September 28, 2011
Oswego's Collins a 3-Sport Phenom
Many students would agree that balancing athletics and academics at college is demanding. Yet if the prospect of playing one season of a college sport sounds daunting, try three.
"You have to be a special person to be a three-sport athlete," said Head Field Hockey and Women’s Lacrosse Coach Brandi Lusk, who understands the challenges that Kelly Collins '12 faces.
Collins is a member of the field hockey, women's ice hockey and women's lacrosse teams. Although Collins plays three different sports, many student-athletes also participate athletically year round as members of the cross country and track and field teams.
"You have to be pretty tough," said Head Women’s Ice Hockey Coach Diane Dillon. "It's draining on your body, to have the ups and downs of three different seasons to deal with."
When asked about the greatest challenges three-sport athletes must handle, Collins emphasized the mental aspect of continuously competing at the collegiate level.
"I think the greatest challenge is the mental energy that is required to be at the top of your game," she said. “Staying positive and having a good attitude is the best way to work through it but there have definitely been a handful of tough days.”
Collins didn’t expect to play three sports before arriving at Oswego. However, her desire to play multiple sports may have run in the family and played an underlying role in her decision to come to the College. Collins’s mom, Anne, attended SUNY Oswego and played field hockey and ice hockey and was inducted into the Oswego Hall of Fame in 2006. So maybe Kelly was destined to be a multiple sport athlete from the very beginning.
“I was recruited to play ice hockey, but I had been playing field hockey since seventh grade so I figured I should try out for the team as a walk-on,” said Collins. “I made the team and thought I would be a two-sport athlete, until my field hockey coach asked me to play lacrosse as well. I got through my freshman year as a three-sport athlete and decided that I enjoyed competing so I continued to play all three.”
“I was a new coach to the lacrosse program and I needed a few more players,” said Coach Lusk. “I asked my field hockey players that were good athletes if any of them wanted to play lacrosse and Kelly stepped up. She is a great athlete and picked up on the game fast.”
The challenges of competing and succeeding in multiple collegiate sports do not go unrecognized by her coaches.
“I am proud to have gotten the chance to coach Kelly for the last four years,” Lusk stated. “I am still to this day amazed by her ability to contribute in three sports, keep her grades up, work, train and the list goes on.”
“College is about finding out who you are and exploring the options made available to you and for Kelly, she is exploring through sports,” adds Dillon. “And more power to her.”
The other day Kelly went to class from 9:35am-3:40pm, then to field hockey practice from 3:45-5:30pm, she had a small break for some dinner and homework before heading to the ice rink for voluntary practice from 9-9:45 pm, before doing more homework.
“The ice time went till about 10:30pm but I decided to get off early so that I wouldn’t overdo myself too much,” stated Kelly. “Once a week I also try to find an hour to work on my lacrosse skills as well, I do not attend fall ball practices but I do things on my own so that I can keep up with my stick skills and the rest of the team.”
Coach Dillon notes that working with a multi-sport athlete can be tough at times, especially when they miss the start of the season. “We start ice hockey on October 15, but Kelly is still in season with field hockey and she stays with them until the season is over. We miss her on the ice, but we make it work. And Kelly does a great job getting to as many team functions as her schedule allows so she can be a part of that team dynamic.”
Collins may miss out on an afternoon free from practice or weekends with no games, but she notesthat she wouldn’t be able to handle three sports, being a full time student and having a job at school without her family, coaches and teammates. “They support me 100% in any decisions I make and really help me whenever I need it.”
While Collins recognizes the challenges that come with being a three-sport athlete, she expressed that she would find it very difficult to reduce her athletic load.
“People tell me I’m crazy all the time, but I wouldn’t go back and change anything about my college career. I love being busy and having down time is nice but I wouldn’t like it for a whole ‘season’.”
When asked what she would say to a student considering playing three sports, she cautiously recommended giving it a try.
"You have to be passionate and realize what you're getting yourself into," said Collins. "It's really important to understand how to handle stress, manage your time and communication with your professors and coaches. Athletic seasons are really long, and if you're not having fun then it's not worth it."
"But if the student had a good attitude, patience and was willing to do what it takes, I would tell them to go for it," said Collins. "Think about it, but why not try?"
