Baseball, softball and the rest of spring sports are mere weeks old. Some teams haven’t even played their first conference games, and thanks to weather, Washington’s track team hasn’t even had its first meet.

Jon Blank wears a lot of hats at Washington High School. He’s the track and field coach, athletic director and first-year head football coach. He’s got a team to lead this spring, but he’s also ready to ramp up football season. He recently hired an offensive coordinator and is on the lookout for a wide receivers coach.

Keith Boyd, Northside’s football coach, spends his springs at the helm of the baseball program. Southside football coach Jeff Carrow has been helping out with the Seahawks’ baseball team this season. Andrea Quinerly, Southside’s track coach, is on the football staff, too.

Notice the trend? The high schools in Beaufort County aren’t as big as some of the schools in the region. Just like many of the athletes opt to play two or three sports, many of the coaches also work with multiple teams.

Amazingly, it doesn’t take away from the championship contention of many of the county’s teams. Plenty of track athletes went to Greensboro last year to represent the area in the state championships. This year, each baseball team has a decent shot at a conference title.

It also helps the coaches, who are always trying to look a little bit ahead, prepare for the coming fall. Blank, Carrow and Boyd get a jump on conditioning many of their football players during their respective spring sports.

Beaufort County has a plethora of hard-working coaches and dedicated athletes. There’s so much more work that goes into competition than what will take place on the field or the track this spring.

Thank a local coach if you get a chance to do so.