Always on the move

Thursday’s games

Where: at Penn State Altoona

Girls: Blair County vs. Central PA, 6:30 p.m.

Boys: Blair County vs. Central PA, 8:30 p.m.

Tickets: $5 for both games. Can be purchased at the Mirror or on game night with doors opening at 5:30 p.m.

Practice was held Tuesday night for the 18th annual Altoona Mirror Classic, which will be held at Penn State Altoona’s Adler Arena on Thursday with the girls game at 6:30 p.m. and the boys game following at 8:30.

Central’s Mason Byler showed up in his Scarlet Dragons baseball jersey after a victory over Bishop Guilfoyle Academy. Portage’s Trae Kargo made it to the Summit Tennis & Athletic Club after driving straight from a baseball game at Northern Cambria.

Huntingdon’s Lily Fiscus arrived after her track meet.

And Central Cambria’s Grady Snyder — who plays football, basketball and baseball for the Red Devils — took home a box of jerseys to his classmates Keira Link, who was at a softball game, and Alaina and Abigail Sheehan, who were at a track meet in Bellefonte.

“It keeps you active,” Snyder said. “Every sport has its own unique way of touching on different aspects like hand-eye coordination, strength and every game touches on something different. Playing all those sports is really important for bettering yourself all around. If you love playing all three sports, you should do what you love.”

In a world where many athletes specialize in one sport, many of the kids playing in this year’s basketball all-star Mirror Classic star throughout the year in many different ones.

“I think it really helps you improve in each of them individually,” said Fiscus, the Lady Bearcats’ all-time leading scorer in basketball. “Each of them brings something else to the table to help you grow. It will help you build, and if you have a main sport, whatever it is, all of the things you do in the other sports will help you grow in that sport too.

For many of the players who will lead the Blair County and Central PA teams on Thursday, basketball is their top sport, but that doesn’t mean it should be played all year.

Travis Kargo, who just retired as Portage’s boys basketball coach after 25 years, was watching his son Trae practice on Tuesday after watching him pitch against Northern Cambria in the afternoon.

“I feel like as a former athlete and a coach, you can’t make up for lost time,” Travis Kargo said. “Trae hasn’t missed a baseball workout — they started in December. He would go from basketball to the gym and do indoor hitting all winter every weekend. That’s what you do. I never wanted basketball to be my players’ lives. Their friends are in these other sports. Go be with your friends, play other sports. I tell our kids, I need their maximum effort and focus when we are together, when we’re not, go enjoy and be a kid.

“Get involved in different things. That’s a winning formula, not just in sports, in life. Be involved and go out and make yourself better. Whatever sport you are playing, commit yourself to it.”

Trae Kargo played golf in the fall prior to basketball.

“It teaches you lots of lessons,” Trae Kargo said. “You make lots of connections with lots of different people, and it makes the high school experience better. They are all so different. Each one brings their own special things. It’s fun to get to compete in all of them.”

For some athletes, it comes down to what time it is in the year as to their favorite, but for others, success and the potential to play in college play a factor.

“Whenever it’s that season, I really get into it,” Snyder said. “I would say I really like football the best. I’m going to college for it at Shippensburg.”

Snyder led Central Cambria to the District 6 baseball championship last year, and he said the Red Devils have another solid team this year.

“I’m super excited,” Snyder said. “We have most of our team back, and we have filled most of the roles from people who have left. I’m excited to see how we fare throughout the season.”

Trae Kargo and teammate Owen Gouse helped the Mustangs win a District 6 championship in basketball this season, and like Kargo, Gouse also plays three different sports including football and track.

“We’re always in shape with constant lifting, always in the gym,” Gouse said. “We’re working out. Even if it’s football season, we’ll be playing some basketball on the weekends. For me, track helps me with my conditioning. Football helps with weightlifting, and that is really helpful.”

In addition to the physical aspects, there are life lessons involved in each sport.

“I also think it teaches you determination and perseverance,” Fiscus said. “You’re not going to be great at everything you do the first time. But knowing the repetitions it takes to learn something new kind of helps you in the real world too.”