As part of our ongoing Women in Athletics series, we continue to highlight individuals connected to Dordt athletics who have gone on to impact their communities through teaching, coaching and leadership. Our next feature is Dordt graduate Natalie Sakuma, whose journey in athletics has been shaped in large part by the influence of family and the people who encouraged her along the way.

Full Interview https://open.spotify.com/episode/3OQ1csphEFRo7RbOQBCkfo?si=0b222909956a4049

For Sakuma, athletics were never something she simply chose to try—they were a natural part of growing up. Raised with three older brothers, she quickly learned that if she wanted to be part of what they were doing, she would have to keep up.

Her brothers were significantly older—12, seven and five years ahead of her—and that dynamic shaped her athletic development in ways she now appreciates deeply.

"If I wanted to snowboard with them, I had to keep up or I was left behind," Sakuma said. "If I wanted to play soccer with them, I played with them and their friends. They pushed me, and sometimes they beat me up a little, but I could only play if I could play at a certain level."

That environment created both toughness and confidence. Competing in what she describes as "a boy's world" at a young age forced her to push herself physically and mentally. Just as importantly, it helped her develop a sense of identity.

Looking back, Sakuma realizes those early experiences helped shape how she approaches challenges in life.

"It forced me to be OK with hard things," she said. "It helped me find my voice and figure out who I was. My brothers were my role models growing up, and they still are. I've always wanted to make them proud."

The lessons from those backyard competitions and family adventures carried forward into her athletic career, eventually bringing her to Dordt, where she played soccer and studied elementary education.

While at Dordt, Sakuma encountered another set of influences who helped guide her path. Coaches and mentors reinforced the values she had learned growing up and helped her envision a future connected to athletics.

High school coach Jeff Droog first showed her what it meant to be part of a program built on commitment and leadership.

"He showed me what it looked like for a coach to give everything," Sakuma said. "You could see how much he cared about us and the program."

At Dordt, head coach Bill Elgersma provided a different but equally meaningful impact.

"He loved us unconditionally," Sakuma said. "When someone believes in you like that, it pushes you to become a better person."

Those relationships helped solidify Sakuma's passion for education and athletics, leading her into a career that combines both.

After graduating from Dordt in 2018, she returned home to teach fourth grade at Big Lake Elementary. At the same time, she quickly became involved in coaching soccer in the district.

Her coaching path soon included a unique milestone. Sakuma became the first female head coach of the school's boys soccer program, overseeing varsity, junior varsity and C-team squads. Later she transitioned to coaching the girls program for several
seasons.

The experience provided opportunities to influence athletes both on and off the field—and sometimes in ways she didn't fully realize at the time.

"One of my former players told me that watching me coach the boys team made her want to play soccer," Sakuma said. "She said she had never seen a female do that before, and it made her think maybe she could do that someday too."

Moments like that reinforced the importance of visibility and representation in athletics.

While Sakuma has recently stepped away from coaching to focus on her growing family—she and her husband now have two children—she still views athletics as an important part of her future. For now, her priority is balancing her roles as a teacher,
mother and mentor.

"I realized that if I couldn't give 110 percent to coaching, teaching and my family, then something needed to change," she said. "Right now my family needed that focus."

Even away from the sidelines, she continues to advocate for opportunities and encouragement for women in athletics. Recently, Sakuma participated in a Women in the Game conference panel discussing the importance of supporting and inspiring women in sports.

For her, the conversation ultimately returns to the same themes that shaped her own journey—family, mentorship and community.

"I look back and see that God put hard things in my path but also gave me a village to go through them with," Sakuma said. "My brothers, my coaches, my mentors—they all helped me become who I am."

Those influences continue to guide her today as she teaches, mentors students and reflects on the impact athletics can have on young people.

And while her coaching journey may currently be on pause, the lessons she learned growing up—keeping up with older brothers, embracing challenges and striving to make those around her proud—remain central to everything she does.