As someone who has participated in co-ed swimming for most of my athletic career, I have always loved how female and male athletes are brought together to make one team and how high the energy gets at meets.
Having the boys team support our girls team and race alongside us brings the competition to another level. But not all athletes get to experience that during their athletic journey.
The majority of high school sports teams are comprised of only one gender. They practice separately from each other, compete at different places, at different times, and some even in different seasons.
In the YAIAA, boys’ and girls’ soccer compete in the same season, but the teams practice separately and play on the same night, with one team at home and one away.
However, co-ed sports teams including swimming, golf, cross country, bowling, and track, all practice and compete together at the same location and time.
The genders do not compete against each other but instead with each other. The scores are calculated separately, but both sides want to win together.
“There are plenty of advantages in track and field. We technically have a Boys team and a separate Girls team, but we coach them as one team. We all train together and compete together at the same time,” DAHS track and field Coach Neil Gutekunst states.
For each of the co-ed sports, there are different ways in which their meets or competitions work. At cross country races boys will run and then girls will. With track and swimming, boys and girls will alternate one after another for each event/race.
Both teams have the opportunity to watch each other and be an extra support system.
“The athletes on each team become supporters of the athletes on the other team. Also, the parents and fans of each team become supporters of the athletes on the other team,” says Gutekunst
Many co-ed athletes have said that they love having the extra support of the girl or guy athletes when competing.
“It’s always good to have other people in your corner cheering you on while you swim,” junior swimmer Arijah Anderson states.
Co-ed athletics can also push athletes to do better in their sports.
Competing against or with someone of the opposite gender can drive athletes to strive and work even harder.
When it comes to single-gender sports, most compete in different locations simultaneously. This can be difficult for fans and other athletes who want to support both teams.
“I coached fastpitch high school softball at West York for a few years. Families that had kids on softball and baseball had it tough as they were scheduled same day but different locations,” DAHS teacher John Myers states.
A great thing about co-ed sports is that both girls and guys are together, making it easier for everyone to cheer on each other.
According to DAHS athletic director Josh Luckenbaugh, “It allows for the opposite gender in the same sport to support other programs!”
Some opportunities give athletes in co-ed sports a chance to support and compete together in a particular event.
This past summer the 2024 Olympic Games were held in Paris, France. Swimming and track have an event that is not a part of regular meets. The mixed relay events bring a lot of attention and energy to the fans and athletes of these sports.
This summer we even set a new swimming World Record in the 400 mixed IM relay, with a time of 3:37. 43. The team consisted of Ryan Murphy, Nic Fink, Gretchen Walsh, and Torri Huske.
Locally, athletes who participate in track and swimming can enjoy an experience like this themselves.
Swimmers have the opportunity to participate in Southwest Relays once a season. Swimmers throughout the county look forward to this relay meet because of the wide variety of mixed and regular relays.
“I have so much fun at Southwest Relays, I love the mixed relays because it gives you an opportunity to swim with someone you usually wouldn’t swim with,” Anderson said.
For track athletes, the Herb Schmidt Relay meet, gives them the chance to also participate in these mixed relays.
“The Shuttle Hurdles has teams of 2 boys and 2 girls, and we have been very successful in that race. The other race is the 4x1600m relay where 2 boys and 2 girls each run a 1600 meter. We actually have the Meet Record in that event with our team of Kailey Granger, Jackson Gutekunst, Victoria Rodriguez, and Jakob Rager,” Gutekunst says.
From setting records together to competing and supporting one another, coed competitions allow for an expanded team atmosphere and can create a family between two teams. They bring together female and male athletes who can compete together in a sport both teams love.
