Each Sunday during the 2016-17 school year, the Carson-Newman athletic communications department will shine a spotlight on a current or former Carson-Newman student-athlete looking to tell a tale of life outside of his or her respective sport.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Kaitlyn Cupples was sitting in a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting on a Tuesday during her sophomore year when an idea was presented for students to be a leader at a Kids Across America camp. It was not her first time volunteering by a long shot but it showcased a moment she would never forget.
The women's basketball standout spent two months in Branson, Mo. at an inner city camp caring for middle school girls organizing and leading a variety of small and large group activities such as crafts, nature, songs games, opening and closing ceremonies, swimming, archery and canoeing.
The kids had a rare chance to visit a pool for one hour where the Clinton, Tenn. native was the lead lifeguard on duty. The main rule at the camp was "finish what you start". If a person decided to try something then they had to follow through completely.
An eight-year-old girl climbed the ladder to diving board with 30 minutes remaining in the activity. The little lady stood on the diving board the rest of the time despite encouragement from the C-N hooper.
The time expired on the activity and the rest of the group went to lunch but Cupples was on a red buoy in the pool with her arms extended waiting for the girl to jump. The clock continued to tick, rain began falling from the skies and tears are dripped from the girl's face.
After an hour of waiting, the senior gathered some of the other counselors to cheer for the child trying to inspire her to leap.
"I was talking to her as much as I could," Cupples said. "I remember that I looked her in the eye and built her up until she felt that she could jump. I didn't think she was ever going to jump off."
The rain had stopped and almost 90 minutes had gone by when the child took the leap of faith and jumped into the swimming pool.
"It was one of the most gratifying moments of my life," Cupples recalls. "I share that story with a lot of people because it's a tale of perseverance. Don't give up. She gained so much confidence in herself from that one moment. I think it goes to show that you shouldn't give up even when the rain comes or when something is hard. It's worth it in the end."
Cupples has had plenty of those moments over the last several years. She has dedicated countless hours to volunteer work that earned her a nomination for the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Allstate Insurance Company Good Works Team bestowed upon student-athletes "who make outstanding contributions in the areas of volunteerism and civic involvement. These individuals embody the true spirit of 'teamwork' and 'giving back' through commendable acts of kindness."
Few people can match what the senior has done since stepping onto Carson-Newman's campus in 2014. The Lady Eagle has been on six different mission trips ranging from Alaska to Boston to go along with volunteering at 12 different organizations.
The forward carries a 3.8 grade-point average as a dietetics and nutrition major choosing that area of study because food can be avenue to relate to any person. It is demonstrated by her service with the Love Kitchen of Knoxville where delivered meals to food insecure households each Thursday for four months as a junior. Or the 30 hours she spent last spring at The Life Outreach Center teaching maternal nutrition to mothers in the organization, a place she intends on going back to this spring. She has spent each Thanksgiving for as long as she can remember delivering meals to homeless people in Clinton. Every Wednesday during the summer of 2016, she spent three hours every Wednesday at the 2nd Baptist Church of Clinton food pantry.
Juggling community service, basketball and homework is not easy but the post player has it down to a science. She has a planner with her at all times and each night before she goes to bed she makes a to-do list for the next day.
"I try not to use that as a crutch or an excuse," Cupples explained. "It is hard sometimes because I feel like there are times that I have sacrifice something. There are things that I have had to turn down because I don't have the time for. If I am doing things for recognition then it's not something I should do because I don't need recognition for it. It is nice to see the fruits of my labor sometimes. I just want to be known for worthy things."
Motivation for selfless deeds comes from the people Cupples is closest to, her family. The South Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year in 2013-14 has learned from her parents and shared experiences with her sister, Kristen, who is two years Kaitlyn's junior and plays basketball at King (Tenn.).
"My parents are absolute rock stars," Cupples discussed. "My mom is a woman of God. She is my role model because she is really successful in her career, raising a family and a follower of Christ and does it effortlessly. They have instilled in me what it means to be a servant. We all get to share stories of our service and learn from them.
"I probably go motherly on [my sister] a lot and tell her things that I wish I could have changed or things that I wish I would have known. I really tried to make sure that she understood what challenges were ahead of her entering college. In a lot of ways I look up to her. She is laissez-faire. I wish I was that way sometimes so we feed off of each other."
The impact of Cupples extends from the missionary work to the hardwood as she has set the bar for her teammates on what it means to be a student-athlete at Carson-Newman. Her coach speaks highly of her traits.
"She is going to lead by example," Carson-Newman women's basketball coach Mike Mincey said. "Any of our players see what it is like to give back and do a lot of volunteer hours and community service projects. She spent basically her whole summer on the road trying to help others and give back to others in a positive light. It's very important to our program and it's very important that we have people here that are capable of doing that.
"I'm proud of Cupples for what she stands for and what she's about. I think in some regards she spreads herself thin trying to be a great student, a great basketball player and a great servant all in the same breath. She's capable of doing it and I'm glad she is one of ours."
Success on the basketball court has not always been consistent for the senior forward despite ranking fourth in program history in blocks with 113 but the platform of being Lady Eagles has given Cupples perspective.
"College athletics teaches you so many lessons about yourself," Cupples said. "The daily grind of things and mental toughness teach you that sometimes you need to let things roll off of your shoulders. You can't focus on missing shots or your minutes. In the end, that's being selfish. You want to do the best for team, but if the best thing for your team is someone else succeeding then that's how it needs to happen. It teaches you how to work with people and be a leader."
The WBCA Good Works Team nominee works as a basketball conditioning and skills coach preparing personalized practice plans to train and develop a team, spent time running a basketball camp in Alaska and hosted a week-long basketball camp at her church.
As a senior, Cupples has taken time to reflect on her last four years. While she admits to feeling overwhelmed at times, the forward has no regrets and hopes other people will learn from her experiences.
"I would tell them to make sure that they are doing it for the right reasons," Cupples said. "It shouldn't be motivated by making yourself look better but there is passion for what you are involved in. Try to get involved in some way and get out of your comfort zone. If it sounds scary then you should do it. It will help you grow more than you could imagine even if it's difficult."
It was not long ago that Cupples was standing on a metaphorical diving board deciding if she wanted to take a dive into something bigger. She had to choose between retreating down the stairs or finding the belief in herself and taking a leap. The Volunteer State native decided to roll the dice to find herself finishing everything she starts.
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