The basketball athletes of today are training with more structure than in the past. Instead of playing at a public park for a pick-up game, they can be found at facilities like Wichita Sports Forum or Wichita Hoops.
Stories of famous athletes like Tiger Woods or the Williams sisters can encourage athletes to start training young. At an increasing rate, children are specializing in one particular sport, sometimes year-round in hopes of improvement.
According to Ashtin Meerpohl, Wichita State basketball’s director of sports performance, this specialization and specificity could be putting players at risk of injury.
“I do think there is a risk that there might be some overuse injuries because you’re doing the same type of activity over and over and over,” Meerpohl said.
Meerpohl said that 15 years ago, the conventional wisdom was to expose athletes to other sports during their primary sport’s offseason. That changed when organizations such as the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) allowed some of the best athletes from around the nation to compete outside their region and sport’s season.
Players are at a higher risk of overuse injury if they focus on playing only one sport throughout the year. Playing different sports in the offseason allows players to work different parts of their bodies and allow the overworked parts to rest.
With players being as talented and specialized as ever, there is an onus on younger athletes to train harder than everyone else to set themselves apart.
“If you want to make it to the big leagues and get your name out there, and, you know, make some money doing what you love, then you know what you have to sacrifice,” Wichita State freshman guard TJ Williams said.
Williams stuck to basketball during his prep years but did track his senior year at Wichita Heights until it conflicted with his AAU schedule starting in the spring.
Although playing multiple sports can reduce the risk of injury, Meerpohl says what happens outside of the games is just as important. Not every school has the ability to hire a dedicated sports performance coach.
“They’re teaching a class, they’re coaching on the field, and they’re coaching in the weight room,” Meerpohl said. “It’s just a lot to ask of one person.”
The top AAU teams are given the best facilities in the world, but often ignore other wellness needs. AAU players often travel across the nation, which can disrupt sleep patterns due to time zone differences.
“I would have a flight Friday morning, so I would always be gone,” Williams said.
Meerpohl argued that sleep is just as important as any good workout facility.
“You can do everything right in the weight room … But if you’re not sleeping, you are putting yourself way behind,” Meerpohl said. “A lot of studies show when you’re on a lack of sleep under four hours, even under six hours, in some cases, can raise your risk of injury significantly.”
According to Williams, AAU tourneys can have athletes playing up to three games a day. They typically play the entire weekend, Saturday to Sunday, potentially playing around four to six games within the span of two days.
For Williams, AAU was one of his best chances to get noticed by scouts. Not everyone can make it to college, and an even smaller number manage to go pro.
“You just can’t take too long off, getting back to the grind,” Williams said. “You’re definitely going to be tired, but that just comes to you. Just put in the work and keep your body reassured, keep it good, fresh and try to keep it as best as possible.”
