January 12, 2021 - Winnipeg, MB - Sport Manitoba’s Play More Be More campaign launches today and focuses on the benefits young kids experience when they play multiple sports.
Play More Be More is all about helping Manitobans, especially parents of kids aged 6-12, learn about the dangers of specializing in one sport at a young age while also promoting the benefits of multi-sport activities.
When kids aged 6-12 play multiple sports it can benefit their overall athleticism, help them avoid burnout and overuse injuries, and actually help them excel in their chosen sport. For example, a hockey player who continues to play volleyball and soccer can benefit from soccer’s conditioning, change of direction, and ball control skills, as well as volleyball’s leg power and reaction skills which can all contribute to their time on the ice. This multi-sport experience also makes sport and physical activity fun.
Throughout the Play More Be More campaign, Sport Manitoba will share multi-sport perspectives, stories, and resources from the local sport community, including decorated athletes like Brigette Lacquette, that will appear on its blog, website, and social media channels.
Sport Manitoba’s long-range strategic plan, the Manitoba Action Plan for Sport (MAPS), identifies promoting the values of sport, encouraging multi-sport participation, and promoting universal skill development in its current list of priorities for the next four years.
The multi-sport theme of this campaign is also in line with Canada’s Long-Term Development framework’s early developmental stages. The FUNdamentals and Learn To Train stages encourage overall development of young children’s capacities, fundamental movement skills, and foundational sport skills in a range of sports, physical activities, positions, and environments.
Visit sportmanitoba.ca and follow Sport Manitoba on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to learn more about the dangers of early sport specialization and the benefits of playing multiple sports in the development years.
Quotes
“Participating in sport offers benefits at any age, but it’s a particularly great way for young Manitobans to keep physically fit, learn teamwork and problem-solving skills that will serve them well as adults. Our province offers young athletes an abundance of fun and challenging activities, and I am thrilled Sport Manitoba’s campaign will encourage our youth to take advantage of as many of these opportunities as possible.”
Hon. Cathy Cox, Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage
“It is highly beneficial for kids in their development years to get exposed to and participate in multiple sports rather than specializing in one. Through this campaign, we want to educate Manitobans and bring awareness to what those benefits are, including how it can help an athlete’s overall athleticism and, ultimately, how it can make sport and physical activity a fun and enjoyable experience.”
Janet McMahon, Interim President & CEO, Sport Manitoba
“Many people may not be aware of all the benefits that come with playing a variety of sports vs specializing in one sport at a young age. Of course, there may come a time when an athlete chooses one sport to focus on, but leading up to that, there are a ton of great things we see when athletes play multiple sports growing up. For example, the skills that one sport develops that can carry over to another, or avoiding burnout or overuse injuries from playing only one sport by doing the same movements over and over again.”
Jeff Wood, Sport Performance Specialist, Sport Manitoba
“Growing up, I played pretty much every sport. I loved getting out there, competing and being active. I feel like playing those different sports helped me grow as a hockey player, because it allowed me to become more athletic overall and has improved my ability to adapt to change. For myself, playing softball was great for improving hand-eye coordination, and playing sports like volleyball, soccer, basketball, and badminton helped me develop as an athlete, too.”
Brigette Lacquette, Olympic silver medalist
About
Sport Manitoba is a not-for-profit organization and the lead planning, programming and funding agency for the development of amateur sport in Manitoba. Located at 145 Pacific Avenue in Winnipeg, Sport Manitoba partners with over 100 organizations to deliver sport in the province and is responsible for programs including the Manitoba Games powered by Manitoba Hydro, Sport Manitoba Coaching, Team Manitoba, Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame, Fit Kids Healthy Kids, and KidSport. Services provided include the Sport Manitoba Clinic, Sport Manitoba Performance, Sport Manitoba Fitness Centre, and the Paul Robson Resource Centre for Leadership and Coaching.