BY DAN STICKRADT
CORRESPONDENT
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
ITHACA — Sitting around a recent campfire near the shores of Lake Michigan, Kylee Chaffin had some time to reflect on recent years.
Busy years to say the least.
A three-sport athlete, Chaffin rarely had a day off —literally — before graduating in June 2016.
“I enjoyed it — every minute of it. But it seems nice to have some time away from it all,” said Chaffin, a lifelong resident from Ithaca who just finished a historic run at Ithaca High School. “I need a break. Playing three sports and having to do a lot of studying, I don’t have much time off…always off to the next practice, or to open gym or to a tournament. Playing three sports doesn’t give you much time off.”
Don’t get her wrong: Kylee Chaffin loves sports. It’s in her DNA. Many of her relatives are or were standout athletes in their own right. Her friends all play sports at the tiny mid-Michigan town.
She’s hardworking and smart, too, graduating in the top 10 of her class with a 4.0 GPA.
Chaffin, the oldest of three children, starred in the classroom, volleyball, basketball and softball at Class C Ithaca, where she racked up an impressive 11 varsity letters over four years and countless postseason awards along the way. The 5-foot-8 Chaffin was a solid setter in volleyball, a sharpshooting guard in basketball and a stellar pitcher/infielder on the softball diamond.
“I love each sport. Whatever season it was, I would go out there and work hard and try to help my team win,” offered Chaffin.
Based on her overall achievements in the arena of academics and athletics, Chaffin has been selected as the 2015-16 High School Sports Scene Magazine Small School Female Athlete of the Year.
Her resume speaks for itself.
Ithaca captured one district in softball during her career, but finished with winning records all four seasons. Her volleyball team also finished above five-hundred in her three years on varsity, while her basketball team not only won back-to-back districts her junior and senior year, but captured its first-ever regional title in March and also reached the Class C Final Four with her being one of the go-to players.
“It was an amazing the run,” said Chaffin, who also played some travel softball and basketball during her busy middle school and high school years. “We had big goals for ourselves. We wanted to win our first regional and try to get to the quarterfinals. Ending our season on the floor of the Breslin Center and in final Four was amazing.
“We wanted to go further in softball, too. We won a district freshman year, but we got knocked out by (state-ranked Shepherd) the past couple of years,” continued Chaffin. “But I have no regrets. I had a great career at Ithaca. Sports was so much fun.”
Chaffin will attend Mid-Michigan Community College in the fall before likely transferring to Northwood University to study accounting. Even though she was courted by some D-II and D-III colleges for athletics, she will take some time off from the playing surface — at least for next year.
She hasn’t completely ruled out athletics in the future — and has even considered coaching in the future.
“I’ve thought about that recently. I think I might want to coach one day,” she said. “Sports have been a big part of my life. I am not letting go of it entirely.”
Kylee Chaffin’s father, Kevin Chaffin, was a three-sport athlete at Ithaca, starring in football, basketball, and baseball. Her aunt Lisa also starred in softball, basketball and volleyball during her prep days with the Yellowjackets and was assistant on Ithaca’s girls basketball team this winter.
Chaffin’s brothers are also up-and-coming prospects. Bailey Chaffin will be entering the 10th grade in September and is a quality basketball player and shot put and discus thrower with big plans.
Her youngest sibling, Presley, will be heading into the sixth grade and shows talent flashes in soccer, basketball and baseball.
“We like to talk about sports — for sure,” noted Kylee Chaffin of her family. “We sit around and talk about them a lot. And we’re always at a game of some sort, or practice, or tournament…So I guess you can understand that sitting around a camp fire and hanging out with family and friends is (so very welcome).”
For Kylee Chaffin — it is also much deserved.