It’s raining birthdays for Wolf superstars Amy King (top, second from right), Kirsten Pelroy (bottom, far left) and Drew Chan.
Birthday cake will be eaten today at some point. That much is for sure.
Three of Coupeville’s finest — coach extraordinaire Amy King, track speedster/soccer booter/cheerleader Kirsten Pelroy and former basketball/baseball spark-plug Drew Chan — are hitting joint milestones.
All have made positive impacts, both on the field of play and off, and we send best wishes out to them all.
Chan was a team leader during his days in the red and black, whether patrolling second base or running the point.
A fiery, never-say-die guy, he had memorable moments as a Wolf, but none showed his willpower more than the time he overcame severe food poisoning.
A day prior to the season opener of his senior year, many of the Wolf hoops players ate at a burger joint.
The next afternoon was a horror show, as those who could stand spent more time throwing up on the sidelines than I want to remember.
The Wolf JV only had five players that day and during that game, Chan, a team captain for the varsity, lay under the bench, bright green and possibly dead.
And yet, when the opening buzzer sounded, he was on the floor and played almost the entire game, staying upright as most of his teammates weaved and dropped like zombies.
Kid had no quit. Ever.
Pelroy, much like older brother Mitch, has natural speed to burn, something she’s used to her advantage both as a track star — where she teamed with Makana Stone to anchor successful relay teams — and on the soccer pitch.
She’s also dabbled in cheer, where her megawatt smile lights up the field by itself. Blessed with talent and a serene spirit, Kirsten has no limits.
If a talent scout doesn’t snatch the genetically-gifted Pelroy up first and get her work as a model, she should continue to excel for years, regardless of which sport she chooses at the moment.
And then we arrive at King, a star athlete in her day (not that long ago) who has teamed with husband David to form a rock-solid coaching unit.
Bouncing from solo work in volleyball to team work in basketball and softball with her other half, she is a rock star.
Coaches vary wildly on how much effort they go to when they report facts, figures and statty info to the unwashed media hordes.
Some will give you two words and (maybe) a score, while others will practically do your work for you.
King is firmly entrenched in the latter camp, waging a friendly war with CHS tennis coach Ken Stange to be the ultimate in telling a story with their beautiful, extensive post-game emails.
But King has also hand-delivered fresh-baked goodies to me at work after her team’s season-ending banquet. Your move, Stange.
Whether they’re coaching, playing or cheering, the birthday trio represent the finest of Wolf Nation. Here’s to a happy day, today, and every day.
P.S. — If you have leftover cake, you know where I work…
Coupeville Sports 