Multiple student-athletes have decided to partake in two sports at Pacific because of the opportunity and flexibility playing at the Division III level gives them. According to the Pacific website, over one-third of undergraduate students participate in one of the university’s 24 intercollegiate athletics programs. Within those student-athletes, some participate in two sports.
This does result in a conflict of schedule management and challenges the athlete physically and mentally. The two-sport athletes realize that the title also involves managing a busy schedule.
At Pacific University, a handful of players play for the baseball and football program.
Caden Davis, a freshman guard on the football team and pitcher for the baseball team at Pacific, explains that along with balancing school with athletics, the transition from one sport to another is the main challenge when it comes to being a two-sport athlete.
“It’s tough having two sports I need to play, two coaches to communicate with, numerous schedules to manage, and then adding 18 credits on top of that,” Davis said. “It’s also tough to perform the best I can for both sports because baseball is about strength and basketball is about speed. Finding that stability between the two is something that comes with working out consistently and efficiently.”
Hunter Edwards, a freshman pitcher, and quarterback, knows that finding balance relies on time management skills and being mentally prepared for what’s to come with each sport and each class.
“It’s draining and tough but well worth the time,” Edwards said. “You definitely have to section off times to do both athletics and academics. Sometimes I have to make up time when going back and forth between daily responsibilities by doing more outside of class or practice.”
Finding a balance between playing the in-season sport and making sure you know what is going on in the other sport can be a test of dedication. Athletes are often expected to dedicate themselves to the team year-round, but schedules are bound to conflict as collegiate two-sport athletes.
Tamatoa Mata’afa Alferos, freshman wide receiver and center fielder for Pacific, said he made some sacrifices his first year.
“Balancing two sports with the rest of my daily life is probably one of the hardest parts of being a two-sport athlete,” Alferos stated. “While I’m playing baseball, football is preparing for the next season. Depending on the sport, I have to remember and catch up on various playbooks, signals, plays, and so on. Life is pretty busy when you’re always working out to prepare for either the current season or the next season to come.” — Todd Takeuchi
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