The high school season is only part of the schedule for several local athletes. The final kick, hit, volley or takedown of the prep season is only the beginning of a busy year.

Rapid City Stevens' Jack Hamburg is one of the most talented athletes in western South Dakota and in a five-state region. But what makes him unique is his total dedication on one sport. Soccer player Maria Gonzalez and football kicker Kevin Robb, athletes for St. Thomas More, are equally as talented in their sports.

But, each one of them is in another group: They are trying to get scholarships against tough odds and competition. And they must focus on their one sport to do it.

Hamburg has tried his hand at several other sports, and according to Rapid City Stevens tennis coach Jason Olson, he would excel at the high school level in all of them ifhe chose to do so. But Hamburg was drawn to tennis, enough to pursue a college scholarship. In the past week, he has sent e-mails to Wake Forest, Minnesota, George Washington, Davidson and Boise State.

Hamburg said male tennis players have a hard time drawing scholarship dollars because most athletic department funds go to more popular sports including football and basketball.

Hamburg is ranked No. 1 in the USTA North region in the Under-16 age group, and he is ranked No. 65 in the country. But, he said he will still have a tough time earning scholarship dollars.

"People that are No. 50 (in the country) don't know if they are going to get money," Hamburg said.

Olson does not think the same thing. He said Hamburg has a good chance at pulling in a scholarship if he continues at the same rate of improvement. Olson lauds Hamburg's play and improvement since the seventh grade, saying he has the size, quickness and mental ability to succeed.

"He'll get a scholarship," Olson said. "It just depends on level (of school)."

Olson said Hamburg can play with the best in his age group in the country. And Hamburg has had plenty of chances to do so.

Hamburg must keep a busy schedule and travel frequently. His season begins in January with the United States Tennis Association and continues even after the high school season in the spring. Hamburg plays in many high-profile tennis tournaments in the country during the summer to get the attention of colleges. He played in several tournaments this year, including one at the site of the U.S. Open.

"(Tennis players) have to travel so far to play in the tournaments," Olson said. "It almost makes tennis players one-sport athletes."

Gonzalez, who is just returning from playing club soccer in Iowa, has played soccer since she was 10, and is now entering her high school season. Though she has admittedly not been too serious about finding a scholarship yet, she has already made a trip to Augustana and she knows that scholarship dollars are tight.

In her visit to Augustana, Gonzalez learned that she may have to stick with soccer in college for some time before getting any money. She learned that some players receive more scholarship money the longer they stay with the school.

Despite rare scholarship opportunities, she sticks with the sport. She used to play basketball and run in track, but she chose soccer because of the "rush" of scoring goals.

"I have more of a passion for it," she said.

Kevin Robb, who is an all-state senior kicker for St. Thomas More, has the same challenges. Robb went to Kohls Kicking Camp in Minnesota this past summer and competed with some of the nation's best in front of college coaches. He also attended the May Showcase Camp, another camp in Denver, and the National Invitational Scholarship Camp at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Right now, Robb is communicating with several colleges in Minnesota about a scholarship, but he still puts his odds at receiving a college scholarship at 50 percent.

Robb is still new to the sport of football. He started kicking last year as a junior after football coach Wayne Sullivan finally succeeded in convincing him to join the team. Robb was able to hit 10-of-12 field goal kicks last year. Sullivan knew Robb would be a good kicker from watching soccer practice.

"You know he is a kicker because (the ball) makes a different sound when it hits his foot," Sullivan said.

"Coach Sullivan has been asking me for years," Robb said. "He introduced me to placekicking and that whole concept, and everything just started clicking."

Experience playing away from the area can help.

Though Rapid City Central girls basketball coach Kraig Blomme does not have a one-sport athlete on his team this year, he had several in the past that opted to travel and play AAU basketball during the summer. Despite what may be contrasting coaching styles, the coach likes that the players take a focus solely on basketball during the summer.

"Any time the kid has a basketball in his or her hands it's going to help them, as long as they continue to be part of the team over the summer by going to team camps and open gyms," Blomme said.

Normally, most coaches do not subscribe to prep athletes concentrating on only one sport. Most area coaches say all prep athletes should try a little bit of everything to not only get the learning experiences, but to also exercise different muscles.

"I don't think (one sport) makes you strong enough to compete," Olson said. "The three-sport athlete tends to be a little more mentally focused."

But these examples of athletes buck that trend, and the coaches understand that.

"It's always nice to find kids that find their niche," Sullivan said.

Olson has a different take on Hamburg because of his tennis ability, and he knows Hamburg must focus solely on tennis to move on in the sport.

"He has the potential to be the best player South Dakota has ever seen," Olson said, adding that Hamburg is comparable to past school record-setting players Billy and Corey Paluch.

Playing one sport can also take its toll. Some athletes may tire or burn out.

Hamburg and Gonzalez only have weeks off each year, but each athlete has a way to counter burnout. Hamburg uses his time off by skiing at Terry Peak, cliff jumping and playing intramural basketball and backyard football. Gonzalez is involved in palates, kick boxing and dancing for the Rapid City Rush.

"It keeps the balance," Hamburg said.

Olson, who coaches several other sports, said he sees the same kind of burnout from soccer.

"So many kids burn out because they play soccer year round," Olson said. "I think that is why Jack is so successful, because he took time off. Even (former Nebraska football coach) Tom Osborne used to make his kids play intramurals."

Playing only one sport has other benefits.

Hamburg said his one sport gives him a singular focus. He does not worry about making a team in another sport when his season is over.

Lyman Mahaffy, a Rapid City Stevens wrestler, enjoys playing one sport just because he fares well, and it is the only one he enjoys. Mahaffy, who competed at the Disney Duals wrestling tournament this past summer, hopes to get a wrestling scholarship, but he is not doing anything else outside of the season to earn one.

"If it happens, then that's good. If it doesn't, I'll go do something else," said Mahaffy, who also helps his family on the ranch, lifts weights and watches his cousin at rodeos. "I'd like one, but it doesn't always happen. I wrestle year round because that is just what I like to do I guess."

Mahaffy used to play football, but injury concerns pushed him to focus on being healthy for the wrestling season.

But, the Disney Duals were a great step.

"I think any time you can go out of state and wrestle prime level of competition, you will improve," Mahaffy said. "I've already been to a big, big show. It makes some of the tournaments we go to not seem so large. It gets us ready for the experience."

But, if you ask him if he gets burned out of wrestling, he has a quick answer.

"No. It's my passion. I want to wrestle year round. It's kind of like addicting. I started out wrestling when I was four and I have wrestled ever since."