Would basketball hurt XC?

A friend of mine ran 16:00 in xc, didn't run all winter as he was starting on our varsity basketball team, and then came back and ran 4:14 in track season. It's definitely better to run in the winter but playing basketball won't prevent you from having success.

This isn’t even close, please play multiple sports. You will have Spring and Summer to get your running condition back.

our best HS miler played basketball too. i'd say the conditioning one typically does in hoops practices plus game running would be good for stuff like 800 or 1600. as a multisport guy i also though hoops helped my lateral movement on defense and my aerial play on headers, in soccer.

i also think unless you're in a state with indoor season you would be fallow/offseason workouts until february anyway. it's a workable bridge.

i will say from personal experience hoops you can get hurt, it is not risk free. my cousin was on track to be a baseball pro pick and broke his arm playing pickup in the driveway. done. end of career. i suffered a couple sprained ankles playing half court hoops that cost me men's league soccer games. in theory it's great for fitness and explosion and then you land on someone's foot and you're out a month. i'd be leery if i was an upperclassman on the verge of being a recruited runner but was a hoops no hoper.

i do think that people who play explosive sports like hoops or soccer can have a burst or kick in distance running that a pace-holding grinder either won't have or will really have to work to get.

i mean when folks are like how do you handle that hilly course, i always found them less draining as a soccer player than they seemed to be for everyone else.

Previous posters have basically-said it all.

Playing ball can really improve your speed and develop your aerobic capacity. It improves your general athleticism. It's really great training for 400-1600. If it's a serious basketball program that emphasizes conditioning, it will be almost as good as dedicated winter running. Plus, it's fun and if you live in a cold climate, it's warm.

The ugly -- you can get hurt. Rolled ankles. Torn ACLs. Concussions. Dislocated shoulders. Some can be minor setbacks. Others can be career ending. Sure, you can get injured running, but basketball presents different types of injuries.

I'll also add that some basketball coaches can really pressure athletes into off season basketball that interferes with CC and track, which can jeopardize those seasons.

However, if ball is life and running is secondary, do what you love more.

No but XC hurts basketball

Yes

No

Yes