Mattea Miller: Serene Superstar. (John Fisken photo)
Mattea Miller is serenity and strength intertwined in one remarkable young woman.
The Coupeville High School senior, who celebrates a birthday today, has been one of the best athletes we’ve been blessed to have in our town for the past four years.
Pick a sport, any sport, and Mattea can make a sizable impact, from soccer to basketball to track and field, and everything in between.
She is a hustler, a hard worker, a tenacious, never-say-die coach’s dream.
A deeply-committed, tremendously-supportive, rock-solid anchor for any squad, an ideal teammate.
Of both those things, there is no doubt.
But Mattea has always been about far more than just sports, and to talk about her as only an athlete would do her a great disservice.
Good athletes come and go, and we appreciate what they accomplish.
But, every so often, there is a true rarity such as Miss Miller, someone who in their own quiet way soars far above the crowd.
I can honestly say, in four years of high school sports, and middle school before that, I have never heard a single disparaging word said about her.
Which is rare in the hot house world of constantly roiling teen drama that is prep sports, where even the most likable person usually manages to tick off someone from time to time.
Idiots like myself, well, we’re just lucky not to have fans throw wadded-up hot dog wrappers at us some days…
Not Mattea, who always seems genuinely kind and caring to all around her (or hides her true serial killer nature really, really, extremely well.)
My impression of her has always been that this is a young woman who seems to always look for the good in others and is repaid in kind.
Or, at least I hope she is repaid.
I hope those around her realize what a wonderful human being she seems to be every day, and show her some appreciation.
Mattea is a superb athlete, talent mixed with drive, but she is a far better person, a brilliant, compassionate, strong young woman with a soaring soul, and that is so much more important.
On her cake day, the last one of her high school days, I hope she is surrounded by family and friends, and I hope she realizes how much her town and her fans think of her.
It has been an honor to write about you, Mattea, and I have no doubt there will be many more stories to tell as you head out to captivate the outside world.
Whatever you do, wherever you go after high school, there’s a whole new group of people about to discover what Coupeville already knows — you are the very definition of awesome.
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