“Unfortunately, our lives are bombarded with negative stories, very sad narratives and scenarios that don’t offer a lot of hope. Many of us, anxiously and infectiously, gravitate to those stories that provide a glimpse of the best of humanity. We also crave an outcome that makes us feel good about humanity in general. Sometimes those stories and people are closer to us than we know. Vicki Samarin was an amazing woman of God who had a story that involved trials, redemption and hope. She dedicated her life to the people around her, and many benefited from her relentless pursuit all things beautiful. I believe you’ll enjoy reading about this amazing human being. After all, who doesn’t enjoy a good story?”
—Sandy Brown, Operations Pastor, New Covenant Community Church
“In my work at Positive Coaching Alliance for the past 20 years, I have been part of a mission to empower sports coaches to not only strive to win, but more importantly, to teach life lessons through sports. Vicki Samarin was a model for this type of ‘Double-Goal Coaching.’ She taught her players to focus on the things they could control, such as giving 100 percent effort. And as what usually happens when this is a team’s culture, her athletes could be proud of themselves no matter the results. And the results were good, culminating in an improbable Valley Championship.”
—Ruben Nieves, national championship coach and AVCA National Coach of the Year, Stanford University, 1997
“It is rare to meet a person who lives their life as a model for others. Coach Vicki inspired her teams to love the hard work it takes to be the best they could be. She had a remarkable way of helping her players make choices that fit their values. She encouraged them to find their unique roles as leaders on and off the court. What an inspiration in today’s world!”
—Marian Battles, Co-Director, Central Cal Volleyball Club
“Mrs. Samarin was so much more than a tennis or volleyball coach. She gave hope. She believed in me off the tennis court as much as on the court. The Christian love she shared has impacted me to this day. Her story of courage and faith is certain to continue shaping and inspiring generations to come.”
—David White, Fresno Bee sports columnist and one of Vicki’s former tennis players at Selma High School
