TeamSnap Logo
Log inFind My Team
  • Solutions
    • For Business
      For Business

      Tools for clubs, leagues, tournament organizers, and associations to run their business

      For Teams
      For Teams

      For coaches, players & fans to stay connected on our top-rated mobile app

      Promo image
      • Overview
      • Program ManagementManage all aspects of your organization
      • SponsorshipAccess our network of opportunities
      • RegistrationPayments, dues, and more
      • TournamentsBuild and manage your events
      • PaymentsA better way to manage payments
      • Website BuilderProfessional & mobile friendly sites
      • SchedulingAutomate games & practices
      • Services & SupportIndustry-leading account support
      • MessagesSimple, reliable communication
      • Get started!Chat with our team right now
  • Pricing
  • Resources
    • Community

      Our mission is to enhance the lives of kids by enabling participation in sport

        Other resources
        • Blog
        • Coaches’ Corner
        • For Business Resources
        • TeamSnap Updates
        • Help Center
        Company
        • About
        • Careers
        • Partners
    • For Brands
      • Build relationships in the moments that matter.

        Convert families into superfans with TeamSnap for brands.

          • OverviewThe #1 way to reach the Chief Household Officer
          • AudienceLearn about our audience and network
          • CapabilitiesExplore our products and measurement solutions
          • Download Media Kit

      Find My Team

      Sign upLog in
      Sign upLog in
      BlogCoaching
      • General Sports
      • Health and Safety
      • Coaching
      • for Business
      • Announcements
      Featured image: 5 Winning Ways (and Reasons!) to Cross Train

      Mar 12, 2020 • 3 min read

      5 Winning Ways (and Reasons!) to Cross Train

      /images/teamsnap-badge.png
      Sara Lindberg

      Posted in:
      • Coaching
      • Editorials
      • General Sports
      • Sports Parents

      Exposing kids to multiple sports and activities is a hot topic in youth athletics – and for good reason. When kids and teens cross-train by playing more than one sport, they can boost strength, coordination, and conditioning–not to mention help prevent overuse injuries and burnout.

      “Kids who play multiple sports develop skills by using their bodies in different ways,” says sport performance coach, Alex Harrison, Ph.D., CSCS. “Cross-training can also help prevent overuse injuries, because no single body part is repetitively used in the same motion.”

      Let’s not forget the mental part of the game. A recent study published in the Journal of Athletic Training showed that participating in multiple sports, especially activities that are enjoyable and developmentally appropriate, can help protect the mental health of young athletes.

      With that in mind, choosing sports that go well together can help athletes hone their skills, boost performance, and recharge their batteries. Here are five pairings to get you started.

      Tennis and Soccer

      Both tennis and soccer require athletes to have exceptional agility skills and coordination. Athletes need to train their lower bodies for both sports to continuously and quickly start and stop during play. The sports though are just different enough to not over-tax the body, and involve different types of coordination. (One is hand-eye, and the other eye-foot!) Performing different movements, whether it’s more running with soccer or more upper-body engagement with tennis can help athletes enhance their overall speed, power and agility.

      Lacrosse and Football

      Football requires sprint speed and the ability to recover between plays, and lacrosse develops the same. “There’s a bit more continuous movement with lacrosse, and just as much sprinting and cutting,” Harrison says. “The physical development that comes from lacrosse–as well as the toughness and willingness to engage in contact with minimal protection–can serve football players well and help them complete plays.”

      Gymnastics and Swimming

      Both sports require an awareness of the body in space along with attention to detail related to how the body moves. Swimming and gymnastics also involve a lot of upper and lower body strength, stamina, and explosive power. Plus, swimming allows gymnasts to get off their feet and develop more aerobic endurance. The water can provide a welcome break from tough landings.

      Basketball and Volleyball

      Basketball and volleyball both require athletes to have strong vertical power that transfers to jumping for both offensive and defensive plays. In volleyball, athletes need jumping skills for spikes and blocks, and with basketball, players need to get off the floor to rebound and block opponent’s shots. The sports also involve hand-eye coordination, agility and upper body strength.

      It’s not just the transferable athletic skills that make this pairing so popular, though. Sometimes it’s the idea of just doing different sports that offer similar qualities. Bonus: You can play volleyball in the sand, making it fun for a seasonal break.

      Track and Field and Nearly Everything

      “Track and field is the ultimate pairing with land-based sports,” Harrison says. “There are fundamentals that lay the foundation for future development and performance of other sporting skills like springing and cutting, sprinting and jumping to catch a ball or any other variation on straight-line acceleration.”


      Download our app

      app-storegoogle-play

      Share this post


      Create Your Team Today!

      It’s Free and Free is Good!

      Sign Up Your Team!Free and Paid Plans Available
      Products
      Sports Organizations
      • Get a demo
      • Features
      • Pricing
      • Tournaments
      • FAQs
      Coaches or Team Managers
      • Features
      • Pricing
      • Tournaments
      • Get Started
      Parents or Athletes
      • Features
      • Pricing
      • Find My Team
      • Get Started
      Sports
      Sports Organizations
      • Baseball
      • Basketball
      • Football
      • Ice Hockey
      • Lacrosse
      • Soccer
      • Softball
      • Volleyball
      Teams
      • Baseball
      • Basketball
      • Football
      • Ice Hockey
      • Soccer
      • Softball
      • +100s more
      Resources
      • Blog
      • Coaches’ Corner
      • Return To Play
      • For Business Resource Library
      • Skills & Drills
      • Press Releases
      • TeamSnap Updates
      • TeamSnap Help Center
      • Community
      • Why TeamSnap?
      Company
      • About
      • CareersHiring!
      • For Brands
      • Partners
      • TeamSnap API
      • Responsible Disclosure Policy
      • Youth sports team and sports org app Apple App Store Logo
      • Youth sports team and sports org app Google Play Store Logo
      • social-media-facebook
      • social-media-twitter
      • social-pinterest
      • social-instagram
      • social-video-youtube
      • professional-network-linkedin
      • social-tiktok

      TeamSnap Footer Logo

      Copyright © 2005–2025 TeamSnap, Inc.

      • Sitemap
      • Terms
      • Privacy Policy
      • California Privacy Policy
      • Your Privacy Choices