Connect with us

High School Sports

1 sport or 2? High schools encourage athletes to branch out

Forty five percent of high school student-athletes are playing multiple sports, according to MHSAA study, Schools across metro Detroit have been recognized as “high achievers” for encouraging student-athletes to play more than one sport. At 17, Drew Sikora signed a letter of intent to play college football, fulfilling a childhood dream. What helped him get […]

Published

on

1 sport or 2? High schools encourage athletes to branch out

  • Forty five percent of high school student-athletes are playing multiple sports, according to MHSAA study,
  • Schools across metro Detroit have been recognized as “high achievers” for encouraging student-athletes to play more than one sport.

At 17, Drew Sikora signed a letter of intent to play college football, fulfilling a childhood dream. What helped him get there?

Playing basketball and running track and field.

Hitting the court helped Sikora’s hand-eye coordination and running track helped him with his speed on the gridiron. Those who lead the governing body for high school sports in Michigan want to see more student-athletes like Sikora.

Drew Sikora, a football player at Carlson High School, is surrounded by teammates on signing day where he signed on to play tight end at Michigan Tech, at the school in Gibraltar on Feb. 6, 2025.

Since 2016, the Michigan High School Athletic Association has surveyed hundreds of schools to learn how many athletes are choosing to play more than one sport. Turns out the percentage of athletes who are making that decision is growing steadily.

MHSAA’s annual survey reported that 45% of all student-athletes played more than one sponsored sport during the 2023-24 school year, compared with 43% during the 2017-18 season when the association started the survey.

The MHSAA started the survey as part of its effort to encourage athletes to play more than one sport to “prevent burnout and overuse injuries.”

It also strengthens athletic programs, said Geoff Kimmerly, the association’s director of communication.

“I think it’s helped athletic programs to thrive. You need help across programs, especially at smaller schools where you just don’t have as many athletes,” Kimmerly said. “But I think that at some schools, there has to be a philosophical move toward that. I think that’s what we’ve seen.”

High achievers

Sikora’s school, Gibraltar Carlson is among the survey’s high achievers — defined as “schools that exceed participation norms” — in metro Detroit, along with Hamtramck, Livonia Franklin, Warren Fitzgerald and Detroit Douglass. All have been in the top 10% in three different school years. Michigan Collegiate has been ranked in the top 10% for four years and Detroit Cody has been the most consistent for five of the six years.

“I think down here, it’s kind of a cultural thing to be involved,” Carlson athletic director Dan Kalbfleisch said. “My principal, my superintendent, really encourage our students to get involved in some way while they’re here. And so, once they get involved in one thing, they have fun and want to try other stuff.”

At Detroit Douglass, the state’s only all-boys public school, with an enrollment of 70, athletic director Pierre Brooks credits the students for their school’s success.

“I’m aware of that ranking, but I’m not surprised because being in such a small school, to me, it’s a true brotherhood,” Brooks said.

‘I believe that’s the culture we’ve built here …’

Over 68,000 student-athletes were accounted for in the survey. Fifty-five percent reported playing one sport and 32% played two at their school.

The combinations of sports varies but there are some trends. For boys, it’s football and basketball. Other sports include track and field, cross-country and wrestling. Girls tend to play volleyball and basketball, along with track and field, according to athletic directors.

Detroit Cody has nearly 600 students and offers 13 sponsored sports with the overall roster growing. The school started an Esports team in 2023 that has seven players and Cody is one of 18 schools that joined the Detroit Lions Girls High School Flag Football program this spring.

Antonio Baker, the school’s athletic director, said that “a large percent” of the student-athletes at his school are playing three sports throughout the school year to stay in shape, and that students play additional sports, in part, because of their coaches.

“Some of the coaches, they coach multiple sports, so the athletes move with the coaches from those sports, ” Baker said.

Drew Sikora signs ceremonially to play as a tight end at Michigan Tech this fall, at Carlson High School in Gibraltar on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.

At Gibraltar Carlson, coaches serve as teachers, hall monitors and other roles for roughly 1,050 students.

“Can you build an environment at a high school where coaches collaborate and coaches support each other’s successes and coaches believe that a student-athlete can play multiple sports?” asked Kalbfleisch. “I believe that’s the culture we’ve built here in this building.”

A parent’s viewFor Sikora, playing basketball and running track was really all about football.”I know a lot of the skills and different sports transfer over,” Drew Sikora said. “Like, I know playing basketball is really helpful for a receiver of football. And then track helps a lot with explosive ability and all that stuff; and, obviously, helps with speed. So mostly, I’ve just been enjoying myself and supplementing for football.”Sikora’s parents, Kent and Melissa, said all of that hard work added up to the moment he signed his commitment letter.“It’s an opportunity for him to go be the best version of himself and go chase dreams that hopefully surpass everything that Melissa and I have ever done,” said Kent Sikora, 52, of Gibraltar.It’s common for young athletes to specialize in one sport. Drew Sikora’s parents credit their son’s participation in football, basketball and track with making him a more well-rounded athlete.“It helps him learn how to be a part of the team,” Kent Sikora said. Melissa Sikora added that her son avoided “pigeon-holing” himself.That’s what DeMarko Thurman, a former Division 2 athlete, said he experienced when he played high school ball.“I played basketball and I put all my eggs in one basket,” Thurman, 52, of Detroit, said. “But looking back on it … I totally regret not playing football. I kinda let my mom, (talk) me out of it, and then so it just kinda (became) tunnel vision with me.”Thurman advised his 17-year-old son Jeremiah, who plays basketball, to branch out.Douglass’ track athlete Jeremiah Thurman practices long jump at Mumford High School in Detroit on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.Jeremiah Thurman played a bit of football in middle school but focused on basketball. He didn’t get involved in another sport in high school until students at Detroit Douglass recruited him to participate in track and field. He was inspired by three seniors on the team who competed in the state championships.“I saw an opportunity to learn from those guys because they were all really, really athletic,” Jeremiah Thurman said. He learned breathing techniques and leg exercises that he says improved his basketball skills. “I could definitely tell it was a difference. I actually felt a lot more athletic when I was playing track.”But sports aren’t cheap. DeMarko Thurman, who works for the Ann Arbor school district, said he works multiple side jobs to cover the costs of in-season basketball and track and Amateur Athletic Union basketball.“I have to work harder, too, in a different way to be able to support these things and at the same time, not set our family back,” he said.Student-athletes will always specialize, athletic directors say, in hopes of getting noticed and playing at the next level. But the chances of becoming a professional athlete are slim, and playing different sports offers lessons.“Play as much as you can and try as much as you can. Because you’re going to be coached by different people. You’re going to meet different kids. You’re going to be exposed to different backgrounds, and I think all of that is just so valuable to a kid growing up. … You’re gonna have to get along with different bosses,” Kent Sikora said. “You’re gonna have to get along with different employees and colleagues throughout your life. So I think that is the greatest lesson that you can learn by playing along.”Eric Guzmán covers youth sports culture at the Free Press as a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Make a tax-deductible contribution to support this work.

Contact Eric Guzmán: eguzman@freepress.com; 313-222-1850. Follow him on X: @EricGuzman90.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

High School Sports

James Johnson highlights from the newest Georgia Bulldogs 4

Georgia landed its 24th commitment for the 2026 class and on Friday when Miami Northwestern defensive lineman James Johnson announced his decision to commit to the Bulldogs, giving the program a commitment for the seventh day in a row. The 6-foot-3, 285-pound prospect chose Georgia over Florida, Florida State, Miami, Texas, and 38 other offers, giving Georgia assistant and defensive line […]

Published

on

James Johnson highlights from the newest Georgia Bulldogs 4

Georgia landed its 24th commitment for the 2026 class and on Friday when Miami Northwestern defensive lineman James Johnson announced his decision to commit to the Bulldogs, giving the program a commitment for the seventh day in a row. The 6-foot-3, 285-pound prospect chose Georgia over Florida, Florida State, Miami, Texas, and 38 other offers, giving Georgia assistant and defensive line coach Tray Scott his fourth defensive lineman commitment for the 2026 cycle, joining Carter Luckie, Seven Cloud, and Corey Howard. The addition of Calicut moves Georgia up one spot in the 247Sports Team Class Rankings, passing Notre Dame to give the Bulldogs the No. 2 class in the country.

Watch Johnson’s junior highlights above. As a junior, Johnson made 60 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, five sacks, and five quarterback hurries in nine games. As a sophomore, Johnson had 51 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hurries, and seven sacks.

Johnson is ranked as the No. 90 overall prospect, the No. 13 defensive lineman in the country, and the No. 11 overall recruit in Florida according to 247Sports. He ranks as the No. 69 overall recruit in the country in the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, as well as the nation’s No. 8 defensive lineman and No. 10 overall prospect in Texas. Below is the 247Sports Scouting Report for Johnson from February 20.

“Explosive defensive tackle with all the fixings to make a living up front. More of a one-gap player than he is a two-gap player at this stage, but has the mass to dock in the middle. Added almost 25 pounds to a frame that stretches just over 6-foot-2 between sophomore and junior seasons and should eventually carry 300 pounds or more. Owns some of the best throwing metrics in the Sunshine State for his class and that lower-body twitch constantly shows up on tape as he shoots out of his stance and is quick to put opponents on their heels. Raw upper-body strength allows him to club his way around obstacles while a near 82-inch wingspan makes it difficult for blockers to establish initial hand positioning. Can get caught playing with a higher pad level and will fade for stretches during games, but hard to overlook push-back power and motor when it has been primed. Likely to face an initial adjustment period as he will see a significant jump in competition when he arrives at the college of his choice, but projects as a potential difference-maker at the point of attack for a College Football Playoff contender that can be stationed at different spots across the line.”

Not a VIP subscriber to Dawgs247? Sign up now to get 50 percent off access to everything Jordan D. Hill. Kipp Adams, Benjamin Wolk, and Olivia K Sayer have to offer on all things Georgia and access to the No. 1 site covering the Dawgs.

Continue Reading

High School Sports

Blair Oaks Baseball Coach Mike DeMilia Hired as Missouri Valley College Head Coach

Blair Oaks High School‘s longtime head baseball coach Mike DeMilia, who has served with the Falcons for seven seasons (2018–2025), is taking the reins of Missouri Valley College’s baseball program, according to a press release from the school’s athletics department and reported by ABC 17 News. During his tenure at Blair Oaks, DeMilia guided the […]

Published

on

Blair Oaks Baseball Coach Mike DeMilia Hired as Missouri Valley College Head Coach

Blair Oaks High School‘s longtime head baseball coach Mike DeMilia, who has served with the Falcons for seven seasons (2018–2025), is taking the reins of Missouri Valley College’s baseball program, according to a press release from the school’s athletics department and reported by ABC 17 News.

During his tenure at Blair Oaks, DeMilia guided the program to:

“Mike has a great track record, and he’s a very hard worker,” Missouri Valley Vice President of Athletics Marsha Lashley said in the school’s announcement. “His energy and his respect for the game and doing things the right way will serve our students well.”

Before his time at Blair Oaks, the Nebraska native coached at the collegiate level:

“I’m thrilled to have this opportunity,” DeMilia said in the release. “There is so much happening at Missouri Valley; they’re really on the move. It’s an honor to join the team.”

Blair Oaks will begin the search for its next head baseball coach ahead of the 2025–26 school year.

Continue Reading

High School Sports

Bike with Mayor in Euclid highlights new routes and community connections

With the intense heat backing off a few degrees after the recent rain, a cooler day presented participants the perfect weather to go on a bike trip with Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail. Starting in the morning of June 28 about 40 participants gathered at the front entrance of the Shore Cultural Centre, 291 E. […]

Published

on

Bike with Mayor in Euclid highlights new routes and community connections

With the intense heat backing off a few degrees after the recent rain, a cooler day presented participants the perfect weather to go on a bike trip with Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail.

Starting in the morning of June 28 about 40 participants gathered at the front entrance of the Shore Cultural Centre, 291 E. 222nd St., before heading out on the four-and-a-half mile route which would highlight the lakefront trail, Yuko Park, Russell Avenue Park and concluding at Bananas For Bikes, a local bike shop on Lakeshore Boulevard.

People listen to a safety briefing before heading out on a Bike with the Mayor event. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald)
People listen to a safety briefing before heading out on a Bike with the Mayor event. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald)

Holzheimer Gail said that besides the chance to get some exercise, the idea to behind having a “Bike with a Mayor” event was to not only have a chance to engage with some community members but also to gauge the quality of bike routes in the city.

“It’s just an opportunity to get residents out and ride their bikes and see some of the improvements we’ve made,” Holzheimer Gail said before departing. “We always want to help improve the bicycle and pedestrian safety for the community.

“I think that’s a big part in building a vibrant community. So, this is just a way to get out and model that.

“We would love to work towards more sheltered trails, but we don’t have enough room to do that,” Holzheimer Gail added. “So, just being mindful in how do we incorporate bike safety into our transportation planning is kind of part of everything that we do. As we are planning park improvements, as we are attracting businesses, keeping in mind of how do you make it safe for residents to ride their bike there.

“Sometimes it’s simple things like bike racks, sometimes it’s having special trails for the bikes, it can be a number of different things.”

Different bikes are lined up outside of the Shore Cultural Centre, 291 E 222nd St in Euclid before a Bike with the Mayor event. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald)
Different bikes are lined up outside of the Shore Cultural Centre, 291 E 222nd St in Euclid before a Bike with the Mayor event. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald)

She said that they have done around four similar bike rides in the past, each time the route changes in order to highlight a new area of the city. She said that while the bike ride was a big part of the event, it was also to build comradery and to show even lifetime residents that there are new things going on in the city.

“Last year we did kind of the south side Euclid Avenue, started at Collision Bend and kind of stayed up there,” Holzheimer Gail said. “So, this year, we are going to kind of focus more on the north. Still, with the improvements that we’ve made, it’s still hard to get over the field by the freeway and the big streets, so we are going to stay north this time.

“It’s also just a great way to meet residents,” Holzheimer Gail added. “I know one of the times that we did this, residents who have lived here most of their life were surprised by things that they didn’t know about… It’s a good way to learn about some things that are happening in the city, get to meet new people, and have some fun.”

Diana Hildebrand, the education and outreach manager for Bike Cleveland talks before leading the group out. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald)
Diana Hildebrand, the education and outreach manager for Bike Cleveland talks before leading the group out. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald)

Diana Hildebrand, education and outreach manager for Bike Cleveland, who was leading the group along the route as part of the safety team, said she is excited to get on the road and that the Bike with the Mayor event was, to her, a fun way for people to get involved.

“Bike with the Mayor rides are so important,” Hildebrand said. “It gets the community out and connects the person who they consider a higher up to the people to say, ‘hey I’m a person as well’…

“We have to let people know that bicycles are allowed to share the road with other vehicles. We also talk to our city and county people as well, so that they can start to implement changes — that they are aware that the sidewalks could be a little wilder, or maybe when we are repaving their streets we could add a speed table, buffer bike lanes or install a bike lane…”

While there were many places along the route that she was excited about, the first thing that came to mind, she said, was the new lakefront connections and Lake Erie itself.

“My favorite part is the connection to the lake and the beautification around the lake,” Hildebrand said. “They have been trying to install the park and while I was out here I was looking at it, I love being outside, and connecting communities to our beautiful lakefront is so important.”

Riding bikes can be fun, but it can also be dangerous. According to the National Safety Council, there were 1,377 preventable bicycle-related deaths in 2023 in the U.S., with 937 of those deaths due to being hit with a motor-vehicle.

Cyclists wave as they leave the Shore Cultural Centre for a Bike with the Mayor ride. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald)
Cyclists wave as they leave the Shore Cultural Centre for a Bike with the Mayor ride. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald)
Cyclists head out to the main roads during a Bike with the Mayor event on June 28. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald)
Cyclists head out to the main roads during a Bike with the Mayor event on June 28. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald)

Hildebrand said that she had something to say to drivers who might be getting a little too close.

“One thing I would like to say, so that people understand our bike safety laws, bicycles are (considered) vehicles in the state of Ohio and a lot of states across the nation,” Hildebrand said. “Just give us our three to four feet while passing us cautiously. And if I had to add an explanation point to something, don’t honk your horn at us. Hoking your horn absolutely scares a cyclist. We don’t know if a car is coming fast at us, or anything like that.

“Just be cautious with us on when we are on the roadways, and remember that, your mom, your dad, your aunt or uncle, your brother or sister- one of us are enjoying the outdoor space on two-wheels- or sometimes three-wheels if you want to ride a tricycle- just let us enjoy our time outside… we always want to come home to our families.”

Originally Published:

Continue Reading

High School Sports

Looking at the Top 10 moments of the 2024

It’s been a long ride. The 2024-25 high school sports season began what seems like forever ago, and yet it came to a close just a couple weeks past. It was a wildly successful season for the Berkshires, with multiple state championships returning to the county at the end of Massachusetts. 2

Published

on

Looking at the Top 10 moments of the 2024

It’s been a long ride. The 2024-25 high school sports season began what seems like forever ago, and yet it came to a close just a couple weeks past.

It was a wildly successful season for the Berkshires, with multiple state championships returning to the county at the end of Massachusetts.

Continue Reading

High School Sports

Former Jaguars cheerleader's death from colorectal cancer highlights rising cases

Since the mid-1990s, colorectal cancer cases among adults aged 20 to 39 have increased by about two percent each year. Author: firstcoastnews.com Published: 12:37 PM EDT June 28, 2025 Updated: 12:37 PM EDT June 28, 2025 2

Published

on

Former Jaguars cheerleader's death from colorectal cancer highlights rising cases

Since the mid-1990s, colorectal cancer cases among adults aged 20 to 39 have increased by about two percent each year.

Continue Reading

High School Sports

Anthony Raio named USA Lacrosse's 2025 Northeast Player of the Year

When Anthony Raio learned he was USA Lacrosse’s 2025 Northeast Player of the Year, the first person he told was his dad. “He was super happy and proud of all the hard work paying off,” Raio said. And justifiably so. Raio, Newsday’s boys lacrosse player of the year, set Long Island’s career goals record this […]

Published

on

Anthony Raio named USA Lacrosse's 2025 Northeast Player of the Year

When Anthony Raio learned he was USA Lacrosse’s 2025 Northeast Player of the Year, the first person he told was his dad.

“He was super happy and proud of all the hard work paying off,” Raio said.

And justifiably so.

Raio, Newsday’s boys lacrosse player of the year, set Long Island’s career goals record this spring (295) while leading Half Hollow Hills to a 23-win undefeated season and a program-first state title. He scored 99 goals and assisted 77 more for a terrific 176 points.

The accomplishment was announced on Thursday, just days after Raio had won the Lt. Ray Enners Award, which highlights the top lacrosse player in Suffolk.

“It’s the result of all the work I put in when people weren’t looking,” Raio said. “All the times I went to shoot by myself after practice, or when I’ll take a couple teammates on weekends to just shoot and mess around. I couldn’t be more grateful to my teammates and coaches for helping me become who I am, because I wouldn’t be half the person I am without them.”

As Northeast Player of the Year, Raio is a member of the 14-team All-Northeast lineup. He’s joined by Gary Merrill of St. Anthony’s, Quinn Ball of Chaminade, and Owen Wuchte and Blake Cascadden of Garden City. The list considered players from New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

“[Long Island] is the best place to play lacrosse,” Raio said. “The grit, the intensity and love for the game that all the guys who come out of here have just shows on championship weekend.”

Continue Reading

Most Viewed Posts

Trending