Page 21 - The Bell Tower - Summer/Fall 2015

ATHLETICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FORT KENT
When One Just Isn’t Enough
For most students, juggling a full load of classes and a busy social
life is more than enough to fill the average day. For others, the cost
of a college education means he
or she must take on a job in order to stretch the financial aid check
a little further, and that means another metaphorical ball to juggle. For a college athlete, a sports and practice schedule is yet another juggling ball demanding attention. And then there are those few stu- dent athletes that take on a second sport. For them, a complicated schedule is just the beginning of the tactics they might need in order to balance their academic experi- ence at the University of Maine at Fort Kent.
In April of 2015, three athletes, each competing in two sports, sat down to dis- cuss the special circumstances with which they must contend in order to keep up with their academics, enjoy the sport that
drew them to college and support their teammates by maintaining their competi- tive edge. Samantha Carapellucci (Fort Kent, ME); Ziggy Brown (Uniondale, NY); and Danielle Carrillo (Mendota, CA) each play two sports, and there are more dual- sport athletes at UMFK.
Luckily for these young women the two sports they play occur largely in different seasons - soccer and volleyball in the fall and basketball in the winter. The seasons tend to overlap by just a few weeks, leav- ing little time for the student-athletes to rest. While one season would be winding down, preseason practices would be going full speed in the other sport. Carapellucci plays soccer and basketball, and she does so with great success. The women’s soc- cer team brought home another national championship for the 2014 season. Brown and Carrillo play volleyball and basketball, with the volleyball team having their best season ever, going 23-5.
The athletes rely on technology and the understanding of some of their profes- sors to help. Samantha and Danielle use online classes to help them control when they can do work, even if they are on the road playing teams across the country. All
three women can be seen doing home- work or typing papers on the team bus or staying up late in hotel rooms. Ziggy and Samantha are studying to become school guidance counselors, and Danielle wants to become a kindergarten teacher.
The workload for their goals can intimidate some students, but these ladies take the work seriously, and said the instructors are understanding when conflicts come up. Along with two sports, all three women must also work at a part-time job. Danielle has spent time working at the admissions office, Ziggy is a trainer’s assistant and Samantha has worked at the local golf course.
Even with the stresses of college, social life, a job and two demanding sports, these athletes present themselves as friendly, competent, and on-the-ball. All three were asked if they would chose the same path: Samantha said if she had to do it all over again, she might choose two dif- ferent sports to play.
For Ziggy, “I’d re-enroll in two sports in a heartbeat.” Danielle said, “I wouldn’t know how not to do two sports.”
left to right:
Ziggy Brown,
Danielle Carrillo and Samantha Carapellucci
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