So many of us have done the Saturday relay race: karate to soccer game to basketball practice. From softball to swim team. Baseball practice to a hockey tournament.When my kids were young, the world of sports and activities was their oyster. They played multiple sports, tried on things to see what fit while we drove from one side of town to the other, coordinating calendars, resolving scheduling conflicts and keeping all the local drive-thru fast-food joints in business with to-and-fro dining in the mini-van.A few seasons of soccer, overlapping with the start of CYO basketball, which overlapped with the start of Little League season. Mix in the odd volleyball camp, rec department tennis class and some middle school track and youve got a drawer full of old team pictures, a lot of participation trophies and a whole lot of days on the snack schedule.Then maybe that club coach asked for a larger commitment, or the select team came calling. Maybe the schedule just wasnt working anymore and it was too tough to squeeze in multiple practices and games each week around homework and band or group projects.As many kids got closer to high school, they begin to narrow the field of their sports participation, some by choice and the natural culling process. Others because someone else thinks its best.They begin to specialize. And certainly, there are things to gain from the focus on one sport -- a true offseason, better opportunities against higher levels of competition, perhaps even a shot at being a collegiate athlete. But kids lose by specializing, as well, because there are some very good reasons to stay a multi-sport athlete.1. Fewer overuse injuries. Growing bodies can become overstressed by repetition and that stress can lead to injuries. A lack of rest and recovery time in year-round sports exacerbates the problem. There are plenty of examples of serious, grown-up sports injuries happening to kids at younger and younger ages, from Tommy John surgery for 12-year-olds to high school girls with multiple ACL injuries before they graduate. Studies show that playing multiple sports leads to better muscle, motor and skill development. It promotes general athleticism, balance, speed and agility.2. Less opportunity for emotional burn-out. Kids who spend so much time focusing on one sport -- and whose families are similarly solely focused -- risk tiring of the sport all together. Specializing raises expectations, the costs for parents for travel and club teams and the pressure on young athletes. Having a variety of experiences keeps things interesting, the monotony of a single sport goes away, and so does that pressure.3. Exposure to different kids. Soccer friends will be different from swimming friends, who will be different from the kids in your Tai-Kwon-Do class. Exposing kids to different sports allows them to share teammate experiences and make memories with a diverse group of peers. It helps them expand their social circle and their opportunities for interaction.4. Exposure to different roles. Being a bench player on the basketball team is a different experience than being a starting pitcher on the baseball team. Its an opportunity to broaden their experiences, socially and developmentally. Its an opportunity to become a better competitor and all-around athlete, the kind that coaches value because they are flexible, multi-dimensional, exposed to many situations and coachable.5. Not putting all your eggs in one basket. Playing only one sport limits your options. An injury, a bad experience with a coach or a reduced role on a more competitive team can bring an abrupt end to an athletic career. Such a small number of high school athletes move on to play a sport in college; even fewer earn an athletic scholarship. If the goal is to play as long as possible, perhaps it makes the most sense to play as many sports as possible? Just ask Derek Jeter, who played basketball in high school, or Elena Delle Donne, who played volleyball at Delaware before returning to the basketball team on the way to the WNBA, or Robert Griffin III, who played baseball and ran track.My confession here is that my son ended up being a single-sport athlete by the time he got to high school. Baseball was his passion, and the other sports fell off the schedule and the radar. The skateboard that used to be his constant companion in middle school started to gather dust in the garage, and the old basketballs and soccer cleats got donated to charity. He is now a college baseball player, competing at a Division III school.And while focusing on one sport may have played a role in getting him there, I cant imagine, in retrospect, that it was the only path. Ive heard him say that he wished that boys volleyball season wasnt the same as baseball, because he would have played. Ive heard him boast that the 3-point stroke he had on the middle school basketball team magically returned while playing pick-up basketball with some of his buddies. One of his high school friends was the football teams starting quarterback and hes?playing club hockey in college now and loving every minute of it.You just never know how things are going to turn out.I retired the mini-van a few years ago, traded it in for a new car and watched with misty eyes as it was driven off into the depths of the used-car lot. But not before I cleared out some old soccer cones and a least one ball bouncing around in the way back.The old days of the Saturday relay are long gone. I didnt realize at the time how good those days were. They were fun. And isnt that the whole point? Carolina Panthers Marquis Haynes Jersey .B. - Sebastien Auger made 44 saves as the Saint John Sea Dogs edged the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan 2-1 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Wholesale Carolina Panthers Jerseys 2019 . Mickelson barely made the cut but had the best round of the day with nine birdies and an eagle coupled with two bogeys to sit two shots behind leader Craig Lee of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total. "I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi," Mickelson said. http://www.cheappanthersjerseys.us/carolina-panthers-andre-smith-jersey/ . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Carolina Panthers Jerseys For Sale . Zvonareva, who won the tournament in 2009 and 10, couldnt handle her opponents big groundstrokes in only her third event back after 17 months out with a shoulder injury. Zvonareva made her comeback in January in Shenzhen and played in the Australian Open but lost her first matches at both tournaments. Carolina Panthers Rashaan Gaulden Jersey . Siddikur, whose previous win on the circuit came in Brunei three years ago, finished his bogey-free round with a birdie on the 18th for a total of 17-under 199. Indias Shiv Chowrasia, who has finished runner-up in this tournament twice, was in second place after a 66. TROON, Scotland -- Home advantage just isnt what it used to be.The British challenge has been somewhat muted at The Open this year. Indeed, only two players from these shores -- Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke -- have lifted the Claret Jug since the turn of the century. The last player to win it in his own country was Paul Lawrie at Carnoustie in 1999.The field at Royal Troon has been forced to contend with every challenge links golf has to offer after heavy rain and high winds hit the South Ayrshire coast for a second consecutive day.Time was when players from overseas would struggle in conditions that were standard for British players, but only one player from the home nations -- Englands ?Andrew Johnston?-- is inside the top 10 going into the final round. Even in fourth place, the man they call Beef is still six off leaders ?Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson. It will be a tall order for Johnston to be crowned Champion Golfer of the Year on Sunday.Lee Westwood, who ended the day tied for 43rd,?offered the simplest of answers when asked if he could put his finger on the lack of a British challenge: No. He offered the same answer when asked if he even cares. Luke Donald, also T-43, pulled out the go-to luck of the draw line.Justin Rose was a touch more philosophical. Troon is a venue that the Americans seem to do well on, he said with a hint of surrender after a 1-under 70 on Saturday left him 2-over for the tournament and nowhere near threatening the lead.Hes putting it lightly, of course, as Americans have emerged victorious in the past six editions of golfs oldest major held on this course, and in the modern game, golfers have the skills to thrive in any environment.Most of the guys that play professional golf now have all the shots, Rose added. Gone are the days that guys didnt travel and guys didnt know how to play in the wind.For example, guys who grow up in Texas grow up in a lot of wind. They can control their ball and flight it any which way they want. I think a lot of the Americans relish the challenge of links golf now. So I dont see it as a particular advantage.Gone are your amaateur days where youd play in conditions like yesterday much more frequently.ddddddddddddThe conditions we face, I would say I play them as infrequently as the Americans do. So I would say now, almost 20 years into [my] career, the advantage of growing up on links golf has almost diminished.Rose came to Troon with hopes of claiming his second major title after winning the U.S. Open in 2013, but the 35-year-old failed to make the most of benign conditions on Thursday before the wind and rain set in the past two days.His 1-under round of 70 on Saturday was a vast improvement on Fridays 77, in which he failed to record a single birdie in the stormy conditions, and he admitted his regret at failing to play more strategic golf.I felt confident coming out today that I could put a good round together, Rose said. I came out with a more aggressive mindset, hitting drivers off the tee and changing up the game plan a little bit.I really felt like I needed to shoot something in the mid-60s today to have a shot going into tomorrow. All week Ive felt like Ive played really well without much reward. Its just been one of those weeks where I felt like theres been a little untimely mistake, and yesterdays conditions were a little tricky to play in.But Rose, whose two-month run prior to The Open was restricted to a handful of rounds due to a back injury, admitted he is just happy to be back playing ahead of what is a packed summer -- he heads to the Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey for the PGA Championship before immediately flying to Brazil for the Olympic Games.This whole week I feel like Im back to playing some of my best golf, he added. It may not reflect it in the score, but since the Players Championship [in May], where the back went on me, its been a lot of hard work to get to here.This is the first week Ive felt healthy, so thats the exciting thing for me. Im playing well and looking forward to the rest of the summer. I want to enter tomorrow with some positive momentum. Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale NFL Camo Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL T-shirts Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL Womens Jerseys NFL Jerseys Wholesale ' ' '