Coupeville Sports

Three-sport star Anya Leavell. (Photo courtesy Sarah Leavell)

“Sports make me feel good about myself.”

Whether it’s volleyball, basketball or softball, Coupeville 7th grader Anya Leavell embraces the opportunity each sport presents, both as a way to stay fit and a way to express herself.

“I enjoy being an athlete because I feel thrilled and excited before and during my games,” she said. “I love having to look forward to something.”

While she enjoys softball, where she’s currently playing for a Central Whidbey Little League juniors squad which has a home game Wednesday (6 PM) at the CHS diamond, the other two sports are her passion.

“Basketball and volleyball are my favorite sports because I’m super competitive,” Leavell said. “Basketball makes me feel good about myself because I feel accomplished every time I make a basket.

“I also love volleyball because it’s kind of a calmer sport that settles me down,” she added. “It’s like a stress reliever.”

Leavell, who enjoys indie and pop music (“It gets me in a good mood”) and Tim Burton flicks (“I like an eerie movie”), already has height and natural skills.

Now she wants to take the advice she gets from her coaches, mesh it with hard work, and see just how far it can eventually carry her.

“My goal for my high school sports career is to earn my spot as a true star athlete and team leader and to work on staying positive,” Leavell said.

Like all young athletes, her game is a mixture of strengths and areas she’d like to hone.

“My strengths would be my defense and stealing in basketball,” Leavell said. “Something I should work on would be to keep my head up if I make a mistake. I can always work harder to fix it.

“My volleyball strength is serving, but I need to work on not being so hard on myself,” she added. “My softball strengths are hitting and trying new positions.”

As she finds her groove in each sport, Leavell has received guidance from a number of coaches, something she embraces.

“My SWISH basketball coach, Coach V (Dustin Van Velkinburgh), has helped me improve my basketball skills so much and I am grateful for him,” she said. “My softball coaches, Mimi (Johnson) and Connie (Lippo), boost my confidence in making me a better player.

“I’d also like to thank my school basketball coach, Coach (Megan) Smith, for helping me learn new plays and helping me be part of the team.”