The off-Season can be a difficult time for athletes. You are removed from your coaches and teammates. Often this is when great athletes separate themselves from the rest of their competitors.
One of the best things athletes can do during the off-season is to play other sports. There are a variety of different reasons why student-athletes should continue to play other sports. Besides the enjoyment of playing sports and learning how to compete, there are more tangible benefits.
Other Sports
Whenever athletes are involved in any game involving a ball, they are working a host of different muscles and skills that will benefit them in football. Things like reflexes, fine motor control and change of direction are essential components to all ball sports and are best developed through play. One component that these ball sports tend to develop better than football is spatial awareness. Sports like basketball require athletes to analyze space. In the course of any drive they must find space, find ways to expand it and then find ways to attack it. These are complex skills that are crucial for all skill players in football and are very difficult to develop through drills.
