All student-athletes must balance their academic work with practice and competition during their sport’s season, but some must do so throughout the year.  

For a two-sport athlete to stay on top of academics requires better time-management and self-discipline, said sophomore basketball player Jessica Brice, who played her first year of Whitman volleyball this fall.

“Last year when I was just playing basketball, I might take a nap if I had two hours. But this year, if I had two hours, I needed to get my homework done. If there was a basketball event, I tried to go to that even though I was still in volleyball,” she said.  

The physical demands of two varsity seasons will factor in basketball player David Michael’s decision to play baseball this spring.

“After getting off a long season, to get back into another long season is tough. When basketball season is over, I’ll make my decision whether I want to play baseball or not. If I am fully able to commit to playing baseball, I’ll definitely be out there,” said Michaels, a first-year.  

However, playing two sports can keep an athlete in shape, according to first-year Nathan Ord, a soccer player and alpine skier.

“Without there being any down time [between seasons], I think it helps. I took a week off [after soccer season] and got started with ski training. I never really got soft during any period,” Ord said.

Many sports teams have overlapping schedules, leaving some two-sport athletes to join their second team late. The baseball team will have played at least six games by the time Michaels joins.

“I’ve met with the head coach [Casey Powell] and talked to a lot of the players. They’re really willing to work with me if I decide to be out there on the team,” said Michaels.  

  “I missed the first three weeks of basketball season because I was committed to volleyball until it was over,” said Brice. “I would sit in at the practices for basketball and jump in some drills sometimes so I wouldn’t be so behind when I got back.”  

Athletes also must adjust social lives and often stay on campus during school vacations to accommodate their sport.    

“I don’t feel like I’m missing a normal college experience. The camaraderie of the team is like a family; we spend so much time together. On both the teams, we get along so well that it’s like hanging out all the time,” said Brice.

Ord noted sports as a chance to expand his circle of friends.

“We came early, August 16 [for soccer], and had tryouts for two weeks. I got to meet a lot of upperclassmen that I wouldn’t have gotten to know very well, so the time school rolled around, I already had a group friends. The ski team is a smaller team, but it’s another group of people I wouldn’t normally be in contact with,” said Ord.

While playing two sports shows dedication to the school’s athletic programs, the decision to play only one sport can also reflect an understanding of the commitment a varsity team needs. Sophomore Kristin Innes played basketball last year but has decided to focus on playing soccer after joining the team in the fall.

“There shouldn’t be a limit, but at the same time, people should make decisions based on what’s best for them. Even though your motivation to go work out in the morning is for the better of the team, if your heart isn’t into it, you shouldn’t do it,” said Innes. “It not only brings down the morale of how you look at your teammates, it could bring down the team as a whole.”

Ord plans to continue competing for both the alpine ski and soccer teams.

“Coming here, skiing was my first priority, but now that I can do both I want to do both to the full extent,” said Ord.