Tori Tears Through the Competition with Tremendous Family Ties

Most teenagers participate in high school sports to blow off steam, to stay healthy, and sometimes, to escape the clutches of their parents for a few extra hours a day. For senior Tori Nies, the latter is not always achievable

"It's okay having my mom as a coach," Nies says, referring to Haley Nies, coach of the Jamesville-DeWitt High School Girls' Varsity Soccer Team "It's different because I can talk back to her more than I ever would to another coach."

"Very rarely do I miss a game," Coach Nies says.

This kind of quiet humor is what the Nies duo is known for. Junior Renee Keller, Nies's teammate on the Girls' Varsity Soccer Team, says, "She is quiet, but at the same time goofy and always smiling." Keller has played on the team with Nies for three years and adds that her calm nature is also an attribute on the soccer field. "She is a player so soft-spoken that when you see her on the field you are just like, "˜Wow she's crazy good,'" Keller says.

Soccer teammate senior Katie Heil says, "What makes her a good player is that she gives everything she has and is never selfish." Heil also agrees that there is a silly side to this tranquil player. "She is a quiet and nice person, but she's a lot of fun and goofy too."

Nies has played on the varsity soccer team since eighth grade and has honed her skills down to an art form. "She always has the sickest goals," Keller says.

"Tori has always been a strong girl," Coach Nies adds. "However, her power, strength, and speed has improved throughout her varsity athletic career."

Nies's athletic ability and amiable personality have also made her a good example of success for her younger teammates. Nies has been a captain on the team for the last two years because of her strong leadership skills. "She leads the team with her insane athleticism," Keller says. Keller has looked up to Nies ever since she was in fifth grade and adds, "I have always said to myself "˜Man, I hope I get as good as her someday.'"

Sophomore Emily Elbers is another of Nies's teammates who looks up to her. Elbers says, "She encourages us to work hard and is a positive influence on me." Elbers adds that she has played on the team with Nies since she was in eighth grade playing up on the varsity squad.

Soccer, however, is not the only sport in which Nies excels. She has also been a three-year starter on the Girl's Varsity Lacrosse Team. Nies even played on the Girls' Junior Varsity Basketball Team in eighth and ninth grade. With her talents spread across different fields, Nies says that she doesn't consider any one sport her favorite. "It depends on the season," Nies says, "My favorite sport is usually the one I'm playing at the time."

Though most teenage girls and mothers might squirm at having such a family-involved team, this has never been an issue in the Nies house. "It has not been awkward for me to coach Tori," Coach Nies says, "The only time it has been awkward to be her mother is when it comes time to praising her or using her as a "˜model' of what a hard working player looks like."

Although it seems that Nies is invincible, she has her moments of weakness. She broke her nose in eighth grade and her ankle freshman year. With both of these happening on the basketball court Nies says, "It (the dangerous environment on the court) is one of the reasons I stopped playing basketball." Coach Nies is not overly concerned about her daughter though. "Tori is usually at the other end of a collision," she says.

Along with being a powerhouse on the soccer and lacrosse fields, Nies is a superstar in the classroom as well. She is an active participant in National Honors Society as well as National Spanish Honors Society. To top it off, she has been on High Honor Roll since she began her career at J-DHS and hasn't missed a semester. These strong performances in academics will certainly help Nies as she pursues medicine in college. She aspires to be a physician's assistant or physical therapist.

Nies's favorite teacher, Mr. Keith Comfort, agrees that she is a fine academian. Mr. Comfort says that her talent on the field "parallels in the classroom." He adds that, "She works really hard to be successful and she will be successful at whatever she chooses to do."

Nies has left behind a significant legacy at J-DHS as one of its most successful two-sport female athletes. "As a coach," Coach Nies says, "I wish I had 20 more of her! As a mother - just one Tori is fine!"

Heil adds "There's a group of us seniors that have been playing for over seven years together." Once Nies and her teammates leave, the soccer team will be completely transformed.

As her mother and coach, Mrs. Nies sums it up best. "Tori will be missed."