Medway and Millis January 2018

January 2018 Medway & Millis Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com Page 25
Sports
Alex Olmsted Gives His All in Three Sports and in Studies
By Christopher Tremblay
With colleges looking much
more closely at a student’s academic
record as well as coaches
looking for that specific athlete
that has excelled in their sport
before offering scholarships, it
is not as likely to find that many
three-sport athletes on the high
school level as it has been in the
past. Millis’ Alex Olmsted continues
to give it everything that
he has in three sports for the Mohawks.
Olmsted has played wide receiver
and corner back for the
football team, power forward for
the basketball team and left field
for the baseball team over the
past 5 years for the Mohawks.
Originally, football was at the
bottom of the list and a sport
that Olmsted did not enjoy, but
since he started playing on the
high school level it has risen to
the top. And although football
is now his favorite of the three,
Olmsted feels basketball is where
he best excels.
Growing up in Walpole Olmsted
took to the three sports
in town because his dad (Dale)
was a coach, and it gave the two
time to bond while on the playing
fields. With his father being
the head coach of the Millis football
team Olmsted first decided
to give football a chance when he
was in elementary school, but it
was not his idea of fun.
“I tried playing football in
the fifth grade, but I was just not
thrilled with the game and didn’t
really like it, possibly because I
was much smaller than the others,”
he said. “My dad never
pushed me to play football; he
just explained the game to me
and allowed me to make my own
decision and was supportive of
whatever I decided to play.”
Despite despising football as a
fifth grader, Olmsted decided to
give it another shot three years
later. Although living in Walpole,
Olmsted decided to attend Millis
High School as a school choice,
because his father coached there.
“Once I got to Millis, I decided
to give football another try,
because my dad was the coach
there,” he said. “The first time
around I was not thrilled, but at
Millis it was different. I was not
Millis High’s three sport athlete and senior Alex Olmsted shows quiet
poise and depth as a student and athlete.
all that social, but Millis was a
small school with a big family,
and the football players accepted
me.”
Playing on the football team,
Olmsted got to know all the football
players before school started,
which gave him a bit of an advantage
once September rolled
around. As an eighth grader, he
played on a freshman team that
didn’t win a single game, but the
following year, the same team
went undefeated. After playing
for the junior varsity team as a
sophomore, Olmsted was part of
back-to-back Super Bowl Championships
on the varsity level.
“It’s crazy how we turned
things around so quickly. It only
goes to show that you should
never give up and keep on fighting,”
Olmsted said. “The only
thing I regret is not getting the
chance to play for my father (who
had left to take a job with Nichols
College); it was the main reason I
decided to go to Millis.”
Although he never got that
chance, Olmsted feels grateful
that he was part of the football
team and what they achieved
and the brotherhood of friends
he now has.
Unlike football, Olmsted enjoyed
basketball and baseball
right from the beginning. While
the two sports have not had the
success that the football team has
achieved over the past few years
he still enjoys playing the sports
with his friends and teammates.
As an eighth grader, Olmsted
was still playing basketball in
Walpole for the Metrowest team,
but when he got to high school
he joined the basketball team
there in Millis. He played for the
freshman team and junior varsity
squad before getting moved
up to the varsity team mid-way
through his junior season. While
he considered himself too small
to originally play football, Olmsted
had a growth spurt in high
school which was definitely to his
advantage on the court.
“Basketball is probably my
best sport, as I have been playing
it the longest, and when I grew
(Olmsted is 6’3”), it helped me
with my game,” he said. “Finally
getting the chance to play on a
competitive level was great.”
Last year, the Mohawks went
13-7 and advanced to the Division
4 Central Tournament
where they were got as far as the
Quarter Finals. It was here they
were sent home by neighboring
Hopedale. Olmsted is hoping
that once he is cleared to play,
he’ll be able to help the team get
back to the tournament.
“Having broken my collarbone
in the first football playoff
game, I’m hoping that I’ll
be cleared to get back onto the
basketball court soon, “Olmsted
said. “I’m more of a 6th man at
this point, but this year I’m going
to be relied on for more rebounds
and put-backs.”
Having won the Super Bowl
in football, and basketball looks
to get back to the play-offs once
again, baseball is up in the air.
According to Olmsted, the team
was not that strong last spring
and he is unsure of how good
they will be this year, but as a
senior he’s not going to let that
bother him. He’s going to go
out and play the sport no matter
what happens.
“I’m not sure how this team is
going to be this upcoming year,
but I just want to go out and
play,” he said. “I had primarily
played the infield before being
moved to the outfield, but I don’t
care as long as I’m playing.”
As his high school career is
in its final year Olmsted looks to
be having fun playing all three
sports, despite the outcome of
the seasons.
“Alex has been a role player in
all three sports and should be a
main factor in both the upcoming
basketball and baseball seasons,”
Millis Athletic Director
Chuck Grant said. “He’s a quiet
senior that leads by example
by staying active in school and
earning honor roll grades. He is
a clear example of someone enjoying
every bit of his high school
experience”