For many high school students, the choice between athletics and the arts feels inevitable. However, seniors Maddy Smith and Kelsey Dix never felt the need to choose one or the other. Throughout their four years, both have fully committed themselves to varsity athletics and the musical theatre program at WHS, proving that the stage, field and court can go hand in hand.
Smith has played lacrosse since she was in first grade, but in middle school, she found her love for musical theatre. As part of the WHS girls lacrosse program since her freshman year, she decided to return to musical theatre as a sophomore and found time to dedicate to both. According to girls varsity lacrosse head coach Katie Dasilva, her ability to stay involved in both of these competitive programs is impressive.
“Maddy is a very organized person. She does our lifts on her own right now because the musical is this week, but she stays engaged with the lacrosse program. She’s so into both programs,” DaSilva said.
With the WHS musical, The Prom, taking place March 5, 6 and 7, both Dix and Smith will be very busy. Both play leading roles in the production, which is another stressor on top of their roles as members of the department. “[Maddy] is so excited for the musical this week, and lacrosse starts on Monday. She’s doing both, I don’t know how, but it’s awesome,” DaSilva added.
For DaSilva, Smith’s involvement challenges the long-standing stereotypes about athletes and performers. “From the time I was in high school, theater and athletics were seen as completely separate worlds,” she said. “Everyone sees it as so rare to have someone who does both, and especially for Maddy, as a female too, she shows that those worlds can coexist. You can be an athlete while simultaneously being a performer.”
Smith, though, does admit that the balance between the two isn’t always as easy as she makes it look. “It’s very challenging balancing both, especially last year. I had lacrosse tryouts the same day as the show. There are times when I do have to make a choice, and it’s difficult to balance both,” she said.
Like Smith, Dix has spent the last four years balancing her two passions. “I’ve played volleyball since I was in eighth grade, and I’ve also been in the choir and theater department since I was a freshman. I am very involved with the choir program, especially on our leadership council as social media manager and Secretary/Treasurer.” Dix has also been a lead in Westfield’s spring musicals since her sophomore year, playing Heather Chandler in Heathers, Doria Hudson in Smile and now Dee Dee Allen in The Prom.
Dix has been able to find a balance between both WHS commitments, but it hasn’t been easy. Over the years, Dix has found new ways to manage her time while staying involved with both programs. Despite volleyball season taking place in the fall and the musical beginning in December, there are still overlapping conflicts, such as events, concerts and auditions. She said, “I always make sure to communicate with whoever is in charge of either program, whether it is my coach or director. They are all very willing to work with me. They understand that both commitments are important to me, and they know high school students are very busy.”
Not everyone can find the time in their schedules like Dix and Smith, but when both commitments are at the top of your priority list, you find a way to make it work. Dix said,
“It is such a rewarding experience getting to be involved in both programs, and balancing my time to be engaged in each. I’ve never found myself questioning my commitment to either, and that’s how I knew I deeply valued both.”
The American stigma surrounding the “Jocks vs. Theater Kids” divide has long dominated high school social scenes, but Dix and Smith have proven it to be inaccurate. Smith said, “Socially in America, theater and athletics are seen as opposites and attract opposite crowds. Freshman year, it was honestly scary to do both, for both social and time management reasons, so I only played lacrosse. I decided to get back into theater sophomore year and do the play, and my coach told me I was her first player ever to do it.”
Smith and Dix have shown that with passion, organization and determination, high school students don’t have to choose between the stage, the court and the field, breaking decades’ worth of stereotypes.
