By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The “Getting to Know” series is designed to help the community learn more about the coaches and administrators that are guiding today’s Portage County student-athletes to prepare them to be tomorrow’s leaders.

Today, we get to know Ravenna girls track and field and cross country head coach Ashley Williams, who is in her ninth season as the middle school and high school coach.

Ravenna High School cross country coach Ashley Williams is a Waterloo High School graduate and seven-time All-American at Marietta.

Q: What schools did you attend while growing up?
A: Waterloo.

Q: Whate year did you graduate high school?

A: 2008.

Q: College and graduating year? Play sports?

A: Marietta College (Bachelor’s degree in 2012); American College of Education (Master’s degree in 2021). Seven-time All-American in Division III track and field.

Q: What is your college degree in?
A: Bachelor’s in Middle Childhood Education math/language arts; Master’s in Educational Technology.

Q: Current occupation?

A: Sixth grade math teacher at Brown Middle School.

Q: What inspired you to be a coach?

A: To be honest, I initially began coaching at Ravenna because athletic director Dave McBee told me I was going to. I was very excited to be given the opportunity to coach track and field, because I am passionate about the sport. Cross country, on the other hand, I was unsure about coaching because I didn’t have experience in it. I was too scared to say no to Mr. McBee, so I agreed to it. After almost 10 years of coaching, I have really enjoyed coaching both sports.

I have always seen myself staying involved with sports because they were such a big part of my life growing up. I valued the things sports taught me, the friendships made, and really just the fun I had playing them.

I am having mixed emotions, because I had planned to come back to coach track in the spring, after being out last year on maternity leave, however, I don’t think I am going to be able to commit to it this year. I am going to miss coaching track, but I am excited to be able to spend time with my children: Aria (4 years) and Tristan (5 months). I do plan to continue to coach cross country, though.

Q: what makes being a coach at Ravenna special to you?
A: Coaching at Ravenna is special to me because it gives me a chance to build relationships with the students outside of the classroom. I like seeing how the kids grow and mature throughout the years. I have reached a point in coaching where some of the kids I started coaching, when they were in seventh grade, are now graduating. It is exciting to see what’s next for them.

On a personal level, coaching at Ravenna will always be special to me because it is how I met my husband. He began as my assistant coach for girls track in 2015. In 2016, he was the boys head coach, and we got to coach alongside each other for a couple of years.

Q: Who has been your biggest influence/mentor as a coach? And why?

A: My biggest influence as a coach would be my college multi-coach Ken Ciolek. He got to know me as an athlete and believed in me. More than I believed in myself. He found ways to challenge and motivate me, and I was always able to trust him as my coach.

I would also say my husband, T.J., has been a great mentor as well. When we were coaching track together, I was able to learn ways to organize and structure practices efficiently, that he had learned from being a college football player.

And not necessarily a mentor or influencer as a coach, but my parents have both always been my biggest support system throughout my career as an athlete and as a coach.

Q: Funny story nobody would believe from your playing days?

A: In college, during my first-ever 100-meter hurdle race, I fell not one, not two, but three times. I swore I would never do hurdles again after that day. However, since hurdles were part of the heptathlon, I had to do them or I wouldn’t be able to compete. I ended up agreeing to do them and ended up breaking the Marietta 100-meter hurdle record later that season.

Q: Funny story nobody would believe from your coaching career?
A: I just would say that I feel the karma coming around from all my hears in high school when Greg Drugan would ask me to do cross country every single year, and I would say, ‘Absolutely not.’ I now am that coach asking kids over and over to join to try to get enough athletes to complete our roster.

It is not af funny story, but I would just share that some of my favorite coaching moments have been winning the PTC league in track in 2015. In addition to this having athletes competing at the state level like Azsah Bradley, Chanavier Robinson and a couple of our 4×100 relay teams. In cross country, my favorite part is how close the team has grown since most have been doing it since middle school. We have also started to grow our team so a couple of our teams now have enough to score as a team.

I also enjoyed partnering with Leslee Keegan for the Fit Kids — to get younger kids interested in running.

Q: Favorite TV show?
A: 90-Day Fiance, but if I am being honest, Paw Patrol and Bubble Guppies are the only things I get to watch now.

Q: Favorite movie?

A: Elf.

Q: Favorite musical artist?

A: Nelly.

Q: Favorite food/meal?
A: Mac and cheese and T.J.’s barbecue ribs.

Q: Best vacation?

A: Cruise to the Caribbean.

Q: Favorite restaurant?

A: Bellacinos.

Q: Describe your coaching philosophy.

A: To help the athletes achieve their goals on a personal level and also help them achieve things they didn’t think they could. This looks different for each athlete, whether it is being able to not walk during a cross-country race or qualifying for the state meet in track.

I also believe in whatever sport it is, you should develop a positive team environment for the athletes. All coaches, athletes and families should support each other and have fun together.

Q: What does it mean to you to be a Ravens student athlete?

A: It means to work hard and be a role model in both the athletic sense and in the classroom. I love at our end-of-the-year award banquets when we have almost everyone on our team (especially cross country) receiving a scholar-athlete award.

Q: Advice you would give the younger version of you?

A: Enjoy every moment.

Q: Favorite coach from your playing days?

A: My all-time favorite coach would be my college track coach, Ken Ciolek. From high school, I liked Todd Wise as my basketball coach and Frank Rossi as my track coach.