Coupeville Sports

   Tiffany Briscoe: reported to be slightly awesome. (Photos by John Fisken, Amy King and Amy Briscoe)

   A young, already irrepressible Tiffany (right) with lil’ sis Kyla. (Photo courtesy Amy Briscoe)

It’s always nice to see someone grow, come out of their shell and start to find their way in the world, both as an athlete and a person.

But, I’ll admit, it means more when that someone is a person who you’ve actually known since they were a young child.

Coupeville High School junior Tiffany Briscoe, who celebrates a birthday today, is now, has always been, and always will be, one of my favorites.

From her days as a lil’ blond ball of energy busting through the video store aisles with younger sister Kyla, to today, when she’s a three-sport star for the Wolves, she has been a slice of pure 110% awesomeness.

From everything I’ve seen, Tiff is a fiercely loyal big sis, both to Kyla and friends and teammates she adopts as part of her large, extended family.

She will cut a girl (or at least whack them upside the head, pinch them every time they stray into the paint or knock them into the third row of the bleachers if necessary) to defend her turf, her team, her family.

Which is amazing, frankly, cause off the field of battle, you could hardly find a more genuinely nice person.

It’s a beautiful combo — Beast Mode on the court, then a serene, supremely kind, smart, determined, little shy (until you know her) young woman with a future as bright as her smile.

Pick a sport — volleyball, basketball or softball — and Briscoe is out there, busting her tail, through rough losses and huge wins.

I hope in the remaining high school (and maybe college?) athletic seasons she has left that she gets a lot of joy out of the experience.

But you know what?

She could walk away today and never play another moment (well, not today … the basketball playoffs are about to start) and it wouldn’t change my opinion of her.

Being an athlete is a key part of her persona, but it is just a small fraction of what makes Tiffany such an amazing young woman.

So happy birthday, Miss Briscoe, and try not to let it go to your head (I’m not really worried) when I tell you we all think you’re pretty freakin’ awesome.