Tristan Htut And Being Multisport
Intro:
Being accomplished in one sport is impressive already, so how about two? That’s what freshman Tristan Htut does–excel in running as well as making the soccer team. He’s already racing on the varsity cross-country team and being a CIF alternate in his first year. Here, he has much to share with other potential multisport athletes, such as how he balanced time and training.
1. How did you balance cross-country and soccer, such as how you managed your time and training?
Time management is more of a game of sacrifice. Knowing it’s possible to have two practices or training sessions in one day, he even encourages skipping one or both practices (occasionally) if you really have too many extracurriculars, homework, or studies that day. Noting the drawbacks of being a dual-sport athlete, “training on both sports in the same day is definitely rough, and hinders your mental and physical capacity greatly.” However, Tristan still encourages athletes to believe in the impossible, adapting until the body and the mind get used to the increased workload.
2. Do you think both of your sports help each other? Does soccer help you with running and vice versa?
Many know soccer also as a sport of running, and the sheer endurance requirements can be seen in any soccer game. Tristan believes both sports help each other, but mainly emphasizes the mental aspect, as “running really helps my confidence in soccer, while the long days of doing both help me push through other hardships in my life.” Although the training may seem too tough at some points, whenever he has a hard cross-country workout or a soccer session, he relies on the alternate sport to restore his confidence; this allows him to not worry about the pressure to perform.
3. Do you have any tips for other dual-sport athletes, especially those in the soccer and running pathway?
Tristan highlights using every nook and cranny of your tight schedule to accomplish things, as he maintains that “if your demanding schedule only gives you an hour between practices, that hour is crucial to make sure you don’t have to do it after…when you are completely drained.” Speaking of being drained, his second tip is prioritizing recovery such as sleep and proper nutrition. Being drained will only do harm, so Tristan additionally credits doing more warm-ups and cooldowns as his main relief from the strain of two leg and joint-heavy sports. No matter what sport, dual-athletes must “keep the non-performance areas of your game in tip-top shape so as to not get injured, or underperform.”
Have you decided on what to do next, such as sticking to one sport or doing two at the same time?
Despite already having proven his talent in soccer and making the school team, Tristan recently decided to end his soccer career by switching all his efforts to training for long-distance track. To him, soccer will now be a past accomplishment and fun experience to remember. Ultimately, his decision is like numerous other athletes who have to face the brutal reality that “even with extreme talent, you will always be surpassed by those who can give their all to one sport – and not 50%.”
Conclusion:
For those struggling handling two sports, Tristan recommends making use of all of your spare time to become more productive, as well as emphasizing sleep and recovery. Nevertheless, there is a caveat–those seeking to compete at the top level for both sports will have to pick the one they like more and abandon the other, since only people devoting 100% to something can reach their full potential. As for Tristan, he’s continued with his decision to give his all into track and next year’s cross-country season to see how far he can go. We cannot wait to see him crush the upcoming season with his soccer endurance base and renewed dedication.