on the path
By Sarah Robinson
Coaches Corner
New Albany is home to some of the best coaches in Ohio sports
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Columbus Crew head coach Caleb Porter also lives in New Albany. Porter’s team won the MLS Cup in 2020 and played in its new stadium Lower.com Field this season. 18
When he’s not working or traveling with the team, Boals takes advantage of the opportunity to enjoy time with his family. “Around New Albany, I love to get on the bike with the family,” he says. “(There are) a lot of great areas to bike throughout New Albany.” www.healthynewalbanymagazine.com
Photos courtesy of Jeff Boals
o doubt about it, Ohio is home to some of the greatest sports teams and most dedicated fans in the world. But the people behind the teams, the successes and the players who bring it all together – namely, the coaches – have found their own cozy corner in central Ohio: New Albany. “The great thing about this community is that families know families,” says Royal Arts Fencing Academy head coach and founder Julia Richey. “Not just, ‘Hi,’ and, ‘Bye,’ but people interacting and supporting each other, and I think that is why it’s a great place to be.” The family-friendly atmosphere and the community’s focus on health and wellness are part of why New Albany is a great place for coaches to live and raise their families. Boals providing mid-game direction to players. “New Albany is so vibrant and interesting, and I just love it,” says Richey. “I had my daughter grow up here. She’s 29 now.” Head coach for the Ohio University men’s basketball team Jeff Boals makes an 80-minute commute to work in Athens just so he can live in New Albany. “The opportunity to live in New Albany for your kids and what they can experience through living there is worth it,” he says. “I go against traffic, so everyone’s coming into the city when I’m going out of it.” Boals says he listens to podcasts and makes work calls on the drive, but his commute isn’t so bad compared to what he’s heard of others doing. “My friends in Long Island would absolutely love this commute because they used to go two hours into the city and two hours back every day,” he says. Plus, Boals adds, his commute aligns with his family’s schedule, allowing him to spend time with his wife, Katie, and kids, Sydney and Chase. “During the (basketball) season, I go into the office about six to seven days a week,” he says. “I’ll take my son to school, drop him off – he’ll be a sophomore next year – and then get home around 7 p.m.” Boals and his wife, Katie, and kids, Sydney and Chase.
