Athletics are a large part of the Germantown Academy culture. Accordingly, many students are involved on various athletic teams. In fact, many of these student-athletes compete at a very high level in multiple sports across GA’s numerous varsity teams. Being varsity contributors in multiple sports can often create unique athletic experiences promoting physical and mental adaptivity.
There are a multitude of reasons to explain why many GA students play multiple sports. Many students simply had always played multiple sports when they were younger and continued to do so when they came to GA.
“I’ve always played two sports growing up: basketball and baseball,” Tyler Nolan ‘25, a varsity basketball and baseball player, said. “So when I came here, it was pretty easy for me to just continue playing those two sports.”
“When I was younger, I tried a ton of different sports like lacrosse, track and baseball,” Jess Kolecki ’25, a varsity soccer and basketball player, said. “But I’ve played competitive soccer and basketball my whole life and have always been excited to play high school sports.”
For some, family traditions motivate them, like Izzy Casey ’24, a varsity soccer and basketball player.
December 20th. Photo courtesy of SmugMug.
“Ever since I was little I’ve loved playing sports,” Casey said. “My dad is a huge sports fan, and he always encouraged me to try all different sports.”
Many athletes would also be fueled by GA’s two activity credit requirements. As a result, they would push themselves to play multiple sports, many times excelling in all of them.
“Coming to GA with the two activity credit rule it was great for me to continue with the two sports that I’ve always played.” AJ Towsen ‘25, a varsity football and basketball player, said.
“My parents don’t like when I come home early, so they make me do a sport every season,” Robby Bright ‘25, a varsity soccer and track athlete, said. “So I’ve just tried random activities. When I tried track, I really enjoyed it, and I simply continued from there.”
Logically, there is a significant transition between the two seasons for different sports. As a result, these athletes must adapt to the new sport when going from season to season.
“Being in football and basketball shape are two completely different things,” Towsen ‘25 said. “Going into basketball season, I’m definitely not in basketball shape. This is just because football is a little slower-paced. But, I work up to it as the season goes along.”
Although there is a big difference between sports, these athletes are still able to make the transition effectively and become successful in both seasons. In addition to the physical change that takes place between seasons, these athletes also have to go through mental transformation.
“In soccer, many times I feel like I have to live up to the expectations of my teammates. I have to support them throughout the whole game, and that makes it really mentally tough,” Bright ‘25 said. “But in track, I feel like I’m only competing against myself, allowing me to focus more on my own technique and improve every time.”
Although sports can be very different mentally, they both have mental challenges that athletes must adapt to from season to season.
“Mentally, basketball is a lot more fast-paced. But in baseball, you’re at a slower pace, but you also need to make lightning-quick decisions” Nolan ‘25 said. “So, I’d say mentally you always got to be sharp with both sports but it’s a different type of sharpness.”
Playing multiple sports can many times greatly benefit the athletes themselves in multiple ways. Sometimes, simply the switch in sports can be beneficial for student-athletes.
“I think it’s good to just take your mind off one and always get a little bit of a break,” Nolan ‘25 said. “Playing one thing year-round can be really tough on not only your body but also your mind. So, I kind of love to just switch it up.”
Specifically, getting into a new environment with different people can contribute to the benefits of being a multi-sport athlete.
“I feel like on both teams there’s a family atmosphere. During the season I get so close to the girls and they’re who I spend most of my time with over those three months” Kolecki ’25 said. “Since GA basketball has a reputation for being a top inter-ac school, the team is competitive and driven, and there’s more of a time commitment like games and practices on the weekend.”
“I think that changing up the scenery by getting a bunch of different guys and coaches is really helpful,” Towsen ‘25 added. “ Additionally, it can just keep me physically in shape throughout the year. Those things factor into why I love playing two sports.”
Juggling multiple different sports and a heavy workload as a student-athlete can be challenging to manage, but having a strong support system of teammates can help.
“Both GA soccer and GA basketball are super fun teams. I would say the basketball team has more year-round players looking to play at the next level so it’s a little more competitive,” Casey ’24 said. “The soccer team is so close-knit and really a lot of fun. Both teams play super hard but I also would say there’s much more off-season work for basketball.
Although there are challenges to being a multi-sport athlete, many times, the benefits of it outweigh these challenges. By playing multiple sports, these athletes have a significant impact on the GA community and help truly improve themselves.