A Man of Many Talents

It was around the first or second grade when Wrentham’s Nick Beltramini was first introduced to the sport of soccer. He began playing the sport religiously with all his friends and soon after found he had a passion for being a goalie. Unfortunately, on the second day of practice in the eighth grade, he broke his leg.
“It was devastating,” he said. “But being in the hospital actually influenced me; seeing all the patients in there made me want to get better faster.”
One year later Beltramini was entering high school and he wanted nothing more than to make the King Philip soccer team. The freshman would play any position that the coach needed him to play, as long as he was on the team.
Following that season Beltramini joined Explosion FC, a club soccer team out of Attleboro, where he played goalie and was looking to improve his skills. Nick Gale, the KP varsity head coach, saw him play and told the then-sophomore that he wanted him to play for him at the high school. Beltramini was a back-up that season, but it was the beginning of his varsity experience.
Upon entering his junior year, Beltramini was all set to be the goalie for KP. Unfortunately, however, a kid who had played for the Elite Revolution team was cut and decided to try out for the Warrior team.
“That position was supposed to be mine and when he decided to come out for the team it really pushed me to do everything in my power to protect my position,” Beltramini said. “Coming into the season I felt very confident in my ability, but when he got the starting position I was devastated and figured that I had wasted my time.”
Once again a door was slammed in his face, but another door was opening.
“Riding the bench a lot that year I found myself getting more involved with my music. It provided an outlet for me since I wasn’t starting for the soccer team,” he said. “Originally I was hoping to play soccer so that I could get into college and band was in the background, but when my position was given to someone else it was pushed into the foreground.”
Finding himself as the second goalie on the KP soccer team, Beltramini kept practicing his saxophone and eventually it paid off for the then-junior. He auditioned for the state-wide MMEA (Massachusetts Music Educators Association) concert, and earned the right to play lead sax. Musicians from over 400 high schools competed for the spots.
Although he still loved the sport of soccer, music was filling a void.
“During his junior year Nick was splitting time with another goalie,” Coach Gale said. “When the other goalie got hurt he had to step in and start the final nine games of the season and carried us into the tournament, where we eventually lost in the second round.”
Following his junior campaign he was once again elevated to the Warrior’s starting goalie and suddenly found that he had the best of both worlds.
“I thought that I had lost soccer forever and my career and chance to earn a scholarship was gone,” he said. “With soccer not a priority I began focusing on other things in life during that time period and my music began to rise.”
“Nick has always been a motivated kid and with his dedication to soccer he has developed into a fantastic goalie,” the KP coach said. “Balancing as much as he does is simply impressive as well as his playing and performing at a high level on a regular basis.”
According to the Warrior coach, Beltramini has worked extremely hard to assume his position between the pipes and has set the team up for success with his ability to keep KP in just about every game. He has played a very big role keeping the score close while coming up with some big time saves at the right time.
In addition to playing high school soccer, club soccer and his saxophone for the state jazz band, Beltramini has managed to achieve high honors and is in the top 10 in his graduating class. He is also part of the National Honor Society, vice-president of the Science Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society.
Last fall the Warriors went 10-7-2 to advance into the Division 1 South Tournament, and this fall Beltramini is hoping that he can lead his team back into the tournament with better results. The senior will also continue to play in the jazz band.
“It’s all about balance,” the senior said. “Some days I get up at 6 a.m. and am not back home until after 9 p.m., putting in a 15 hour day, but I love what I am doing and wouldn’t give it up for anything. Besides it doesn’t feel like 15 hours, it feels more like two.”
Soccer and jazz will continue to both be on Beltramini’s docket.
“Next year in college I’m hoping that I can do both soccer and jazz – that would just be awesome,” he said.
If anyone can balance sports, music and college classes all at once, it will be Beltramini.