Julian Welling lays down the law: “There had better be cake! That’s all I’m saying…” (John Fisken photos)
“Wait, there is cake, right?”
“There’s cake!!! It’s mah birthday!!! Dance all day and party all night!!!” (Sylvia Hurlburt photo)
Julian Welling is one of the best athletes at Coupeville High School, hands down.
A slugger on the baseball diamond and a ferocious hitter on the gridiron, JoJo, who will be a junior in the fall, is the real deal, a talented guy with size, strength and a motor that runs hot and heavy.
But, if you want to know what separates him from the pack, what truly makes him special, you have to step back and watch him when he’s NOT playing.
Watch him when he’s in the stands, cheering on his lil’ sis, Melia, during her little league games.
Playing for the Venom, who went 13-3 this spring in Juniors action, Melia, who had very little experience coming in, made huge strides at the plate.
As her confidence built, boosted in large part by very vocal encouragement from her brother, she became much more aggressive at the plate and started ripping some liners.
The biggest blow came against South Whidbey, when she launched a game-busting two-run double to left that caused Julian to come unglued.
Bouncing on the top row of the stands, waving his blanket left and right, big bro bellowed “That just made my day, Melia!!”
The grin that split his sister’s face as she rocked back and forth while astride second base didn’t leave for the remainder of the game.
At which point Julian came flying around the side of the dugout to grab her in a bear hug and carry her off like a trophy he had just won.
It’s moments like that which make Welling, who celebrates a birthday today, one of the true bright spots in Wolf Nation.
He is as friendly and outgoing as anyone wearing the red and black these days, a fun-loving big kid who charges into battle with a grin on his face and light-hearted mischief in his heart.
Welling is also, though, a true standup guy, a young man who showed a lot with how he conducted himself during what could have been a negative time at the start of this year’s baseball season.
A person can complain when things don’t go their way or they can, day in and day out, show their coaches, in big ways and small ways, why they deserve to wear that uniform.
When Julian made his season debut, taking the ball in relief in his first game, he was being rewarded for not taking the easy way out.
For standing up and acting like a man when it mattered, even if that stung at times.
So, when I think of Welling, I absolutely acknowledge his talent.
But I really hail him for the person he is — the proud big brother who dotes on his sister, the fun-loving entertainer and the guy who admits mistakes, then turns them into positives.
A lot of people are good athletes.
Julian is much more than that, and as a Wolf fan, I am glad I can claim him as one of our guys.
Happy birthday, Mr. Welling.
