Sullivan Shines All The Year Around

Few athletes can say they’ve been to more than one state tournament in their high school careers. Even fewer female athletes can make that claim. El Dorado’s Sarah Sullivan hopes to join an even more exclusive group.

Sullivan hopes to become the first female athlete at El Dorado to ever play in three state tournaments in the same year. The multi-sport standout has already been apart of history this season, earning All-Conference honors as a member of the first-ever El Dorado volleyball team to advance to the state tournament. Sullivan has been to two fast-pitch state softball tournaments, including the first in school history two years ago.

The 6-0 senior has yet to play in the basketball state tournament.

“I’ve been looking to go to three state tournaments since last year,” said Sullivan. “Now that the volleyball state tournament is behind me, I am confident that I will see all three state tournaments. This will mean a lot to me and will make all those hours of practice pay off.”

In this age of specialization, the multi-sport athlete is becoming a dying breed. It takes hours of practice and preparation to compete at a high level in one sport. To compete in three sports requires year-round training.

This past summer, Sullivan went to Hawaii to compete in the Hoopsmart Basketball Camp, participated in a post player camp, two team camps and several mandatory individual and team workouts. She also practiced and competed in a fast-pitch softball league and worked out with her own pitching coach. As soon as she returned home from the basketball camp in Hawaii, she began summer volleyball practice.

“It is very time consuming,” said Sullivan. “There is no break and no time to rest. Sometimes it seems like I live on a bus, especially during softball when we play up to four games a week. There has not been anytime in the past few years that I have not been practicing some sport. They all overlap.”

Sullivan is a career 15-point per game scorer for the Lady Cat basketball team. The two-year starter led the team in scoring the past two years. She earned All-State in softball last year and was named to the All-State Tournament Team in volleyball this year.

“She’s a good all-around athlete,” said basketball coach Brad Slatton. “It’s not surprising to me. She’s a good enough athlete to do that. She’s balanced her time and that’s the key thing.”

For Sullivan, it’s not enough to find the time for three sports; academics are an even higher priority. Sullivan, who said her college goal is to earn a doctorate in speech pathology, sports a 3.98 grade point average.

“I’ve always been told that if my grades suffer, then a sport has got to go,” said Sullivan. “I miss a lot of school year round but I never really have a problem making it up. I just bring my homework on the bus and get it done.”

Sullivan, who said basketball is her favorite sport, acknowledges there are disadvantages to playing three sports. For one, she does not have the luxury of an off-season. In the spring, when full-time basketball players are lifting weights and getting stronger, Sullivan is striking out batters on the pitcher’s mound.

The seasons all overlap for Sullivan, who managed to practice with the basketball team whenever possible while volleyball season was under way. She also participated in the basketball off season on days she did not have a softball game.

Nobody said playing three sports would be easy. For Sullivan, having to choose between the three sports would be even more difficult.

“I think I would go absolutely crazy if I only played one sport,” she said. “I really like everything about each sport.

“I think volleyball prepares me for basketball. I think it strengthens my knees. Maybe that’s why I haven’t had problems with them so far. Basketball is the only contact sport I play but in general, I think the cross training is good.”

With all these irons in the fire, life can get hectic. While taking an exam for college credit, Sullivan had to leave the test an hour and a half early in order to compete in the state softball tournament. She passed the test and got to the game in the first inning.

Such is the life for Sullivan, who is on a mission in her senior season. Playing three sports is something she has done since she was a sophomore. Playing in a state tournament in three sports would be special.

“At the end of last year I started thinking about going to three state tournaments during my senior year,” she said. “I haven’t realized until now how much of an accomplishment going to state in three sports is.

“I haven’t been to state in basketball, yet. I really, really want to go.”