Tori Willborg: Leading with Passion, Coaching with Purpose

The girls run out to take their positions as the lights go up on the Cabot Softball field. As the players make all-star catches and hit beautifully, one of the coaches can be seen giving it her all, with everything she has. 

Assistant Cabot Softball Coach Tori Willborg was a positive, friendly force to be reckoned with on Cabot Softball’s side. With her knowledge of the game and years of playing experience, her assets benefited Cabot’s winning streak and awards.

However, her love for the game didn’t come out of thin air. Willborg’s family, who were huge sports fans, got her into many sports as she was growing up.

“I grew up playing softball and basketball from the time I was old enough to hold a bat and dribble a ball,” Willborg said. “For high school, I played both softball and basketball, and I was a part of many winning seasons in both sports.”

Even though Willborg played two sports her entire academic career, neither stood out to her the most. Both sports made a humongous impact on her life in a small town. 

“Since sports were my life, everything revolved around softball or basketball, and I couldn’t get enough,” Willborg said. “My family spent countless hours in both sports to help me succeed, and I had some pretty amazing coaches along the way, too.”

Eventually, though, softball became the sport Willborg invested in the most. She started bringing in money during college by umpiring for her local fields, which fueled her love for the sport even more.

“Honestly, at first I just needed to make money as a college student trying to pay my way, but it turned out to be so much more than just the money,” Willborg said. “Why not do a job for a sport that I love, and that I could learn from to prepare me better for my long-term goal, which was eventually to coach softball.”

While Willborg was all set for college, her athletic career was cut short, despite winning many accolades during high school basketball and softball. Even though Willborg had to quit her athletic career, she didn’t let that dampen her dream.

“After 3 knee surgeries by the time I was a senior, I decided it was time to hang it up and focus on my education and my goal to become a coach,” Willborg said. “I attended UCA, where I graduated with my Bachelor of Science Education in Kinesiology and Physical Education in 2017.”

After college, Willborg’s heart was set on becoming a softball coach. Right out of the gate, she got a job as the assistant college softball coach at Harding University. After a year, she got the opportunity of a lifetime.

“I received an email about coming to Cabot to be the assistant High School softball coach, and I applied without hesitation,” Willborg said. “Cabot was known for having an excellent softball program, run by Chris Cope, and I knew I had an opportunity to learn from one of the best.”

Willborg automatically fit in with the crowd at Cabot. During her first year at Cabot, her accomplishments as a coach started to grow immediately. 

“My first year at Cabot was one I’ll never forget as our team was 1st in the conference and won the 2019 State Championship,” Willborg said.

Along with being an astonishing softball coach, Willborg was allowed to broaden her coaching horizons by becoming a junior high volleyball coach.

“Becoming a volleyball coach was a new challenge for me,” Willborg said. “Volleyball wasn’t a particular sport that I had much expertise in; however, volleyball has now been a part of my life for the past 7 years and is a sport that I fell in love with.”

While Willborg has had a breakthrough in her coaching career, her heart for this town has never been greater.

“Coming to Cabot was one of the best decisions I have ever made,” Willborg said. “I’ve learned and grown so much as a coach, and I am so lucky to have been a part of such an amazing program.” 

Willborg, who has high hopes for this year’s season, believed this team will come together and finally play for each other, with a winning season soon.

“I believe our softball team is making good progress week by week,” Willborg said. “Ultimately, I hope to see the team evolve into a cohesive unit that works together to achieve shared goals while maintaining a positive, competitive attitude and enjoying the game.”