Two Sport Varsity Athletes

Photo: Isabella LaFrance

December 15, 2023

Isabella LaFrance, Contributing Writer

While the life of a college athlete is undeniably rewarding, those who choose to take on the additional challenge of participating in two varsity sports face a unique set of hurdles. The journey of a dual-sport athlete is one marked by resilience, time management, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

UMF’s very own, Riley Forrest, has embarked on the demanding path of a dual-sport athlete. Forrest plays lacrosse and soccer here and has recently been named a captain for both teams. Forrest states, “When I first committed to UMF I was only planning to play soccer. In the back of my mind I thought I may want to play lacrosse too but nothing came of it until soccer season. During soccer season the Captain of the lacrosse team found out I played lacrosse and convinced me to talk to the coach and after talking to the coach I decided to also play lacrosse.” 

Being a dual sport athlete in college is very common, and is definitely very rewarding as long as you are willing to put in the work. Melissa Mayo, freshman at UMF, plays basketball and softball. 

“I committed to UMF with the intention of playing two sports. I love both sports so much that I did not want to give one of them up,” Mayo said.  

Some people just know and come into college to play their sports because that's who they are as a person and a player, they are up for that challenge. What we all have to remember here is that they are students too. At UMF, and almost all colleges, academics come first. 

“I find it manageable with my major to play two sports here because I am someone who needs to be active and to be doing something all the time. When I am not in season I feel lost. It can be hard to manage sometimes because I am an Elementary Education major, math concentration, and ESOL minor which can all be demanding. It can also be challenging when I have to go into my placement during the week and it will also be challenging when I start doing my student teaching because I will have to do it during one of my seasons,” Forrest said.

We can all agree that stress is the enemy and it is inevitable. Being a dual sport athlete and also having to be a full time student, while also wanting a life outside of all of that can be very challenging but with the correct time management it is definitely obtainable. 

“I have not found it to be too challenging to do two sports with my major yet. That being said, I know I will have to take harder classes in the upcoming semesters so I will have to focus on my time management skills a little bit more,” Mayo says.

It’s not a secret that playing two varsity sports takes a ton of hard work, dedication, resilience, time management, and many other characteristics, and sometimes it is not for everyone. 

Forrest states, “If you are debating on playing two varsity sports when committing to a college then just go for it. If you love it, why not continue. This is the last time you’ll be a part of a team like this and play the sport. If you are even thinking about it, go for it so that you don’t regret it later on.”