SUAMICO – From Bay Port High School to Loyola University Chicago, Alaina Abel, a 2020 Bay Port graduate, is back where it all began.

Abel, who helped the Pirates win WIAA Division 1 state titles in soccer (2018) and basketball (2019) during her playing days with the Pirates, was recently named the Athletics and Activities Coordinator at the Fox River Classic Conference school in Suamico.

“I began my duties at Bay Port at the beginning of March,” Abel said. “So far, things are going really well — I truly love it. When I walk away every day feeling like my cup is full, I know I’m in the right place.”

Abel said the position is a new role at the school.

So far, she said she’s doing a bit of everything as she learns the ins and outs of being an administrator.

“Right now, I’m doing a lot of the scheduling, officials, bussing and working on student athlete development things,” she said. “We recently built out this new platform in our athletic hallway with a touchscreen TV where you can see historical records of the championships, all-state recognitions, etc.”

Abel said the variety has been nice, as she transitions from being a student-athlete to now being on the other side of it all.

As her time in the role increases, she said her duties will also change.

“Eventually, I’ll be more involved with leadership development with student-athletes, working in communications in terms of social things, etc.,” she said. “Also, I’ll be leaning into partnerships a little bit as we work to expand our facilities. [Current Athletics Director] Dillon [Maney] will take the lead on that, but that’s definitely a part of what I’ll be doing.”

In addition to her administrative duties, Abel is also a boys’ varsity soccer assistant under Ryan Deprey.

Historic run for the Pirates

Despite winning a pair of state championships at Bay Port, Abel said she felt there was always a bit of an empty feeling in how her senior year ended.

After qualifying for the 2020 state basketball tournament, the WIAA canceled the tournament after one day of games because of COVID-19.

Abel said the team felt confident they could have at least advanced to the state title game, but the Pirates were left to wonder – just as the remainder of the teams were.

“Basketball was one thing, but when we didn’t get to play our senior soccer season [the spring of 2020 because of COVID], that really hurt,” she said. “Based on the talent we had, I think we were even more confident we could have won another state soccer title. It was definitely a tough way to end our high school careers.”

Abel was a two-time all-state honoree at Bay Port under the direction of Coach Brook Mraz.

She was also named the FRCC Defensive Player of the Year as part of her junior season.

After Bay Port

After her stellar athletic career at Bay Port, Abel took her soccer talents to Division I Loyola University Chicago, where she played five seasons for the Ramblers.

“I got an extra year of playing eligibility because of COVID,” Abel said. “I took the extra year to earn a master’s degree in applied social psychology.”

“It was definitely a perfect experience for me, both soccer-wise and academically,” she said. “We changed conferences halfway through my career there, so we moved to the Atlantic 10, which was based mostly on the East Coast. I got to fly to a ton of new states and experienced a lot of things.

Competition-wise, we jumped leaps and bounds moving to that conference. It was much more competitive and really fun to be a part of.”

Abel, a defenseman, was a fixture in the Ramblers’ lineup as a freshman — starting in 10 of her 11 appearances and being named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year.

During her junior season, she started all 19 games, logging more than 1,700 minutes and playing every minute of every match that season.

In 2024, as a graduate student, she also started all 19 games and achieved a team high in minutes played with 1,706.

The working world

With a degree in psychology, Abel said she had an internship in college with the women’s professional soccer team in Chicago.

“After that, I got an internship with the Packers in the sales and business department,” she said. “I was there for eight months, so that was cool and an amazing experience.”

While interning for the Packers, Abel said “she kept the faith and my eyes open” for a job in the Green Bay area.

It just so happened, she said, she caught wind that Bay Port’s long-time Athletic Secretary, Denise Abfall, was retiring soon, and the school was readjusting the role.

“After learning more about the position, I knew it would be right up my alley,” Abel said. “I always had such a positive experience at Bay Port, so I applied.”
Abel said that had she not gotten the job, she was unsure of her next steps.
But, as fate would have it, she didn’t have to decide – the decision was made for her.

“My roots are here in Green Bay, and I wasn’t planning to hop NFL teams and travel for that, so it worked out perfectly for me,” she said. “I’m really grateful the job took me right back home to Bay Port. It’s been a surreal feeling and an awesome start.”

Being only 24 and six years removed from walking the halls at Bay Port, Abel said she thinks her younger age actually helps her in the role.

“When I look back at my high school years, I think about the younger coaches and the younger people who impacted me,” she said. “I think high school is a super hard time of life — there is so much pressure with social media and everything else. You’re supposed to be planning your future, so I think knowing that I just went through that, and I’m able to use my experience to help navigate that with them, so they don’t feel so alone, is encouraging.”