“When you look at the profiles of top athletes and extraordinary champions, you notice that in most cases, they share a common trait: having played multiple sports in their childhood…” This statement, from Emmanuel Lacroix, the strength and conditioning coach for LDLC ASVEL and for the French national basketball team, was made during a “V coaching” conference and is thought-provoking. Lacroix, who works individually with players like Victor Wembanyama and Zaccharie Risacher, the two most recent number 1 picks in the NBA Draft, outlines how multidisciplinary training can accelerate motor development. This approach was once adopted by clubs like Ajax Amsterdam or FC Nantes in their youth soccer academies. Could we eventually see official multidisciplinary licenses that allow kids to try multiple sports at their favorite club? Could young soccer players benefit from basketball, tennis, boxing, or any activity that develops their motor skills and on-field intelligence? The answer may reveal itself in a few years…
For more on this topic, check out Emmanuel Lacroix’s conference: “Learn to Differentiate an Elite Athlete from a Champion.”