Courtesy of David Wolcott Jr. of WilckedLocal.com
PLYMOUTH – Multiple-sport high school athletes have a sometimes gut-wrenching decision to make when they get ready for college. If they want to continue to play sports at the next level, they usually have to narrow things down to one main sport.
Brady Sorensen looks at things from a different perspective.
"The advice I'd give a high school athlete is if you really want to play more than one sport in college, go for it and give it your best shot," the Plymouth North graduate said. "The connections I've made in playing multiple sports have been amazing and very helpful. They've all become hugely important figures in my life."
Just finished with his sophomore year as a student at Suffolk University, Sorensen is the rare three-season college athlete, starting on the Rams' soccer team and then switching over to track and field for the winter and spring athletic seasons.
"I think I'm just better overall when I am busy. I'm not used to having much free time on my hands. It's not easy juggling everything, but I always find a way to make it work," Sorensen explained. "The biggest thing I have going for me is the latitude all of my coaches give me, both in-season and out of season. My track coach (Will Feldman) has been amazing in kind of letting me train at my own pace, especially during soccer season."
Sorensen's college athletic career got off to a slow start due to COVID-19. Like most athletes, Sorensen had to make do with the lack of a season and find ways to keep in shape while waiting to play again.
"Lots of running," Sorensen joked. "I ran a lot to keep in shape during the pandemic. Fortunately, running is something that translates over from soccer to track and field."
When things started back up again last fall, Sorensen was ready to roll, starting 13 games as a defender. He tallied five goals and three assists and was named All-Commonwealth Coast Conference (Third team).
Sorensen wasn't especially happy with his performance during the winter track season, but he turned things around this spring. He won the CCC's 100 and 200 dashes and the long jump at the all-league meet and was named the Conference's Track Rookie of the Year.
He set a personal and program record in the long jump this spring (6.95-meters) and was the first Suffolk jumper ever to qualify for the New England Championships. His plans over the next couple of seasons are to get his 100 time under 11 seconds, his 200 time under 22 seconds, and then jump more than 24 feet in the long jump.
"I didn't expect things would go as well as they did this spring. I got off to a slow start to the winter season and that made really buckle down to have a good spring season," said Sorensen. "My goal now is to get to New England's and then Nationals in the long jump."