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Not a moment to spare
| Saturday, Mar 11 2006 10:35 PM
Last Updated: Saturday, Mar 11 2006 11:19 PM
Sports are supposed to be fun. And they are. But for elite players and their families, it's much more.
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"It's survival of the fittest," Kathy Huntington said of keeping up with her two daughters' sports schedules. "My husband and I just keep saying 'we can do this.'"
Days start at 6 a.m. and often aren't over until almost 11 p.m. Homework and dinner are squeezed in somewhere in between practice, training and workouts.
The Huntingtons travel hundreds of miles per weekend for club games and spend thousands of dollars on equipment and training. They keep a tight budget, but almost anything can send them over. The jump in gas prices last fall threw the family's yearly gas budget off by nearly $3,000.
They feel if their kids are going to make it in high school sports, they've got to play club just to keep up. If they want to stand out, it also takes extra training and lots of hard work.
And the Huntington daughters want to stand out.
Their two girls Caty, 15, and Haley, 13, are determined to make all the hard work and sacrifice pay off with college scholarships.
"That's why you do it," Caty said. "You've got to work hard and stay focused."
Caty, a sophomore at Liberty High, is a three-sport athlete, two of them at the varsity level. When she's not at her own practices and games, she's at Haley's, usually shooting hoops or practicing her dribbling on the side of the court. She's a determined and aggressive competitor with a game stare that could cut glass.
Despite a recent injury that will likely require surgery, she wants to play college ball and can feel the opportunity just beyond her fingertips.
Haley looks up to her sister. She knows she's not as aggressive as Caty, but she admires her work ethic. Her goal is to make the varsity basketball team her freshman year so they can play alongside each other.
"That'd be cool, she's a really good player," Haley said. "And maybe I'd get started ahead of her and she'd be all jealous."
This year Haley's club coaches made her choose between the three sports she loved: soccer, volleyball and basketball. At 12, it wasn't just about fun anymore. Now is the time to work.
Her parents said they're a bit relieved that Haley will only be doing one club sport now. The packed schedule and the intense training aren't for everyone.
Ryan Huntington, 17, abandoned sports in the eighth grade and hasn't looked back. It was too much stress, too much time away from home.
When he's not at school, he spends his time working for a company that manufactures equipment for the oil industry. In the winter, he snowboards with friends. He can't believe the hoops his sisters jump through to play sports.
"I think it's kind of crazy," he said. "I don't know how they put up with it sometimes. It's weird. I couldn't do it."
One recent day for the Huntington family: 5:30 to 6 a.m.: Family gets up. 7 a.m.: Joe Huntington leaves for work. 8 a.m.: School starts for Haley Huntington. 8:20 a.m.: School starts for Ryan and Caty Huntington. 8:30 a.m.: Kathy Huntington starts work. 2:45 p.m.: Fruitvale Junior High out for the day. 3 p.m.: Haley’s basketball practice. 3:45 p.m.: Kathy checks in on Haley’s practice, Caty shoots some hoops. 4 p.m.: Early dinner/snack for Caty. 4:30 p.m.: Practice gets out, go home. 5:15 p.m.: Pick up Joe at home, Caty changes for game, leave for East High. 7 p.m.: Caty’s game — Liberty vs. East High. Ryan gets off work, drops in to cheer his sister on. 8:30 p.m.: Game over. Off to dinner. 9:00 p.m.: Dinner/birthday party for a friend at Pizzaville USA. 10 p.m.: Back in the car. 10:30 p.m.: Sleep.