LORETTO, Pa. – The demand of a double major's academic schedule has similarities with that of a two-sport athlete. Both situations require balance, excellence in time management, and an attention to detail to succeed. 

Two student-athletes at Saint Francis, juniors Rebecca Pendleton and Julia Bradford, have doubled down on that approach, competing as two-sport athletes in swimming and water polo in addition to studies as double majors.

Pendleton is an OT/Psychology double major and ASL/Neuroscience double minor here at Saint Francis. She is a captain of both the water polo and swim team. Some of her earliest memories take place in the water- she helped to create the first water polo program for her high school during her sophomore year, so it comes as no surprise what she wanted to continue in college. 

Rebecca said it was definitely a challenge looking for colleges with coaches who were supportive of doing both. Since seasons overlap it can be challenging to balance the practice and travel commitments. 

"It was here at SFU that I found two teams with coaches willing to work with me doing both sports," said Pendleton. "Doing two sports is probably the most challenging thing I have had to do. Not only am I always on 18+ credits a semester for my majors/minors, but I am constantly trying to find out how to balance going to lifts, swim practices, polo practices, and travel time on weekends with my school workload."

Pendleton is a member of SAAC since her freshman year and SAMs since her sophomore year. These clubs, sports, and academics take up most of her time.

"For sure, there are days when it seems like the week will never end and plenty of times where I am feeling beyond overwhelmed, but the support of my family, friends, and teammates is what gets me through those times," said Pendleton.

Being an athlete is something Pendleton says she has always enjoyed, but being a part of two teams is something so unique that few would understand. She learns double the lessons, makes double the friends and support, has double the opportunities for success, double the time-management skills, and double the enjoyment. She is grateful for the opportunity SFU has given her to continue to do what she loves on top of getting the education she wants. 

Bradford is an Exercise Physiology/Physical Therapy major as well as an American Sign Language minor. Like Pendleton, Bradford serves as a captain for both programs. She started swimming competitively at an early age, competing for various YMCA, club, and USA swim teams leading up to her college career. Aside from swimming, basketball was her second main sport prior to trying water polo. When she started high school, Bradford had to choose between swimming and basketball because they were in the same season. She decided to swim, and out of fear of missing basketball, decided to try water polo to try to fill the void of basketball. 

"I instantly fell in love with the sport and as my four years continued, I knew I wanted to continue to play in college," said Bradford. "My high school career was very important to me as I completed my senior year being named to the Pennsylvania first team all-state for water polo and I also won two gold medals in swimming."

Because of her experiences with water polo and swimming in high school, it was very hard for Julia to decide which sport she wanted to continue in college. Going back and forth between the two and when she would eliminate one of the sports from the picture, Bradford was never satisfied. It was not until her senior year that she decided she could not only continue with one sport. 

"It was extremely important for me to find a school that was willing to allow me to participate in both swimming and water polo. Luckily, Saint Francis was that place," says Bradford.

Being able to compete at the Division 1 level in two different sports has been very humbling for Bradford. She says she is extremely thankful for the coaches she's had and their willingness to allow her to participate in both swimming and water polo. To say it has been an easy road would be an understatement. Being a student-athlete is challenging in itself, and to do it with two sports is even more demanding. Bradford says balancing practices and school work comes with a lot of time management skills and patience. 

"I am so thankful for the opportunity that Saint Francis has given me to study in a very prestigious program as well as participate on two Division 1 sports teams. My teammates on both teams have always been so supportive of me and have helped me through the hardest of times. I cannot thank them enough as well as Coach Phil, Coach Jay, and Coach Allison for supporting me and allowing me to do both of the sports that I love."

For their coaches, the dedication of both Bradford and Pendleton to their studies and their training has allowed both them and their teams to succeed.

"Being a dual sport athlete in college swimming and water polo is not an easy task," said head water polo coach Jay O'Neil. "Rebecca and Julia are in season from the day they set foot on campus until finals in the spring semester. They have done a wonderful job of managing their time while being fully committed to both sports. Their hard work and dedication have been an inspiration to the other members of the team."
 
"The effort that Julia and Rebecca are putting in is remarkable," added head swimming coach Phil Hurley. "Every weekday they have lifting and/or swim practice in the morning that starts at either 6:00 am or 5:30 am. Then almost every week night they have polo practice that ends at 7:30 pm. Over the weekends they have multiple games and meets. They are definitely burning the candle at both ends but they are making it work. They are doing an incredible job – in this year with so many cancellations and rescheduling, Julia and Rebecca are really showing their toughness and their love for their sports."
 
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To learn more about Saint Francis University, visit francis.edu.