Their names are peppered throughout sports history—Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, Jim Thorpe, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Lolo Jones and Marion Jones. They are multi-sport athletes that took their talents to the world's stage and achieved success at the highest level.
There are several factors that attribute to someone's success in being a multi-sport athlete—raw athletic talent, desire to compete at the highest level, hard work and dedication to the craft and simply the love of sport itself. Other factors in being a multi-sport athlete that should also be taken into account range from—immense wear and tear on the body, physical and mental fatigue and career burnout.
Sanders, who was a dual sport standout for both the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta Braves, once made a unique double dip by playing in both an NFL game for the Falcons and the National League Championship Series for the Braves on the same day. "Both of them were important," said Sanders of the games. "Both games were important. It's a game. There's fans. There's teammates. There's family. Everything. Every time you compete, it's important."
Salem College has eight student-athletes competed in multiple sports over the course of the 2019-20 season—Rachel Black, Maria Ferrer, Emily Inman, Hope Morrison, Corrin Shores, Lauren Holman, Amy Stutzer and Isabella Verdicchio. Over the course of the next two weeks we are going to analyze the careers of Salem's multi-sport athletes.
AMY STUTZER
Amy Stutzer is one of five first-year multi-sport athletes at Salem in 2019-20, including Rachel Black, Emily Inman, Maria Ferrer and Isabella Verdicchio. Stutzer is a member of both the Salem swimming and softball teams.
A native of Hillsborough, N.C., Stutzer joined the swim team in the fall and competed in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 200 freestyle and 200 medley relay over the course of the season. She began her collegiate career at a dual meet with Pfeiffer on Nov. 9, 2019, finishing sixth in the 50 freestyle and seventh in the 100 freestyle.
Stutzer snagged her first Top-5 finish of the season on Dec. 7, at the Greensboro / Virginia Wesleyan Dual when she touched the wall fifth in the 100 breaststroke. Her best individual finish came just over a month later when she was fourth in the 100 breaststroke at a meet on Jan. 11 that included William Peace, Warren Wilson and Bridgewater.
The Cedar Ridge High School graduate was also a fixture for the swim team in multiple relay events, earning four Top-3 finishes. Alongside teammates Olivia Kleven, Corrin Shores and Ashleigh Nelson, Stutzer helped Salem finish first in the 200 medley relay on Nov. 9, 2019 versus Pfeiffer. She also raced in the 200 medley relay events on Nov. 16, 2019 (Guilford / Sweet Briar Dual) and Jan. 18 (Greensboro / Guilford Dual), leading Salem to a pair of second-place finishes.
Stutzer spent her spring as a member of the Salem softball team. While she has not seen action on the field, Stutzer was part of a Salem softball team which ended the season on a nine-game winning streak, tying the longest winning stretch in program history. She recently discussed competing in both swimming and softball at Salem in her first year and provided the following answers:
How has being a multi-sport athlete been advantageous to you when competing against others?
STUTZER: When I was younger, I was always a multi-sport athlete. Competing in various sports has allowed me to think critically on what needs to be done so I can be the best athlete I can be and how I can help others compete.
What is the most difficult thing about transitioning between sports and sport seasons as a multi-sport athlete?
STUTZER: The most difficult thing about transitioning between swim and softball is the different skills and muscles I need to use in different ways. In swimming, you shouldn't move your hips, while in softball, most power is in the hips. In swimming, it's more about distance, while in softball, it's more about sprinting. Transitioning muscle memory and different use of my joints and muscles can be a challenge, but the rewards top the time of transitioning.
Obviously anyone who is playing multiple sports loves to compete at the highest level. Describe a little bit where your competitive nature comes from when you compete?
STUTZER: I started playing sports when I was able to move and stand on my own two feet. In elementary school, I had a best friend who was multi-sport as well. We would always have friendly competitions which will help us grow our skills and grow our attitude towards losing. Being competitive allows me to grow my skills in thinking I have to be better than my opponent. Being competitive just naturally came by playing team sports and the drive to be the best I can be. Striving to be the best I can be has helped me grow my physical capabilities and helped me strive to be the best in my studies. I can get the most out of practice for games, and get the most out of the assignments for an exam.
Who is someone (or possibly a number of people) that you find motivation from as an athlete or possibly even a non-athlete (ex: parent, grandparent, relative)?
STUTZER: Many people have motivated me to be the best athlete I can be. Non-athletic people that have motivated me are my parents, coaches, physical therapists, and surgeons. Parents: always been there for me in my time of need and my time of achievements. Coaches: always showed me how to play better and had conversations on how I can move forward. Physical therapists: showing me the exercises to build up my tiny muscles to hold my joints together. Surgeon Dr. Creighton: motivated me to keep healthy by fixing my shoulder.
People who I've played with motivated me to be better for the team. Seeing teammates who are better than me: helps me push myself to get to their level. Teammates who are struggling: motivates me to help them on their skill journey and to keep positive. People from my high school who have had surgeries and constant physical problems have motivated me also. Kara Wagoner: having the same shoulder surgery, working on her skills to overcome the setback, and focusing on the tedious exercises to work on the tiny muscle memory in hitting and fielding. Tori Delahite: having two ACL surgeries, hustling in every sport, and not letting setbacks keep her down.
What is your most memorable moment in each sport that you have competed at while at Salem and why?
STUTZER: I don't have many memories (yet) of my Salem sports teams because I have been at Salem for only one year. Out of the water, my favorite memory was having a team dinner after our last meet. My favorite memory during a meet was everyone cheering everyone on during their event. My favorite memory off the field was the Halloween party and everyone's crazy costumes. My favorite memory on the field was when a teammate hit a homerun, at our home field, which allowed us to have a major lead- to win the game.
How does competing in swimming help you in bettering your game on the softball field?
STUTZER: Swim has allowed me to stay in shape during winter, to better my endurance and to perform longer and harder on the field. In swimming, it has allowed me to increase my patience during long events- like 200m- which allows me to be more patient with the ball instead of rushing my hitting or knowing that there is always the next game to win.
Additionally, how does playing softball benefit you when you are competing in swimming?
STUTZER: In softball, you always need to be talking/yelling/screaming at your teammates to cheer them on. During swim, I used that vocal skill in helping cheer my teammates on during their event to give them support in finishing at their lowest time.