Two sports needed for O’Tousa

In the winter Christina O’Tousa’s weekdays often begin at 4 a.m. With only one break, her day ends around midnight. That’s an easy day.

A difficult day is when O’Tousa plays in a soccer game after school, immediately leaving to play two games in a basketball tournament 50 miles away.

But that is not the worst. On occasion O’Tousa has to sacrifice participating in one sport for the sake of the other because of schedule conflict. It was to avoid just that, why the Newport Harbor High sophomore chose to participate in both winter sports.

“I love both, I would hate to pick,” said O’Tousa who has played on the varsity soccer and basketball teams since she was a freshman.

O’Tousa has played soccer since she was 4 years old and basketball since the third grade. In junior high, she decided to make the commitment, which was made easier when she read about UCLA soccer and basketball star Whitney Jones, who played both at San Clemente, as well.

“I talked to both coaches and they said it could be done,” O’Tousa said. “I knew it would be hard. The coaches have been really helpful.”

During the league season playing both is possible because basketball games are on Wednesdays and Fridays while soccer is Tuesday and Thursday. Playing in a game will not stop her from attending the other sport’s practice. Mondays mean twice the practice.

It’s the preseason in late November through December when O’Tousa’s schedule becomes most hectic, with tournaments and the day of games varying from week to week.

Newport Harbor girls’ basketball coach Jennifer Thompson has watched O’Tousa pull off the feat since she was a freshman.

“My initial reaction was it’s never going to happen, I don’t know how it’s going to happen,” Thompson said. “But she’s such a great athlete we didn’t want to put her in a position to choose. And even if she is going to soccer practice instead of my practice I know she’s getting a good workout.”

Josh Brooks took over the girls’ soccer team this season and said he is happy to share.

“I’m very grateful to the basketball coach,” Brooks said. “[O’Tousa] doubles up on practices all week.”

O’Tousa’s teammates witness her weave her way in and out of practice, from one sport to another. Because of the effort she exerts there is no animosity said Sailors’ junior midfielder Emily Ohlhaver.

“I don’t know how she does it,” Ohlhaver said. “We don’t mind, we just hope she can cope. She’s a really good soccer player.”

None of it stops the players from slipping in a few jokes, though.

“They think I’m crazy for doing both,” O’Tousa said. “They’ve all been really nice about [coming late to practice sometimes]. They make jokes about it, but they’re nice. They’ll say something like ‘Oh, you made it.’ They know I’m not missing practice to go hang out. They respect that. They ask how my schedule is and ‘Where are you going, oh soccer practice.’ ”

Throughout O’Tousa has maintained a high level in the classroom, too. O’Tousa had a 4.0 grade-point-average her freshman year and expects to do the same as a sophomore with advanced placement world history and honors English.

“Schoolwork piles up, I just try to balance everything as good as I can,” O’Tousa said. “It’s always going to be a challenge. My parents are really intense about school.”

After school on Thursday O’Tousa started at defender for the soccer team in a home game, helping the Sailors to a 3-0 victory over Laguna Hills.

The game started at 3 p.m. At 5:30 p.m. she was in the Whitney High gym in Cerritos for a basketball game. O’Tousa scored two points in a 25-18 loss as she continued to fill in at point guard.

“That’s the beast that she is,” Brooks said.

O’Tousa’s father, Mike, said it was easy for him and O’Tousa’s mother, Yvonne, to allow their daughter to make the commitment.

“I don’t think we were nervous,” Mike O’Tousa said. “The coaches deserve a lot of credit. The coaches have been great in making it happen. We’re proud of her regardless of sports and grades. She’s managing her time well. It’s part of growing up. We’ve got the easy part.”

But Christina O’Tousa is having the most fun.

The most difficult season is looming when she is a junior, when this time of year is spent preparing for and applying to college.

“It’s tiring, but it’s fun,” O’Tousa said.