In today’s high-pressure world of high school recruiting, the message young athletes hear loud and clear is this: specialize early, or get left behind. Football coaches push kids to ditch basketball.
Trainers urge them to skip track in favor of spring 7-on-7. The “football 24/7” mentality is everywhere, and with overlapping seasons and year-round showcases, it’s easy to see why so many athletes feel the need to pick one lane and stay in it.
But Kentucky offensive coordinator Will Stein isn’t buying into that tunnel vision.
Stein’s Philosophy: Be an Athlete, Not Just a Football Player
Stein is building an offense that thrives on versatility and explosiveness-and he’s looking for players who bring more than just football reps to the table.
“I love kids that run track, play basketball, wrestle, you name it,” Stein said. “If all you are doing is playing football, it is not going to make me not recruit you. But I love to see the athleticism, the competitiveness show up in other sports.”
That mindset fits perfectly with what Stein wants to do offensively. His system is fast, aggressive, and built to attack space.
He needs wideouts who can stretch the field with real track speed, backs and slot guys who can shake a defender in a phone booth, and linemen with the kind of footwork that only comes from years of hoops or wrestling. You can’t always teach that kind of movement in a weight room.
Sometimes, it’s developed on the hardwood, in the long jump pit, or on the wrestling mat.
The Flip Side: When “No Days Off” Goes Too Far
But there’s another side to this conversation that’s just as important-because while multi-sport athletes might be more dynamic, they’re also more at risk if they never stop moving.
The reality is, the grind never ends for a lot of these kids. Football season turns into basketball season, which turns into track season, which rolls right into summer camps and 7-on-7s. And somewhere along the way, the body starts to break down.
According to the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA), about 50% of all injuries in youth sports are now classified as overuse injuries-caused not by big hits or awkward landings, but by repetitive stress and a lack of recovery time.
It’s a growing problem. Athletes are showing up to college with nagging knee issues, stress fractures, and chronic inflammation-injuries that often trace back to the fact that they haven’t had a real break since middle school.
Finding the Balance: Compete Hard, Rest Smart
Stein wants competitors. He wants guys who love to win, no matter the sport. But he also wants players who are healthy enough to contribute when they arrive in Lexington.
That’s where the balance comes in. Playing basketball or running track in the offseason can absolutely sharpen your game and show coaches what kind of athlete you are. It builds toughness, loyalty to your school, and a competitive edge that doesn’t always show up in a 40-yard dash.
But rest has to be part of the plan, too. Taking a couple of weeks off between seasons isn’t slacking-it’s smart.
It’s the kind of decision that can extend your career, not shorten it. Because at the end of the day, Kentucky doesn’t just need athletic freaks-they need durable ones.
The kind of guys who can still fly in September, not just flash in February.
So yes, play everything. Compete like it matters.
But don’t buy into the myth that rest equals weakness. Sometimes, the smartest athletes are the ones who know when to hit pause.
Because the goal isn’t just to get recruited. The goal is to stay on the field once you get there.