ONU Multiple-Sport Athletes Learn to Manage a Full Load |
| May 19, 2006
By Matt Carey High school student-athletes often participate in multiple sports. Although many high school athletes dream of playing more than one sport at the collegiate level, very few of those athletes actually see their dreams come to fruition. On rare occasions, a select few are given the opportunity to participate in college athletics and are able to play more than one sport. At Ohio Northern University, a number of the students who become Polar Bear athletes undertake the challenge of two collegiate sports. NCAA Division III schools, such as Ohio Northern, are unable to give athletic scholarships. Because of this fact, the rosters of Polar Bear teams are not filled exclusively with recruited athletes. In essence, any student accepted to ONU that is academically eligible may try out for varsity sports. Therefore, the flexibility of the Division III athletic atmosphere is conducive to the multiple-sport athlete. With 21 athletic teams in men's and women’s sports, ONU features nearly fifty men and thirty women on more than one varsity roster.There are several reasons that students who participate in multiple sports choose such a challenge. Some played more than one sport in high school and simply could not choose one over another. Junior Dan Haskins was recruited by the football program and has decided to join the baseball team this year as well. Haskins decided to try baseball this year because “[football and baseball] have been the loves of my entire life and coming out of high school I just couldn’t make a decision as to which I would give up.” Junior Sara McGinnis, who plays volleyball and also runs track, said she “loved them both too much to choose between the two.” Another reason that some ONU athletes choose to play multiple sports is because several sports fit well together. Although there are many combinations of sports among multiple-sport ONU athletes, the majority of those athletes are runners—participating in cross country as well as indoor and outdoor track. These athletes explain that the three sports transition so well that it is typical for many of them to run all three seasons.“We go from one season to the next,” said junior Karen Miller. “[We] keep the same coach and team so it makes the transition very easy.” Fellow runner Kelly Kasten, a sophomore, explains that the entire team is encouraged to stick together from season to season. “As a runner, it is very difficult to take off a season,” said Kasten.She added, “No matter how hard people try, training on your own is just not as easy or beneficial as training as a team.” The struggle that multiple-sport athletes face is not just balancing the stress of more than one athletic season, but also the year-round trial of succeeding academically. Freshman Nate Schutz plays both football and baseball and has quickly discovered the challenge of being a two-sport freshman at a school that also features a strong academic foundation. “It can be difficult and very stressful at times,” said Schutz. “But if you manage your time well, the reward is well worth it.”Other more experienced athletes share Schutz’s feelings. “Sometimes it’s tough when you have lots of exams and papers due plus a big competition,” said junior cross-country and track & field runner Darci Walthew. Walthew clarified that “it helps you learn priorities and balance.” If college athletics are so time consuming, then why would so many ONU athletes choose to try more than one? It seems that although it can be difficult to juggle a schedule of multiple sport seasons and a heavy academic load, the challenge can be quite beneficial to those students who succeed. McGinnis confessed, “Doing so much actually makes me manage my time better.”“You have to really want to make it work,” added junior runner Dana Pitzulo. Those student-athletes that are able to manage time successfully may not only achieve victory within their respective athletic arenas, but can also gain a maturity required to conquer the world beyond ONU. These students who choose to undertake the sacrifice of a full schedule may become more than just finely-tuned athletes—they become well-rounded people. |