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Monday, September 1, 2008
Civil Court
Central Oklahoma, OK
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By: Francisco Ojeda
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Photo(s) By: Wes Sharp
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Edmond North’s Emily Cobbs lost her father last year. Now, the volleyball court is one place where she still feels comfortable.
Volleyball isn’t just a sport that Edmond North’s Emily Cobbs enjoys and is successful at anymore. It’s an escape from the emotional pain she feels every day.
The volleyball court is the lone place where the senior setter can save the tears for a couple of hours and enjoy herself. It’s a distraction from the ache in her heart for her father John Cobbs, who died suddenly from a heart attack after finishing working out at a gym in January of last year.
“(Volleyball) helps get my mind off of it,” Emily Cobbs said. “It keeps me busy for a little while so I am not so focused on how much I miss him. My team depends on me a lot so all my focus is on the game.”
That on-court focus has helped her become one of the best setters in the state and now Cobbs hopes it helps her team to a Class 6A state championship.
“Volleyball has been an outlet for her,” Edmond North coach Jessica Dickerson said. “His death affected the family greatly. He was the leader of the house, the foundation. She’s definitely daddy’s little girl. You know that she hurt inside, but it did not affect her performance. She’s played hard and played well.”
Despite her heartache, Emily helped the Huskies to the 6A state semifinals a year ago. She also led her club team, Oklahoma Peak Performance, to the USA Junior Olympic Girls’ National Championships open division this past summer, the first team from Oklahoma to qualify for the toughest division at the national championships.
That’s an extraordinary feat, considering the position and importance Emily means to her high school and club teams. The setter in volleyball is like a quarterback on the football team or point guard on a basketball team. It’s a position of leadership. She gets everyone in position on the court and sets up the plays. She has fought through her hurt to stay strong for her teammates.
“She has used volleyball as a relief,” said Edmond Santa Fe coach Will Ethridge, who is Emily’s club coach. “That is a very close family. (John) loved sports and watching his kids. He was a solid force in the family.”
While Emily doesn’t show her pain on the court, it does show off the court. Often, she tries to avoid talking about her feelings, even to family and friends, but when she does talk about her father, their relationship and their times together, crying is hard to avoid.
“It hurts so much that it’s hard to talk about,” Emily said. “He always made me feel good and encouraged me. He was proud of me, no matter what. He always gave me a little talk about how I was playing. I could hear him cheering in the stands, ‘Come on No. 11.’”
John Cobbs played tight end for the Sooners in 1978, becoming a letterwinner. He went on to coach football and track at Del City from 1980-1983. He then entered the ministry and had been there for 24 years. He was well known around Oklahoma, more for his community service than for his football playing days.
And he always made time for his family, despite his children’s numerous athletic events and his duties as a pastor at the First Baptist Church in Edmond. All three of his daughters (Kelly, 25; Amy, 21 and Emily) played or are playing volleyball in high school, while his son Parker, a sophomore at Edmond North, plays baseball. John would often go to his children’s sporting events after work and then go to a meeting at the church or visit someone in the hospital.
“He made me feel really special when he was there watching me play,” Emily said. “I knew my dad loved me. He made time for us even though he was busy. When it was our time, it was our time.”
“He left a great legacy where he had so much concern for other people,” said Saundra Cobbs, John’s wife and Emily’s mother. “We know he would not be happy if we did not move forward.”
It’s been tough on the whole Cobbs family, especially Emily. The girl known for the goofy dances and the outgoing personality has become a little more introverted and had a difficult time expressing her emotions.
“I was in a fog,” said Emily, when she learned of her father’s death. “I looked at my mom and started balling. I was shocked. It was so horrible. I was in a fog for a while.”
She has slowly gotten out of her shell off the court. However, when she steps on it, she turns into a tenacious player. The kind of player John taught to be aggressive, always hustle and be a leader. She’ll always have those characteristics her father taught her that has helped make her a standout volleyball player.
“There are so many similarities between them,” teammate Ashley Albert said. “She got her great heart, focus and drive from him.”
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