For the 2022-2023 school year, there were sixteen three-sport athletes and around 600 total student-athletes at Willow Glen High School. Being a three-sport student-athlete means participating in three school sports while enrolled in a minimum of five classes, most commonly one sport per season; Fall, Winter, and Spring. Those sixteen student-athletes, going to school from 8:30 am-3:20 pm five days a week, are also participating in practice three times a week, with games on the two off days. With being a student-athlete, comes different types of pressures; the pressure of having to keep good grades, leaving class for games, and time management.
When asked about the types of pressure faced, Grace Davila-Martinez, a Junior at Willow Glen who participates in cross country, soccer, and track described the pressure in her life to be a reason to stay motivated. Attending school all day, practicing after school, then having little to no time to complete big assignments and still get a good night’s sleep. Establishing good time management and understanding that being a student comes first has helped Grace to succeed as a three-sport athlete. For student athletes, there are no breaks for three-sport athletes, from August to June, practice every day, and even over break. Her main advice is to remind yourself to take care of yourself and your mental health before anything else. Similar to this, Gabriel Bonilla, a Junior at Willow Glen and involved in water polo, wrestling, and swimming, said his piece of advice would be, “Expect more than you realize.” This has helped Gabe through his athletic career as he now is hoping to further his Water Polo career in college next year. To be a three-sport athlete is an honor and a privilege, and for a lot of students, it’s their goal. From the advice of students who have participated in three sports, Loretta Ilaoa (25); flag football, basketball, track and field, and Carissa Garcia (26); cross country, soccer, and track, both agree the pressures come from different aspects of life and it’s important to balance school and sports. Becoming a three-sport athlete is stressful and everyone will face different challenges and pressures, creating a balanced schedule and making personal time are the keys to being a successful three-sport athlete.
