Student Athlete of the Week Paris Lee

Every day was "leg day" this fall for Niwot High School senior Paris Lee.

After balancing both soccer and kicking/punting duties on the varsity football team over the past few months, Lee said he could barely walk when it was all over.

"I was very sore," Lee said. "After my first three days of not having both (sports), I wasn't able to walk up the stairs."

Although NHS certainly doesn't lack multi-sport athletes, very few manage to play two sports during the same season. Lee's weekday afternoons were busy, to say the least.

"It was very difficult at times having to juggle practices," Lee said. "I would go to football practice for around two hours and then in-between soccer and football practice, I would go and lift weights for a little bit. After that, I'd go straight to soccer practice and end up getting home at 8, 9 o'clock, and had to rush and get that homework done."

His hard work was rewarded on Oct. 27 when he connected on a career-long 45-yard field goal against Riverdale Ridge High School at Everly-Montgomery Field in Longmont. The lefty kicker called it his "favorite moment of the football season."

To make the lengthy boot even more impressive, Lee only began playing football as a junior - his first year at Niwot after transferring from Silver Creek High School. He said he was inspired to join because of the "great community" within head coach Nik Blume's program.

Now, Lee's goal is to continue kicking in college.

"It's my dream right now to go play at the college level for football," he said "I started a little late because I didn't realize that I had a really great ability to kick - I only started my junior year playing football. I was a little late to the process, but I have a private coach, his name is Matt Thompson, who has been helping me out every step along the way. We practice around four or five times a week and we get in contact with college coaches."

One day prior to that 45-yard field goal, Lee enjoyed arguably the biggest moment of his high school soccer career when he scored a goal in Niwot's first-round state playoff game against Pueblo Centennial High School.

"It was really awesome because it (was) my first playoff game, too. Getting to score while we're at home, seeing everyone so excited, blood-rushing, heart-beating," Lee said. "I can't really find too many words for it because it was just a special moment for my team and I."

Lee was equally grateful for the opportunity he had this season to play soccer with his younger brother, Preston. Although the younger Lee spent his sophomore year on junior varsity, the two teams often practiced together during the week.

"It was a lot of fun getting to play with my brother," Lee said. "Because of the year gap we have, we've never been able to play club. Or if we do play together, it's kickarounds on Sunday with the dads and the younger kids. It was really great finally having the time to actually play with him. It was a long goal that I wanted to have happen in my life."