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WARREN — During her years as a Regina High School basketball and softball coach, Emily Frikken started each game giving her student athletes high-fives. Afterward, everyone got a hug.
“She’s also the first person you see when you walk out of the locker room,” junior Sara Wilking said. “She supports us so much.”
It’s gestures like these that helped Frikken bond with the students since coming to the all-girls Catholic high school six years ago. Two years ago, Frikken was named Regina’s athletic director. Since that time, others have noticed the impact she is making in her new role.
On March 16, Frikken was named Region 13 Athletic Director of the Year by the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA) for the 2023-24 school year. Region 13 serves Catholic Leagues, independents and nonpublic schools in the metro Detroit area. Frikken was honored at the annual MIAAA midwinter conference in Traverse City with more than 500 athletic directors.
“I was very taken aback,” Frikken said. “I still feel I have a lot to prove.”
While still heavily involved with the Regina Saddlelites, which is the school mascot, Frikken decided not to coach this school year so she could focus on her responsibilities as the athletic director. The students were happy to see her receive the recognition from the MIAAA.
“She deserves this award a thousand percent,” senior Kennedy Roskopp said. “She was our coach for three years. She was the most supportive and uplifting coach.”
Frikken — known as Coach Em or Coach Emily — is a strong presence in the lives of her students both as a coach and the athletic director. She’s been there for the good times and also the tough times. For instance, Roskopp — involved in basketball, track and cross country — said that Frikken is known to put on her rain boots to stand in the mud cheering on the team at cross country meets.
Or like the time last December, when senior Sabrina Kiryakoza and her teammates played their first Catholic League basketball game at Father Gabriel Richard High School in Ann Arbor. When she looked out, the first person Kiryakoza saw was Frikken cheering them on.
“It was a two-hour drive,” Kiryakoza said, adding Regina “is not just a school, it’s a big sisterhood.”
“She is always in your corner,” Roskopp said. “You can always go to Coach Emily for anything.”
Although not coaching currently, Frikken still shows up for games to root for the Regina athletes.
“I just love being able to be a cheerleader for them off the bench,” Frikken said. “I try to stay as positive as I can for them. I want them to find the positives. There’s always something good.”
Frikken also keeps the star athletes in the spotlight by highlighting their achievements on Instagram.
When senior Avery Zdankiewicz was having a conflict with playing basketball at school and also being involved in soccer outside of school, she went to Frikken for advice. With Coach Em’s help, Zdankiewicz was able to solve the issue and got back in the game.
“She will help you with anything you need,” Zdankiewicz said. “I ended up having one of the best seasons of basketball. The environment, the girls, we had a very strong bond.”
Frikken has held other roles at Regina, including alumnae relations director, American literature/Advanced Placement language teacher, and Kairos moderator. Kairos is a Christian retreat program geared toward deepening one’s faith, identity, relationships and connection to God.
Frikken grew up in an athletic family.
“You didn’t have a choice,” she said.
She remembers the sporting camps she attended as a child under the direction of now retired Regina Athletic Director and Coach Diane Laffey. Frikken learned a great deal from Laffey when attending Regina.
“I told everyone when I graduated I was going to come back and work here,” Frikken said, who is following in Laffey’s legendary footsteps. “She helped me and I get to help the next generation of Saddlelites. Strong leadership is something I want to see for them.”
“Coach Em is more than just a coach and athletic director,” said senior Maddy Mlynarek, who plays basketball and soccer. “She’s helped all of us overcome a lot here. She makes an effort to have a relationship with everyone.”
