ALTON - Sammy Fumagalli has changed lives since she became the Marquette Catholic dance coach in the 2018-2019 school year and this year with her assistant coach Julianne Fears to a Class 1A Illinois Drill Team Association (IDTA) State Championship.
Sammy is a 2014 Marquette Catholic graduate and also a grad of Missouri State University-Springfield, Mo. She was a member of The Sugar Bears, Missouri, State's dance team.
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These were her team's finishes in the Class 1A IDTA Competition - 2022:
First Place - Jazz
First Place - Lyrical
First Place - Overall Grand Champions
First Place - High Point Champions
Sammy said when she started coaching the Marquette dance team four years ago, she had a lot to learn as far as directing the squad. Now, Sammy's girls are the best in the state in their category.
“I was excited to see what God's plan was,” she said. “Throughout the four years, there have been ups and downs. Every setback was a chance to learn and move forward. Every year we got closer and closer as a team and created some amazing memories and friendships."
Marquette Catholic Athletic Director Brian Hoener said he believes Sammy does a great job with the Explorers' girls dance team with her assistant Julianne Fears.
“Sammy is very passionate about our dance program and building a program that can be successful and where the girls can have fun," Hoener said. "It is evident with what she has built with the girls. I couldn’t be happier and more proud of her and the girls. Both of our coaches, Sammy and Julianne, are younger coaches and do a great job relating to our kids. They also help guide the kids through their homework, social life and the girls talk and relate to both her and Juliana about their challenges.”
The Marquette Catholic dance coach makes sure the girls are involved in the community as they participate in festivals, parades, charity events, and special school activities.
With modern technology, Sammy continued to coach the girls after she moved to Austin, Texas, from afar.
“We had a lot going on this year but we made it work…nothing beats practices with me screaming through a laptop on zoom," she said. "No matter what sport you’re familiar with, it’s always admirable when a team attains something great in the midst of so many potential distractions.”
