Juggling academic responsibilities with extracurricular activities is a tough task for many students. When it comes to busy schedules, student-athletes may have it the worst.

The typical weekday of a high school athlete often involves early-morning practices or conditioning, classes, either a game or more practice, homework and an attempt at getting enough sleep to do it all again optimally the next day. Offseason conditioning, traveling for competitions or tournaments, weekend games and watching tape take even more time away from academics.

Clarkdale’s Cade Hopkins, who is currently juggling baseball with school work, has figured out how to keep up. He had to as a three-sport athlete who practices all year.

Hopkins would not have it any other way. His favorite sport is baseball, which he has played since seventh grade, but he has also played football for six years and basketball for five because most athletes have to focus on one sport once they get to college.

“I have love for all three of the games, and I kind of feel like high school is the only place where you can play all three,” Hopkins said. “High school is the only opportunity for you to play whatever sports you want to play. I just feel like more people should take advantage.”

The Clarkdale senior does it all on the football field for Clarkdale. He plays cornerback, receiver, special teams returner and was the backup kicker. In 2022 he racked up 14 tackles, seven pass breakups, two receiving touchdowns and two interceptions returned for touchdowns.

“Hopkins was a player that we could always depend on getting his job done. He was such a versatile player,” Clarkdale football coach Bubba Brannan said. “He was one of the most fun kids I’ve ever coached, to be honest with you, just his sense of humor.”

On the basketball court, Hopkins averaged 7.8 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game and 1.2 assists per game as Clarkdale’s center. Clarkdale basketball coach Drew Watson said Hopkins was a smart player who hustles, helps his teammates and does not cost the team games with blown assignments.

“He was our captain for basketball this year. He’s a guy that everybody looks towards when things start to get off kilter a little bit. Having somebody that’s a consistent presence, not just when times are good but when they’re kind of bad too, was really good for us,” Watson said.

Hopkins also pitches during baseball season. Clarkdale baseball coach Scott Gibson said Hopkins does not want to be the center of attention on the team, but he helps keep the locker room loose.

“He’s always willing to do what you ask him,” Gibson said. “He’s just there to be a great teammate for his guys. He’s valuable to our team even though he only pitches once or twice a week.”

Gibson said high schoolers are capable of juggling multiple sports, but they need to manage their time well and work on each sport year-round to not fall behind in school or in athletics.

“They’re going to be busy all year long. I think that’s the biggest thing that will deter some kids away, because you don’t have an offseason,” Watson said. “I think kids feel pressured to specialize in a sport if they want to play at the next level.”

Practices take up a lot of time, and three-sport athletes do not get to go home at 3 p.m. most days, which leaves less time for studying. Playing one sport at a time is hard enough, but Hopkins’ sports seasons have overlapped in the past.

“Having homework or a test to study for, you have to fit those things into your schedule when you have practice every day of the school year,” Hopkins said.

Hopkins said he has learned to enjoy the grind of being a three-sport athlete, though his first year was tough.

“As soon as I finish one sport, we have a game the next week or the same week I get to my next sport,” Hopkins said. “I like being active and having stuff to do.”

Three-sport athletes may be busy, but Hopkins chose that route because it allows him to play the sports he loves with his teammates while improving his overall athleticism. He said football makes him stronger, basketball makes him more conditioned and baseball teaches him life lessons and how to combat adversity.

Brannan said it is almost overwhelming to play multiple sports because of the time commitment required to be successful in each one, but he wishes every kid played as many sports as possible because playing a sport can help develop an athlete’s skills in other sports.

Hopkins’ advice to other multi-sport athletes who are struggling to keep up with their many responsibilities is to persevere, because they could be robbing themselves of the opportunity to build bonds with teammates and develop a brotherhood if they quit.

“He’s like the old soul of high school athletics,” Watson said. “I just like how he’s doing it, playing everything he can and trying to be the best at every single thing. … I think looking back some of these kids are going to regret not playing. I think he did it the right way and shouldn’t have any regrets.”