Olivia Samuelson and Reagan Hawotte, two Rock Island High School juniors, talk about their experience playing multiple sports throughout their lives. For Samuelson, she talks about her involvement in Football and Soccer. On the other hand, Hawotte talks specifically about her experience with Swimming and Soccer. Both athletes started soccer on the same page, with both Hawotte and Samuelson beginning their journeys at 4 years old, and still playing the same sport today. In the meantime, the pair of them respectively picked up a new sport. Hawotte swam competitively for one year when she was 10 years old, but found her way back to the sport during her sophomore year, when she joined the girls swimming team at Rocky. As for Samuelson, she made her way to the field her junior year, and became a member of the Rocky football team as a kicker.
For Hawotte, playing soccer has become a big part of her life. “Soccer is my norm, in a way. I think if I ever stopped playing, a part of me would be missing,” she explained. Her passion beyond carries over to swimming, as well, even though she’s only been involved for 2 years consistently, she talks about how much she’s fallen back in love with doing it, and how welcoming the swimming team was to her at the beginning. “There are challenges that come with playing two sports, but the feeling of accomplishment when I perform well will always make those challenges worth it,” she explains. Similarly, Samuelson talks about the hardships that come along with playing two extremely competitive and physical sports at once. “It definitely took a toll on me. It was challenging trying to balance football practice, soccer practice, schoolwork, and a social life all at once. Even though sometimes it was very tough for me to juggle so many things at once, I wouldn’t trade it for the world because the support I got from the people around me was unmatched.”
Samuelson says, “The absolute best part of playing sports is the people I’ve met and the relationships I’ve formed. Some of the people closest to me I’ve met through sports, and I’m so incredibly grateful for that.” As for Hawotte’s highlights, she states, “I think the coolest part of being a part of sports is the fact that I get the opportunity to get to know so many people I wouldn’t normally find myself talking to.” The future is looking bright for these Rocks, as both of them hope to continue to pursue sports in the long run. Hawotte mentions her desire to keep up with her current sports, stating, “I really hope to continue playing sports throughout my life, and maybe even pursue it in college. Even if that’s not possible for me, I think all of the life skills I’ve learned from sports will play a big role in whatever I end up doing in the future.” Samuelson has a similar take on the situation, saying, “I really hope to get some sort of scholarship to play soccer in college. It’s always been a dream of mine, and if I make it to that point, I know all my hard work getting to that point will pay off.”
Sports can be a competitive setting, but are also an environment fueling fun. “If I had to pick another sport to play, I think I would choose gymnastics. I have always thought it looked so fun and impressive,” Hawotte mentions. Samuelson goes on to say, “I think the sport I would most like to play is volleyball. People my whole life have told me I’d be good at it because of my height, yet I never picked it up. A ton of my friends play volleyball, and they always look like they’re having so much fun together, and also since it’s a very collaborative sport I think I would like it.”
Samuelson leaves off a message to people wanting to join sports, but have yet to do so, saying, “If you’re considering playing a sport, my best advice would be to just go for it. You only live once, and if given the opportunity to join a sport for the first time again, I would 100% take it. The learning process is never as scary as it seems, and you’re bound to meet some pretty cool people along the way. There’s nobody holding you back, except for yourself.”
