Bates Scholarship: Work ethic, competitiveness drives Smithville's Keib to greatness
Naomi Keib learned from a young age that if she wanted something, she had to work for it.
And work.
And work some more.
That mindset is what helped the Smithville senior to become one of the top volleyball and basketball players in the area during her high school career. It also helped her earn one of the eight Roy. S. Bates Scholarships, which are given annually by the Bates Foundation. The finalist for the Bates Foundation Player of the Year will be announced in May at the Greystone Event Center.
“I always want to be the best I can be for my team and feel that by being competitive and hardworking, I can encourage others to do the same,” Keib said. “I have always been very goal-oriented so that was a big part of my drive as I was constantly trying to meet those goals and setting new ones once I accomplished them.
“The biggest thing I thought of was not to be satisfied with where I was at, but always wanting more than what I had.”
Keib's mindset helped her not only be an All-Ohioan in volleyball and basketball but, more importantly, helped both programs assert themselves as one of the top teams in the Wayne County Athletic League.
On the basketball court, where the athletic forward will continue her career at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, she was a two-time WCAL Player of the Year and started all four seasons for the Smithies.
But it was Keib's example of arriving early and staying late to get extra shots up, along with giving everything she had on game nights until the final whistle, that set her apart from the rest.
“Naomi's work ethic is amazing for a high school athlete. That translated to being a great leader for us,” Smithville girls basketball coach Eric Nickles said. “She would push everyone to be better and I think she just raised the intensity and dedication of our practices to new heights. For four years, she outworked people, and that's what made her the play she is.”
Keib finished her basketball career fourth on the school's all-time scoring list, including a personal-best 30 points in a win over Norwayne this past winter, and was third among top rebounders in program lore.
That success also was seen on another court, as she finished her volleyball career with multiple records for a team that has won a share of each of every WCAL championship in Keib's four years.
She left the program with records for kills in a season (493), blocks in a season (102), and blocks in a match (12) for a team that went to the Division III regional tournament this past fall.
“Naomi was a natural volleyball player and did some things you can't teach,” former Smithies volleyball coach David Yoder said. “Her ability to contact the ball at such a high point was an advantage to us.
“As natural as the sport came to her, she never stopped working hard at improving,” he added. “Sometimes when it comes that easy, athletes will tend to accept it as good enough. Naomi chose to continue to work to improve and her stats reflected that.”
Keib will look to build upon that success at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, where 18-year-old will not only continue to play basketball, but plans on studying nursing.
And no matter what her athletic career has in store at the next level, she feels more than prepared for all of the opportunities and obstacles that may lay ahead.
“Playing sports teaches and prepares you for the future in more ways than just athletically speaking,” said Keib, who also expressed how grateful she is to join the long list of area athletes to earn the scholarship. “It goes by so quickly and while I am so grateful for every opportunity I have had to play. I know that it will be something I miss tremendously.
“It taught me how to be a leader, how to work through adversity, and how to pursue excellence,” she added. “I am so thankful for everyone who has been a part of my journey and am looking forward to the next one.”
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Bates Scholarship: Smithville's Keib one of eight finalists
