Although statistics have shown that managing schoolwork, getting a reasonable amount of sleep, and participating in one sport can be quite difficult, some students have chosen to be three-sport athletes on top of the myriad of other responsibilities.
Sophomore Ty Gossett is an athlete involved in the football, basketball and baseball programs at TC Roberson. Gossett has been involved in these sports ever since he was a child, and he said that all three are a major priority in his life.
“Even though it’s challenging, and tiring sometimes, I grew up playing all three sports and I love it. I for sure wouldn’t give them up,” Gossett said.
For Gossett, a result of playing three sports in addition to schoolwork has made some sacrifices to make sure he gets everything done.
“I don’t have a lot of spare time; I spend hours on school, practice, games, and homework. My free time mainly comes on the weekends,” Gossett said.
Sports that athletes chose to be involved in can take a lot of commitment, between all practices, team bonding, and games played. Senior and multi-sport athlete Gracie McCurry knows what it is like to be busy.
“I try to manage my time equally between school and sports, but sports do tend to take over a lot of my time. I spend 15 hours most weeks in the gym or on the field playing practicing these sports,” McCurry said.
However, she believes the outcome has been rewarding.
“I’m glad I chose to be an athlete because at the end of the year, I will get the three-sport athlete award. I’m the only one in my family that can say I did that and have that accomplishment,” McCurry said.
Senior Camryn Jansen has also been a three-sport player with, volleyball, basketball, and track for three years of her high school career. By ways of statistics, she has excelled in each sport, including breaking school basketball scoring records, amassing over 1000 points in basketball, participating in Nationals for track and field, and winning Five Guy’s Athlete of the Week as well as being recognized by the Asheville Citizen-Times.
“Throughout my career, I’ve made many memories and new friends. I have had many great opportunities,” Jansen said.
During a basketball game against North Buncombe this season, Jansen tore her ACL, meaning she will not be able to compete during track season.
“I’m really disappointed because it’s my senior year, and I want to finish my sports off strong. But at the same time, I get to see a different viewpoint because I’m not playing,” Jansen said. As of last year, there were 43 three-sport athletes, according to athletic director and former Roberson three-sport athlete herself, Laura Beatty. The number of students who will fit that list for this year will be determined after the spring sports season gets more underway. Of the 43 multi-sport students last year, many participated in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track. Beatty believes this trend is becoming more popular because it deals with similar skill sets. However, she believes the numbers of athletes participating in three team sports is decreasing rapidly because many students are choosing to focus on one sport year-round.
“It was almost expected to be a triathlete when I was in school. It’s just what you did so you could play year-round. Today, concentration on one sport, in the hopes of gaining a scholarship, has overtaken being on multiple team sports,” Beatty said.