by Chloe Kiparsky
“I love to stand at the end of the court with a volleyball in my hand and just smack the ball into the ground over and over again,” said Aynsleigh Wood. This image is one that has been in her life since she was four years old learning how to play sports. Aynsleigh now plays volleyball, soccer, and basketball. “It’s everything to me,” she said about sports, especially volleyball.
Her parents, John and Marcy, are very supportive of her, especially with her sports. Her mom was her first volleyball coach, and her dad is still coaching her in soccer. She has two siblings cheering her on as well: Ethan (16) and Evelyn (21). “My sister is a cool dude,” said Ethan.
“One of the things I wish for this community is more developmental sports accessibility for girls,” Aynsleigh said. She hopes that Ouray will create more of a diversity of sports programs, like volleyball, available for younger kids - especially girls. She has observed that when girls start sports with the school in 6th grade, they don’t have as much fun as they might because they don’t yet know how to play.
Although sports are one of the most important aspects of her life, they are not the only thing she values. She loves reading, baking, and learning about history. Her favorite thing to bake is muffins with inventive flavors such as lemon poppyseed.
Aynsleigh is very involved in the Ouray community, participating in Communities That Care and Spirit Committee; she is also president of the student council. “She really wants to create a better environment for her fellow students,” remarked Ms. Fellin, “and I’m sure that’s something she’ll continue to do throughout her life.”
Aynsleigh moved here about six years ago and has collected some amazing memories from her time here. One unforgettable experience she has is what she called the Paper Wars… (cue dramatic music):
When she was in seventh grade, her class got their hands on some discarded textbooks. They cut the cover cardboard into swords, and wrapped them in textbook pages. Aynsleigh looks back fondly on this experience, saying that “everyone had a sword; I had a little dagger with a sash that had a pocket in it to keep the dagger. And then a crown! We made crowns for people, like the whole feudal system within our class.”
She spoke delightedly about how they would go out to the playground and “Beat. Each. Other. Up.” with these swords. Apparently it got so bad that paper was banned from their class for the rest of the year.
Her future will offer plenty of paper. After graduation she plans to go to college and pursue history, teaching, and business. She has gathered a lot of inspiration from history teacher Ms. Fellin, who showed her how fun it can be to learn about history and the past. “She is extremely enthusiastic and passionate,” Ms. Fellin said, “and I’m looking forward to her continuing her passion for history”
In her distant future, her dream is “to marry rich,” she joked. More seriously, she said that she wants to be an anthropologist or college professor, and to live by the ocean with dogs and a husband.
Her parents, John and Marcy, are very supportive of her, especially with her sports. Her mom was her first volleyball coach, and her dad is still coaching her in soccer. She has two siblings cheering her on as well: Ethan (16) and Evelyn (21). “My sister is a cool dude,” said Ethan.
“One of the things I wish for this community is more developmental sports accessibility for girls,” Aynsleigh said. She hopes that Ouray will create more of a diversity of sports programs, like volleyball, available for younger kids - especially girls. She has observed that when girls start sports with the school in 6th grade, they don’t have as much fun as they might because they don’t yet know how to play.
Although sports are one of the most important aspects of her life, they are not the only thing she values. She loves reading, baking, and learning about history. Her favorite thing to bake is muffins with inventive flavors such as lemon poppyseed.
Aynsleigh is very involved in the Ouray community, participating in Communities That Care and Spirit Committee; she is also president of the student council. “She really wants to create a better environment for her fellow students,” remarked Ms. Fellin, “and I’m sure that’s something she’ll continue to do throughout her life.”
Aynsleigh moved here about six years ago and has collected some amazing memories from her time here. One unforgettable experience she has is what she called the Paper Wars… (cue dramatic music):
When she was in seventh grade, her class got their hands on some discarded textbooks. They cut the cover cardboard into swords, and wrapped them in textbook pages. Aynsleigh looks back fondly on this experience, saying that “everyone had a sword; I had a little dagger with a sash that had a pocket in it to keep the dagger. And then a crown! We made crowns for people, like the whole feudal system within our class.”
She spoke delightedly about how they would go out to the playground and “Beat. Each. Other. Up.” with these swords. Apparently it got so bad that paper was banned from their class for the rest of the year.
Her future will offer plenty of paper. After graduation she plans to go to college and pursue history, teaching, and business. She has gathered a lot of inspiration from history teacher Ms. Fellin, who showed her how fun it can be to learn about history and the past. “She is extremely enthusiastic and passionate,” Ms. Fellin said, “and I’m looking forward to her continuing her passion for history”
In her distant future, her dream is “to marry rich,” she joked. More seriously, she said that she wants to be an anthropologist or college professor, and to live by the ocean with dogs and a husband.