Perhaps the best illustration to define Coupeville High School senior Aaron Curtin as a person and athlete came four years ago.

Curtin was one of several freshman playing varsity basketball. A loose ball was scooting out of bounds near the baseline in front of the Wolves’ bench. Curtin raced full speed and dove headlong to recover the ball, one he had little chance to save, bouncing his body off the floor and then into the brick wall at the end of the Coupeville gymnasium.

That hustle play in itself gives a glimpse of Curtin’s nature. The situation adds another. It was deep in the season and deep in the game, another 30-point loss for the winless Wolves. With only minutes left in the contest, one possession wasn’t going to change Coupeville’s fate that evening. That didn’t matter to Curtin.

“I never give up,” he said.

Curtin wraps up his solid Coupeville athletic career when he plays in the state tennis tournament Friday and Saturday, May 29 and 30, at the Yakima Tennis Club.

While competing for the Wolves, Curtin, who plays tennis, basketball and baseball, earned 11 varsity letters in his 11 seasons.

Worn down by the toll of playing year-round, Curtin sat out his junior basketball season.

That was a mistake, he admits.

“I came to regret that decision when I went to the first game,” he said. “The guys that were playing next to me, that is what made me come back.”

Curtin attributes his success to “good coaching” and the support of his family (parents Ed and Judi and brothers Adam and Travis).

He said his coaches, particularly tennis coach Ken Stange and baseball coach Willie Smith, helped build his confidence and improve his leadership skills.

“Stange is always building my self-esteem,” he said. “He and coach Smith would tell you what you did wrong, and not in a demeaming way. The way they coached is the way I tried to lead.”

His family, he said, helped him “get past the bad days.”

A Coupeville native, Curtin grew up wanting to play for the Wolves.

“I used to lean against that wall (pointing to the school building that borders to tennis courts) and watch my brothers play,” he said.

Now that his CHS career is about over, he hopes he left a positive impression on teammates he encountered along the way.

“I want to be remembered for not only being a good athlete, but a good person, a nice guy, and being able to help others.

“I tried to work my butt off as much as I could; I wanted the younger kids to look up to me.”

Smith said Curtin accomplished that goal.

“He really grew into one of the better leaders I’ve had over my years,” Smith said. “He is a tireless worker who really pushes himself and expects a lot out of himself.

“He carries a ton of respect for the game, his teammates and his opponents. He makes kids around him better just by watching how hard he works and his focus during games and practices. I don’t think I ever saw him take a day off during this year.

“He was definitely the heart and soul of our team this year. If our younger players want to get better and improve, as both players and as a person, they should have watched Aaron very closely.”

Stange said Curtin “speaks softly but carries a big stick.”

“Despite that calm, the intensity is there; one can see it in his eyes,” he said.

Stange also found Curtin to be “more wise and mature than other kids his age,” noting as a freshman, the upperclassmen accepted him.

“As an elder, the younger players respect and admire him,” Stange said. “He’s kind and sensitive, and he’s always found time to work with the younger players.

“He takes his academics as seriously as he does his athletics. I guess I’d call him extremely well-rounded.”

Curtin will attend Central Washington University next year and tryout for the baseball team. He also hopes to be part of the school’s Air Force ROTC program.

“I want to fly,” he said. “My Dad would bring me into the flight simulators at the base. I always enjoyed that.”

Stange expects Curtin to succeed in whatever field he chooses.

“He’s going to have a successful life,” Stange said.

Indeed. Curtin will not allow any wall to stand in his way.