Three-Sport Athletes

For some, competing in one or two sports just isn’t enough. In fact, 11 members of the class of 2022 played interscholastic sports in all 12 terms of their Academy careers. Among them, Jake Shapiro ’22. “If there were eight seasons, I’d play eight different sports,” he says. His enthusiasm, along with that of fellow three-sport athlete Molly Longfield ’22, was recognized this year with the Philip Curtis Goodwin ’25 Award, presented annually to the male and female student athletes who best embody the qualities of sportsmanship and participation. How did they juggle it and what did they learn?

SPORT-ACADEMIC BALANCE

Shapiro: “I did not know how to use my time well for academics in my first year. I did homework during lunch or free blocks and didn’t spend much time with my friends. I made the decision in my lower year to make more time for friends. I found that having a social life makes it easier to get work done and helps with not stressing out.”

Longfield: “Your social life is very intertwined with your sports and academics. You learn how to multitask — doing work outside of class can also become social hour to a certain extent. Sports made my time management a lot easier.”

LEARNED LIFE SKILL

Shapiro: “The skill that all three sports have in common is not a physical skill but a mental skill. You have to learn to work with people — different teammates, teammates with different backgrounds. Playing on three teams gives you a chance to know more people on campus.”

Longfield: “I’ve been learning to take care of my body. I used to go, go, go and just let Sunday be my day off, but I’m learning that my body needs more than that. Tessa Shields ’21 got me more into lifting, which is another form of recovery and injury prevention.”

Editor’s Note: This interview first appeared in the summer 2022 issue of The Exeter Bulletin.