As winter sports wrap up, it’s tempting for young athletes to train nonstop. But research shows that switching sports in the off-season - cross-training - is one of the best ways for 12–18-year-olds to boost performance, stay healthy, and keep sport fun.

 

Improve Performance

Cross-training builds a broader athletic base. Skills from one sport carry over to another. For example, basketball sharpens agility and spatial awareness for rugby. Cricket develops focus and hand–eye coordination useful in netball. Athletics builds sprint and jump ability that benefits almost every sport.

Many of New Zealand’s top athletes were multi-sport kids.

Beauden and Jordie Barrett both played cricket to representative levels to U19s before focusing on rugby.

Superstar Will Jordan played social touch, athletics and cricket in the rugby off seasons.

Shotput legend Valarie Adams played basketball, netball and rugby alongside her athletics.

Silver Fern Laura Langman had a played both social and representative touch rugby. 

These experiences created versatile, adaptable athletes and helped them excel once they specialized.

Research backs this up. The American Academy of Pediatrics highlights that early sport specialisation (Focussing on one sport year-round) can limit athletic development, while multi-sport athletes show better overall movement skills and adaptability. In other words, variety does not slow athletes down, it sets them up for success.

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Reducing Injury Risk

Injury risk is one of the clearest reasons to mix things up.  Repeating the same training loads year-round stresses the same muscles, joints, and tendons. This increases the chance of overuse injuries.

A New Zealand study of over 400 youth football players found that playing more hours per week than the persons age (in years) doubled the risk of gradual-onset injury.

Hours spent training should be less than the age of person!

Youth aged 10-16 playing one sport for more than eight months of the year increased the injury risk by a further 60%.  

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Why does cross-training help?

Cross-training spreads the load. Cricket season develops rotational strength and shoulder control, track and field promote movement efficiency, swimming builds aerobic fitness without impact, and touch rugby promotes speed and agility without the heavy collisions of winter codes. For growing adolescents, these variations help strengthen different tissues while reducing stress on vulnerable areas.

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Preventing Burnout

Physical benefits are only half the story. Burnout - Losing motivation, drive, and importantly, enjoyment - is a major problem in young athletes. The Journal of Sport Health study found that teenagers who played multiple sports reported higher enjoyment and were less likely to stop playing than single-sport athletes.

The Black Ferns often talk about the joy of summer touch rugby or backyard cricket. These breaks aren’t wasted time - they refresh the mind and keep sport fun. For teenagers, protecting that spark is just as important as physical training.

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The Bottom Line

The evidence is clear: cross-training builds better, healthier athletes. From the Barrett brothers to the Silver Ferns, many of our sporting heroes grew up playing multiple sports - and research now confirms why that worked. For young athletes, stepping away from winter sport for a season isn’t falling behind. It’s a way to build performance, reduce injuries, while keeping sport enjoyable for the long run.

So this summer, swap the rugby ball for a cricket bat, try basketball instead of netball, or simply join friends in the pool. Your body, mind, and sporting journey will thank you.