Kailey Kellner
Kailey Kellner is a quick adapter.
As a military child, she has to be, having spent her first 15 years living in three different countries.
And now, after stints in Japan (four years), Italy (seven) and England (four), she’s landed in a whole different world, arriving in Coupeville, where she made her debut as a Wolf basketball player Friday night.
“I have lived overseas my whole life,” Kellner said. “Life in Coupeville is amazing; it’s really different from being in Europe, and not living in the states my whole life.
“But I think I will have a great experience here with friends and family!”
A freshman at CHS, Kellner played for the Wolf JV squad Friday against visiting Archbishop Thomas Murphy and had an immediate impact.
A scrappy, competitive player, she gave Coupeville a shot in the arm and helped it kick off an aggressive defensive stand that sparked the Wolves to a 35-18 win.
She also netted the first of what could be many baskets to come midway through the third quarter.
While being in the USA is a new experience, being on a basketball court is not. Kellner began playing the sport when she was just two years old and previously played for a high school team in Lakenheath, England.
“I started basketball because it is my sport and the first time I picked up that basketball I knew I wasn’t giving up on that sport!,” Kellner said.
Also a softball shortstop and soccer defender, she lives for the thrill of the hardwood.
“The part of basketball that I enjoy much is having that amazing rush of excitement and playing as a team and winning as a team!,” Kellner said. “That feeling that you can bring up not just yourself but your whole team!
“I think my strengths are being aggressive and being a team player,” she added. “I am very well at playing the position post and handling the ball and putting it in the hoop.”
Joining a new team at a new school in a new country, and jumping in at about the mid-point of the season, it’s been a bit of a scramble for Kellner. But she’s enjoyed the transition.
“I know I’m new, but the girls are amazing,” Kellner said. “I am so happy to work with them for my high school experience.”
Making the move a bit easier has been her family, including parents Tim and Jennifer Kellner, who were in the stands for their daughter’s American hoops debut.
“The people who have an impact on my life are definitely my family and friends!,” Kellner said. “My mom, my grandparents, Diana Marsh and Clint Marsh! My dad! And my cousin, Michaela Camlin.
As she adapts to a new life, she’s settling in at CHS (“I don’t really have a favorite class yet, but, in my spare time I listen to the modern music and hang out with my family and friends”), while honing her basketball skills.
“I am very interested in sports and continuing my life with sports interests,” Kellner said. “Basketball is a big part in my life and I work on it every other day!”
