- May 25, 2021
- 9 min read

NDC Alumni Spotlight: Martha Nagbe and The Importance of Family and Competitive Spirit.

In many cases getting a late start on something in life can be a bit hard to overcome, but in the case of Notre Dame College women's basketball great Martha Nagbe (Sperry) it did not deter her at all. She was in seventh grade at Emerson Middle School in Lakewood, OH when she played an organized game of basketball for the first time. In our era of AAU Kid's basketball, that's late! Martha caught up in a hurry because she is a quick study, and a hard worker. Now she is in the record books.

Her path to NDC started overseas."My dad played soccer in the pros when I was younger, so we lived in Europe for a bit,"Martha began: "I went to International School from preschool to second grade in Greece. We moved to East Cleveland when we came to the States, then moved to Lakewood, where I attended grades five thru 12, she continued:

"My dad had to remain overseas to play soccer so he could provide for us when we came to the states. My mother, who is a saint, did the greatest job of raising us and making sure that we were always happy, "Martha said. "It also didn't take much to make us happy, to be honest. We were easy going kids growing up. With my dad overseas, my mom made life as normal as possible for us, and when I began to make more friends and get involved in more activities, there was always something going on in my life to keep me busy, "she explained."

Nagbe has three siblings, a pair of older brothers, Joe, 32, and Darlington, 29, and a younger sister, Seta who is 19. Her mom, Somah, is a nursing assistant, and is in school to become a registered nurse. Her dad, Joe Sr, currently lives in Monrovia, Liberia, and works with youth sports.

When asked about where the love of basketball came from the former Lakewood grad gave a surprising answer:

" I honestly have no idea. It was the first organized sport I ever tried playing and the only sport I have ever played to this day. I had no idea what I was getting into. I sporadically played pick up basketball with mainly boys my age and everyone would say I was 'Good For a Girl.' So I just kept with it. No one in my family had ever played basketball before. I started to love the game when I made varsity as a freshman at Lakewood High School. It was so much fun and the girls made me feel so welcomed. I made so many friends from just playing basketball and I was excited for the next four years."

One of those friends was former NDC alum Lauren Macer. Nagbe and Macer played against one another in high school, while Macer played for Twinsburg.

Nagbe met another close friend, Celine Mangan, playing AAU basketball sophomore year.

Nagbe talked about how her mom gave her grit and her dad gave her the ability to care for others:

" My mom has the ability to always give her all and try to be the best at whatever she is doing no matter what obstacles come her way. She either finds a way out, or if not, she makes the best out of the situation that she is dealt. I have never seen anything be too great a challenge for this women, and if it was she never showed it. That's why whenever i'm dealt a challenging situation in life, I try not to give up. I try to face the challenge and find the best solution."

"One skill I got from my dad is the ability to care for others. Growing up, my father, was always loving, always sweet, always making sure we were OK. And he always stayed calm no matter what we did. He still does all of those things today. It has taught me to always be kind, loving, and caring for others, and it is something I practice daily. I love when people are happy, and being able to be one of the reasons why is a great accomplishment for me."

Next Nagbe talked about her decision to attend NDC:

" The process of choosing NDC was very easy because it was only 30 minutes from home. I could not see myself going far away from my family at all. Additionally a few girls that I played AAU with (Erin Entinghe, Katie Dovin (Stumphauzer,and Molly Snarr (McNally) were freshman at NDC when I was a senior in high school and definitely played into me choosing NDC to call home. I wanted to play with my friends again. I loved the bond the girls at NDC had, and I enjoyed the small comforts of the campus."

On the biggest takeaways both on and off the court from NDC, Nagbe added this:

"Being a part of NDCWBB has given me lifelong friendships and that is what I have valued the most. On the court, I had the best times of my entire basketball career. Playing with some of my best friends and having fun while doing it was the most enjoyable five years of basketball. We had so much fun and the chemistry, and celebrations we shared on the court were the exact same off the court. We spent all our spare time together, celebrated birthdays and big milestones together, laughed and cried, as well as complained together, and had fun together.

It was always happy times off the court no matter how challenging things could have gotten on the court. Yes basketball brought us together and I am forever grateful for that, but it was truly the moments off the court that made us a team, and family. "

Ciara Reed told me that the most challenging part of being one of Martha's teammates was knowing that each day at practice you had to show up and compete. Martha was such a competitor, so going head to head with a player of her caliber everyday was tough, rewarding but tough. The easiest part was definitely knowing that I had a player on my team on and off the court that you could always count on when needed, "Reed explained.

Mangan had similar sentiments:

"I think it is a good example of who Martha is. She wasn't given everything on a plate growing up, and she had experiences different than many kids who had been playing since they were five, but that never stopped her. No one was going to stop her from succeeding. It's a cool story, and a cool story for anyone who is thinking it's too late to start x,y, or z. It's never too late."

Mangan explained how determined Nagbe was:

"Martha's biggest attribute was her determination. When she set her mind to something, whether it be getting a steal, winning a sprint, or improving her shot she is absolutely relentless, and everyone who has ever guarded her would tell you that. She is the last person I would want to be guarding if she has the ball and her team is down. There's no questions asked, she's scoring. As for off the court, she has a way of making every person feel like they are the most important person."

Nagbe is the all-time leading scorer in NDC history, as she scorched the nets from 2011-2016. In 2014-15 Nagbe was All Atlantic Region and the MEC Player Of The Year. She was also the all time leader in field goals made for a career before Seina Adachi broke that record last season.

Reed spoke about how modest Nagbe is:

"Martha was always very modest. You never would know what her stats were just talking to her. She never boasted about it, or talked about it at all. It was never all about her. It was about our team's success. I think Martha's biggest attribute that made her as good as she was had to be her modesty and natural competitive spirit. During practice, she would always push everyone around her to play their best. We would compete on different teams so the loser would have to run, and you always knew if you were on Martha's team, she would not take losing as a result."

Reed gave an inside look at what it was like to battle her in practice everyday:

"Battling Martha in practice everyday was tough, but rewarding. There were days where I knew she would beat me everyday off the dribble or out power me when going up to the basket, but after those tough days, I knew I would be better the next day because of it. She helped shape me into the player I was my last two years at NDC."

Nagbe talked about what it is like to be in the NDC record books:

"It feels crazy because it makes me think of all the hard work I had put into the five years (especially after tearing my other ACL.) To achieve those milestones is a good reminder that hard work pays off, but only when people bring it up do I even think about it. It was crazy to think about when it initially happened because it wasn't something I was trying to do or had as a goal when I came to NDC. My family, teammates, coaches, and the people in the stands were so happy for me; it gave me goosebumps and that was the most surreal feeling. It still is a great accomplishment of mine to hold records at NDC and it was the greatest feeling when they happened, but time takes away from the excitement of it all. No one really asks about them years after you graduate so you don't think about it too much."

One big thing at NDC has always been to develop a good support system. Obviously NDCWBB has done that for Nagbe and she developed some great relationships while in South Euclid.

Mangan talked about how much credit she gives Nagbe in improving her own game:

"100 times over I credit Martha with my game improvement. We shot everyday with one other and would often times finish with a game of one on one, and it was in those moments I got better. I won ONCE."

The story of Martha Nagbe is so much about her life at NDC and it is fitting that she met her fiancé Jay Sperry there. Jay sells data center hardware maintenance in the Cleveland area,. The two met during Welcome Weekend at NDC in August of 2011 when they were both freshman. He was a member of the baseball team. Nagbe is currently a preschool teacher and basketball official. She is in her second year of teaching, as well as just finishing up her second year of officiating high school basketball. Martha and Jay got married on December 19,2020. Three of her bridesmaids in her wedding would have been Macer, Mangan, and Lauren Langenderfer. Of course all that changed with the pandemic.

Reed talked about how their relationship has evolved throughout the years:

"Martha and I are still friends, and see each other quite often. I think that since college we have formed a stronger friendship even if we don't talk as often as when we were in college. I still know that I can always call her in a time of need or if I ever need to chat, and she will be there."

Mangan talked about the journey she and Nagbe have had:

"Other than basketball and school, not much has changed. We studied the same double major in college, so while we used to talk about teaching a ton and I am no longer in teaching, I still love hearing about her class, her work, or her family. When I come home from Kansas City we map out in our planners how, when, where, how long, we will spend time together, and honestly we enjoy being around one another even if it's not just us two. Being 12 hours away is probably the biggest difference because we have never been more than five minutes apart growing up. But in terms of our friendship, not much has changed at all, we still have lots of laughs!"

Macer answered the same question:

" Martha and I have had an interesting journey. We played against each other in high school. We played with each other at Notre Dame College. I coached her. When I became the Head Coach, she was my Graduate Assistant. When Martha graduated with her masters, she got a local teaching job. She has always been there encouraging me, and helping me. Our friendship continues to evolve and she is a go to for me that I know will always be there."

As is the story with many in the NDC community Nagbe did not know what this journey would bring. It has been quite a ride for all of us.

#FlyAbove