Eagles through and through: Hobbs named new Fairview volleyball coach; Sammons takes over director role

Charlee Hobbs made good on her 5-year plan.

The former Fairview volleyball star moved into a role she seemed destined for from an early age. The Eagles’ all-time kills leader recently accepted an offer to become the program’s new head coach.

“I remember during my senior year of high school, we had these mock interviews,” said the Fairview alumna. “I was with our superintendent and school officials, and I remember telling them that my 5-year plan would be back in Westwood and to coach here at Fairview. Ever since high school, I knew I wanted to come back here.”

Hobbs appears to be right on schedule. After high school graduation, she played at the college level at UVA-Wise, where she earned a degree in Business Administration. Hobbs’s thoughts never strayed far from Westwood and wasted no time returning to the place and sport that’s made the biggest impact in her life.

“The game has given me so much discipline, confidence, lifelong friendships,” Hobbs said on the school Facebook page. “I’m grateful for the chance to give back to the next generation of Fairview athletes. I’m looking forward to helping these players grow on and off the court, building a positive team culture, and representing Fairview with pride. I can’t wait to get started and to be part of the Fairview community again. Once an eagle, always an eagle!

“When I was in college, I knew I wanted to come back and coach,” she added in an interview to The Daily Independent. “I wanted to give back to the game that’s given everything to me.”

Another Fairview alumnus wanted a more pivotal role and to give back to a community that’s provided him so much. The school named former Eagles multi-sport athlete and current baseball coach, Cody Sammons, its new athletic director. Sammons’s first official day as AD will be June 1.

“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do at Fairview,” Sammons said. “It was to be the athletic director and work my way into administration. My bachelor’s degree is in sports management. I did my internship at the YMCA, helping the director with the day-to-day operation. When coach (Rick) Lambert retired, I thought it would be a good time to get my foot in the door.”

Sammons joins his new volleyball coach, who shares their ties to Westwood and the small-town community.

“It’s something that I take a lot of pride in,” Sammons said. “My family has been so proud in the Westwood community my whole life. It’s always been in my heart. My dad played football here. My grandparents graduated from here. My mom went to school here. I’m a fifth-generation Eagle. With a small school, everybody knows you, and it’s a family atmosphere.”

Sammons’s wife, Abbagail, is a Fairview graduate, and their new son, Myles, will definitely be a future Eagle. Sammons wants expectations to remain high, and he will work hard each day to maintain the same level of support across all sports.

“Balancing it all is something that I have become good at during my career,” Sammons said. “I stepped down from football coaching. I won’t be on the sidelines; I’ll be helping with daily operations. I want to make sure every sport is treated exactly the same and make sure everybody has the support they need.

“I want to keep us at the same standard as every other local school,” Sammons said. “As a small school, some people may categorize it as not being as good. Just because we are small doesn’t mean we won’t come out and compete. We do belong with every program in the area.”

Hobbs has already established herself as a winner during high school and as a coach. The new varsity coach led the middle school program—seventh and eighth-grade teams—to the small school Ohio Valley Conference championships last weekend in Vanceburg. Former teammate, Kiera Loving, coached alongside her and will join her varsity staff.

Lambert hands the reins to his former player after guiding the volleyball program for 23 seasons. Hobbs was a varsity assistant last year. She takes what she learned from her predecessor but prepares to make her own mark on the program.

She enters the new role with an already established relationship with the players.

“It’s big shoes to fill,” Hobbs said. “I also know that I want them to expect different things from me. He was a guy, and I’m a girl coach. It’s almost like different demeanors. I could give them a different perspective on the game.

“Communication will be key,” she added. “To be a good volleyball team, we have to communicate with each other and have a good game plan.”

When the new school year begins in the fall, Fairview expects to have leaders who take its athletic program forward. Hobbs and Sammons both agreed that once your roots in the Wood are planted, they are stronger than oak.

“Westwood is everything to me,” Hobbs said. “I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else. To be welcomed home and be the head coach means everything to me.”

The construction of Fairview’s new baseball and softball fields has been a long and dubious process, but Sammons feels confident that diamonds return to Westwood next spring, and he’s excited to showcase their new digs and play host to tournaments for a change.

“Not everyone knows what it’s like growing up here,” Sammons said. “It’s different. Everybody has each other’s back. As a player and now as a coach, I see a lot of the same faces in the community. … It’s always been a very family-oriented community, and I want to keep it that way.”