As a three sport athlete, junior Josh Jackson chooses to stay positive through his athletic career with his motto, “Don’t regret the decisions you make.” Jackson is one of the few athletes who participate in three varsity sports during a school year. He plays football in the fall, basketball in the winter and will start playing lacrosse this spring.

Jackson has accumulated a number of accomplishments, including being awarded Athlete of the Year in his freshman and sophomore years. Last year, he ranked 6th in the Central Coast Section (CCS) Championships for the 100 meter sprint for track.

However, Jackson will be dropping track to join the new lacrosse program this year. “Switching to lacrosse would be interesting because I have never played that game before in my life except in P.E.,” Jackson said. “I like the challenge of learning.”

As seasons change, Jackson has to shift the different skills required for one sport to those of another. “The transition isn’t too hard,” he said. “In football, you play really low to the ground, but in basketball you play way up high. [At first,] I wasn’t jumping for a little bit because I wasn’t used to it.” In addition, Jackson believes that the physicality needed to play in football and basketball will roll over into lacrosse.

Even with three sports on his agenda, Jackson tries to focus on one thing at a time. “I focus on the sport that’s in season,” he said. “When a sport is in season, no other sport exist.”

According to Jackson, being a three sport athlete requires him to manage his time better, especially with academics. “All my teachers know I play sports, but I don’t get any slack,” Jackson said.

Junior teammate Jim Hinton plays basketball and football with Jackson and agrees that there is a lack of free time associated with sports. “Being a multiple sport athlete takes away a lot of your social life,” Hinton said. “You can’t hang out with your friends as much. [Jackson] has always been a good multi-tasker. He’s good at balancing his time.”

Another challenge that comes with playing many sports is a greater likelihood of injury. Jackson has been hampered by injuries in past years, including a broken thumb that bothered him during preseason basketball practice in his sophomore year. “It hurt me a lot, mostly because I couldn’t play and I had to slow down,” he said. Even so, Jackson aims to make it through each year without getting hurt.

However, there are benefits of playing in multiple sports. “You stay in shape, and have lots of fun,” Jackson said. “I also have a lot of teammates who are my good friends.” According to Jackson, he even sees a lot of the same athletes popping up in different games in different sports. “I see half of the guys from other football teams on the basketball court or on the track,” he said. “We joke about it.”

According to him, motivation can even come from losses. “Someone that motivates me is my dad who passed away my sophomore year,” he said. “I keep playing sports because it proves to the people around that I am still doing fine with my loss and I love what I do.”

Jackson draws support to continue playing multiple sports from his family and friends. “Josh is good at what he does,” Jackson’s grandmother, Sara Jackson, said. “Whether it’s playing sports or at school, he’s a good boy.”

Jackson believes that when playing sports, one must overlook any faults and try to look forward to becoming stronger. “You might lose a game by one point, or by a lot,” he said. “Some guys say, ‘Oh, I should’ve done this or that.’ I don’t regret anything I do or the decisions I make on the field after a loss, I just try to improve.”