Tate Keber is a St. Petersburg High School senior in the 3DE program. When she is not winning nationwide 3DE challenges, she dominates both the volleyball and tennis courts. Tate’s athletic skill is recognized by many, as she was voted the “Most Athletic” female student by the Class of 2024.

Tate plays Varsity Indoor Volleyball and Varsity Tennis for the school teams and enjoys playing spikeball, beach volleyball, and pickleball recreationally. Her preferred sport is tennis, although it is the most physically taxing sport she plays.

Her weekly schedule consists of 2-3 daily practices, depending on the season. In the fall, she focuses on volleyball while also playing tennis in the evening, and in the spring, this schedule flips as tennis becomes in-season.

To manage her busy schedule, Tate uses many strategies to complete her work and limit stress. She tries to do all homework during school, prioritizes her work by the deadline, and emphasizes using her “free periods and lunch wisely to complete homework.” For others thinking of pursuing multiple sports, Tate advises to get the work done as soon as possible and to “not procrastinate!”

Tate notes that she has learned many valuable skills by doing multiple sports. She learned the importance of balancing her activities and pursuing her goals, not other people’s aspirations. This mindset helped guide Tate’s decision not to pursue tennis in college. Although many assumed she would play tennis in college, Tate ultimately decided not to in order to maintain this balance in her life. After an injury last year, she was unable to play volleyball. This helped her realize she enjoys “being good at a lot of things, not just exceptional at one.” Playing multiple sports helped her develop different types of skills and helped her decide that she did not want to give up volleyball, her “fun sport,” in favor of tennis.

Although Tate admits that her schedule can sometimes be stressful and overwhelming, she confidently states that if given the chance, she would not change a thing. Through doing multiple sports, she notes that she has so many more opportunities for friendship, skill development, and fun in general. The sports she pursues have given her the experience to better manage herself and her time, preparing her for the future.