Senior three-sport athlete feeling nostalgic about high school sports

After losing a tough CCS field hockey game 2-0 against Los Gatos in late October, senior Erin Norris knew it would be tough saying goodbye to her “amazing teammates,” especially since she had to grasp the idea that she would no longer be playing field hockey on Benny Pierce field. Though Norris felt nostalgic, she was comforted in knowing that she would soon be surrounded by another group of “amazing teammates”: the varsity basketball team.

The next day, Norris went straight to the small gym after school with her basketball gear to prepare for the upcoming basketball season, excited to know she would soon be reunited with her basketball family.

“I don’t really have any breaks between my sports, but I love playing all of them,” she said.

Norris, who plays field hockey, basketball and lacrosse, is one of the school’s several dozen three-sport athletes. She has been on varsity lacrosse since her freshman year and has played varsity basketball and field hockey starting sophomore year.

Growing up in an athletic family with two older sisters who played sports throughout high school, Norris was encouraged to follow their footsteps. She played soccer throughout her childhood and swam at Brookside Country Club for eight years, eventually quitting both in eighth grade. She also tried water polo for one week in elementary school, but after seeing her older sister break a rib and a few bones in the pool, she decided water polo was too aggressive for her.

In the third grade, Norris’ dad forced her to play basketball because he wanted one child in his family to try the sport. She ended up enjoying basketball more than soccer so she stuck with basketball, playing for the Saratoga Suns. In middle school, she also picked up field hockey.

The summer before her freshman year, Norris learned how to play lacrosse and joined the school team instead of swimming during the spring season. Instead of choosing one sport to focus on, Norris decided to play all three sports her starting in her freshman year.

“I made a lot of friends, and it was really fun playing with three different groups of girls,” she said. “Right then, I knew I wanted to pursue all three sports the rest of my high school career.”

Norris has enjoyed field hockey the most since she grew up watching her older sister play and immediately “fell in love” with the sport.

After picking up the sport in middle school, Norris liked the way the girls worked as a team to achieve the same goal, liked that not many people play field hockey and liked that it combined her strengths: speed and aggressiveness.

“You have to realize that you are not the only one who is going to stand out [in field hockey],” Norris said. “You can only win if you win as a team, which means playing as a unit.”

Norris plays center midfield in field hockey, and standing at 5-8, she plays center for the basketball team.  She is able to use skills from those two sports to help her with lacrosse, where she plays center midfield.

“I love that lacrosse combines stick skills from field hockey and footwork for defense from basketball,” she said.

Norris said that sports have helped her not only with time-management skills, but they have also provided her with a constant network of support.

“With sports, I’m reassured that if I’m going through a tough time, I will always have three different groups of girls who I can go to,” she said.

Even though heavy homework loads bombarded Norris in junior year, the idea of quitting sports never crossed her mind. Norris attributes this motivation to her teammates and family members, who constantly support her athletic endeavors.

“My parents always encourage me when I’m really stressed out and always come to my games,” she said. “Instead of telling me to quit, they told me to have a balance between school and sports.”

Though Norris may play club basketball or lacrosse in college, she aspires to play field hockey competitively after high school. As Norris finishes her high school sports career, she is eager to cultivate similar friendships in college.

“Each season, I have a set of girls who become my family,” Norris said. “The friends I’ve made definitely make me want to keep playing sports since I know I will always have another support unit.”