Last week, I talked about how more athletes are emphasizing one sport, but is it really worth it.  I’ve got a great article I saw last week, that I will share with you on Thursday, and it has some great points on the topic.  But, today I want to persuade you to try a spring sport, if you aren’t doing a traditional spring sport (no, AAU basketball and spring soccer does not count). 

That spring sport is track and field.  If you’ve never done track, then this is going to be my sales pitch for you to give it a try.  Yes, I’m biased because I ran track, but I think I provide some convincing arguments for you.  Let’s take a look.

There is something for everybody.

Track and field has many different events and they need a whole bunch of athletes.  But, much like a football team, you need different body types and different kinds of athletes to make a up this team.

If you are blessed with speed, then the sprints and possibly the jumps, might be your events.  If you have some speed and some endurance, then maybe you try the middle distance.  If you have more slow twitch fibers, then you are probably well suited for the distance events.

If you have absolutely no speed, but some nice size and strength, well guess what, we have some throwing events for you.  Like I said, a lot of different events for a lot of different types of athletes.  Pick the events that suits your athleticism and give it a try.

It is a great sport to help your primary sport.

Piggy backing on what I talked about with my last post.  It is the very rare individual that will make it to the professional level, so specialization might be overkill for most athletes.  An athlete might be better served mixing it up and doing a different sport for a couple months so the body doesn’t get overused doing the same movement patterns for that one sport.

Outdoor track is usually 2 – 3 months at most.  It is a good change of pace from your primary sport.  If you love football and you’re a lineman, lifting weights for the throws will still develop your power for football.

If you are a speedy wide receiver, don’t you think training for sprints in track will help improve your speed?  You betcha.

What about a soccer player?  You can improve your endurance by running track and it will be great for getting you in shape and ready for the summer conditioning knowing that fall soccer will start in about two months after the end of the season.

The sportsmanship is great.

When I was in high school, I remember competing against athletes who would call me names, spit at me, try to instigate anything to get under my skin.  I’d see those same athletes at track meets and they couldn’t have been nicer.  It was like they were my best friends.

I never had a moment in track where someone talked trash or was disrespectful.  Everyone was encouraging everyone and congratulating each other.  You still wanted to beat the pants off your opponent, but there was also kudos at the end of a race.  Not always the case in other sports.

One final perk.

There aren’t many sports where males and females compete in their sports at the same venue.  Swimming is one and track is another.  Especially now seeing the form fitting uniforms they wear, it leaves nothing for the imagination.

And I’m talking about the guys.

As a high schooler, it’s a great opportunity to show off in front of the opposite sex.  It’s a great way to meet new people and who knows what happens when your warming up shooting the breeze with someone who looks pretty good from a rival school.

It’s spring now and if you didn’t make your club or travel team, think about participating in track.  Worst case scenario, you run around, get in better shape, and it’s over in about 8 weeks.  Also, your body gets a little rest from its normal sport movements and is recharged for your primary sport when you decide to start up again.