Cobra exceeds high standards on and off the court

    Industrial Cobra Kelsey VanPelt has basketball in her blood. She said her grandparents, Judy and Bobby Nicholson, and her parents, Shelly and Clay VanPelt, have taught her much of her basketball education, and that has continued as she grew older.
    “My grandmother and my mother taught me my fundamentals and how to play the game on our driveway every chance they could get,” she remembered fondly. “My dad also coached me in YMCA and Upward basketball when I was just starting to grab ahold of the concepts of the game. My grandpa taught me the meaning of toughness and how working hard leads to success on and off the court.”
    Kelsey added that although she’s had many coaches who have inspired her to become a hard-working player, her family has always taken her to a gym to develop her necessary skills. “They have helped all of us, no matter how old, grow in skill as well as creating a family feel throughout the team.”
    The current 2014 varsity Cobra team she plays with have been playing together since sixth grade, and has taught her so many things about the game they love to play. Her teammates voted on her and Jessica Martin to become their team captains for the season. Kelsey also said her coach, Valerie Smith, has taught them many things about life and the game.
    “She (Smith) has taught us the importance of conditioning and fundamentals and how they affect the way we play the game, she has taught us how the success of others on the team is a team victory, not just an individual victory,” Kelsey said. “She has also taught them the importance of being good teammates to each other no matter the circumstances. Because of her, we are not only teammates, but we are sisters.”
    Coach Smith said Kelsey is a very aggressive player who’s not afraid to throw the defense off by driving in or taking a shot from the outside. “She is one of the first players to show up and is one of the last to leave. Her dedication to her team and her competitive nature for success is what earned her a co-captain spot.”
    Kelsey said when she plays she likes to focus on communicating with her teammates as well as seeing the court throughout the game, adding that it opens up many opportunities for the whole team.
    “My goals this year are to spend as much time in the gym as possible in order to improve all aspects of my game,” she said. “I want to continue working on my fundamentals so I will be able to help the team offensively and defensively. As a team we want to reach our full potential and continue to succeed in our season and far into the playoffs.”
    Kelsey likes to watch the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team play because she feels like they execute really well. She said her favorite player hands down is Skylar Diggins, who plays for the Detroit Shock. “She is a complete player, offensively and defensively.”