There are many students at Centennial that are involved in extracurricular activities, which increases their involvement with school and improves their life skills. Playing multiple sports is a major aspect of the student body, where a lot of girls and boys play different ones year round.

Many benefits come out of being  an involved and very active student athlete.

For one, students are able to make friends and meet a number of different people. Junior Jill Uyeda, who plays soccer and softball said, “I like that I can be with a bunch of different people. It’s two completely different environments. I also get to work on two different parts of myself, like physically and mentally.”

In addition, students who are new to the high school environment are able to become more confident in their next four years. Freshman Maddie Mchone, who plays volleyball, basketball, and track said, “Doing three sports is really great for my freshman year because it makes me get to know a lot more people, and I feel a lot more comfortable being at school.”

Being fit and promoting a healthy lifestyle is also another effect of being active. Students are challenged with obstacles all throughout their careers, and have to face adversity while competing with others.

If student athletes do not do well in their academics, then they aren’t allowed to play in their sport under OSAA rules. Coaches encourage their players to do well in school, and being in a team gives students motivation to attend school and be successful.

“I feel like if I didn’t play sports, I wouldn’t wanna go to school as much. I don’t think I would have had as much close friends as I do,” Junior Rhys Atkinson, who plays baseball, basketball, and football said.

“I think the importance of playing more than one sport is very critical of being a good athlete. Cross training is the best you can do while being an athlete, it teaches you to stay competitive and have a different mindset with different games. You get more known by college recruiters, and if you can get yourself out there and play a different sport, it will benefit you in more ways than you can understand right now,” said senior Karley Buckland who is involved with both softball and volleyball.

Overall, students that participate in a number of different sports all recognize the benefits that come out of it.

Athletic Director Brent Child encourages all athletes to play more than one sport because it increases their competitive aspect and helps the athletic program at Centennial.

In addition, Child, who has always been actively involved with multiple sports said, “If students are involved in sports, they have to budget their time more. They get up, they go to school, pay attention in class during the day, get out of school at 2:38, then go to practice. Then they have to go home and eat dinner, sit down and do homework, and maybe have some free time, and then it’s bedtime. In college, when I had a schedule, I did better academically because I had a routine.”