Best Crossover Sports for Soccer Players

April 20, 2022
By Shannon Hobbs

You love playing soccer, but what do you do in the off-season? While going on vacation and working on your tan are perfectly acceptable answers for a soccerista. Let’s explore what you can do if you miss sports and are interested in becoming a multi-sport athlete. These are the best other sports for soccer players:

Lacrosse

If you’re comfortable on a soccer field, you’d probably be comfortable on a lacrosse field. Lacrosse fields are set up similarly to soccer fields. Both games are fast-paced, played in two halves, and have the same positions. Soccer has forwards, and lacrosse has attackers, while they both have midfielders and defenders. A soccer player should feel comfortable on a lacrosse field and have no problem understanding the game’s offensive and defensive strategies.

Basketball

Although played on a court and not a field, basketball and soccer’s offensive and defensive strategies are similar. Soccer players set screens, basketball players set picks, and players in both games dribble the ball. Abby Wambach, Morgan Brian, and Lauren Holiday are professional soccer players who also played basketball and believe it had a significant impact on how they play soccer. If basketball is good enough for Abby Wambach, it’s good enough for us.

Tennis

At first thought, soccer and tennis may not seem to have many similarities. However, each sport’s athletic movements are a lot alike. Since it’s an individual sport, playing tennis can also challenge you in ways that soccer can’t. Tennis teaches independence, self-motivation, and perseverance. There is even a hybrid sport called “soccer tennis,” it can be played on a soccer field or a tennis court, and players hit a soccer ball over a low net.

Lacrosse, basketball, and tennis sound like fun, but you love soccer, so why would you want to learn a new sport? Believe it or not, playing another sport can actually improve your soccer game. “Having the variety is an awesome thing, and I would encourage any young athlete or parent not to restrict themselves,” Holiday told USA Today. “Doing different things develops different parts of your body. It can help prevent injuries and definitely help prevent burnout.”

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