BEYOND THE GAME: Legendary Champion coach Weaver reflects on career

When it comes to Champion softball coach Cheryl Weaver, her long list of accomplishments speaks for itself.

She was inducted into the Ohio High School Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2023.

Weaver has racked up six state championships, a state runner-up in 2006, eight regional titles, and 12 district titles.

She surpassed 500 wins this season against Ursuline back in March becoming only the second local coach, softball or baseball, to do so.

Weaver credits every team and player for that feat.

"If you walked around the backstop, you'll see every year that they made it to state and every girl's name is on there," said Weaver.

"That's what I want. I think of them. I'm just the little conductor."

Weaver fell in love with the game at a young age. She played high school softball and did track and field at Chalker.

She never dreamed of becoming a softball coach but that changed once her daughters began playing and both eventually went on to attend Champion.

"I just kind of fell all in love with it. First with my daughters and I knew the kids so that made it a little bit easier, but once I started having kids that I didn't know, first, I thought it was harder, but then I thought, you know what, it's actually easier."

The rest was history. Champion became her home.

"I did have one parent one time say, hey there's a couple openings, you should go there to a bigger school and I said I'm fine here."

Weaver had her first crack at winning state in 2006 when her team finished runner-up, then in 2011 she became a champion for the first time, the one she considers her favorite.

"Then in 2011, with some of those wonderful ball players, it was like, we could possibly get back there and it was just amazing and we did so I guess I would have to say the 2011 winning for me, the first one."

Weaver has been at the helm for 26 years, so winning aside, what is it that keeps her coming back for more?

"I'll be honest, it's the girls. I know as I've gotten older, I'm not as relevant to the girls so I find it a little bit harder keeping up with them because they are more into the social media and the Tik Tok."

If you're wondering, she hasn't made a Tik Tok yet but she does throw axes and knives in her spare time. She even shoots a crossbow and has quite the target set-up in her backyard. 

As far as gameday superstitions go.

"You won't believe it's my socks. They have to have either purple or gold on."

When her career is all said and done.

"I'll do anything to have the girls in front instead of me, but I am very honored and it's hard to put into words. I don't want to cry right now."

Weaver's team is having another successful season. As of Thursday, May 2, the Flashes are 14-3 with hopes of reaching another state title game.

The legendary coach tells 21 sports, "once you reach a state championship, there's nothing like it, you want to get back."