The Dual Sport Athlete In Tennessee

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em><br>USE CODE "tinnon30" FOR 30% OFF THE FIRST PURCHASE OF ANY SUBSCRIPTION.</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It takes a special person to be a dual sport athlete. The time commitment, the skill, balancing your books, ect. To excel on multiple platforms, you have to be laser-focused on what you do. Here within our state, we have several girls who perform both at a high level in other sports and then turn around and get it done on the hardwood. These girls put in countless hours on their other craft while sharpening their basketball skills as well.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I want to touch on dual-sport athletes because I think it says something about a person. Those who excel at both tend to set the edge or standard for their program. They seem to move differently, given their confidence and how they perform on the floor. The dual-sport kid is ultra-competitive and wants to win.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are just a few who are tearing it up in team sports.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For starters, let's look at <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='821641' first='Haylen' last='Ayers']</strong>. We all know she is a killer on the hardwood. She has power 4 offers out the ying yang, accolades, puts up the numbers, etc. She is also a killer on the softball diamond. Putting up numbers and impacting the club just like she does in the gym. Now, she can go to school for either sport. Her calling is basketball, but you better believe she is taking softball into consideration as well. Could she do both at the next level? She is very capable of doing so.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>AC Shirley</strong> is another kid who comes to mind who helps set the tone. Coming back from her injury the previous year, she has taken nothing for granted and just gotten after it. This kid scorches the net from deep when she is on the hardwood. Though basketball is her game, she has a mean spike on the volleyball court. She's impactful in both sports and a proven winner when it comes to both sports. She is still on the hunt for her next opportunity, but she is going to be solid at the next level, no matter what sport she chooses.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='961122' first='Khloe' last='Burton'] </strong>of BGA is another monster of a dual sport athlete. This kid can crush it on the softball field. She has multiple schools looking at her as she is a big-time stud at the game of softball. She too is a beast when it comes to the hardwood as well. A physical kid who can stretch the floor as well as pound the painted area. When I say she bring the physicality, opponents leave bruised and battered as she makes for a tough outing. She's only a sophomore, but you better believe she too will be a solid addition at the next level for either sport.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='513285' first='Reese' last='Shirley']</strong> is another kid who is just an all around athlete. This year she competed in volleyball and of course did her thing on the basketball court. Her athleticism was a problem for opponents. When you think about an athlete of her caliber, you could see how the different sports helped with her movements. This kid was quick, could jump, limber, and really when she suited up for play on the hardwood, her competitive nature went up a notch and you could just see her drive. She will be suiting up for Montevallo next season down in Alabama.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1155053' first='Eva' last='Birkofer']</strong> from PCA is a stud on the soccer field. She has amazing footwork, control, and knows how to utilize her body to create an advantage. What she does on the soccer pitch helps how she goes about her business on the floor. She has amazing court vision, can do a multitude of things with ease. She's a natural on the floor , but I do feel soccer plays a big part in how she conducts herself on the hardwood.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These are just a few examples of young ladies out there that do multiple sports in the state of Tennessee. I know I didn't name a lot of them and I am not taking anything away from them or what they do. I am just pointing out that the dual sport athlete is important and we have hundreds of kids that do so. From softball to track to golf you name it, playing others sports do matter. Does it matter more than playing basketball. Well….. This is a basketball site. Just know that you are a special talent when you do multiple things. When you excel at that other sport and basketball, you are definitely in a different league. So to all those I didn't name, I apologize. Just know that your efforts aren't going unnoticed. Keep up the good work and all that you do does translate to the hardwood in some form or fashion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->