Coupeville softball sluggers Capri Anter (left) and Haylee Armstrong, ready for another balmy “spring” on the prairie. (Michelle Armstrong photo)
“I just need to believe in myself like Coach Kevin believed in me.”
Coupeville cousins Capri Anter and Haylee Armstrong have three years left to collect highlights as Wolf multi-sport stars.
But while CHS softball coach Kevin McGranahan won’t be around in person to continue to help guide them, his impact will reverberate throughout their prep careers.
Which is why the duo reached out Tuesday with their thoughts on the diamond guru, who has resigned after nine seasons and is moving across the country to be closer to family.
“I first met Coach Kevin when I was in my last year of little league,” Armstrong said.
“I remember just playing the game of ball and hearing his deep loud voice and at first, I was scared for high school softball,” she added with a laugh.
For Anter, her first meeting came when she debuted with the high school softball program two years ago as an 8th grader.
McGranahan can cut an imposing figure, but she soon saw a different side of the coach.
“My best memory from playing with Coach Kevin is when I would swing at a high or low ball and realized I shouldn’t have done that,” Anter said.
“One time, I had two strikes on me and then got a triple after that, and when I reached third base, he laughed at me and either him or I said that made up swinging for that ball.”
McGranahan’s work with the duo has benefited them both, and the cousins are at the forefront of a team which can return everyone from a squad which went 14-5 during their freshman season this past spring.
“He helped make me a better player by showing me what true sportsmanship is,” Anter said. “Helping me with my hitting form, and how to play right field.
“With his help, I now know what to do and can help better myself,” she added.
“And since I know what I need to work on, I can help some of my teammates on my travel ball team or people that would also be doing right field if they don’t already know what to do.”
Armstrong agrees, reflecting on how McGranahan is both a stern taskmaster at times, but also able to not takes things deadly serious.
“Coach Kevin made me a better ball player by shaping me into a utility player with a good attitude,” the Wolf dangerous leadoff hitter said.
“Some people may think Coach Kevin is just some old, retired dude who is loud, but he’s actually really funny,” Armstrong added.
“At practice and games, he’s always making jokes about us. ‘Capri and her two left feet’.”
Her cousin, a sweet-swinging slugger who showed great growth this spring, agrees.
“I feel like he always has a smile on his face, even if we have a bad game, bad practice, or even if he’s having a bad day,” Anter said.
“I also know that he is super competitive, but also has good sportsmanship.”
While a new coach will be in place when next spring rolls around, the diamond duo say McGranahan’s work will be appreciated for years to come.
“I think his lasting impact on the CHS softball program will be how caring he was for the team,” Anter said. “And no matter what, he always believed in us, even if we were having a bad day.
“I will say how I thought I was a nobody on the team or that I wasn’t good enough to play with everyone else, but he put me in right field, and believed I could take over,” she added.
“Sure enough after some practice, I was able to do it, and after time I have gotten so much better and faster, and it’s all thanks to Coach Kevin for believing in me.
“I now believe that I can do anything.”
Armstrong praised McGranahan for “the fundraisers and legacy he left behind,” and, looking ahead to her still far off Senior Night, she knows she will include him in her farewell thoughts.
“I think three years from now I’m gonna thank Coach Kevin for having faith in me and playing me in only my 8th grade year,” she said.
“I’m so thankful for the two years I had with him as a coach and wish he was staying longer, but even the legend himself said he’ll forever be a part of the Wolfpack.
“Coach Kevin, if you’re reading this, thank you for the time and dedication you put into me and our program.”
