NEVER A DULL MOMENT: Cosgrove successfully juggles 3 sports, school
Plymouth senior Evan Cosgrove earned varsity letters in three sports and excelled academically.
Somehow, some way — while excelling in three sports, carving out a 3.6 grade-point average and working at Lifetime Fitness — Evan Cosgrove managed to find time to sleep during his senior year at Plymouth High School.
Looking well-rested and fit during a recent interview on the Plymouth High School turf field, Cosgrove provided this sage advice for young student-athletes who may want to follow in his hustle-coated footsteps:
“Use your time wisely once you come home from school or practice,” the son of two public school teachers (Dan Cosgrove and Julie Hamrick) shared. “It’s easy to come home, lay on the couch or just chill.
“My advice would be to get your homework done and there will still be time to do other stuff, like play video games with your friends or whatever.”
Rare three-sport athlete
On the verge of pursuing a degree in biology and playing lacrosse at Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio, Cosgrove excelled in football, basketball and lacrosse during his final year as a Wildcat.
When it comes to athletics, football was his first love — even though it was tough love as a 7-year-old first-year player for the Plymouth-Canton Steelers.
“I still remember the first time I got hit hard in practice — by a kid named Luke Janek, who went on to play football at a prep school in South Carolina,” Cosgrove recounted, smiling.
“I cried so hard. I was thinking to myself, ‘If this is what football is going to be like, I’m not sure I want to play much longer.
“But from that point on, I decided it’s better to be the one giving hits than taking them.”
Giving (hits) feels better
Not long after his welcome-to-football moment delivered by Janek, Cosgrove tasted the sweeter side of the sport.
“After the first hard hit I delivered, I looked around and everybody was cheering,” he said. “I thought, ‘That felt pretty good’, and I kept going.”
Cosgrove continued on to become a multi-year varsity football standout for Plymouth, earning post-season honors as an outside linebacker.
Ironically, he didn’t pick up the sport he’ll play in college — lacrosse — until the months leading up to his freshman year of high school.
“I played travel baseball until eighth grade, but I didn’t really like the pace, how slow it was,” Cosgrove remembered. “I started playing lacrosse my freshman year, but four days into the season, COVID hit and the season was canceled.
No time to re-LAX
“I worked really hard that summer and built up my skills. I played a lot of wall ball, sharpening my stick skills. I ended up making varsity sophomore year and I’ve loved lacrosse ever since.”
The team aspect lacrosse demands is what makes it most appealing to Cosgrove.
“The best thing is when everyone on the field is involved in a goal — whether it’s scoring, assisting, making the pass before the assist or setting a pick,” he said.
“No matter who scores, it’s cool because the sideline erupts and all six players on the field come together and celebrate.”
After passing on basketball his sophomore and junior years at Plymouth, Cosgrove returned to the hardwood for his final year — and he’s glad he did.
“The highlight of the season was beating Howell at their place,” he said.
“We had a couple guys out that game, we had a freshman starting at point guard and I hadn’t played much since my freshman season. It was their youth night and it seemed like the entire city was at the game.
“They were pretty good, but we beat them in overtime, which felt so good.”
Making ‘Lifetime’ memories
During his “free” time, Cosgrove worked in the child center at Canton’s Lifetime Fitness.
Calling it a job would be misleading, Cosgrove admitted.
“I loved it — teaching things I know about sports and other things to little kids, laughing with them and having them tell me about their day,” Cosgrove said. “It was a lot of fun.”
Beginning in the fall, Cosgrove will be studying to become a physician’s assistant at Muskingum — and playing lacrosse.
And sneaking in a nap or a video game here and there — but only after his homework is done.
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