While it seemed like just another victory at the time, there was a little something special about Etowah’s shutout of Marietta on Sept. 3.
As her Lady Eagles moved within a region win of clinching a second-straight state tournament berth, Etowah coach Tonya Sebring was reaching an impressive milestone in her career – win No. 300.
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Brandon Michea | Ledger-News
After just 15 seasons as a head coach, Etowah’s Tonya Sebring reached her 300th victory earlier this month. Sebring, who started her career as an assistant at Woodstock High School in 1996 and took over the helm a season later, has four region titles, seven state tournament berths and one state championship to her name, and has coached 31 players that have gone on to play on the college ranks.
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“It didn’t really dawn on me that I reached it,” Sebring said. “I knew at the end of the 2009 season that I was getting close, but it hadn’t crossed my mind this year. After that win, my husband (Bill Sebring), who’s my biggest fan, let me know, and it was just a real humbling moment.
“I really attribute it a lot to being surrounded by good athletes and good coaches. You can’t do something like this on your own. It has to be a team effort. I learned early on in my career that you have to surround yourself with good people, and I’ve been able to do that.”
Over her 14-plus year career, Sebring helped turn a Woodstock High School program that started with freshmen and sophomores in 1996 into three-time region winners, six-time state qualifiers, 2005 state runner-ups, and 2006 Class AAAAA state champions, before taking over the helm at Etowah in 2008 and leading the Lady Eagles to their first region title and a state berth in 2009. Under her direction, 29 players have received all-state recognition, 32 players have been named all-region, and 31 have gone on to sign athletic scholarships.
But for all of her successes as a coach, it a was career-ending injury her junior year at Kennesaw State that helped guide Sebring helped into her profession.
“I messed up my shoulder to the point that I wasn’t going to be able to rehab it and get back to playing,” recalled Sebring, who was the first fast pitch player recruited by legendary Kennesaw State head coach Scott Whitlock in 1990. “But that injury turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it gave me the opportunity to sit back and watch what the coaches did and how the girls on the team responded. I was watching the whole ballgame from a different perspective.
“I knew before my injury that I wanted to teach physical education and coach to some degree, but during those last two years at Kennesaw, I learned a tremendous amount about the game and what it takes to win and compete. That’s when I realized that I wanted to help kids be able to compete, reach their goals and become champions.”
But while she admits to enjoying the wins, and especially the state championship victory in 2006, Sebring said the greatest benefit from her profession comes from outside the lines.
“Thinking about winning that state title still brings a smile to my face,” she said. “I don’t know what number win that championship game was, but that’s what you’re out here for. You’re out here to get 15 or 16 girls and your coaching staff moving in one direction, and that’s toward that trophy, and when that comes together, it’s a chill-bump moment.
“But the whole goal in being a coach is to be a role model and a leader … The wins are great, but while it may sound cliché, it’s really cool just to see a young kid grow up into a young lady and be a whole different person – to become a leader in the hallways and on the ballfield. It’s a cool thing to watch evolve, and that’s the most rewarding part of my job.”
Sebring says both Debbie Ball, her high school coach in Columbus, and Whitlock are perfect examples.
“She’s been a key role model in my life and a big reason I do what I do now,” Sebring said of Ball, who is currently coaching at Brookstone and working towards her 600th career victory. “She was a positive role model in my life, and her and coach Whitlock taught me self-discipline and taught me the game.
“They both showed me that the influence coaches have on young people carry a lot more weight than any trophy.”
And whether Sebring realizes it or not, she has done the same for her players.
“She’s influenced me a lot,” said Ansley Brackett, who was a four-year starter under Sebring at Woodstock and now serves as the junior varsity head coach and assistant varsity coach at Etowah. “As a player, I always knew that she knew her stuff on the field, but she was always there for us when we needed her for anything. Even now, if I have a question, she’s there to teach me.
“In the dugout, she’s always thinking ahead. It’s like a game of puppets for her. Even though she’s not playing, she’s still in control of all the things she can control.”
Still, Sebring said she knows what it will take to continue her success.
“I just have to continue to come out here and believe in the kids and get them to believe in me,” she said, “and we’ll just take it day-by-day from there.”
