Senior Spotlight: Sage Saccomanno might just change the world

Editor’s note: This article is part of a recurring series on local high school athletes who had their seasons cut short or canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

SANDPOINT — Sage Saccomanno’s life completely changed during her freshman year.

In warm-ups of her first SHS volleyball match, Sage tore her ACL.

“That first game everything kind of turned upside down for me and I realized that I couldn’t always depend on that and life changes very quickly,” she said.

Prior to the injury, sports were her life. Sage’s routine consisted of school, high school practice, club practice, homework and then sleep. And that cycle repeated itself nearly everyday so it was quite the whirlwind when all that was taken away in an instant.

Sage had aspirations of playing volleyball collegiately, but before she could return and play the sport during her sophomore year she tore her ACL again.

In total, Sage has had four knee injuries. It was a difficult process filled with a roller coaster of emotions but one thing helped her get through it all.

A’ric Jackson, a leadership trainer and motivational speaker who focuses on inspiring the next generation, came and spoke at SHS after Sage suffered her injury her freshman year. Jackson had a profound impact on Sage so she decided to apply to participate in the Count Me In Global Student Leadership Summit that Jackson has created.

Jackson said the summit accepts up to 120 students from high schools, colleges and universities around the world each year and he could tell in the few moments he shared with Sage at SHS how badly she wanted to be a part of the event.

Sage was accepted into the summit and that spring she flew to Toronto for the four-day camp and she opened up about the hardships and obstacles she had faced. The experience changed her perspective on life.

“That was a very influential part of me kind of getting back on track,” she said. “It really showed me that our past doesn’t define us and that what we do from the present day and looking on is what defines us.”

But one year of the leadership summit wasn’t enough for Sage and in her sophomore year she served as one of the program’s Catalyst Leaders and helped oversee the entire operation of the summit.

“It’s kind of the Disney magic of the camp,” Sage said while describing her role in the summit.

During her junior year, Sage took a break from the summit and instead spent the whole school year abroad in Italy as part of a Rotary Club foreign exchange. She visited 13 countries while in Europe, learned how to speak Italian fluently and built relationships that will last a lifetime.

“I definitely would not be the person I am today without the year I did in Italy,” she said.

Once Sage returned from studying abroad and felt like she had fully recovered from her knee injuries both physically and mentally, she decided she wanted to give tennis a shot in her senior season.

Sage had never picked up a racket before but members of the SHS tennis team including her close friend, Hadley Goodvin, convinced her to come out for a few practices during the winter and try it out. She enjoyed the sport right from the start and earned a spot on the varsity team this season before it was canceled.

“I ended up really loving tennis and looking forward to it every day,” she said.

Sandpoint tennis head coach Kent Anderson is used to having seniors who have never played the sport before join his team, but typically they don’t have as big of an impact as Sage did.

Anderson said he could tell Sage was special from the get-go and it was amazing how quickly she picked up the sport.

“She’s such a neat person,” he said. “Just having her on the team was really valuable to all the other players.”

Anderson said Sage brought so much to the table. She had a positive presence and this affection, drive and focus that helped make everyone on the team better, he said. Sage created a bond with every one of her teammates and Anderson said he connected with her thanks in large part to her sense of humor.

Sage’s heart sunk when she learned she wouldn’t ever get a chance to play in a match for the Bulldogs, but she doesn’t regret the decision to join the team one bit.

“I absolutely loved the short amount of time I had on the tennis team just because I didn’t realize how much I missed a team environment,” she said, “and that support from others until I was put back into that situation.”

Growing up, Sage also had a knack for rodeos. She earned the titles of Miss Teen, Miss Junior and Little Miss Bonner County Rodeo and represented Bonner County at the Miss Teen Rodeo Idaho competition in 2017. She did all that despite being allergic to horses.

The point is, Sage has been involved in so many things in her life and excelled at all of them. She admitted her competitiveness most likely contributed to her willingness to participate in a wide range of activities over the years. Plus she also believes she can accomplish anything she sets her mind to.

Sage hasn’t had much of a break since school shifted to a virtual setting. She’s been wrapping up classes at North Idaho College and spent countless hours working to move the leadership summit online. She said she’s been Zooming like crazy.

And the time at home has allowed her to reconnect with her parents and make up for some of the time they lost while she was abroad.

Sage will head to Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, this fall and plans on studying a combination of environmental studies, political science and international studies. She also wants to study abroad during her time at Bard and has already been in touch with the school’s tennis coach about trying out for the team when she gets there.

After graduating from Bard, Sage will go to law school to become an environmental lawyer. She wants to be an advocate for climate change action and get involved in politics eventually.

“I really like to shoot high with my goals so I think that being a senator is a good one for me to focus on at the moment,” she said.

Sage said her time in Europe opened her eyes to the issue and made her realize that the U.S. needs to take climate change more seriously.

Jackson isn’t surprised that Sage wants to have a impact on the world. Jackson has watched her grow “leaps and bounds” as a leader and said she is a “shining example” of a leader that stays true to themselves.

“She has this very authentic way of being,” Jackson said. “She’s not trying to impress anyone. It’s not about looking a certain way for people. Sage is just Sage and the thing I’m most impressed with is, because she is that, people flourish in her space.”

Sage said she looks up to Jackson as a role model.

“He’s definitely been the one that’s pushed me to be my best self throughout high school and always kind of been there and had my back,” she said.

Anderson believes Sage will see success wherever she ends up.

“She’s the type of person that will get the most out of whatever she’s endeavoring,” he said. “She doesn’t stand on the sideline, she jumps in and does what’s required and wants to be the best at what she does. She’ll carry that through her whole life.”

Sage is grateful for the support she has received from the community during her time at SHS and said she has learned that everything in life happens for a reason.

“I think tearing my ACL was a blessing in disguise that I did not realize until now,” she said. “I believe my life has turned out a lot better than I had ever expected at the beginning of my high school career. Even though I had all these high hopes and dreams of becoming this college athlete and everything, I am much more satisfied and happy with the person I am today.”

In her own words: Sage Saccomanno

“I would like to start by thanking my parents, Kari and Clay, for supporting me day in and day out of not only my high school career but my life as a whole. The countless hours they have put into giving me the incredible opportunities I’ve had and to help me become the person I am today is remarkable. I cannot thank them enough. I also would like to thank my grandparents, close friends, teachers and coaches I’ve had throughout the years. I’d especially like to thank my tennis coach from this year, Kent Anderson. Kent helped me realize that I still have the capability to be highly involved in sports and continue to do the sports I love for the rest of my life. All of the people I have mentioned have helped give me the tools and support I’ve needed in order to succeed these past couple years. I would like to end by thanking any and all SHS staff and community members who have contributed to any of my own adventures or any student’s adventures and triumphs at SHS, your support does not go unnoticed, I can assure you of that. Thank you.”