Whitinsville Christian's Brady Gorman is a fast learner in athletics and academics
NORTHBRIDGE — Brady Gorman comes from a basketball-playing family and began swinging a tennis racket when he was 7 or 8 years old.
But at the urging of some schoolmates, the senior stepped up and stepped in for the Whitinsville Christian boys’ soccer team last fall despite having limited experience on the pitch.
“My friends on the team needed a goalie, so they recruited me,” Gorman, 18, said May 22 while seated in the principal’s office, which happens to be the workspace of his mom, Tammi.
“They connected me with a goalie trainer, who I worked with once a week over the summer, and I also played indoor soccer with them, which helped me get ready for it a lot. I learn quickly.”
While the Crusaders only came away with points in six matches, their 6-foot-3, 160-pound rookie keeper from Hopkinton regularly kept the contests close while registering three shutouts and posting a solid 1.84 goals against average.
“It was a fun experience,” said Gorman, who went on to captain the basketball team in his second varsity season.
Interestingly enough, Gorman, the youngest in a family of five, was introduced to tennis ‒ his sport of choice ‒ after his oldest brother, Spencer, got talked into joining the team by, yup, his friends when he was junior at Whitinsville Christian.
“They were very good,” Gorman said. “They trained him, and they actually won the (Division 3) state championship when he was a senior (in 2016). That’s kind of what got me into it.”
Gorman is now winding down his fifth and final varsity season playing No. 1 singles for the Crusaders.
While the two-year captain excels at going to the net and volleying, his biggest strength is being spectacularly steady.
“I’m more of a consistent player, so I try to out rally my opponents,” Gorman said. “I wouldn’t say I’m the hardest hitter, I can serve decently hard, but more just trying to stay consistent and wait for the other person to miss.”
After winning 16 of 19 matches and being selected to the T&G Super Team as a junior, Gorman finished the regular season 13-0.
The Crusaders are 11-2 ‒ continuing the program’s upward ascension ‒ and seeded 18th in the Division 3 state tournament. They’ll travel north to face No. 18 Groton-Dunstable in the first round at 4 p.m. on May 29.
“I like how every single tennis season since I’ve been in eighth grade our record has grown,” Gorman said. “We barely had any wins in eighth grade and last year we made the playoffs and this year we have an even better record. So, I like that progress through the years.”
Gorman serves aces on the court and aced exams in the classroom.
This National Honor Society inductee ranked in the top 2.5% nationally in the 2003 Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test and scored 1,540 on the SAT, placing him in the 99th percentile.
Gorman, who will graduate May 30, was a member of DECA and the math club and served as senior class advisor.
He attended Whitinsville Christian for 13 years, beginning as a kindergartner, and had a big-time experience at the small school.
“There are only 50 kids in my grade, so I’ve been with 10 to 20 kids since kindergarten and I’ve gotten to know them very well,” Gorman said.
“I think it’s nice because you’re able to become very close with your class. You know everyone and I’ve been able to create some very close friendships.”
After spending the summer working as a tennis instructor on Cape Cod, Gorman will matriculate to Boston College, where he plans to major in business and hopes to continue his tennis career, be it as a varsity walk-on or at the club or intramural level.
As for the success the resurgent Crusaders have experienced on the court this spring, well, it seems Gorman learned a thing or two from his soccer-playing buddies and the tennis-playing friends of his brother, Spencer.
“We haven’t had a record this good in many years,” third-year coach Sean Cote said. “It’s a tribute to Brady and the hard work he’s put in, not only to build himself into a better tennis player, but he also recruited players.
“All the seniors are players he recruited. They’re first-year seniors who have never played tennis before. He’s done a lot of things for the tennis program and Whitinsville Christian and I’m proud of him.”
Gorman's Favorites
Here are a few lighthearted and insightful thoughts from Brady Gorman as he waits to win another long rally:
Favorite food: Steak
Favorite ice cream: Oreo
Favorite restaurant: “The Capital Grille. It’s a nice restaurant in Boston. I would say that’s probably my favorite restaurant, although it’s very expensive. I also like Longhorn.”
Favorite musician: “I’ve been listening to country music lately and I really like Dylan Gossett. I also listen to Sam Barber. They’re both up-and-coming artists. And I also listen to rap music, Sleepy Hollow.”
Favorite sports team: Patriots and Celtics
Favorite holiday: “I would definitely say Christmas because I get to see my whole family all together.”
Favorite subject: Math
Favorite TV show: Game of Thrones
Sports superstition: “For soccer, since I was the goalie, I would always jump up and touch the crossbar and bend down in the goal (at the start of a match). For tennis and basketball, I just listen to music and try to keep to myself before the match or the game to get ready for it.”
Most memorable moment: “I would say for my soccer season playing as goalie, we had our Homecoming game. It’s an event at the school, everyone got dismissed for the game and came out. I had a good game and made a lot of good saves (in a 1-0 loss to Northbridge).”
Invite any three people to dinner: “Shane Gillis for the comedy aspects to keep everyone laughing. Randy Moss because he’s one of my favorite athletes and I’d want to hear from his experience. And I’d invite Jesus so I can hear all the stories from his life and see what advice he’d give me.”
—If you know a student-athlete who should be considered for a Scholastic Spotlight profile, contact Rich Garven at rgarven@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @RichGarvenTG.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Whitinsville Christian's Gorman excels as a three-sport star for Crusaders
