CHS grad Natalie (Slater) Maneval congratulates her college softball coach, Denny Zylstra, for being inducted into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame in 2015. (Photo courtesy Maneval)
One of the true legends of Wolf Nation has passed away, but his memory and impact will last forever.
Denny Zylstra, a 1958 graduate of Coupeville High School, was a three-sport star for the Wolves (football, basketball, baseball) who continued as an active athlete into his 40’s.
He played competitive football until he was 37, basketball until he was 45, and never really gave up softball.
Zylstra made his diamond debut when he was just eight years old, and played for an adult team during his high school days.
Over the years, he played softball in Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Spain, Italy and across America.
This included playing in state tournaments in Virginia, California and Washington, and sponsoring and pitching one of his teams to second-place at state when he was a 41-year-old whippersnapper.
When he wasn’t playing, Zylstra and wife Marcia, his high school sweetheart, were huge Coupeville High School sports fans, attending numerous games. The duo also ran the softball concession stand.
He also took the lessons learned as a player, and used them to teach the next generations.
Following in the footsteps of Mert Waller, his high school coach, and mentor, Zylstra coached multiple sports over a 50-year span, with many of those seasons here on Whidbey.
After a stint in the Navy, Zylstra began his coaching career in Virginia Beach, running a Little League team.
From there, he moved into softball, with his first stint on Whidbey coming from 1975-1985, when he coached junior (13-15) teams.
Zylstra bounced between the college and high school game in later years, working as a coach for Skagit Valley College (1986-1997, 2004-2008), Oak Harbor High School (1999-2002) and, in his final stop, back at his alma mater.
Returning to CHS in 2009, he was head coach for two seasons, and then an assistant up through his 50th and final campaign in 2012.
Mimi (Iverson) Johnson and Natalie (Slater) Maneval were Coupeville grads who played for Zylstra at Skagit Valley College, and both remember him fondly.
“Denny was such a bright light everywhere he went,” Johnson said. “He had a smile and laugh that was infectious.
“His love for his players, the game, and coaching was inspiring,” she added. “I know his legacy is huge!! He will be greatly missed.”
That’s a sentiment shared by Maneval.
“He was one of the kindest men and had a very infectious smile and laugh,” she said. “I was blessed years ago to see him being inducted into the coaches hall of fame.
“Denny, you will be missed by so many and you will always leave a huge impact on so many of us softball players!”
