By Abigail Grant and
Madeline Grant
Reporters
Silverton High School junior Ian Crist has one uniform he wears when he’s playing for the varsity football team and another when he’s playing for the varsity soccer team.
However, there’s one thing he wears when he’s playing for both teams.
His soccer cleats.
When people ask why he wears his soccer cleats to kick the football, Crist replies, “I love my soccer cleats and wouldn’t use anything else.”
Having played competitive soccer for many years, Crist never thought that he would play football.
This season, Crist is the only varsity athlete to participate in two fall sports.
Friends on the football team and SHS Head Football Coach John Mannion encouraged Crist to tryout to be the team’s kicker.
A talented athlete, Crist said he’s learned the techniques and tricks to kicking the football whether it’s punting after a fourth down or kicking a field goal.
After school, Crist first attends “special teams” football practice before he heads over to soccer practice.
Sometimes, Crist said, there is a conflict with him having to always miss Friday night soccer practice for the football games but it ends up working out.
“Having to balance out between both sports and make the coaches happy is sometimes a challenge,” Crist said.
Being involved in both sports is time consuming and overwhelming but he plans on playing both football and soccer next year as a senior for Silverton High School.
