Swimming is an individual sport, but Joseph Kelly does not swimalone.
He brings his music with him.
'In a long swim race, I'll be playing a symphony in my head,'Kelly said.
When Claire Sakurada runs cross country, she knows she can do it,even when her legs get tired.
She knows she has the discipline to tackle a running course,because she uses the same discipline to stick to the lesson planwith her bassoon or viola.
And once Caitlin Smith catches the bug for something, that'susually all she wants to do.
Right now, her things are soccer and photography.
These three athletes are part of the handful of athletes whoattend the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics at 31st and Main,then compete for other high schools in their respective sports.
Kelly, a senior, made it to the state swim meet in Federal Waythis year, representing Hudson's Bay High School.
Smith, also a senior, scored a game-winning goal last fall tohelp Hudson's Bay to a soccer victory.
And Sakurada, a freshman, gave it her all for the Mountain ViewThunder in cross country.
The three of them, as well as the half-dozen or so other highschool athletes at the art school choose to work a little bit harderfor the chance to play high school sports.
Sure, they get out of school early to attend practices or travelto road contests, but they aren't given a free pass.
'Our students learn academics in the morning and focus on theirart in the afternoon,' associate principal Scott Barnes said.
School goes until 4 p.m. most afternoons, but athletes usuallyleave campus around 2:30 p.m.
'Athletes must apply for early release during their sportsseason, and they must make up the work for the course they aremissing,' Barnes said.
Smith, for instance, is missing an art class. So at home, shedrew, worked on some sketches and finished a soap-stone sculpture.
'I'd show my teacher so he'd know I was doing something,' shesaid. 'I enjoyed doing it because I'm fine with working on my own.If I want to do something I like, I'm willing to make a sacrifice todo it.'
The school for the arts is open for grades 6 through 12, andstudents can choose to study from six different art forms: visualarts, music, literary arts, moving image arts, dance and theatre.
With that, there is no room for athletic teams, Barnes said.
There are options for those who are gifted both artistically andathletically and who want to focus on art during the day and playsports in the afternoon.
'Those are my two loves,' Kelly said of the violin and swimming.'There's no way I could give one of them up. I decided to focus onboth.'
He stayed focused enough, in fact, to obtain a 3.9 grade-pointaverage during the last grading period.
He also peaked at the perfect time in swimming. After winning thedistrict title in the 100-yard backstroke this year, Kelly had twopersonal-best times in the event at state, where he finished 13th,four spots better than where he qualified.
Smith's soccer highlight came when her goal beat Mountain View inthe fall. It was Bay's last win of the season.
'It was so big for me. My coach gave me the biggest hug,' Smithsaid.
Smith's final year of high school soccer was memorable.
'We had the funniest times at practices,' she said. 'It was funon the field, win or lose. I wish I could play with them every day.'
That doesn't mean Smith would have rather attended Hudson's Bay.She feels right at home at the art school.
'This school is so friendly. I'd never want to go to a differenthigh school,' Smith said.
Sakurada, however, admits that there are times when she wishesshe had gone to a school with an athletic program.
But there is no doubt where her priorities are today. She spentthe fall getting out of school early for cross country. And althoughshe said Mountain View coaches were hoping she would run track thisspring, Sakurada decided to concentrate on her music.
She said she will return to the Thunder for cross country, butshe didn't want to miss her last course of the day this spring.
Perhaps the most inspirational aspect of the Vancouver School ofArts and Academics is prospective students must apply to beaccepted. In other words, they want to be there.
But their lives are not only centered around their arts. Somelike playing sports.
Joseph Kelly, Caitlin Smith and Claire Sakurada prove that theycan do both, provided they are willing to work a little harder.
JOSEPH KELLY
* ART: Violin.
* SPORT: Swimming for Hudson's Bay High School.
* QUOTEWORTHY: 'I think it's great to have the best of twoworlds. Playing in an awesome orchestra and being able to swim forHudson's Bay is a really great experience.'
CAITLIN SMITH
* ART: Photography.
* SPORT: Soccer for Hudson's Bay High School.
* QUOTEWORTHY: 'If I want to do something I like, I'm willing tomake a sacrifice to do it.'
CLAIRE SAKURADA
* ART: Viola and bassoon.
* SPORT: Cross country for Mountain View High School.
* QUOTEWORTHY: 'You have to have a lot of discipline to run longdistance. There's no one telling you to keep going. you can juststop if you want to. That (discipline) helps in practicing oninstruments, too.'
