It’s 5:00 p.m. and varsity softball practice is just ending. Sophomore Maria Edwards grabs her backpack and gear, and, instead of heading home to do her homework like her teammates, she gets ready to go to her second—but not last—practice of the night.
For Edwards, who currently plays three varsity sports, attending two or three practices a night is just a part of her daily routine. “During softball season, I always go from softball to basketball to a workout,” she said, adding that she has about a half hour break in between each practice. “It’s just normal—I don’t really think anything of it.”
Edwards began playing basketball at age eight and was “very competitive” with her older brother, Alex. She said that this sibling rivalry and the intensity of her AAU basketball club team contributed to her making the varsity basketball team as a freshman.
An athletic child growing up, Edwards loved to try new sports. In sixth grade, she began playing softball and field hockey, adding to an already full schedule. Her parents “always support” her. Edwards quoted her dad’s words of advice: “In everything you do, you should try to be the best.”
These words of advice encouraged Edwards to try out for the JC field hockey and softball teams. Dedication to training landed her a spot on the varsity softball team last year. To make varsity as a freshman, Edwards said, “was so rewarding, and it made me feel accomplished. I worked so hard to make varsity as a freshman, and my efforts paid off.”
None of the freshmen, including Edwards, made the varsity field hockey team, and Edwards knew that she would have to practice more if she wanted to make the team as a sophomore.
The junior varsity level is supposed to prepare athletes for varsity, but Edwards couldn’t disagree more. “Varsity is a totally different level of play,” she said. “[In order] to be ready to play a varsity sport, you have to experience and physically play against varsity competition.” Instead of relying on JV practices and games, Edwards spent hours training over the summer, doing individual workouts and training sessions on top of her other practices. Her dedication once again paid off, and Edwards made the varsity field hockey team this past fall.
Basketball is her favorite of the three sports because “I have been playing it for the longest, and it is something I enjoy doing. It is fast-paced, and a lot of running is involved, which I like.” She added that she likes the “aspect of being really close with them [her teammates]” because it feels like they are a family.
For now, Edwards manages to maintain her busy schedule by balancing practice and homework, which she completes after she returns for the evening or during her off mods. “I’ve been doing this for a while now, so I have a schedule figured out,” she said. “Now, it’s really easy, and I can have fun.”
Jenny Hottle can be reached for comment at [email protected].