Thursday, March 28, 2024
37.0°F

Senior Spotlight: Minish leaves her mark on the community

by DYLAN GREENE
Sports Editor | May 27, 2020 1:00 AM

Editor’s note: This article is part of a recurring series on local high school athletes who had their seasons cut short or canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

PRIEST RIVER — Adrie Minish has impacted Priest River High School in so many ways it’s hard to keep track of.

Minish was a member of the softball and girls’ basketball teams all four years, she spent two years on student council and she competed on the cheer team her junior and senior year after she made a pact with her art teacher and cheer coach Rebecca Chaney.

“I told her, ‘I’m here for the long run as long as you are in it with me,’” Chaney said.

When Chaney became a teacher at Priest River, she immediately noticed how dedicated Minish was to her schoolwork and they quickly developed a special relationship. Chaney had no experience coaching cheer but she noticed the Spartans cheer team didn’t have one so she pitched the idea to Minish and they agreed to take on the new challenge together.

Minish said Chaney is someone she looks up to.

“She’s been very influential on me,” Minish said. “She’s taught me a lot about responsibility, respect and having grit because it’s not easy to do all the things I’m involved in at the same time. She’s helped me push through that and become a better person and taught me about staying true to my beliefs and values. She’s helped me through a lot of tough times.”

Although she may not express it, Minish really enjoys helping others. That’s why she got so involved during high school and accumulated countless community service hours.

Chaney witnessed Minish’s thoughtfulness firsthand and recalls several times where the senior came in before and after school, and helped her and other teachers clean up their classrooms.

Chaney saw Minish on a daily basis and sometimes she worried Minish had too much on her plate with everything she had going on. But she found a way to balance it all.

“I know she was exhausted but she never showed it and she never complained,” Chaney said.

Minish’s interest in softball started when she played T-ball at a young age, but then she stopped. It took her until the sixth grade to rediscover that love for the game. One day the softball team in Priest River needed an extra player so Minish grabbed a bat and a glove and has stuck with the sport ever since.

When Minish reached high school, Priest River softball head coach Rob DeMent could tell he was working with an athlete that refused to fail and wanted to learn.

“She’s just a quiet competitor that works her tail off all the time,” he said.

That competitiveness was on full display in her first game on varsity.

“We went to our first game her sophomore year against St. Maries,” DeMent said, “and we had an injury to a starting outfielder so I pulled her off the bench and she absolutely rocked it in that game and never relinquished her starting position after that.”

Minish said softball made her a better person and taught her the importance of trial and error.

DeMent said Minish consistently improved during her time on the team and he never had to worry about her giving it her all.

“I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed having Adrie on the team,” he said. “I wish I had nine Adrie’s [on the field].”

Minish said the reality that her final season was canceled still hasn’t sunk in yet. Minish hasn’t picked up a softball lately and has been busy working at The Coffee Cabin.

After graduating from Priest River, Minish will head to Montana State University. She hasn’t picked a major yet but is leaning toward something in art, design or environmental science.

Chaney said Minish is a talented artist and would excel in that career if she chooses to pursue it.

Minish has enjoyed her time as a Spartan and she won’t forget the friends and memories she made along the way. The community was so welcoming and the small town environment really helped her personality shine, Minish said.

Chaney said she has no doubt that Minish will be successful in life because she’s a wonderful person. Chaney hopes she will be around to see what Minish does with her career and the adult she grows into.

“I’m going to miss her because she was such a good example for the other students and I could see it was almost contagious,” Chaney said. “I don’t see her giving up.”

In her own words: Adrie Minish

“To all those who have had an impact on my life the last four years:

Thank you to all of my teachers, classmates, coaches, teammates, family and friends. Each of you has made a contribution to my life that has made my high school experience unforgettable. Although it may not be ending how I pictured it would, that doesn’t change all the memories I’ve made up until this point and the experiences we’ve shared that will forever impact me as I start a new chapter of my life. I’m so grateful for all of the things each of you has given me, whether it be an education, life-changing experiences on the field or court, fun memories being crazy together, or an abundance of love and support through the ups and downs. Because of all of you, I am who I am today, and I am now ready to start becoming the person I one day will be as I journey into the rest of my life. Thank you for all you have done, and I will keep our memories close to my heart throughout the many years to come.

With much love and gratitude,

Adrie.”