CROTHERSVILLE
She could have taken up karate. Or rodeo.
But no, Kennadi Lakins signed up for cross-country running and volleyball at Crothersville High this fall.
"I always have to be busy," said the junior who is a two-sport athlete within the same season.
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Right alongside friend Ella Plasse, who not only is participating in cross-country and volleyball, too, but said she plans to attempt two sports per season through the winter and spring.
How many letters can an athlete find space for on one jacket? Plasse may test the limits.
Part of Plasse’s diverse commitment stems from last spring’s COVID-19 shutdown of spring sports and the confining of high school students to their homes for learning.
She did not run a virus fever, but suffered from cabin fever.
"I thought, ‘I’ve had enough of that,’" Plasse said of being house-bound.
There are still many three-season high school athletes, especially at small schools. But two sports in one season requires tight scheduling and tolerant coaches. There are bound to be conflicts on the schedule.
In general, Lakins is a volleyball player first, a starter for the Tigers, and a runner second. Plasse is a runner first and a volleyball player second, one who did not play varsity until well into the season.
Sometimes the magnitude of the meet or match takes precedence.
"Kennadi’s a great athlete and she just has the drive to be the best she can be at what she does," said Crothersville volleyball coach Carly Blevins.
"With Ella, I understand volleyball is not her world," Blevins said. "She’s a hard worker and she can do it."
Cross-country coach Carl Bowman only has four girls on the team and needs his runners.
"The volleyball coaches realize we have to have them," he said. "But we let them choose. Ella will choose to run every time."
Plasse, a junior, earned all-conference in last Saturday’s Southern Athletic Conference meet, but is a latecomer to volleyball. She took it up because so many friends were playing.
"All of my friends had played volleyball," Plasse said. "I wouldn’t know what they were talking about. I just wanted to be included."
Lakins was one of those influences. Kennadi’s sister Kiarra runs for the cross-country team and Plasse’s brother Elijah runs for the boys team. Being a Class 1A school usually means there is space for everyone.
"I think how small our school is, it’s easier to do two sports," Kennadi Lakins said.
She began competing in both running and volleyball in the fall last year.
"I think cross-country helps me to stay in shape for all my sports," Lakins said. "I like running, but the competition (in big invitationals with more than 100 runners) can be nerve-wracking. But I do like racing."
There have been a couple of occasions this fall when volleyball matches and cross-country races were scheduled the same day and it was impossible to be in two places without the assistance of a "Beam me up, Scotty" command from the "Star Trek" TV series.
"It doesn’t come up too often," Lakins said. "When that happens, I choose volleyball for my first sport."
Although she did not go out for the cross-country team for that reason, Plasse was pleased runners were rewarded with chocolate milk, a favorite. Scientific studies indicate the drink helps recovery and it has become a popular beverage at running events.
"Which was a bonus," she said.
Plasse plans to play basketball and go out for cheer for the first time in the winter and then double up on track and softball in the spring, likely eliminating the prospect of much free time for the foreseeable future.
Lakins was thinking she might add cheer to her winter repertoire, too, basically getting deeper into this two-sports-per season habit. For that matter, she is game to try more than two events per track season, the high jump, long jump and 100-meter dash maybe something else.
Despite running 5 kilometers in cross-country, Lakins said she doesn’t want to do the 3,200 meters in track.
"No way," she said. "Just running in circles is so boring."
Karate and rodeo busy work can wait until after high school.