New Baseball HOF Class a Strong Statement For the Value of Playing Multiple Sports
By Ken Reed
The newest inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York are Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer and Todd Helton. Besides being outstanding baseball players, they have one other thing in common: they were all terrific multi-sport athletes growing up.
Beltre’s best sports were tennis and basketball as a youth in the Dominican Republic. Joe Mauer, in addition to being the overall #1 draft pick in Major League Baseball in the 2001 draft, was the Gatorade National Player of the Year in football while in high school. He also was an All-State basketball player in the state of Minnesota. Todd Helton was the starting quarterback at the University of Tennessee, right before a guy named Peyton Manning took over.
All three Hall of Famers said playing multiple sports growing up helped them develop the athleticism to become great baseball players.
Playing multiple sports develops different muscles, increases flexibility and enhances movement, all of which are helpful as athletes progress in any sport. Multi-sport athletes also have fewer overuse injuries.
Parents who expose their children to multiple sports and other physical activities at a young age are helping their young athletes figure out where their talents and passions are and what the best sports fit might be for them.
— Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans
Sports Forum Podcast
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Media
"How We Can Save Sports" author Ken Reed appears on Fox & Friends to explain how there's "too much adult in youth sports."
Ken Reed appears on Mornings with Gail from KFKA Radio in Colorado to discuss bad parenting in youth athletics.
“Should College Athletes Be Paid?” Ken Reed on The Morning Show from Wisconsin Public Radio
Ken Reed appears on KGNU Community Radio in Colorado (at 02:30) to discuss equality in sports and Title IX.
Ken Reed appears on the Ralph Nader Radio Hour (at 38:35) to discuss his book The Sports Reformers: Working to Make the World of Sports a Better Place, and to talk about some current sports issues.
- Reed Appears on Ralph Nader Radio Hour League of Fans’ sports policy director, Ken Reed, Ralph Nader and the New York Times’ Tyler Kepner discussed a variety of sports issues on Nader’s radio show as well as Reed’s updated book, How We Can Save Sports: A Game Plan. Reed's book was released in paperback in February, and has a new introduction and several updated sections.
League of Fans is a sports reform project founded by Ralph Nader to fight for the higher principles of justice, fair play, equal opportunity and civil rights in sports; and to encourage safety and civic responsibility in sports industry and culture.
Vanderbilt Sport & Society - On The Ball with Andrew Maraniss with guest Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director for League of Fans and author of How We Can Save Sports: A Game Plan
Sports & Torts – Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans – at the American Museum of Tort Law
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