October signals the winding down of the regular season of Edina High School’s fall sports and ushers in the start of winter sports. For many multi-sport athletes, this can be a rocky transition, especially if their sports overlap or require different skill sets.

Sophomore Kaya Ygona is swimming for Edina Girls’ Swim and Dive until Nov. 15 and will try out for the EHS hockey team on Oct. 27. The switch between sports is a difficult adjustment for Ygona because both of her seasons conflict.

“[The schedule conflict is] one of my big stressors right now because swim sections and hockey tryouts are overlapping, and I feel like I’m being forced to choose between two sports,” Ygona said.

Senior Brenna Prellwitz said it’s not the first time hockey tryouts have coincided with important events.

“Last year, soccer state overlapped with hockey tryouts, [which was] a little bit [stressful],” Prellwitz said. EHS Girls’ Hockey tryouts took place on Nov. 1, 2024, while the Edina Girls’ Soccer team played in the state finals that morning.

In addition to the schedule conflict, the physical and mental strains of the switch are a concern for athletes.

After spending their fall practicing and training for their fall sport, it can be uncomfortable to begin training for their winter one, especially if the sports are unrelated.

“The physical wear is not a joke. Both [swimming and hockey] use different muscles, so I’m constantly sore in a new spot, [and] mentally switching from one sports mindset to another is tough, especially after a long day of school,” Ygona said.

For sophomore Kai Nordstrum, trying to get back into the groove of cross-country skiing while still being in his soccer season makes it hard to balance.

“Soccer is my number one sport, [so] it can be kind of rough because soccer doesn’t exactly translate to cross-country skiing, [so] my balance is off, and you have to have good balance for cross-country skiing,” Nordstrum said.

Sophomore Emma Nguyen also struggles with adjusting to her winter sport, basketball, after spending her fall focused on volleyball.

“In volleyball, you don’t move that much, but in basketball, there are more skills, and you have to [play well] overall. In [volleyball,] you can just be good at one [position],” Nguyen said.

Despite the stress and struggles of the transition, the memories and experiences from both seasons are priceless.

“Even though it’s hard work, it’s worth it in the end,” Nguyen said.

This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on Nov. 6, 2025