Matt Shank, ready for his closeup. (Shelli Trumbull photo)
With dad Jim, mom Sallie and lil’ sis Ashlie at a recent basketball game. (John Fisken photos)
Makin’ it rain.
Quiet class.
That’s the first two words that come to mind when you talk about Matt Shank.
The Coupeville High School senior, who hits a birthday today, came to Cow Town before the start of his junior year and made an immediate impact.
Not by screaming and hollering and making a commotion, but by going out and busting his rear in every sport he has played, whether it be football, basketball or track and field.
The six-foot-three tower of power has been a positive influence, a strong contributor and a first class guy every step of the way.
When he and his family were on their way from Juab, Utah — his dad, Dr. Jim Shank, had been hired as the new Superintendent for Coupeville Schools — I talked by email to Matt’s former basketball coach.
“You are getting a great family in your town,” Jake Downard said then. “Matt is a great kid, sad to see him go.
“He is a big kid with lots of potential. He was a good defender and rebounder and was well liked by his teammates and by his peers at the school.”
In our brief talk, it was obvious Downward thought a lot of Shank as a player, but much more as a person.
And, in his time in the red and black, he has more than lived up to his former coach’s feelings.
The hiring of Dr. Shank was a masterstroke for Coupeville.
A man who exudes the same quiet class as his many children (others still at home include sophomore Brian and 8th grader Ashlie), he has been the best hire this school district has made in decades.
Under his leadership, you can feel the positivity grow each day.
It will always be a battle to get everything done and make everyone happy, especially when numbers are down, but the universal feeling I get from every teacher and coach who speak about Dr. Shank is how appreciative they are of his level of commitment.
Watching him from a distance, in the way he interacts with each and every person who approaches him with the same welcoming, calm style, I have been greatly impressed.
And that carries down to his children.
Which is not to say Matt is a saint. Who knows? Maybe he’s a holy terror at home.
What I have to go on is what I see and hear and that all says one, never-tarnished truth: what you see with the Shanks is what you get.
I see the way Matt conducts himself, in wins or losses, and I see consistency.
I see the way Matt interacts with his teammates, friends and fans, and I see consistency.
I see a classy guy who is a talented athlete, but will leave behind a mark on Coupeville for much more than merely scoring a few baskets or blocking a field goal (which was still pretty awesome).
Happy birthday, Mr. Shank. You deserve any and all applause.
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