The spring season is the final season of high school sports, and Olympia’s student-athletes are getting ready to take on their season. The spring season usually begins in the sixth month of the school year. What do Olympia’s student-athletes do in those six months before their spring sport? One group sticks out in particular: dual sport athletes.
This group of special individuals rises to the challenge of taking on two different sports throughout the year and finding a balance between their athletic and academic pursuits. “Having wrestling in the winter, baseball in the spring, and school year-round is a real challenge, but I like to challenge myself. It helps [me] find a balance [and manage] workloads,” senior dual sport athlete Madden Bourst stated. Bourst learned how to find a balance quickly. He was a varsity athlete for both teams as a freshman and had to learn rapidly how to overcome the challenges he faced and succeed in both sports throughout high school. Another senior dual sport athlete, Emmett Bradford, has kept a fine balance between lacrosse, cross country, and academics. “Playing two sports in high school was the best decision I ever made. It taught me to give everything my 100% effort and how to adapt to new challenges at different times,” Bradford explained. Bradford was faced with a new competitor each season of the school year. In the fall, he competed against runners from all over Florida. In the spring, he played against other talented lacrosse players several times each week. Year-round, he faced his peers in school, competing to be valedictorian of the senior class. Bourst and Bradford are 1st and 3rd in their class, respectively. These two individuals found a fine balance between athletics and academics that allowed them to achieve impressive accomplishments.
Some of these athletes choose a secondary sport to help out with their primary sport. Sophomore Victoria Sanchez does both cross country and lacrosse. “Cross country is [my main] sport, so when the season came to an end, I wanted to keep busy with a sport that would keep me in shape for the next cross country season,” Sanchez said. She wanted to maintain her stamina year-round and lacrosse was the perfect fit for her. Cross country helped ease her transition to an entirely new sport. “I was able to run around the field longer than most,and it helped me be able to pick the sport up pretty easily,” Sanchez explained. Senior Camila Soares had a similar idea. Her main sport is water polo, but in the fall, she picked up swim and dive to help her out. “I needed to stay swimming year-round to keep me in the best shape possible for water polo season,” Soares said. Soares wanted to be able to compete year-round, even if it was in a different sport. It helped her achieve her main goal of staying conditioned for water polo.
Dual sport athletes are truly one of a kind. The lessons they learn from managing two sports and academics year-round helps them grow in preparation for a future beyond high school. The hard work these individuals put in cannot be overlooked, and we applaud these students for their dedication and commitment.
