Sabo reflects on her years coaching Eastwood track team

By: 
Yaneek Smith

Press Contributing Writer
sport@presspublications.com

In 14 years, Nikki Sabo’s teams won 13 conference titles and sent countless athletes to the state tournament. But it was the human element of getting to know the athletes and becoming a mentor to them that also made coaching so fulfilling for the Eastwood girls track and field coach.
Now, Sabo, who will serve as a volunteer assistant coach next year, will turn her attention to watching her daughter, Julia, compete at Eastern Michigan University in the pole vault. Julia Sabo finished tied for fourth in Division II with a leap of 11 feet, 10.0 inches. Last season, she was 11th with a leap of 11-00.00 feet.
Sabo won the Northern Buckeye Conference title in each of her three years of competition. (The 2020 season was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.)
“The more I thought about it, she got closer to her junior and senior season, and she started to think about competing in college. I’ve been the head coach since she’s been four. There were some things I’d miss. I’d miss a lot of her events because I was coaching,” said Nikki Sabo. “It’s time for her to be first. She made the decision to commit to Eastern Michigan. I told my husband, ‘I’m going to be done.’ That’s kind of how it went.”
Sabo’s husband, Brian, is also an accomplished great coach who coaches the boys team and oversees the weight room.
The Sabos made a conscious decision to bring the teams together as one, allowing coaches to teach their specialties to both male and female athletes.
“We did try to put a little spin on things, my husband and I. They were separate programs, and we wanted to bring the two programs as one. Coaches were coaching both genders,” Nikki Sabo said. “I think the kids benefited from assistants that are able to coach their specialties with both teams. I learned a lot as an athlete from watching the boys. That was one of our goals, and I think we accomplished that. It’s time for the next person to put their spin on it.
“When I took over, the program had already won numerous conference titles. The work ethic was there, and (former coaches) Richard Morgan and Gary White had already instilled that mindset that we’re going to work hard, practice hard, compete hard. I didn’t have to change that mindset. The confidence going into meets and how we’re supposed to give our best efforts and do the best we can, and most of the time, they won. It was a matter of continuing that.”
One of the things Eastwood has excelled at is getting its athletes to compete in multiple sports.
“I think being a multi-sport athlete is huge. You’re working different muscle groups, which limits injury. As far as track and field, we have power events like the shot put and discus and sprints and endurance (events),” she said. “Whether you’re a cross country runner or a soccer player, a lot of kids come out for our sport to better themselves for another sport. Our sport does help the other ones. We have so many linemen for football with shot and discus; that explosive movement helps with football. It complements other sports. You’re put in that pressure situation, and that’s good because if you’re playing volleyball, and it’s 24-24, you’ve got to get that serve in, that pressure is there. Two seconds left, and you’re at the foul line, and you’ve got to make the shot.”
Sabo will not get to attend as many meets and invitationals next season as she’ll travel throughout the Midwest watching her daughter compete.
“What I’ll miss the most is the relationships you build with the student-athletes. It’s different than the classroom; the amazing athletes I’ve worked with, many I am still in contact with – some live around here, some become friends, that’s something that will be hard to step away from,” she said. “That’s why I’m going to be staying on as an assistant coach.”
Under Sabo’s guidance, the Eagles finished as high as ninth in Division II in 2018, won district titles in 2010 and 2012 and were regional runners-up in 2017.
Sabo called Kaitlin Meyers the greatest athlete she’s ever coached.
“She was an 11-event state qualifier – our first state champion on the girls side in the high jump and the runner-up in long jump,” she said. “She was an all-Ohioan in seven of those events.”
Sabo counted others like Maddie Jackson, Meagan Kaminski, Hannah Sponaugle, Haley Sponaugle, Jamie Schmeltz, Jena Jacoby, Ava Kiefer, Aubrey Haas, Mikayla Hoelter, Maisy Stevenson and Abby Schroeder as some of the finest athletes she has tutored.

Category:

The Press

The Press
1550 Woodville Road
Millbury, OH 43447

(419) 836-2221

Email Us

Facebook Twitter

Ohio News Media Association