Three-sport athlete plays two sports in one seasonire

Sophomore Adrienne Kim has a lot on her plate this year. From 3 to 5 p.m. most weekdays, she attends soccer practice. Immediately after, Kim rushes off to basketball, finishing at 7:30. She is finally then able to eat dinner and start homework.

Kim is a three-sport athlete who plays soccer, basketball and track. Starting this year, she is playing two sports in the winter, basketball and soccer.

“At first I was thinking about quitting basketball this year and just doing soccer,” Kim said. “Then I talked to my coaches and decided to do both soccer and basketball.”

Kim has been playing basketball for the last three years, but she just started soccer this year. She made the JV teams for both sports. 

Kim explained that she enjoys playing both basketball and soccer equally, though she likes them in different ways.

“In soccer, you get to be super aggressive,” Kim said. “You get to push people over, and it’ll still be okay. I like basketball too, since I also get to hang out with friends.”

Though she finds sports to be fun after a long day of school, playing and practicing two sports every day has been a challenge.

Kim explained that it can be extremely tiring to practice for four hours and then start homework, but as long as she is not distracted, she finds it manageable.

“I try not to go on Facebook or watch movies. If I don’t talk to anyone, I can usually focus,” she said.

When she stays focused, Kim is able to finish her work at 10:30 p.m. If she has a test or a project to work for, she will go on until around midnight.

This year, however, Kim finds the time going much faster since she is always kept busy.

Additionally, she finds herself in much better shape this year than she was last year. Though she only played basketball last year, she was more sore since she was not in as good shape.

However, staying fit is not the only reason she enjoys playing both soccer and basketball, sports she says she’ll play only in high school.

“Because I’m playing two sports, I get to make more friends, and I get to know more people,” Kim said.

After the winter season, Kim will not have much time to rest. She will be participating in her second year of track.

“Track is good because it is an independent sport. If you can run you’re fine,” said Kim. “It’s not that much pressure, since a team isn’t depending on you.”

Kim plans to participate in all three sports all the way through high school. Being part of a team, Kim explained, gives her a sense of belonging.

“When you’re on a team, you know your team is behind you,” she said. “You know you get along, and you feel at home.”