The Life of a Multi Sport Athlete

The switch from middle school to high school can be difficult. It’s hard for students whose only focus is academics to even keep up. With the overwhelming amount of classes, homework, and in school work to be done, most students struggle.  Plus most students participate in school funded sports. Jace Vercher, who is a sophomore on the J.V. Powerlifting team during the spring, is enrolled in 2 honors classes and maintains at least a B average in most classes. Vercher says “the stress of trying to perform well in my sport and keep up with all my work has been a lot.” Though Vercher’s schedule may seem crazy, it’s nothing compared to freshman Chloe Hames. Hames is apart of the junior varsity cross country team and the freshman A Volleyball team. Hames excels in both being one of the top runners and a core player on the court.

                                                  Volleyball Career

Hames started her volleyball career at the age of 5 at TAV volleyball club, following in her mom’s footsteps, who played in high school, and her older sister, Kaitlyn Hames, who started the year before her. She excelled in volleyball as she grew up and realized it was something she wanted to do as she got older. At the age of eleven, Hames tried out for a TAV club team where she made the 11 Royal (formerly white) team. She grows in her love for outside hitting and tried out to be a Pin Hitter for York Junior High School, and made the B team both years. Hames wasn’t done yet. Over the summer going into her freshman year, she trained like no year before. When freshman volleyball tryouts turned up, she was ready. She put her heart on the court and when the volleyball team list was posted, she made the A team. Hames always played in the positive range and always had a great attitude on the court. “Chloe was a valuable player this season,” Freshman A Volleyball Coach Anderson said. Even Hames’s teammates have positive things to say about her. “She played six rotations and did amazingly when she was on the court.” 

Cross Country 

After Volleyball came to a end in Hames’s 7th grade year, she decided to go out for the distance track team. During the track season, Hames ran the one mile and the 800 and started to grow her love for running as she started to get faster, and win races. As Hames 8th grade track season came to an end, she decided to join the Cross Country team for her 9th grade year. Hames joined the team later in the summer, and had a lot of work to do to catch up with her teammates. She was the second fastest on Junior Varsity, not far behind the first athlete and destroying time of varsity athletes. Though Hames was not in the class period, she still practiced every other morning, vastly improving with every meet . When the district meet came along, Hames excelled better than ever. She took the number one spot for the team with her teammates along side of her with an individual place of 13th and a team win of 3rd.

Everyday life 

Hames starts her day at 5am, getting ready for cross country practice, where she arrives at 5:50. She would do a 30-35 minute workout, then head to the showers to be in class by 7:20. In class, Hames is very attentive and is on the A and B honor roll.  During 4th period she would go to volleyball practice and workout for roughly an hour and a half, then go back into the locker room and get dressed for class again. She finishes her school day with an hour and a half of volleyball practice. When she finally gets, home it is 5 o’clock, and she would get straight onto homework until 6, where she would go to club practice from 6:30-8:30. After club, she goes home and finishes the rest of her homework and finally rests.  

Future in Sports

Hames has a great future ahead of her with whatever path she chooses, but at the moment her heart is on volleyball. She hopes to be offered to a D1 school for volleyball, but if the opportunity for cross country comes, she may take it. Hames hopes to be offered any scholarship to pursue anything to advance her to the next level, and coaches believe she can, as long as she keeps the same love and determination for her sports.