Dual-sport athletes come in a variety of combinations. Most of these athletes simply love more than one sport, but they have to learn how to manage their time because dual-sport athletes never have an off-season.

“Being a freshman, it was hard for me to transition between playing two sports, mainly because I wasn’t aware of how things worked with either team quite yet, and I just had to find my spot on both teams,” freshmen Olivia Brees said. “But it went very well, and I am succeeding how I want to.”

Brees plays both volleyball and softball. Though she was at first recruited to play softball at Baker, former head volleyball coach Kathy Allen offered her a spot on the volleyball team as well.

“I have had to learn to be very responsible and stay on top of my school work as well as what all I need to accomplish in both sports,” Brees said. “It’s all about staying organized with what I have to accomplish each week.”

It is more common on Baker’s campus to find athletes like Brees who play a fall sport and then transition to a spring sport. Though it is rare for an athlete to be in two year-round sports, Nia Madison balances it all.

“I am a dancer and a bowler,” sophomore Nia Madison said. “Both of my sports have year-round seasons, so it’s harder for me to attend everything for dance and bowling.”

The Baker University Dance Team originally recruited Madison, but after signing to dance, she received an offer from the bowling team.

“In high school I was on the dance team and bowling team,” Madison said. “I jumped on the opportunity to do both in college even though I knew it would be a lot more difficult than at the high-school level.”

The support from coaches helps Madison be successful in both bowling and on the dance team.

“My coaches from both sports understand I have responsibilities outside dancing or bowling ” Madison said. “They try to accommodate to that, but I still have had to miss bowling tournaments for dance competitions and vice-versa.”

Though dual sporting comes with many different challenges for the athletes, it does come with benefits as well. Scholarships are awarded to every athlete. For the athletes in two sports, this can mean double the scholarship money.

When students are deciding where to attend college, cost is often an important factor. Playing two sports is another way to cut costs, making Baker more affordable.

“Without the scholarships I receive from both sports I would not be able to afford Baker,” Madison said. “It can be very difficult at times to balance both, but it is worth it in the end.”