Tiffany Briscoe is one of two Wolf seniors who have a shot at playing a full 12 sports during their high school career. (John Fisken photos)
Lauren Grove is the other one.
It is the most exclusive club in Wolf sports.
Over the past four years (which is the run of Coupeville Sports, from Aug. 16, 2012 to today) 48 Coupeville High School athletes have made the ultimate commitment and played three sports in the same school year.
At smaller schools like CHS, where bodies on the bench mean so much, that’s invaluable.
Those young men and women have had to balance schoolwork, staying healthy and a life lived on buses and ferries.
Plus, they had to embrace basketball, since that’s the only sport the Wolves play in the winter.
Why do I bring this up now?
Because, as we prepare to head into a new school year, I’m challenging athletes, from green freshmen to grizzled seniors, to join the movement.
We live in an age of specialization, even while nearly every study proves most athletes getting college attention are the ones who are NOT limiting themselves to one sport.
If you’re 15 and already on a national-level team (which is NO ONE in Coupeville), maybe it makes sense to hone your skills in your chosen sport.
Otherwise, the benefits of playing multiple sports are numerous, both for the individual and their teams.
Last year, though, only 17 Wolves were three-sport athletes, the lowest total in the history of this blog.
The numbers were down from a high of 23 two years before, and not headed in the right direction.
Jared Helmstadter was the only Class of 2016 athlete who played a full 12 sports in his high school career, but there are two Wolves (Tiffany Briscoe and Lauren Grove) who are 9-for-9 entering their senior campaigns this year.
High school is your chance to dabble in multiple sports, to find which ones you like, to build as many memories as possible.
Tyler and Kyle King are the only CHS grads to receive D-1 athletic scholarships in recent memory, and while running was obviously their claim to fame, they didn’t limit themselves.
Stints as basketball and football players meshed with cross country and track and made them more complete athletes, more complete teammates.
Take a chance.
If you’re a freshman, now is a golden opportunity, especially for guys, where the number of projected returning basketball players (varsity and JV combined) can be counted on less than two full hands.
Seize the moment. Embrace the dream. Suck it up, butter cup, and add your name to the list below.
CHS athletes who played three sports in one school year between 2012-2016, with the number of times they achieved the feat:
McKayla Bailey – 2
McKenzie Bailey – 3
Kyla Briscoe – 2
Tiffany Briscoe – 3
Aura Corredor – 1
Emily Coulter – 1
Aaron Curtin – 2
Beauman Davis – 1
Hunter Downes – 1
Gabe Eck – 1
Ty Eck – 1
Miranda Engle – 1
Ben Etzell – 2
Jordan Ford – 1
Lauren Grove – 3
Hailey Hammer – 3
Jared Helmstadter – 4
Lindsey Laxton – 1
Nicole Lester – 1
Joey Lippo – 1
Oscar Liquidano – 2
Dalton Martin – 2
Samantha Martin – 1
Breeanna Messner – 2
Mattea Miller – 1
Grey Rische – 1
Carson Risner – 1
Lindsey Roberts – 1
Lauren Rose – 2
Carlie Rosenkrance – 1
Brian Shank – 1
Matt Shank – 1
CJ Smith – 1
Hunter Smith – 2
Ethan Spark – 1
Makana Stone – 2
Madeline Strasburg – 2
Nick Streubel – 2
Cameron Toomey-Stout – 2
Caleb Valko – 1
Isaac Vargas – 1
James Vidoni – 2
Monica Vidoni – 3
Bessie Walstad – 1
Joel Walstad – 2
Allison Wenzel – 2
Sarah Wright – 1
Gabe Wynn – 2
Coupeville Sports 