Is Your Kid Playing Too Many Sports… But Not Getting More Athletic?
- Jay Glaspy
- Jul 4
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 21
The Hidden Problem in Today’s Youth Sports Culture
Kids nowadays are playing too many sports. From Ashburn to Haymarket, it’s a common story: Your kid plays soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, lacrosse in the spring—and maybe travel baseball in between. Their schedule is packed. They’re constantly on the move… but somehow, they’re not getting faster, stronger, or more athletic.
This isn’t just a scheduling issue—it’s a developmental problem. More sports doesn’t always mean more athleticism. And for many young athletes, the constant rotation between teams and games is actually holding them back.
The Myth: More Sports = More Development
Let’s be clear—multi-sport exposure can be great, especially for younger kids. But when there’s no off-season, no structured training, and no time to build foundational strength and speed… you're not developing an athlete. You’re just booking more games.
Here’s what we see too often at Command Athlete Performance:
A 13-year-old playing year-round sports… but can’t do a proper squat.
A middle schooler doing 4 practices a week… but sprinting with bad mechanics.
A high schooler playing 3 sports… but always injured, tight, or burned out.
Busy doesn’t equal better.
Why Your Kid Isn’t Getting More Athletic: Too Many Sports
When kids go from one sport to the next without a break, they miss the chance to:
✅ Build strength
✅ Improve sprint mechanics
✅ Fix movement imbalances
✅ Recover mentally and physically
✅ Learn how to train like an athlete—not just play
Youth athletes need focused development time, not just more practices and games. This is where sports performance training fills the gap.
What Performance Training Does That Sports Don’t
Sports are chaotic. They’re reactive. Coaches focus on plays and strategy—not how well your kid runs, jumps, or moves. That’s our job.
At Command Athlete Performance, we teach youth athletes from Gainesville, South Riding, Aldie, and Ashburn to move better—on and off the field.
Here’s how we fill the performance gap:
Structured strength training for speed, power, and injury prevention
Sprint form coaching to improve first-step quickness and acceleration
Core stability and mobility work to reduce overuse injuries
Recovery built into training to prevent burnout
The Real Cost of Playing Too Many Sports and Training Too Little
Without a foundation of movement and strength, your athlete will eventually:
⚠ Plateau in performance
⚠ Develop bad habits that are hard to fix later
⚠ Burn out mentally from nonstop competition
⚠ Get injured due to poor mechanics and chronic fatigue
And once they hit high school—when competition gets real—they’ll be behind.
Final Thoughts: Train Now or Pay Later
We love sports. But sports don’t build athletes—training does. If your child is always playing but never training, they’re just getting tired—not better.
At Command Athlete Performance, we help youth athletes build the engine that powers every sport. Less burnout. More development. Real results.
About the Author
Jay Glaspy is the head coach and owner of Command Athlete Performance. He is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Mental Performance Coach, and Parisi Certified Speed Performance Coach with a mission to build confident, explosive athletes in the Haymarket–Gainesville area. A U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, he brings unmatched discipline, structure, and real-world experience to every training session. With decades of leadership and athletic development, he helps youth and high school athletes move better, play faster, and compete smarter. His programs are built on fundamentals, precision, and a relentless drive to develop total performance. Connect here --> contact@commandathleteperformance.com
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