CJ Norton enjoys a life of saves on the beach and pitch

An outstanding goalie in soccer may often hear that they save more than a religious figure or unit of first responders. For CJ Norton, the metaphorical phrase is quite literal.

Norton, who helped lead Sussex Academy to back-to-back DIAA Division II state championships his junior and senior years, began lifeguarding at the North Shores pool four years ago before walking across the street to protect the beaches three years ago. 

This fall, he will suit up for Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., and become part of a team that finished 12-5-5 last year, going undefeated in and winning the New Jersey Athletic Conference. The moment he takes the pitch with his college teammates will be a culmination of nearly a full lifetime of work.

“I started playing soccer when I was 3. Pretty much as soon as I could walk, I was touching a soccer ball,” Norton said. “Pretty sure my baby pictures have a soccer ball in them.”

Norton’s mom, Caron, was the soccer player in the family, while his dad, Scott, played college football at Ohio Wesleyan University, ironically, located in Delaware, Ohio.

“My mom wanted me to play soccer [and] my dad wanted me to wrestle and play football – I chose the soccer side,” Norton said.

It appears he made the right choice, but there are some who thought he would have looked great as a Cape tight end. His accolades are plenty, including his claim to being the best high school keeper in the Mid-Atlantic region last fall, and come as a result of his dedication to his craft, but he likes to ensure balance with his passion.

“The longest break I ever took from soccer is probably two months, and I do that every summer,” Norton said. “I try to take a month-and-a-half, two months to do my own thing, and then I'll come back to soccer even more ready than I was before, because now I kind of reignited the love for the game.”

For Norton, it’s about playing the long game in a sport one can play for life in one form or another.

“My goal is to not get burnt out if I want to play soccer as long as possible,” Norton said. “If I'm burning out when I'm 18, then what am I going to do when I'm 22?”

When he returns to his craft with his adoration restored, Norton gets right back to work. The casual fan might not think a goalie needs to do anything other than catch the ball, but one must master the details if they want to serve as protectors of the cage. People may be more familiar with MLB pitcher Paul Skenes and how he ensures he will hit triple digits on nearly every pitch.

“As a pitcher, it's very similar to a goalie; it’s the most technical position on the baseball field and same with the goalie,” Norton said. “There's so many little moving parts. It looks like you're just kind of lazy sitting back there, but no, you have to be in tune with the game the whole entire time.”

If the ball is not at his feet or in his hands, Norton’s vocal leadership shines through.

“You're directing every single person on that field,” Norton said. “You have to be the leader out there; if you're not a leader out there, then your team will not be successful.”

Norton believes captaincy is a requirement for a strong team to function properly, because there will be some tough calls to be made, and the goalie needs to be trusted and respected.

Not only does Norton hold his teammates accountable, but he also keeps himself on the straight and narrow by chasing physical milestones.

“I was able to run a marathon this April, and that was all just because I wanted something to work for,” Norton said. “I was doing that as well as training for soccer and weightlifting.”

While he has shown he is talented, one of his secrets to success is something available to everyone, free of charge.

“The story of my life is just constantly working, and I still do that to this day,” Norton said. “My days are booked; if I'm not training on the soccer field or if I'm not working, I'm either in the gym or doing something to better myself in some sort of way.”

His goal is constant improvement.

“If I can get better a little bit each day, then in a month or in a year, you're going to see a drastic change,” Norton said.

Reasonable expectations are another key ingredient to the successful mix.

“I always set a purposeful goal, so I never will set a goal just to have it sit there; I'm big on setting a goal that I know I'm able to achieve,” Norton said. “I can achieve anything that I really set my mind to.”

Norton’s excitement about the future of Rowan soccer could hardly be hidden, and he has placed the goal of a national title on his college career’s bucket list. When his team kicks off training camp, Norton’s lifeguarding should not only help him physically, but also allow him to push through adversity that may crop up.

“I really love the water, so it was a perfect job for me,” Norton said. “I really like being at the beach by the water, and if I can get paid to do that, I mean, it's a great job!”

Another perk of the job for Norton’s soccer career is the twice-daily fitness requirements.

“Keeps us in shape and also keeps us ready for comps and different things like that,” Norton said. “We can demonstrate to people on the beach that we can work out, we can do everything necessary to make a save, and everyone's going to feel confident we can do it when we actually need to.”

Each lifeguard would have no problem doing those workouts, but there are times when the simulation becomes a real-life situation. He recalled a time when he had to help two girls who were being sucked out to the ocean by a jetty. Seconds that felt like minutes slipped away as Norton relied on his instincts.

“Our motto is, ‘When in doubt, go out,’” Norton said. “They were obviously getting sucked onto the rocks, and we don't need them getting their head banged on a rock, getting thrown into the rocks and then getting all cut up.”

Norton made his way out and managed to bring both girls back in.

Another way local guards stay in peak shape is by training for and competing in lifeguard competitions.

“When it comes to the competitions, I do sprints and paddles,” Norton said. “We have other guys that are really good swimmers, other guys that are really good long distance or stuff like that. It makes a cool environment because everyone's good at different things, and you come together to try to win a competition. It's a lot of fun.”

Norton praised the culture at North Shores, saying guards feel supported on the job and in the competitions. 

Given the responsibilities bestowed upon lifeguards, the job also requires them to be wise beyond their years.

“When you’re 16 years old and you gotta go try to save a 30-year-old, or you got to save someone your own age, it causes you to mature a little more,” Norton said. “The other lifeguards around you tend to be older, so being around those older lifeguards allows you to mature faster too, and it's a very good experience.”

Over the next four years, Norton will continue his schedule of training at a high level for soccer and patrolling North Shores, but there will be some newer goals popping into the picture.

“I want to be able to run a full ironman, and then after that, I want to be able to make it to Ironman Kona, which is the Hawaiian ironman,” Norton said. “I really want to get into that after I'm done with soccer. I actually plan on doing my first half-ironman next spring, and I plan on also getting into high rocks, which is a new thing on the scene. It's kind of a mix of CrossFit, running and weightlifting, and it looks really fun.”

Scott Baker, head coach at Rowan University, was quick to show Norton how much he appreciated his potential, offering the former Seahawk a spot on the Profs roster.

“It felt like the biggest weight off my shoulders once I finally just committed, and I'm very, very, very happy with where I committed,” Norton said. “It really does feel like a second home, and I really, really enjoy my coach already, and I haven't even gotten to work with him yet.”

It may be hard to have a better four years than Norton had in high school, but he is not backing down from wanting to be the last team standing in Division III. He also has his eyes focused on the future, believing he has tremendous purpose in his life.

“It keeps me going, because I know that I am meant for something more,” Norton said. “I really feel like God has a path for me, and that it involves a lot of influence, so I’d really like to get to that point to where I can influence a lot of different people.”