Football recruit the latest two-sport athlete at Penn

If Penn freshman and former Michigan all-state sprinter Aaron Bailey had to choose one sport to play at Penn, it would be — without hesitation — football.

But luckily for Bailey and the Quakers, he doesn’t have to choose.

When the football season ends, Bailey, who is slotted to play wide receiver for the Red and Blue this fall, will follow two-sport sophomores Patrick Foley, Allante Keels and Anthony Stroffolino onto the track.

“It’s just going to be more work for me,” Bailey said. “It’s year-round practice, practice, practice.”

Athletes that choose to participate in two sports are forced to be proactive with their training regimen in order to balance two varsity sports and a full academic slate.

In spite of the challenges associated with the time commitment, players like Bailey believe that training for track in the offseason will pay off when football season rolls around.

“The lifting is more explosive in track season,” Keels said. “It gets your body ready for football.”

Not only do the two sports compliment each other in training, but they are also a practical pair for the athletes’ schedules, though not exactly a perfect fit. While there is no true overlap between the two sports, the track schedule interferes with spring football workouts.

“Track is the only one that actually matches [with football],” football coach Al Bagnoli said. “In the past we’ve had an occasional wrestler, but their season now begins so early, so it’s hard. We’ve had an occasional baseball player, but again, they play so much in the fall now, that that’s becoming harder to do.”

In spite of the challenges associated with dedicating himself to two teams, Bailey can rely on the support and companionship of his peers.

Yet he also has full support from his coaches.

“He’s a tremendously fast and explosive kid,” Bagnoli said. “I don’t mind those kids running track because it’s such a component of everything. … I think it’s been a good double.”

Bagnoli — along with Foley and Keels — emphasized that while it may be difficult, he’s okay with his players double-dipping.

“Provided [they] do okay in school, that’s my biggest concern,” Bagnoli said. “[Bailey] really doesn’t have a semester off. He’s always in-season.”

“It’s a huge time commitment,” Foley added. “You’re in season the whole year, and you have to be ready and prepared.”

But Bailey is not worried about the commitment. He knows that he will never get a break from workouts and that his time management skills must be refined and perfected.

Two-sport athletes challenge themselves because their love and dedication to their sports outweigh the sacrifices and time commitments.

For Foley, the greatest benefits include the camaraderie of two athletic teams and staying in shape throughout the entire year.

Bailey enjoyed major success in both sports in high school — he was named to the all-state team in both — and couldn’t give up either in college.

And for a dual athlete, Bailey is modest. He doesn’t flaunt his success on the football field or the track.

“He’s the Michigan sprint champion,” Bagnoli said. “It’s not like he’s a kid who’s gonna do it for the hell of it.”

And Bailey won’t be the only decorated athlete that combines a track with a high-profile sport at Penn.

Freshman Maalik Reynolds, who was recently named to the USA Today All-America team after his performance in the high jump at the International Association of Athletics Federations’ World Junior Track and Field Championships, told The Daily Pennsylvanian that he hopes to walk-on to the basketball team in the fall.

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