Nick Zeller-Singh is a Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Seton Catholic for AZPreps365

It’s 3 p.m. and Seton Catholic students in their red polo and khaki uniforms scurry home after a rigorous day. Others proceed into multi-sport activities. It’s the Sentinel Way

The Sentinels do not see their sports as individual programs, but programs all uniting together to fight for success in a school of only 600.

“We always preach this is a Seton thing, not a football thing,” said coach Pete Wahlheim. “For Seton to survive, we have to have them play multiple sports.”

It also helps the athletes thrive in school.

“I love playing sports and I like keeping active,” said junior running back and soccer star Marek Sycamore. “It helps me focus because if I didn’t do sports, I would have too much energy, so I couldn’t focus in class. It’s a way for me to do better in school.”

Sycamore is one of millions of kids who use multiple sports as support.

ESPN reported that multi-sport athletes have fewer overuse injuries, lower mental burnout, and exposure to new cultures.

Wahlheim believes in expanding their cultural diversity and encourages his players to do as much as possible.

“The more things they do, the more they’re exposed to different coaches, different cultures, and different requirements,” said Wahlheim. “But then as far as going into college, it Is more marketability. It is something I wish more kids did.”

Seventy-one percent of Division 1 football players were multi-sport athletes, according to USA Today.

Sam Zadel is a senior middle linebacker and middleweight wrestler.

“It looks good on a college resume and it also gives you the ability to do more things than you can do before and gives you more talent.”

Sophomore tight end and infielder Michael Williamson is inching toward college applications too.

With a little over 7% of high school athletes playing collegiate sports, Williamson will take lessons from his sports and utilize them in the real world soon.

“Time management is a big one,” said Williamson. “Also, learning that you need to work hard and learning how to compete for a position in the workplace can relate from sports too.”

6’6” Josh Hansell has recruiters looking his way for baseball and possibly football.  But only about 1 in 16,000 high school athletes play professionally, according to the NCAA.

“Sports in general teaches a lot of life lessons like prioritizing time and having a good work ethic.”