Milk really does a body good. Well, chocolate milk in the case of Janae Vander Ploeg.

The Cheyenne Mountain junior credited her daily dairy drink with keeping her from getting fatigued and helping her excel at multiple sports.

Vander Ploeg and Palmer Ridge senior Collin Babcock are anomalies as each made The Gazette’s all-area teams in three sports last season.

Babcock made the first team in swimming, taking third in the 100-yard breaststroke, swimming on the 200 medley and 200 free winning relays and helping the combined Lewis-Palmer and Palmer Ridge team win a second straight 4A state title, and honorable mention in 3A-A football and 5A-4A basketball.

“You never see that thing,” said Alan Arata, coach of the boys’ swimming team. “Especially in swimming.”

Vander Ploeg was a first-team selection in 5A-4A basketball, averaging 14.8 points and 11.6 rebounds while leading the Indians to the 4A state quarterfinals, and honorable mention in volleyball and soccer.

“It’s rare,” Cheyenne Mountain volleyball coach David Barkley said. “It’s not unusual to have two sports. That’s not unusual. Three is unusual.”

So, then — not that milk can’t help — what really is the secret to their success?

Refuse to choose

“I’ve been doing three sports since I was really, really young,” said Babcock, a tight end and defensive end in football. “It’s just what I like to do. It’s really fun.”

And, just like Vander Ploeg, he decided to keep playing all of them.

“As of now, I haven’t had to make a choice yet,” said Vander Ploeg, who is trying to help the two-time defending champion Indians back to state. “And hopefully it stays that way. Because I can’t really imagine playing only one sport in high school.”

The absence of pressure, starting at home, has been a big help for both. They credited their parents for providing support from an early age and “driving me from one sport to another,” as Vander Ploeg said.

And while coaches seemed to disagree about the positive or negative influences of club sports, all agreed on not putting any pressure on the kids.

“I’m a big believer in that we should not dictate to them what they should do,” Barkley said. “Those are family decisions and individual decisions.”

Balancing act

Vander Ploeg and Babcock not only have to deal with the stress that comes from playing multiple sports, but also performing at a high level in the classroom.

Both are up to the task.

Vander Ploeg has a 3.8 grade-point average and Babcock a 3.3.

“It does take a lot of maturity to do that because you have to budget your time for school, budget your time for sports,” Barkley said.

But even with little time, Vander Ploeg and Babcock manage to transition between sports, and their nonstop cross-training seems to help.

Barkley credits soccer for Vander Ploeg’s “footwork in the back row and her ability to read what the offense is doing on the other side,” when playing volleyball.

“And volleyball,” Vander Ploeg said, “really helps with basketball because of all the jumping and it does help with rebounding. They kind of all just tie together.”

Babcock sees the same thing.

“Pushing off the walls (while swimming) has really helped me with leg strength in football,” he said. “And also jumping in basketball.”

Babcock said he sees so much value in cross-training that he’s “not quite sure” he would be better in any one sport if he did specialize.

Talent show

Eventually, both athletes will pick one sport to focus on. Babcock plans to play football in college, and Vander Ploeg is eyeing volleyball.

Barkley “absolutely” believes Vander Poeg will play in Division I. And Palmer Ridge football coach Monte Gutowski said Babcock has “the ability to” play for a Division-I program.

Vander Ploeg and Babock seem to realize how rare their athletic talents are, but both carry a humble air about them.

“I think her humility is why she’s so good in sports because she knows she never feels like she’s good enough,” Barkley said.

Break the mold

While these two athletes seem to fit the same mold, their coaches don’t give any reason to think there is a formula to follow to produce three-sport stars.

“You have to be a special kid, I think, to excel in all three whichever three you choose,” Gutowski said. “And that’s just something that comes naturally.”

Indians basketball coach Janie Mueller called Vander Ploeg “a phenomenon.”

Even Babcock admitted it was somewhat out of his hands.

“Knowing that there’s very little people that play three different sports and letter in all of them and then actually still play and have a good grade-point average,” he said, “it’s a real blessing.”

So is chocolate milk.

 

STUDENTS BEFORE ATHLETES

The three-sport high school athlete is becoming more and more rare. But Kiah Hicks and Leigh Hamilton are quite the anomalies as well. Both are planning on playing sports in college, but will likely lean on academics getting them there.

Hicks, a senior at Falcon, was a first-team selection for track and second team for 5A-4A basketball by The Gazette last season and also plays on a club handball team year-round. Hamilton, a senior at Air Academy and a honorable mention selection in soccer, balances club and high school soccer and basketball with her duties as student body president.

Hicks, the reigning 4A state champion in discus and shot put, is hoping to get into Pepperdine University, which doesn’t have throwing in its track program.

“So basketball is my best chance at getting a good education,” said Hicks, who has a 3.9 GPA.

Falcons basketball coach Angie Heldstab sees Hicks making it to the next level.

“I do, with her work ethic,” Heldbstab said. “… She could basically get an academic something. Some schools are looking at doing half athletic and half academic.”

Hamilton, who boasts a 4.0 GPA, is fielding offers to play soccer in college, but is considering walking on instead.

“I would like to see certain schools to see if I could get into them without soccer,” said Hamilton, who is interested in government and international affairs. “I’m really valuing the academic part over soccer.”

Hamilton’s top choices include Georgetown, Brown, Princeton and Washington University in St. Louis.

The Ivy League schools don’t offer athletic scholarships, but that’s not foremost in Hamilton’s mind.

“They do offer admission to get players to go there,” she said.

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