About Coach Sammie

 I grew up in LaGrange, Ohio, where I started playing softball at the age of five. By the age of eight, I was playing travel softball for one of the best teams in the state of Ohio and by ten, I had my heart set on playing Division 1 softball. I continued playing travel ball at a high level and then played for one of the best high schools in the state of Ohio; Keystone High School. There, I was coached by Jim Piazza, who in 2012 was named the National High School Softball Coach of the Year and won the high school national championship by leading his team to a 32-0 season. Coach P was (and is) really involved in helping softball players reach their goals of playing at the next level. Coach P put me in contact with head coach of the University of Maryland softball team, I went on my unofficial visit, and verbally committed on my first visit to campus. I played four years at the University of Maryland and graduated from the College of Education in 2022 with a degree in Elementary and Middle School Special Education. In the summer of 2021, I joined Maryland Black Ice to assist with player development and became the assistant coach to the then 12u Maryland Black Ice team coached by Nick Jensen. Since then, I got my first job as a Special Education Teacher and I am still the assistant coach to Maryland Black Ice's 16u A team.

My family has had a large impact on who I am today. My parents have supported every goal I've set, more recently with my permanent move to Maryland. My siblings have supported me too and have made me into who I am today. Being an older sister to them helped me to realize that I wanted to become a teacher and continue to work with kids.

I met Matthew during our senior year of college. He has been a huge supporter of my softball career as an athlete, a coach, and now a camp director. You will often see Matthew sporting one of my Maryland Softball shirts (specifically one with my number on the back) and running around the softball fields helping in any way he can by making sure everyone has what they need. Thank you, Matthew!

My little sister, Mia (15) was a part of the first team that I ever helped to coach. Though I'm not home to continue coaching her, she is the same age as the girls that I currently coach. My relationship with Mia has really helped me to create positive relationships with the players on my team and be able to connect with kids at a younger age.