“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen” – Michael Jordan

At a competitive, rigorous school like ours, playing a sport at any level is a huge accomplishment.  With our seemingly endless academic responsibilities as well as a desire to actually enjoy high school, playing just one sport is a large time commitment.  And our school seems to believe that one sport is enough.  In Minnetonka High School and the Lake Conference at large, there is a stigma that students can only succeed in one varsity level sport. What happened to the days of the multi-sport athletes?  Is this an active choice by the student-athletes? Or is it due to pressures within our school and teams? To try and uncover this interesting question, I went straight to the people who know best: our athletes.

The first person I came across was Alicia Falk, a junior on the soccer team.  While Alicia is currently focused on only soccer, in middle school she also played volleyball.  When Alicia moved on to the 9th grade, she had to make a difficult and matter-of-fact decision: play soccer or volleyball, both of which are fall sports.  Eventually, she chose soccer because it is “the one [she] enjoys most.” As time passed, Alicia took advantage of focusing on one sport.  She has “more time in [her] life for other things like school, family, and friends.” Currently, Alicia is also involved in other MHS activities like French Club and Backpack Tutoring.  In the end, Alicia is benefiting from focusing on one sport. While she decided to give up some of her athletic passions, she discovered other interests beyond sports.

Next is Katie Steele, a sophomore who recently gave up gymnastics to dive for the swim team and compete on the track team. When asked why she gave up gymnastics, she replied that she “thought it was a good time to try something new after being so busy and committed to gymnastics for all [her] life.”  Not only was the time commitment holding her back, but her enjoyment was waning as well.  As athletes compete at higher and higher levels, the required time commitment by both the team and coaches increases.  For many, this inability to “focus on each sport and have time to practice both” leads to making the tough decision of which sport to keep.  For Katie, the choice was obvious: the ability “to try new things” and meet new people trumped her dedication to gymnastics.  Katie is an interesting example of a student who felt the pressures of a single sport, and decided she didn’t want to be trapped by the tendency to play one sport.  Just like Alicia, Katie has found a way to suit her desires and enjoy her time as a student-athlete.

Finally, I needed to hear the perspective one of the few multi-sport varsity athletes at MHS. This led me to interview Reno Gurley, a senior starter on both the football and basketball teams.  While many are unable to successfully keep up with the demands of two varsity sports, Reno has found a way.  He successfully thrives on both teams. For Reno, the biggest challenge is actually the difference in physical demands. For basketball, “[he doesn’t] want to weigh too much” but for football “[he doesn’t] want to lose too much” weight.  This is another interesting reason why some people don’t want to play multiple sports: physical stature.  Size actually plays a significant role in ones ability to play certain varsity level sports.  Despite feeling “always behind” and having to work hard “to catch up to speed” in both the classroom and on the court, Reno feels playing multiple sports is worth it.  Not only is he able to compete on a high level with some of his closest friends, he also feels that the “biggest advantage is that [he’s] always in great shape” due to the different seasons.

In the end, it seems that there are multiple reasons for this athletic trend to pursue one sport.  First, some people feel that they would be too limited from the great opportunities in our school if they played multiple sports.  They find there is simply not enough time to participate in sports, maintain good grades, and keep a social life.  Some find the demands of coaches and practice excessive and overbearing, ruining the joy found in playing the game.  Others persevere and continue to succeed in multiple varsity sports. As a single sport athlete, I know the rigors of playing at a high level, and have great respect for those who are successfully able to balance multiple sports.