LAKEPORT — It wasn”t always fame and glory for Clear Lake High School softball star Kaila Sterbank.
Sterbank, a three-sport star again this season for the Cardinals even though one of those sports — volleyball — was relatively new to her, is the Lake County Record-Bee”s Athlete of the Year for girls” sports based on her accomplishment during the 2008-09 sports season. She is being honored along with Middletown High School star Kelsey Welton, the first time two players have shared the award jointly since it was first given following the 1987-88 season.
Sterbank, the 18-year-old daughter of Frank and Melani Sterbank of Lakeport, earned All-League recognition in all three sports during her senior season, garnering second-team honors in volleyball, first-team honors in basketball, and co-MVP honors in softball while leading the Cardinals to a co-league championship and an unexpected trip to the North Coast Section title game for the second time in three seasons.
While softball is the sport Sterbank achieved the most success in — she was a four-year starter who made a game-saving catch in 2007 to preserve Clear Lake”s 2-1 win over St. Patrick-St. Vincent in the sectional finals — her exploits during this past fall season were nothing short of amazing. An All-Conference soccer player her freshman, sophomore and junior years at Clear Lake, Sterbank said she needed a change of scenery her senior season and that meant switching sports.
“In middle school I played (volleyball) in seventh and eighth grade and we had an awesome team,” Sterbank said. “I tried out for both sports my freshman year and I wanted to play both, but I had to pick one or the other.”
After a successful three-year run in soccer for the Cardinals, Sterbank decided to give volleyball a shot her senior year. “I wanted to play … it was my senior year, my last chance.”
Sterbank not only made the team but she won a starting job at outside hitter and contributed to the Cardinals” co-championship in the North Central League I South.
“She is the first player I”ve ever had who has made the team as a senior after not playing her first three years,” said Clear Lake coach Marci Psalmonds, who also had a long and successful run as Upper Lake”s head coach. “She”s quick, she has great reflexes and she could jump. She was great and the girls loved her. She”s remarkable.”
Though a newcomer to the team, her teammates were a constant source of help and encouragement, according to Sterbank.
“I got along with all of them and they tried to help me out whenever they could,” she said.
A shooting guard in basketball who averaged a team-best 13.2 points a game for the Cardinals, Sterbank said basketball season was “frustrating” on several different levels.
“I don”t like to lose and too many people got comfortable with losing,” Sterbank said of the Cardinals” fourth-place finish in the NCL I South and 10-14 overall record.
The spring season at Clear Lake meant softball for Sterbank and she accepted every challenge during her career. As a sophomore in 2007, it was her over-the-shoulder catch on a soft line drive headed into left field that saved the Cardinals in the sectional finals, completing the Cardinals” 27-0 run that year.
“She made the catch that saved a perfect season,” Clear Lake coach Gary Pickle said.
“That was my favorite play to practice,” Sterbank said of the catch she repeated on a couple of occasions this year as the Cardinals were making an improbable run to another appearance in the sectional finals.
Sterbank was the only senior on the Cardinals” roster, the old lady of 18 who anchored the team at shortstop and as the leadoff hitter in the batting order, a slap hitter who could also swing away, and with power.
“I never felt old,” Sterbank said.
A silent leader her sophomore and junior seasons, head coach Gary Pickle asked Sterbank to become more vocal in 2009.
“One game I remember Gary was mad and he said, ?Kaila, why don”t you say something.” Finally I did get mad at them. At first I felt bad about it, but it did work. It seemed to step up their game.”
Sterbank said she treated all of her teammates, including several freshmen on this year”s 20-5 squad, with respect whenever she talked to them.
She certainly never made them cry.
“I played T-ball when I was little but I didn”t play (softball) again until the sixth grade when I played summer ball for Gary,” Sterbank said. “I thought he was the meanest person ever. I was scared to do anything wrong because he”d yell at me. He even made me cry when I dropped a fly ball.”
Being the new kid on the block her freshman year also was a learning experience. “Some of the older girls used to throw the ball at my feet in practice,” Sterbank said. “They made me eat a tadpole, too. They promised to pay me $20 if I did but they never gave it to me.”
After a baptism of fire her freshman year, Sterbank settled right into the swing of things as a Clear Lake veteran.
Sterbank said both Pickle and Clear Lake junior varsity girls” basketball coach Kory Reynolds were among the most positive coaching influences she had during her high school career.
“They made me the athlete I am,” Sterbank said.
Sterbank, a 4.0 student, plans to pursue a career in nursing beginning this fall at Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park. She may try to walk onto SSU”s softball team, but acknowledges that academics will come first owing to her desire to become a nurse.
“I like helping people,” Sterbank said.
To that end, Sterbank is working this summer for Dr. Jonathan Davies of Lakeport. She also works at her dad”s auto repair business in Lakeport.
Sterbank said that while she”ll miss her high school routine of playing a sport every season and the close relationships she developed with teammates, it”s time to move on.
She”ll take one very valuable lesson with her to college and life beyond.
“Gary had expectations for us,” Sterbank said. “I tried to reach his expectations and go above them.”
