Amy Lageson, a familiar name to many in the Owatonna athletics community, is shaping the future of young athletes as the Head Coach of the Owatonna High School girls’ throws team.
A former standout herself, Lageson still holds the OHS girls’ shot put record and was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame just a few years ago. After graduating from OHS, she went on to compete at the Division I level for the University of Minnesota, where she focused on discus and hammer in her later collegiate years.
“This is my 10th year coaching girls throws,” said Lageson. “I did five years in Albert Lea, and this is my fifth year in Owatonna so far.”
For Lageson, coaching is about more than technique and competition, it’s about growth.
“My favorite part of coaching is seeing somebody get something they’ve been trying to figure out,” she said. “That lightbulb moment when all the drilling finally pays off and they throw better than they thought they could–it’s amazing.”
Lageson’s passion for throwing began in seventh grade and continued throughout high school, leading her to the U of M, where she deepened her knowledge and skills across multiple throwing events. That experience now informs her coaching philosophy, which is rooted in both performance and inclusion.
“I want my athletes to feel comfortable trying something new, even if they fail at first,” she said. “Practice should be a place where they feel valued, whether they’re aiming to throw in college or just looking to be a part of something fun.”
As for the legacy she hopes to leave?
“I hope people respect strong women in our school community,” Lageson said. “Sometimes it’s hard to be a strong woman in society. But throwing is one of those places girls can be themselves, lift heavy weights, and chase goals that might not be traditionally seen as feminine. I love that.”
She added that she hopes to coach for many more years and continue building a space where every athlete, regardless of their goals, feels empowered and included.
“I just want them to know they belong–and they’re capable of so much more than they think.”
Another familiar name to many Owatonna High School students and athletes is Michaela Kruger, OHS girls’ softball coach. Kruger has been a part of Owatonna for nine years now which is where she coached middle school volleyball and softball.
She has been coaching the softball team for 4 years and has made a huge impact on many of the athletes she has coached over the years.
Kruger said, “My favorite part of coaching is truly getting to work with our kids in a different way.”
She has a deep love for coaching students because of the way that she impacts them. Coaching has made her have a better connection with them and having them go further in their athletic and academic career, and since she is their coach, the students look up to her as a role model.
As the years went on, Kruger changed her coaching style in many different ways. In the beginning, she was more firm and straightforward with her athletes but in her recent years of coaching she has found more patience and has wanted to improve the team and do their best.
Kruger said, “The growth that I get to see when something ‘clicks” is apparent in coaching because it’s seeing a skill come to fruition. I hope to show my athletes that I care.”
Kruger had originally gone into coaching because of the way she was coached growing up. Although she did not get the best coaching staff, her goal when going into the coaching field was to give her athletes the opportunity of a good coach, which was what Kruger did.
