side. He had no chance of playing those other sports in college, therefore he chose to give up basketball in his senior year to concentrate on baseball.

So you first need to see what your son envisions doing beyond HS. If no sport is in his plans, and/or he does not have the ability to play beyond HS, then I'd say let him play any and everything he wants.

[Quick story] A nice kid who was a decent HS OF stopped playing other sports to concentrate on baseball because his parents thought he could play at the next level. As it turns out no one recruited him, and he was cut trying to walk on in his FR year in college. So they clearly made the wrong choice because this kid missed out on fully experiencing other HS sports and the enjoyment that would have gone along with it.]

Now if your son is a stud and can possibly play either football or baseball in college, then you might want to encourage him to do both. The only caveat is that in football, more than other sports, he could sustain an injury that would doom is baseball chances. I know many a kid who had their baseball ambitions slowed or derailed due to football injuries. For that matter, many people live with pain the rest of their adult life. Hence the reason we never allowed our son to play football despite the coach always encouraging him to play. If he has been evaluated by knowledgeable people to be projectible in one sport(i.e. having a real chance to play in college), he would probably be well served to concentrate on that avenue.

So find out what he wants to do, have a family meeting to decide what is best. Also feel free to continue to come here and seek advice because many a parent has gone though the same thing, and is willing to share their insight with you.

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Originally posted by BK_Razorback:
I thought it would be worth re-attacking this post once more with football nearing & my 2015s situation changing since the original post.

Our son just finished 7v7 short season & starts 2-a-days in the next couple weeks. He's still debating starting QB or fall-ball tournaments.

Biggest change for him is the recent interest from some solid D1s. A couple of the D1s have advised against football due to injury with one encouraging the change of pace & time to build athleticism. The advocate D1 still stated to "BE CAREFUL."

My son is concerned he'll lose ground with recruiting if he doesn't play Jupiter & Cobb this fall. In addition, he's been asked to visit 3-4 schools with football making it tough. Any new opinions or others with this issue?

My sin was in the exact same spot as yours, starting QB sophomore year....never went to florida in the fall....just put some pressure on getting your looks in the summer.....many baseball friends thought I was crazy letting him play football...almost every college coach liked the fact that he played football....would say that it was an asset during the baseball recruiting....

My son still talks about football....no regrets

Living in Central New York a multi-sport decision wil have great advantages. The biggest being the workouts for football and the additional strength and speed that it develops, as you mentioned.

The weather will negate baseball by October the latest. Football in that region is usually the biggest happening on a Friday night. QB's who are also pitchers get plenty more looks than a pitcher without football.

Better to play both and have fun rather than stifle his growth.

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Originally posted by Quincy:
QB's who are also pitchers get plenty more looks than a pitcher without football.

Better to play both and have fun rather than stifle his growth.

What are you basing your "QB pitchers get plenty more looks" comment on?

As to your other comment, I'd agree to a point, but I'm not sure how not playing football would stifle his baseball growth.
If anything playing football could stifle his baseball growth by not playing practicing year round. Not to mention an injury might completely derail any baseball ambitions.

This has to be a personal decision. My son faced it as well.

He played nosetackle on the football team. He loved football. Everything about it - the practices, the camaraderie, the contact. The program he was in was one of the best in the country.

Baseball was his future, however, because he didn't have the body for D1 football. He signed with Duke right before football started in August.

I will always be grateful that the Duke coach encouraged him to go play his senior season. He had a wonderful year, his team's only loss was in the state title game.

Had he sat the season out, he would have regretted it for life.

On the other hand, had he had some career threatening injury from football, he would no doubt have regretted that too.

So there is no answer. There is risk no matter what you do.

It worked out for my son. I admit that after every single play his senior year, I exhaled when I saw him get up off the turf. And the last play of the last game, I exhaled deeply.

(In the category of self indulgence, here is a highlight reel a filmmaker friend of mine did as a graduation gift for Jeff.

The history of qb/pitchers is nothing new in the drafts of the MLB and NFL.

Practicing baseball year round is a waste of time. The play in other sports contains far more physical activity. Football workouts especially will make the athlete stronger, faster and with greater endurance than baseball workouts.

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Originally posted by BK_Razorback:
I thought it would be worth re-attacking this post once more with football nearing & my 2015s situation changing since the original post.

Our son just finished 7v7 short season & starts 2-a-days in the next couple weeks. He's still debating starting QB or fall-ball tournaments.

Biggest change for him is the recent interest from some solid D1s. A couple of the D1s have advised against football due to injury with one encouraging the change of pace & time to build athleticism. The advocate D1 still stated to "BE CAREFUL."

My son is concerned he'll lose ground with recruiting if he doesn't play Jupiter & Cobb this fall. In addition, he's been asked to visit 3-4 schools with football making it tough. Any new opinions or others with this issue?

Let him decide! Too much room for speculation about what could happen, what will develop recruiting wise, in two to three years, for a kid entering his Sophomore year.

If he doesn't have a definitive answer then he doesn't know enough about himself yet to make the decision. I wouldn't start trying to make it for him.

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Biggest change for him is the recent interest from some solid D1s. A couple of the D1s have advised against football due to injury with one encouraging the change of pace & time to build athleticism. The advocate D1 still stated to "BE CAREFUL."

How about this. When our HS quarterback who also played baseball was being recruited for football, the recruiters asked him not to play baseball to prevent injury. He played anyway of course and got to pitch the final inning of the state championship game which we won.

The perception that an injury from participation in football is more likely than baseball was confirmed in a survey done by the CDC. Football has occurrences of more than 4 injuries per 1,000 practices or competitions. Compared to baseball which came in at less than 2 injuries per 1,000 practices or competitions.

But the same CDC reports that 32 % of injuries and deaths among youths aged 10 - 24 are caused by motor vehicle accidents. So I guess if you are going to keep him off the gridiron you ought to make him walk everywhere he goes.

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Originally posted by PA Dino:
The perception that an injury from participation in football is more likely than baseball was confirmed in a survey done by the CDC. Football has occurrences of more than 4 injuries per 1,000 practices or competitions. Compared to baseball which came in at less than 2 injuries per 1,000 practices or competitions.

But the same CDC reports that 32 % of injuries and deaths among youths aged 10 - 24 are caused by motor vehicle accidents. So I guess if you are going to keep him off the gridiron you ought to make him walk everywhere he goes.

There is a difference between risk assessment and letting fear dictate your movements. The sissifying of America has not only blurred those lines but moved them quite drastically towards fear based reasoning to the point where people are paralyzed by simple decisions like this (it really is simple, if the kid wants it, let him play). We need to stop behaving as if kindergarten moms rule the world. That doesn't mean that everyone needs to be a tough guy or play football to prove his worth, but we are talking about fear of an injury preventing participation in sport. We should use rational judgement, not teach our children to be ruled by fear.

Do you know that boxing is a mandatory course for Plebes (freshman) at West Point, women too. They affectionately call it, Plebe Bleeding. Want to know why it exists? Not because the graduates will ever box anyone in combat, that's for sure. It's to show them that they can get punched in the face and they won't die.

Should you be more afraid of lightning or your bathtub? Don't go in the water, the stats will shock you more than the lightning will.

life is too short. don't base a decision about sports on ( the next level)no one knows what tomorrow may bring, baseball included. play/don't play because you want to. sometime's you can't look to far ahead.

It makes me a little sad to hear that college coaches are telling high school kids what to do or not to do in high school. My son is a 2012 pitcher who also played football. I think every college coach we talked to loved the fact that he played football and encouraged it. The coaches from the school he ended up signing with kept in touch with him throughout the football season....not to see if he was hurt, but to tell him that they were following him in the papers and were happy about his success on the football field.
Now obviously, when he played his last football game and came off without any injuries it was a relief. But, being a part of that football team and being coached by an amazing group of guys is an experience he will never forget! He wouldn't trade it for the world!
With all that said, no one can tell you what is best for your son. Football worked out great for mine, but it is definitely a personal decision.

I think the coaches are simply concerned & generally looking out for his best interest. I think my son actually appreciated them thinking of his health & future. I think they may see a kid with a possible future in baseball & just didn't want him to jeopardize that opportunity by getting injured.

Rio Ruiz who was a 2012 grad of Bishop Amat High School was the starting QB for the football team and the starting 3rd baseman. He did both and still managed to play for one of the top notch Travel teams in the country, SGV Arsenal, get a scholarship to play baseball at USC, and get drafted in the 4th round. For those of you that remember the show Two a days there were at least 3 individuals at Hoover High School including the starting QB who went on to play baseball at Alabama.