Only about seven percent of high school student-athletes play at the collegiate level. This is even rarer among student dual-sport athletes, students taking on the challenge of playing dual sports in college.
While playing more than one sport is more common in NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division III track and field programs than other divisions, it is still rare. At Calvin, there are very few who choose to play two sports in an academic year, let alone two sports from the winter to spring seasons.
Josie Vink is a Calvin sophomore studying Kinesiology with a focus on Prephysical Therapy. Being in pre-physiotherapy means Vink has to participate in clinical rotations in addition to her regular schedule. While Vink’s academic requirements are rigorous enough, she also has other commitments to balance: She plays two sports at Calvin — basketball and softball.
Being active has always been a big part of Vink’s life. She has been involved in multiple sports at the same time throughout her life. In fact, her freshman year of college was her first time playing just one sport. Vink played basketball from kindergarten through her senior year of high school. She didn’t play her freshman year of college because she attended Hope College for one semester before transferring to Calvin. As she began her spring semester at Calvin, she decided to give it a try and play for the team again.
Another sport that has been a part of Vink’s life is softball, which she has played since fourth grade. This is Vink’s first year playing two collegiate sports. The winter and spring sports seasons begin to overlap — The basketball season is coming to an end while the softball season is beginning — which means Vink’s days are much longer.
Here’s what Vink’s schedule usually looks like: She starts her week bright and early at 4:45 a.m. to get ready for softball practice. After practice, she attends her four classes, does homework, eats dinner, and goes to her basketball game from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. She goes to bed at 11:30 p.m. to start all over again the next day. She also has clinical rotations at the University of Michigan Health-West every Sunday from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. By the end of the basketball season, most of Vink’s days look like this.
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I’m in the best shape of my life right now, it’s amazing.”
– Josie Vink
Without a doubt, playing a sport is a stressor for most student athletes. However, Vink says the benefits are “worth it.” For Vink, one of the benefits of playing two sports was general fitness. “I’m in the best shape of my life right now, which is incredible,” she said.
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Without my teammates, I would have burned out 100%.”
– Josie Vink
Vink also enjoys the community she finds in her teams. Both the teams and the trainers support them in reconciling sport and school. “People are what keep me going,” she said. “Without my teammates I would have burned out 100%.”
Playing more than one sport this school year has taught Vink new life skills, including time management and balance. Due to her busy schedule, Vink doesn’t have much time to rest. “I never really have a day to chill,” Vink said. “In moments where I used to nap or hang out with friends, I now have to make sacrifices.”
Vink has had to learn to adjust to her schedule this year, and she admits it’s not always easy. “I had to learn to adapt my body to run with less sleep and more effort,” she said. “There are days [when playing two sports] is really hard.”
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