Multi Sports Athletes: A Formula For Success for the Rising Stars Youth Foundation

When founder Paul Savramis launched the Rising Stars Foundation 30 years ago, after spending a decade running basketball camps around the world, it began as Rising Stars Basketball Clinics.

At the time, basketball was the common thread, continuing the work Paul Savramis had started in 1980 through summer camps and clinics.

We asked Paul Savramis how that focus has evolved over the past 30 years.

TRS: Looking back over the past 30 years, we've seen a definite focus on basketball for both you and Rising Stars. How has that changed over the years?

Paul Savramis: The best way to explain it is that, to have continued success, you need to change with the times.

In youth sports, those times are not only changing—they should be changing.

For me, that meant looking at what would work best for Rising Stars in today's world.

TRS: And that meant moving away from focusing solely on basketball players?

Paul Savramis: Exactly.

Basketball will always be a focus for Rising Stars. Our passion and experience remain in training basketball players and coaching basketball teams. Where we've evolved is in opening our doors and welcoming multi-sport athletes.

TRS: By multi-sport athletes, you're referring to players who also participate in other sports?

Paul Savramis: Yes, and that makes perfect sense for a variety of reasons.

Most sports require many of the same athletic skills that carry over to basketball. By playing multiple sports at a young age, athletes are also less likely to experience burnout from focusing on only one area of specialization.

TRS: Specialization?

Paul Savramis: Specialization is when very young athletes train and compete in only one sport year-round.

To us, that never made much sense, especially for younger players who need to have fun and enjoy being kids.

Instead, we've always encouraged them to play basketball in addition to whatever other sports they enjoy. We never tell young athletes to give up one sport for another.

TRS: We know you've had two recent success stories involving multi-sport athletes—the O'Connell brothers.

Paul Savramis: They're a perfect example.

You couldn't ask for a better case for the value of playing multiple sports.

Thomas and Michael O'Connell excelled in lacrosse, football, and basketball. Both served as captains of all three sports at Chaminade High School.

TRS: You said they excelled in all three sports. Isn't that rare?

Paul Savramis: It's not especially rare to see athletes excel in two sports, but succeeding at that level in three is certainly uncommon.

For both brothers to receive Division I scholarship offers while still freshmen in high school, and then continue to achieve success both on and off the field and court over the next eight years, is truly exceptional.

TRS: How much does their story demonstrate the value of playing multiple sports?

Paul Savramis: Using the O'Connell brothers as an example, I'd say it demonstrates tremendous value.

Michael attended both Stanford and NC State, earned degrees from both institutions, played in an NCAA Final Four, and now plays professional basketball.

Thomas served as captain of the University of Maryland's National Championship lacrosse team.

Those accomplishments perfectly reflect what we value in the multi-sport athlete. But to me, their success extends far beyond athletics.

TRS: How so?

Paul Savramis: It's about how playing more than one sport helps young people succeed not only in athletics but also in school and in life.

Today, Rising Stars athletes attend MIT, NYU, Williams College, Harvard, the University of Chicago, Tufts, Amherst, and many other highly selective academic institutions.

They succeed because they're well-rounded individuals.

By showing colleges not only what they can do, but also who they are, they gain a meaningful advantage.

For both me and Rising Stars, there couldn't be a stronger case for continuing to embrace multi-sport athletes and evolving our programs to better serve them.