Lakota East senior Bailey Bacher wakes up most days at 4:30 a.m. for swim practice. Some nights, she goes to bed near midnight after a day full of school, practiceor a game, and homework.
Those long days are fewer and farther between than when Bacher was first learning how to balance her time as a freshman. With five sports and a rigorous academic load consuming her time, she has become an expert at time management.
"The coaches definitely help sort it all out. I write down my entire schedule and say, 'This is what I'm gonna do. How is it gonna work?' I've done it for a long time so I've kind of adapted to it," Bacher said.
Bailey Bacher is no stranger to the multi-sport lifestyle
Like many young, uber-active athletes, Bacher couldn't be kept away from the competitive arena. She started swimming and playing
soccer and basketball when she was 4 years old, then added track and field in seventh grade.
She was named The Enquirer's 2025 Female Athlete of the Year, then added "football kicker" to her already lengthy high school athletic resume. In the spring of her sophomore year, head coach Jon Kitna approached her about trying out for the team. She was taken aback at first but made four of five field goals in her 10-minute audition to earn her spot on the team.
Kitna, now in his fourth season at Lakota East, saw qualities in Bacher that aligned with his vision for the program. The Thunderhawks went 1-9 in 2023 but have gone 8-4 and won a playoff game in each of the last two seasons.
"Learning her story as a four-sport athlete, fantastic student and incredible human in the school intrigued me. As a team, we were having trouble understanding what it meant to have competitive character and to pursue greatness. Bailey personifies that," Kitna said.
This year and last year, she has backed up A.J. Fitzstephens. Cincinnati Bengals all-time leading scorer Jim Breech, who has mentored kickers in the Lakota School District since 2022, coaches them both.
"They do a good job of really helping one another, but I think that's what I've seen amongst a lot of kickers. If they kick together, they can help one another because a lot of times you see it better than you can feel it," Breech said.
For all the time she spends on the football field, Kitna and the coaching staff understand that it is her "second sport" in the fall. Bacher led the soccer team in goals as a sophomore and junior, and already has four goals and three assists through five games this year.
In the winter, she'll return to the basketball court after averaging 8.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists as a junior. She is one of eight returning seniors for head coach Nikki Drew, who is entering her second stint at Lakota East.
"It's so exciting to see her come back to her element. She did great things when she was here the first time," Bacher said.
Drew added: "What's really cool about her being a five-sport athlete is she's had a lot of experience that I think she can draw from in continuing to lead our program. Having a variety of coaches to adapt with, mature under and really be willing to listen and improve, she is the ultimate competitor and always wants to get better. If some of your best players are your best leaders and they understand coachability and are really resilient in those changing roles, it's a recipe for success"
When she's not on the basketball court, Bacher will also look to qualify for her fourth swimming state championships.
The spring season is when Bacher gets a little bit of rest, but also where she has the biggest goals for this year. She is a two-time track and field state meet qualifier, and after taking sixth in the shot put and 13th in the discus this past spring, she has her eyes set on a state title.
"I did the 400 (meters) in middle school, and then I got here and (my coaches) were like, 'No, no, no! You're gonna go win state your senior year in shot put and discus.'" Bacher said.
Participating at the state championships in her two individual sports has given her the drive to push the soccer, football and basketball teams to that level. It's not just about her teammates being able to experience an environment unlike any other; she wants to flip their mindset to become ultimate competitors.
Bacher hasn't let academics take a back seat, either. She maintains a 4.77 GPA and takes multiple honors courses. Drew teaches two of those classes, which prepare students for a healthcare career.
"She's super cerebral and is very organized and detail-oriented," Drew said. "Her leadership is awesome, kids look up to her, her work ethic is – I really don't know how she balances it all."
A sixth sport in the spring?
Since Bacher isn't swimming for a club team anymore, she may have a little more free time during her final semester of high school. With flag football burgeoning in Ohio, she has had discussions with her soccer teammates about possibly fielding Lakota East's inaugural team.
"We actually were at Camp Kearn the other day. We had a little football and were throwing it around, and everyone's like, 'Dude, we'd have the best flag football team.' It's definitely a thought in my mind," Bacher said.
Playing five sports has helped Bacher identify what she wants in a coach, as well as inspire her friends and teammates to find out what they are capable of.
Reflecting on her time at Lakota East, she wouldn't have changed a thing.
"Everyone was always like, 'Why don't you just get rid of one?' and I can't. I just love them all," Bacher said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'I just love them all.' Bailey Bacher balances 5 sports at Lakota East
