The transition from the fall to winter sports season takes another step forward this week as boys basketball and wrestling practice begins after school today across the state. With the change in the sports season, the Raccoon Valley Radio Network has talked with the winter sports coaches at West Central Valley Schools about the benefits of having athletes coming off their fall season.

West Central Valley fourth-year head girls basketball coach Drew Stonewall says having multi-sport athletes are huge for his program. “I’ve got some girls that are very involved in volleyball. cross country and even fall softball.” Stonewall said, “I can’t think of a girl (on my roster) who wasn’t involved in something this fall, and I think that’s really important.”

First-year head boys basketball coach Justin Keck spoke to the competitive drive multi-sport athletes tend to have. “Multisport athletes you know they’re there to compete and to work hard,” Keck said, “With a smaller school (like ours) you have run on athletes who go out for every sport and have that mindset to go get the win.”

The Wildcats’ second-year head wrestling coach Ethan Calvert says from his experience, multisport athletes come into the room better conditioned. “Especially the guys who’ve been doing cross country, they’ve been running all fall, so they’re already going to be in decent shape.” Calvert said, “The football guys as well. They are going to come in use to the routine of going through practice every day after school. They’re used to being competitive every day after school.”

Catch interviews with West Central Valley’s winter sports coaches on the Karl Chevrolet of Stuart Guthrie County PM Sports Page, tonight at 6 p.m. on True Country K 107.9.