Specialization has become a trend for young athletes, with many parents believing their kids’ best chance at success is to focus on one sport, and get as good as they can at it. Patrick Mahomes’ high school coach says those parents should think again.
Adam Cook, who was Mahomes’ football coach at Whitehouse High School in Texas, told Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports that Mahomes is a perfect example of how playing multiple sports can help a young person develop into a well-rounded athlete.
“Patrick is the poster child for the multisport athlete,” Cook said.
In addition to being a star quarterback, Mahomes was a good enough baseball player that the Detroit Tigers selected him in the 2014 Major League Baseball draft. And he was a very good player on Whitehouse’s basketball team as well. Cook thinks Mahomes grew as a competitor from playing so many games in so many sports.
“Because he played multiple sports, the overlay of all of those experiences and skills are there in the NFL,” Cook told Wetzel. “It’s all just one game for Patrick. It’s always been just one big game, just on different playing surfaces. In high school football you are guaranteed just 10 games. Instead Patrick was always playing something and learning how to win along the way.”
Mahomes’ success may make kids and parents alike rethink whether they need to specialize in only one sport.