It’s hard enough to play one sport in high school with all the extra time spent at practice, on the road, and in the classroom to make up assignments.
How about three sports?
There are usually a few athletes in any high school setting who can play three sports, but there are next to none who can play three sports at a higher level and be great at them all.
At Camp Verde High School, the Cowboys have two young ladies who fit the bill, and dominate their chosen sports each season throughout the school year.
Sophomores Amanda Showers and Katie Wilson, who will be juniors come August, burst onto the scene their freshman year and won’t be giving up the spotlight anytime soon.
“It’s hard to play three sports,” Wilson said May 25 in an interview, with school out and summer in full swing. “You get used to it.”
Wilson went on to share she almost didn’t participate in the track and field program her freshman year, but made it only a week without having anything to do after basketball and she couldn’t stand it.
“I spend my time doing sports. Yes, it’s hard with the homework and all, but I have to play. It’s who I am,” Wilson said.
Wilson finished eighth in the discus at Mesa Community College on May 13 and 14 in the Division III State Championships this spring.
In basketball, Wilson was an All-Region first-team selection, and was honorable mention on the All-State team. In the fall, Wilson was a letter winner in volleyball for the second straight season, and earned second-team All-Region honors.
Head Girls Basketball Coach Mark Showers once said, “Katie [Wilson] is a beast on the boards; she gets everything.” Wilson seems to be a “beast” in anything she does, and her best years are still in front of her in high school.
Wilson said a benefit of playing three sports is the possible scholarships she could earn in college, which is a personal goal of hers.
As for Amanda Showers, her story is similar to Wilson’s, which is why the two are good friends off the court.
Showers is a two-year varsity letter winner in volleyball, basketball, and track and field.
The 16-year-old Showers earned high point awards in track and field her last two seasons and was a first-team All-Region performer in basketball. Showers was on the honorable mention All-State team as well for hoops.
In volleyball this past school year, Showers earned honorable mention All-Region. In track and field this past spring, Showers took fifth in the 100-meter hurdles and was third in the 300-meter hurdles.
In talking with Showers, she said out of the three sports, basketball would be her favorite. Wilson agreed. Showers is in agreement with Wilson in the scholarship department, but also had this to say about playing three sports in high school:
“It really looks good on applications for jobs and colleges. The character qualities you get while playing sports is helpful too; my dad is big on character qualities,” Showers said.
The two girls plan to continue their triple sports involvement in their junior and senior year before graduating in May 2013.
“I like playing three sports; it keeps me busy. I don’t know what I’d do with myself if I didn’t have a practice or a game to go to,” Showers said.
