The women who make Wolf athletics hum are (l to r) Barbi Ford, Aimee Bishop, and Jessica Caselden. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
This is for every person involved in Coupeville school athletics.
Every athlete. Every coach. Every support staff member. Every parent.
This is us, as a community, stepping up and making a statement.
A loud, clear call to arms — that we value the athletic trainer role, that we will not let budget cuts carve away at the safety of Coupeville’s teens, or their ability to be inspired by the success of one of their own.
Jessica Caselden is a Wolf through and through.
She grew up in the aisles of Videoville and on the ballfields and courts at Coupeville’s schools, part of a tight-knit group of young women.
As that group wanders into their (very early) 30’s, they have sunk their roots even deeper into the prairie from which they hailed.
Some have come home, like Jessica. Others were always here.
Together, they celebrate each other’s birthdays, their marriages, their achievements, with their children forming the next generation of Wolves.
One pack, forever united.
A lifelong bond. (Photo courtesy Kassie O’Neil)
Jessica graduated from CHS, went off into the world to gain knowledge and experience, then returned to Cow Town to become a teacher and athletic trainer at her alma mater.
She bought her childhood home, got married this summer, is in it for the long run.
Her impact has been immeasurable, even in a short time.
Having an athletic trainer on the sideline at games, one trained to respond quickly and calmly, should be a requirement at all schools.
The state requires an ambulance sitting by at prep football games, and yet, some of the scariest situations I have witnessed have come at seemingly “safe” sports such as basketball and softball.
When Coupeville administrators hired Jessica to fill the athletic trainer role before the start of the 2022-2023 school year, it was a smart decision in every way.
It was money well used, something she proved time and again as the seasons played out.
I have been covering sports on Whidbey, off and on, since 1990, and this past school year was the first I can remember in which CHS football didn’t lose a player to a season-ending injury.
Part of that is luck, certainly, and a share of the credit goes to a staff led by Bennett Richter, a group of new-age coaches who realize putting a premium on safety doesn’t have to derail your chance to win.
But do not discount Jessica’s contributions, from dealing immediately with on-field injuries, to working with players at practices, to always being available to answer questions and offer reassurances to parents.
Having an athletic trainer cuts down on injuries, prevents small setbacks from becoming major ones, and gives young athletes the same protections routinely provided to those playing at the college and professional levels.
Beyond that, Jessica is incredibly accessible, providing instruction and inspiration to the same athletes whose owie’s and boo-boo’s she tends to on a daily basis.
She is a caregiver and a role model, at a time of life when Wolf athletes need both.
And while she interacts with both teen boys and girls with a quiet grace, a friendly demeanor, and a welcoming aura, we need to acknowledge her special impact on the young women wearing CHS uniforms.
Coupeville, like most Washington state schools, didn’t offer many athletic outlets for its female students until Title IX forced changes in the ’70s.
Since then, Wolf girls have combined to win more league titles than their male counterparts, but they have done so with only a handful of women in positions of power.
Phyllis Textor and Lori Stolee worked as CHS athletic directors, and there have been a sprinkling of female coaches, from Toni Crebbin to Breanne Smedley, from Amy King to Ashley Menges and others.
Having a strong female presence on the sideline, in practice, in the classroom, is invaluable.
It reinforces the truth — any girl in Coupeville can be a success, a leader, an inspiration — whether they travel the world chasing professional basketball dreams or return to embrace their destiny on the prairie.
Prairie powerhouses. (Photo courtesy Mandi Black)
When budget cuts claimed the athletic trainer position, among the most outspoken were the Wolf softball players, who wrote letters to the school board and Coupeville administrators.
I understand we are in a financial bind, a place almost every school district finds itself in coming out of the pandemic, and that cuts have to be made.
This is not the position to slash, however.
It’s too important.
It goes right to the core of everything Coupeville wants to accomplish with its strategic plan.
“Connect with family and community.”
“Promote student and staff well-being.”
“Empower students.”
While the 2023-2024 budget, passed last Thursday, does not fund the athletic trainer position, we, as a community have a chance to change that.
The cost would be $8,600.
Coupeville Schools Superintendent Steve King confirmed in an email the district will accept a scholarship donation from an outside source, with the district retaining control over staffing the position.
CHS Athletic Director Willie Smith, who is the athletic trainer’s direct supervisor, confirmed the school wishes to retain Jessica in the position.
We, as a community, as Wolf Nation, can save this position, while making a clear statement to administrators they need to reevaluate the importance of an athletic trainer before embarking on the next budget battle.
The district needs to be all in, just like Jessica.
Our donations give administrators the time to find a way to make this work in the future, while protecting student/athletes in the present.
I call that a win-win.
To join the movement to save the Athletic Trainer position, pop over to:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/protect-inspire-wolf-athletes
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