Record-Setters

LAKEWOOD RANCH — It’s hard for Rachel Cannon and Michelle van Dalen to remember a time when they weren’t playing sports.

Athletics have become a natural way of life for The Out-of-Door Academy seniors who both began playing soccer at a young age. The two began kicking around a soccer ball well before they were even in kindergarten, and they haven’t stopped since.

Since then, the two have not only developed their games on the soccer field, but also they have expanded their athletic skills as a whole.

Cannon also joined the volleyball, basketball and track and field teams in the seventh grade, while van Dalen, who was in her first year at ODA at the time, also joined the cross country and tennis teams as a way to meet more people.

“I’ve always played sports throughout the year, so it’s just kind of natural I think,” Cannon said. “Playing is something that comes natural to me. I feel comfortable when I’m playing sports.”

“Mostly I just wanted to know more people,” van Dalen said. “The teams are all really close, and I like having the teammate camaraderie that comes with it.”

As a result of their dedication to ODA athletics over the past six years, the girls have both earned a record number of varsity letters. Along with their letters, the girls have received certificates and pins for their accomplishments.

“I’m just proud that I stuck to three sports for six years in a row,” van Dalen said. “It’s because of the teams and the coaches and how well they make the seasons that (make) you want to play.”

“Because of the size of the school, they have the ability to participate in (a number of) interscholastic athletics,” ODA Athletic Director Noel Beaulieu said. “To have that opportunity is pretty exciting, and they took advantage of the opportunities they had.”

In addition to their record number of letters, the girls have also had their share of individual accolades over the past six years. Cannon has been named the girls soccer team’s MVP every year since the eighth grade, and van Dalen won an individual district tennis championship last spring.

However, playing multiple sports while juggling schoolwork and other commitments isn’t always easy.

“At ODA, when we’re on a team, athletics isn’t the only thing that we’re good at,” Cannon said. “Our teams are well-rounded, so the hardest part is (managing) the time and dedication that comes with playing (multiple) sports.”

Even though she plays both soccer and basketball in the winter, for Cannon, volleyball season is the toughest time of the year because practices don’t end until 6:45 p.m.

“I live on Siesta Key, so by the time I drive home and eat dinner, it’s after 8 p.m. before I can start my homework,” Cannon said. “It’s tiring because you’re getting home later.”

That time of year is also the hardest for van Dalen, who has to overcome the physical and mental commitments that come with running cross country in the middle of the summer.

“Even though the practices are short, it’s really physically and mentally draining,” van Dalen said. “When it’s the middle of August and September and its 90 degrees out and you’re trying to go for a seven-mile run. … It’s almost a mental commitment rather than a physical commitment.”

But even though it can be challenging at times trying to juggle multiple sports along with their academics, Cannon and van Dalen admit it’s provided them with constant support and structure.

“It’s provided my life with structure,” Cannon said. “I know what I have to do. In May, when I have no sports, I find it much harder.”

“It’s good to be busy throughout the year, and it’s nice to have that consistent support,” van Dalen said.

Now as Cannon and van Dalen prepare to close out their high school athletic careers, the two are looking ahead to next year and the possibility of playing athletics in college. Although neither is going to college to play athletics, van Dalen plans to play intramural tennis or join the running club. Meanwhile, Cannon wants to play intramural soccer, but she is also toying with the idea of trying to walk on to the team.

“A lot of people see ODA mainly for its academics, but we’re also good athletes,” van Dalen said.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].