I just finished my fourth season as Shailyn Tupman’s soccer coach at Etna High School.

In my
career, I have coached over 400 distinct athletes in various sports and locations. Out of those
400 athletes, I can only recall one former player who equalled Shailyn’s overall demeanor. Her
attitude, consistency, coachability, interpersonal relationships, and response to adversity-- the
aspects of sport that translate into the rest of life-- put her right at the top of my personal athletic
“hall of fame.”

For the last three years Shailyn has played on a primarily female co-ed team in a league that is
primarily made up of male players. As you can imagine, this has created some adversity for
Shailyn. She usually plays the very demanding center midfield position against opposing players
who are bigger, stronger, and faster than her. Yet Shailyn finds ways to compete against them,
and has earned the right to play that position for nearly every minute of every season. I have
watched her playing hard in the 65th minute when we are on the wrong end of a 12-0 blowout. I
have seen her exhausted after games. I have watched her smile during rainy day practices. But
I have never seen Shailyn quit on me or her team. I’ve never heard her criticize another player.
I’ve never heard her complain about a practice. Never a negative in four years and fifty losses. If
you’ve ever been an athlete or coach, you know just how rare--and valuable--that is.

As Shailyn’s leadership role has grown, so has the team’s unity and cohesion. A huge part of
that has been Shailyn’s ability to be liked and respected by every single other player. From star
mentality players to teammates with diagnosed anger problems to incredibly shy players who
don’t say anything-- and everyone in between, Shailyn connects and calms. I have never heard
a single teammate or opponent say one bad thing about her. Again, if you’ve ever been an
athlete or a coach, you know how rare that is for a player to be above reproach, even in the heat
of battle.

I also know first hand that Shailyn’s demeanor translates to life off the soccer field. I taught
Shailyn in my 9th and 11th grade English classes. She came to work every day, and by her 11th
grade year, she had passed up many of the students who had shown much more ability as 9th
graders. She came in as an average 9th grade student, and by the end of 11th grade, she was
one of the top three students.

If you get nothing else from this letter, I want you to understand that Shailyn carries my
strongest possible endorsement. Every person has flaws and is capable of mistakes, but I would
stake my personal reputation on Shailyn’s performance and character. Yes, she is a talented
athlete and student, but that’s not what makes her so special. It’s the way she carries herself,
the attitude she brings, and the consistent, growth-minded way she approaches difficult tasks.
She has that rare combination of internal toughness and external kindness. Shailyn is definitely
the real deal, and you will find her a joy to work with, teach, or coach. If you need further
assessment, please email me at ​arobinson@svusd.us​, or call me personally at (530) 467-3290.

Sincerely,
Asa Robinson