Peter Bartnett, Council Bluffs Nonpareil
Hooksett, New Hampshire. That's where Kyle Sorensen is headed next.
The Abraham Lincoln High School graduating senior will be heading to the New Hampshire Mountain Kings of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) after a successful career on the ice with the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL).
But first he stopped off at Diamond.
He last played for the CB Spartans Baseball Little League as a teenager, so going from ice and skating back to dirt and grass has been a tough adjustment.
“Baseball is a much more delicate sport,” Sorenson said. “There's less contact and less conversation, so that's the biggest adjustment.”
But with the right teammates and coaching staff around him, the transition was smooth.
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“(I) wasn't in a great mood, but, you know, I picked it up at the end,” Sorensen said, “and that was the thing for me to be out there. Running the bench, running the bases, doing whatever I could. That's what I wanted to do, and it ended up working out well.”
Despite the baseball hiatus, Sorensen's adaptability showed American League coach Tyler Bretzke his athleticism.
“This is his first year back and it's a testament to his athleticism,” Breitzke said, “He's a really elite athlete and it just comes easy to him. I think he's really good with the stick and the ball or the stick and the puck. So he's got really good hand-eye coordination and helped us a lot down the stretch.”
Sorensen had the Lynx's lone RBI in their 5-2 loss to Ankeny in the Class 4A Substate 2 first round on Friday.
Sorensen said his hand-eye coordination has been developing since he started playing hockey at age 2.
“In hockey, you're always playing on a quarter-inch blade,” he says, “so you have to have really good hand-eye coordination to play.”
Sorensen added that he credits his hockey experience for being able to recognize the pitch, because he hadn't faced any off-speed pitches the last time he played (he was in seventh grade).
“So coming out here and getting used to the off-speed stuff, recognizing the curveball and working on hand-eye coordination, I think that's really going to help me in hockey and can be applied to any sport,” he said.
Now preparing to join the Mountain Kings of the NAHL, Sorensen reflected on his time in the AL and his early graduation.
Sorensen: “I've been blessed to have a career as a hockey player. A lot of players have to leave home to play hockey and build a career. And I've been fortunate to be here until now, and it's been great. I'm surrounded by a great community, and of course with these guys I get to do everything outside of the game of hockey. So honestly, because of my family and friends and having the opportunity to play in Omaha as a kid, I have a good future ahead of me going to New Hampshire in a few months, and I'm excited for the opportunity.”
Although graduating early may take away from high school — “the most fun years of my life” — Sorensen said he's had a great year.
“It was a great senior class and it was fun,” he said. “The school festival, the teachers, the coaches, having nine or 10 seniors on the baseball team, it was a great year.”
Now he's looking to his next destination.
“And it would be nice to come out to New Hampshire and remember these guys and play for them,” Sorensen said. “(My goal is) to make a career in the sport I love and take advantage of that opportunity.”
