Soccer, Diving
Favorite athlete: Michael Phelps
Favorite team: Women’s USA Soccer
Favorite memory competing in sports: Beating Marple Newtown this season during the first round of district playoffs after losing to them in the first round last season.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: Wearing my bathing suits inside out for an entire meet.
Music on playlist: 2000’s throwbacks and country
Future plans: Attend a local university to study nursing
Words to live by: “Take the risk or lose the chance”
One goal before turning 30: See as much of the world as I can
One thing people don’t know about me: I have 2 dogs (Buttons and Casper, both Yorkies)
By GORDON GLANTZ
Upper Moreland senior Mickie Soroka has not dealt with any serious physical injuries in her athletic career as a state-level diver and a passionate role player on the soccer team.
She has always made sure to stretch properly and do all the right things to avoid serious injuries.
However, she could not prepare herself for a broken heart.
That came in the summer of 2019, right before she was about to begin high school.
Her father, Michael, passed away suddenly of a heart attack in his sleep.
Soroka explained that her father’s passing made her as much of a wrestler with grief and a hurdler of adversity as it did a diver/swimmer or soccer player.
“Grief is a lot at a young age, and sports is already a mental game,” she said. “Trying to make sure I was focusing on my performance as I started high school sports right after it happened took a lot.
“But now I see it as motivation. My dad was always my biggest supporter. He was the one who got me into diving and who inspired me to take it as far as I have. Now, I’m really able to focus on my sports and use his support as something I know I will always have.”
Soroka said she cannot pinpoint an exact time when it got easier to put the passing of her biggest fan into perspective.
It just took time.
“Definitely, it was just a long process,” she said. “But anytime I had any practices, games or meets, I focused on that.
“Freshman and sophomore year were definitely when it affected me the most. I was still getting used to him not being there.”
A Big Difference
In terms of that mental game, the daughter of Regina Soroka was also making the distinction between being a heart-and-soul player on the soccer team and a standout with major goals as a diver.
“Individual sports versus team sports - they’re very different,” said Soroka, who takes all honors classes and sports a 3.8 GPA. “It was a big difference, changing from fall to winter.
“I’ve always done a bunch of sports, but the ones that stuck around were soccer and diving.”
Assistant soccer coach John Kolla is one of Soroka’s biggest fans.
“She is a great student and a great girl,” he said. “She gave us everything she could, every game. That was always her, going back to freshman year. She was always working hard and keeping it positive. When she is on the bench, she is saying to the other girls, ‘Let’s hear it. Let’s go.’ She was always the first one to respond.
“She is a superstar diver. Even though soccer is not her main focus, it’s something that she loves to do. She’s infectious with her passion. She does soccer because it’s something she loves and it’s with people she loves.”
Like a Fish to Water
The younger sister of former standout Bears’ swimmer and Junior Olympian Michael Soroka, she was swimming at the Upper Moreland Swim Club by the age of 5 and - with her dad’s help - was a fearless diver by the age of 7.
Fast forward to her freshman year at Upper Moreland, and Siroka was having a difficult time gauging how she matched up.
The meets, because of COVID, were virtual,” the UM senior said. “That meant the team performed separately, and the diving scores and swimming times were submitted.”
When she got to the postseason, there finally was a true sense of where she stood.
“I ended up making it to districts that year,” said Soroka. “I placed first at Suburbans, which was nice. Then I placed fourth at Districts. I didn’t really even know all the rules. They only took the top two to states. I was, like, ‘Oh my God, I was only two away.’ That really make realize I could make it and do very well. So, in my sophomore year, I learned more about what it would take to get there and I did.”
In her sophomore year, Sue Powidzki took over as the diving coach.
“Mickie was an excellent diver then, but we had no aspirations of making it to states that year,” said Powidzki. “Mickie came in second at districts which then qualified her for the state championship meet.”
Powidzki explained that Soroka had to learn some new dives for the state fray, especially a difficult inward 1 1/2 somersault.
Soroka nailed it and went on to place in the middle of the pack out of more than 20 girls.
Last year, as junior, she again exceeded expectations, coming in at No. 5.
“Her junior year, we did aspire to make it to states, which meant she would now need to perfect her 2 1/2 forward somersault dive, which she did,” said Powidzki, again stressing the extreme difficulty of the dive. “For last year, they changed the entire format of the (state) dive meet, so Mickie had to adjust and throw mostly difficult dives.
“Our goal was top eight. Mickie came in fifth with the highest score for her front two somersault dives and tie for highest score for her Back 1 somersault 1 1/12 twist dive.”
With three of the top four finishers graduating, there is a lot of external pressure for Soroka to maybe win it all as a senior.
Powidzki even altered her personal plans for her star pupil.
“I retired from teaching this past June but came back to coach diving for Mickie, which I think says it all,” said the coach. “I have loved working with Mickie and will miss my time with her.”
More than where she does or doesn’t place, it is the work that Soroka puts into it.
And, in this case, getting there is more than half of the fun.
“She will throw a dive over and over until it is correct,” said Powidzki. “She will review the tapes and self-evaluate what she needs to do to get it right. Mickie is so much fun to coach. She makes me laugh and we have an awesome time, but that is not to say she can’t be fierce when it comes to competition. She always strives to do her best on every dive, staying on the board until it is right.”
Focused on the Future
While there are expectations for such a fierce competitor, Soroka is maintaining a broad perspective of the experience of being among the best of the best.
“States are at Bucknell University every year,” she said. “Just being in such a place with high standards and in an environment where everyone is so dedicated is just amazing.”
Soroka feels some of expectations are alleviated by the fact that she is has already carefully weighed the pros and cons of diving at the collegiate level and has decided to just focus on studying to become a nurse (or maybe a dentist).
“I was contemplating it but, in the end, I decided it would be better if I just went to a college to get my education,” said Soroka, who is likely to stay within the state (Villanova, La Salle, Penn State). “I figured it would allow me to focus better.”
And Soroka is as focused as ever, aiming to go out with a proverbial splash.
“I’d love to break our team’s record,” she said of the mark that has stood since 2012 and was ironically set by Natalie Szabo, whose older sister, Sydney, coached Soroka when she was younger.
“I’m just trying to get my degree of difficulty higher for all of my dives,” she said. “Everyone is saying, ‘Place first. Place first this year at states.’ That’s because I jumped up so far from sophomore to junior year. Obviously, that would be amazing, but I’m not putting so much pressure on myself that I have to do that. Obviously, I would like to do better at states this than last year, but it’s an amazing opportunity in general.”
A Team Player
While diving may be an individual endeavor, Soroka sees herself as a key member of the swim team, jumping into events and relays as needed.
“As the swim coach, I love when the divers throw on a cap and goggles and lend their athletic ability to the swimmers in the form of filling in spots in our relays,” said head swim coach Jess Healy. “Upper Moreland is not a very big team so we very much need this help often. Mickie goes above and beyond by also swimming in individual events whenever needed.
“She's got a great attitude.”
There became a point when diving became the focus of her practice time, but Soroka was always ready to jump into the mix.
“Freshman year, when I first started diving for high school, I would divide up my practices,” she said. “I would do two swimming practices and three diving practices. I realized that I would rather prioritize diving, so I stopped practicing for swimming and started focusing just on diving. But, we are a small team, so I like to help out and keep our team doing well.”
This is not breaking news with the soccer team, coached into prominence by Benvenuto and Kolla.
“She made the varsity team as a freshman, and that was due to her athleticism,” recalled Kolla. “She was like a bulldog, ready to run through anything. She was just, like, ‘Put me out there and I’ll do whatever you want me to do.’ As a freshman, she came off the bench and was really valuable for us.”
Then came a blow that would knock most people not named Michelina “Mickie” Soroka off course.
She didn’t make varsity as sophomore.
From Kolla’s perspective, not making varsity as a sophomore was a chance for Soroka to get more minutes and take on a leadership role.
Soroka had a slightly different viewpoint.
“Obviously, I was prioritizing diving over swimming and soccer, but I enjoy soccer,” she said. “In my sophomore year, I was aggravated with how things played out for that season. When we restarted junior year and I made it back up to varsity, I just took it from a different perspective. I had an opportunity to play with better girls. If I was a starting player, I wouldn’t want to see everyone on the bench be negative and upset.
“We are all friends on the team, so I didn’t see any reason to make anything seem upsetting or negative.”
Her infectious spirit on team with many talented standouts who were not as vocal was seen as vital to the Bears not only making the district playoffs, but hosting Marple Newtown in the first round.
Said Kolla: “She was always positive and super funny. She was the jolt that the team needed. She gave us something that we didn’t have otherwise. She brought the levity and the team spirit. A lot of the people getting more playing time were more quiet and on-the-field type of leaders. She played a key role for us.”
Finishing Kick
This season, the Bears were able to avenge their loss to Marple Newtown and do it on their home turf.
They fell in the second round to top-seeded Villa Joseph Marie, but there was a sense of completion that wasn’t there before for what will go down as the most decorated senior class in the school’s girls’ soccer history.
“This senior class may be the best we have ever had,” said Kolla. “The girls are awesome, and the players are awesome, but none have that quality that Mickie had.
“On the field, she is going to be working her butt off. On the bench, she is going to be screaming her butt off.”
Soroka will always take with her memory of celebrating on the field with her teammates - many of whom she had played with for as long as she could remember - after winning that district playoff game.
“After that game, everyone so ecstatic,” said Soroka. “It was the best feeling ever.”
Proving Herself
Within the school, Soroka also displays leadership. She is a member the National Honor Society and the Inter Act Club.
“I try to stay involved while balancing sports as much as I can,” she said, while thanking her friends, family and coaches for all of their support. “I keep my grades as high as I can.”
It all goes back to an overall approach to life, whether it is sports or academics or her goal to see the world.
“You have an opportunity, no matter how much you think can or can’t do it,” she said. “It’s all a mindset, whether you want to push yourself as hard as you can and get to that opportunity. If you decide, in your head, ‘I can’t do this. I can’t do that,’ then that’s when you are going to lose the chance.
“I just want to prove to myself how much I can do, and do the best I can.”
UM girls’ soccer coach Lisa Benvenuto paid her the highest compliment that a coach can give a player.
“In a nutshell, Mickie is that type of kid that you like to have on your team,” the UM coach said. “She is like a ray of sunshine. She is positive, and she works hard. She expects others to step up. She’s realist. She calls it like she sees it, and she doesn’t make up any excuses. She’s definitely someone who, if she wasn’t on the team, her absence would have definitely been felt.
“She has had a rough go of it. She had to persevere through so many different obstacles, and she came out on the other side.”
