Many athletes at Anderson play multiple sports, which helps them improve their athleticism by exercising in different ways. They are often some of the most valuable players on teams since they are always cross-training, enhancing their overall performance. Anderson coaches know this, and many encourage or require their players to partake in another sport during the off-season. Notable examples of multi-sport athletes include Zayden Sharp, Charlie McCreery, Ed Small, and Jada Navarro.
Sophomore Zayden Sharp (football, baseball, track) explained that playing multiple sports has made him a more well-rounded athlete. “Each different sport brings something different to the table”, he said. Football has improved his performance overall, but track has improved his speed specifically, while baseball targets his hand-eye coordination. The components of each sport come together to increase his athleticism and help him succeed.
On a broader scale, sophomore Charlie McCreery described how playing both volleyball and soccer has improved her athleticism overall and taught her life lessons. They have “enhanced [her] agility, coordination, and team communication skills” while at the same time, they’ve taught her “adaptability, time management, and perseverance”. While competing in multiple sports is hard work, it makes athletes more experienced and prepared for life.
As a football and baseball player, sophomore Ed Small noted how participating in multiple sports keeps him in shape year around. It also prevents single sport burnout, and “allows [him] to focus on something else for a few months”. Coach Hatcher explained that “[Small] is at the highest level of anybody on campus right now”, after committing to the University of Texas for baseball and preparing to consider football offers. In this case, Small stands out in both sports, and he must make a decision whether to focus on just one or try to balance both in college.
Junior Jada Navarro had different insights into her participation in soccer and track, and she expressed how competing in both improves her communication skills. Since they are both spring sports, she “always ha[s] to keep up with [her] communication to [her] coaches so they know where [she’s] at.” Even though she did not mention athletic performance, she emphasized a lesser-known benefit of playing multiple sports, which is ultimately a life skill that is critical for success.
In an interview, Coach Hatcher explained the difference in mentality he sees in multi-sport athletes in comparison to players who have one main game. “It’s just a different kind of aggression with multiple sport athletes, they go after it in a different way,” he said. Another advantage that Hatcher mentioned is the competitive edge, since players compete year around instead of just one season. “They have more game experience than someone that just plays a single sport,” he said, and athletes learn the most valuable lessons through first-hand competition experiences that they cannot get playing for part of the year. Finally, he noted how all the sports work together to make an athlete better overall, and “each sport that they work gives them an advantage in the next sport.”
Multi-sport athletes work hard all year long, learning life lessons, furthering their competitive advantage, and improving their overall athleticism. They define the high school athlete and are the backbone of many teams. The fact of the matter is, Anderson sports would be way worse off with simply single sport athletes.
