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.
HOPE MORRISON
Whenever you see Hope Morrison on the campus of Salem College you are assured of two things—she is either smiling or competing. Most of the time Morrison is doing both.
A native of Harmony, N.C., Morrison is a history major who has left her mark in the history books of both the Salem lacrosse and soccer teams over the course of her career. A two-time letterwinner in lacrosse, she started in 20 of 23 games, scored nine goals, handed out one assist and gobbled up 56 ground balls. She netted a single-season career-high five goals in 2020 for the Spirits, which tied her alongside Anzley Kemmerer for fourth-most on the team.
The energetic Morrison also accounted for 30 draw controls, 25 caused turnovers and 21 shots on goal in her lacrosse career.
On the pitch, Morrison played 59 matches for the Spirits' soccer team, making 11 starts along the way. She netted five goals, handed out two assists and tallied 12 points in her four-year career. Her best statistical season came in 2018 when she came through with three goals and an assist on 19 shots (8 SOG).
One of eight seniors on the 2019 Salem soccer unit, Morrison and her teammates were responsible for a combined 53-24-2 mark over a four-year stretch, posting a 28-7-1 record in USA South Conference action.
Morrison recently discussed competing in both soccer and lacrosse at Salem over the course of her collegiate career and provided the following answers:
How has being a multi-sport athlete been advantageous to you when competing against others?
MORRISON: I would say that being a multi-sport athlete has been super advantageous in competition because my fitness was pretty high from season to season. It also keeps me super busy, which is something that equates to stability and organization in my life! They definitely afforded lifelong skills to me as well. Being that I am a dual athlete, I also get to travel twice as much and make twice the amount of memories with completely different groups of people.
What is the most difficult thing about transitioning between sports and sport seasons as a multi-sport athlete?
MORRISON: Given that we do have the Winter season off, it was hard to not slack off too much after soccer or too much after lacrosse season and over the summer. Coming in for a Fall sport and being on campus earlier than everyone is awesome, but it is also a lot of pressure to be super fit. Another difficulty is just adjusting to the different style of play and use of my body. It is easy to fall out of practice with one sport when I am doing the other.
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?
MORRISON: My whole life I have played sports; I have been a multi-sport athlete my whole life! When presented the chance to do so in college, I was ecstatic. In high school I played soccer and basketball all four years and cross country my last two years on top of that, so the busy bee life was normal to me. It kept me in line and in check in high school, so to have that same opportunity in college was amazing. I am my BIGGEST critic, so I always have a competitive drive to do my best. I like to win, but I also love interacting with my teammates and creating lifelong memories. Sports are what keep me going and give me a part of my personality.
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)?
MORRISON: My sister, Kayla, is a huge motivator. She has always been an athlete, from gymnastics, to soccer, to basketball and I have always looked up to her. She has introduced me to new types of sports like lifting and bouldering and she shows me the fun of life and how to push myself. She is one of my best friends in life and I look up to her.
I have always, for the most part, been extremely motivated by my coaches and my desire to make them proud in all that I do. When I feel as if I have failed at that, it hurts me.
Lastly, being a woman in athletics is a motivator for me. When I see all the strong women that I play with or against or even those I see on TV, I am extremely proud and motivated by them all to show what strength women have.
What is your most memorable moment in each sport that you have competed at while at Salem and why?
MORRISON: For soccer, my goal against Methodist (junior year) in the pouring rain at the top corner of the eighteen was amazing. Our Wilmington trip this summer was super fun and super memorable. I am really lucky to have those memories.
For lacrosse, my first game ever last season was super memorable and my behind the back goal this season against William Peace. In addition, being able to come onto the team as a newbie to the sport and be so accepted was amazing. The 6 a.m. practices, however, will not be missed (laughing).
How does playing soccer help you in bettering your game on the lacrosse field?
MORRISON: Soccer and lacrosse have a similar required amount of fitness, so soccer season prepared me well for lacrosse season despite the winter season break. Soccer also requires a lot of communication like lacrosse, so I am not afraid to be vocal and open my mouth on the field.
Additionally, how does playing lacrosse benefit you when you are competing in soccer?
MORRISON: Lacrosse, although I am new to the sport, gave me a confidence boost that I carried into soccer. Knowing that I was a player people looked to on the field and off helped me feel more confident to do the same on the soccer field. In addition, reading the field in lacrosse taught me a new way of how to look at soccer as well.