Park Coaches Helping Two-Sport Athletes
Kids will have chance to play multiple sports
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WHEELING -- Due to the winter high school sports season getting pushed back, student athletes may be faced with a different challenge this year.
Those who play a winter sport and spring sport will have to juggle both for a short time when spring sports practice begins on March 15 and competitions kick off on April 12.
With girls' basketball wrapping up in late April and early May, boys' basketball finishing during the first week of May and swimming and wrestling both coming to a close around April 21, that will leave about a month for some very busy athletes.
At Wheeling Park, coaches are doing their best to make sure kids don't have to choose one sport over the other.
"I have talked to the kids and I told the ones who play basketball to have fun and we'll be waiting for them when they come over the hill," Park boys' track coach Chris Dunaway said. "Track's most important meets are regional and state and they are going to be getting in shape playing their winter sport and we'll still have a month to get them ready for regional and state anyway.
"So, I don't want them to even think about track until their winter season is over, especially the seniors. I'm trying to make it as easy as possible to not make them choose to prioritize one sport over another."
Girls' track coach Bryan Arbes shares Dunaway's thinking but would like to see some of his specialty kids stop by practice a few times to get a few reps in here and there during their winter season.
"Our plan right now is to let them do winter sports," Arbes said. "The only thing I'm asking from them is those who do hurdles or high jumps just stop by to do some drills to just get reps in."
With kids who have been cooped up all winter waiting to play sports again, they may want to jump into the action quickly, but Arbes understands that too much activity too fast might not end well.
"Some of these kids weren't training the whole time off," Arbes said. "If you bring on a tidal wave of workouts on them, that's when injuries happen. I'll tell those who play basketball to go play and I'll incorporate how much running they do in other sports in my program."
Wheeling Park boys' coach Michael Jebbia wants what's best for the kids not only on the court but when they compete on the diamond and the track in the spring, as well.
"We're giving them the option to practice and even go hit some baseballs after if they want," Jebbia said. "These kids have been through enough in the last 12 months so we have to be flexible. The coaches here at Park really get along well. (Baseball coach) Steve Myers is great to work with. We want Park baseball to have a good season, too."
With the support of all the coaches, Park baseball coach Steve Myers believes that communication amongst the coaches is key to keeping dual sport athletes doing what they love.
"We are very open with each other as coaches," Myers said. "We are open to the kids doing all they can. I've been keeping in touch with (wrestling) Coach Brian Leggett and Coach Jeb in making sure to work everything out. You never want to put the kids in a situation where you make them pick something so we just want to do what is best for the kids.
"If they have an in-season game, they can go to that game. If someone has practice Saturday morning, I'll try to practice later so we'll just stay in touch with each other, as long as the kids are safe. We'll play close attention if they get fatigued but we'll adjust for them."