4 sports,
3 schools, 1 athlete
Bear Lake’s Spalding makes most of co-op
sports
By MATT WENZEL Manistee News
Advocate Sports Editor
BEAR LAKE — Patrick Spalding doesn’t wear
his varsity jacket much.
It’s not that he doesn’t have reason to — the Bear Lake junior plays
four different sports. However, it would likely raise a few eyebrows and
force Spalding into answering a number of reasonable questions about the
different letters on his colorful coat.
The red and white “BL” is for Bear Lake.
The dark blue and yellow “O” is for Onekama.
The light blue and white “B” is for Brethren.
How many schools has Spalding attended, anyway?
Actually, the same one since kindergarten.
It seems confusing, but is actually quite simple.
Spalding might not don his varsity jacket much, but he can’t hide from
his role as a posterchild for cooperative sports.
“I can’t think of too many situations out there where a kid is literally
wearing the school colors for three different schools and has the great
opportunity to play high school sports,” said John Johnson,
communications director for the Michigan High School Athletic
Association. “Cooperative programs have opened the door of opportunity
for schools and for kids. It’s about giving kids as many meaningful
opportunities as possible.”
Spalding has taken full advantage of his opportunities and adjusted to
stay busy all year.
“After golf switched to the spring, I had nothing to do in the fall, so
that’s when I started running cross,” he said. “It gets me in shape for
basketball.”
Once the snow thaws, Spalding splits time with the Onekama track and
field team and the Brethren golf team.
“It’s kind of unusual to be able to do that,” said Brethren golf coach
Tom Anderson. “But, he’s a very dedicated young man. He works very hard
at it.
“If he played one of them during this season, would he be better? I’m
sure, and it wouldn’t make a difference which sport — he’d be a little
better at one. But, he’s committed to helping all three schools out one
way or another.”
Spalding admits that spreading himself out over two sports at once has
its consequences.
“My scores (in golf) have kind of shown this year that I’ve struggled a
little bit trying to do the two of them, practicing both,” he said.
“But, I find time. Golf is more of an individual sport, so you can
practice it on your own.”
Clearly, Spalding has done more than squeeze in bucket of balls on the
range or a few minutes on the putting green.
He’s been the Bobcats’ top player in most matches this season and
qualified as an individual for a Division 4 regional, while also
competing in the high jump as well as hurdle and relay events for
Onekama in track and field.
Oh, and he also carries a 4.0 GPA.
“There’s a few late nights here and there,” he said with a laugh when
reflecting on the balance between academics and athletics. Spalding said
he plans on doing all four sports again his senior year, an opportunity
that not everyone is afforded. |
He runs cross country for Bear Lake in the
fall and plays basketball for the Lakers in the winter. In the spring,
Spalding does double duty, playing golf for Brethren while also
competing in track and field for Onekama, both of which co-op with Bear
Lake.
“It’s different competition in each one,” Spalding said. “Golf is more
of a mental game. Basketball and track are more just athletics — who’s
the better athlete. It’s just fun to get all aspects of the sports.”
Spalding also golfs for
Brethren in the spring.
(Matt Wenzel/News Advocate file photo)
He lives in the Benzie Central school
district, where his older sister went to high school, but has been at
Bear Lake since kindergarten because his mother, Kathy, is a teacher
there.
“I like it at Bear Lake,” Spalding said. “I like the smaller school.”
Bear Lake may be one of the smaller schools in the state, but its co-op
sports have provided Spalding with a full slate of athletic
possibilities.
And, someday, Spalding may get a chance to pull his varsity jacket out
of the closet, knock off decades of dust and explain to his grandkids
exactly what all those different letters and colors mean. |