Junior volleyball player spreads kindness with her service work throughout the community.
When it comes to serving the community with kindness, Providence School student athlete Kaitlyn Tang is a champion.
She’s devoted several hours as a volunteer at the Pilgrim Terrace Senior Community, organized the Run for CommUNITY 5k run/walk to bring awareness to social equality, participated the World Healer’s Program with UCSB and the United Way’s Day of Caring.
She also is involved in several activities at Waypoint Church.
Her classroom work and school involvement rival her community service.
The Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table is honoring Tang as the Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award recipient from Providence.
The award is named after Phil Womble, a man who lived life to its fullest, despite his cerebral palsy. A passionate local sports fan, Womble lived to the age of 80.
His values are reflected in the award, which is presented to a high school junior. The students are chosen for living up to the qualities of accountability, respect of teammates, opponents, and officials, honesty, positive attitude, reliability, loyalty, sportsmanship, others above self, and team above personal interest.
Tang was presented the award in a virtual ceremony conducted by award sponsor Dave Pintard and included Providence girls indoor volleyball coach Susie Garacochea.
Tang carries a 4.9 grade point average while taking a class load that includes art III, humanities III honors, chemistry honors, Spanish III, pre-calculus honors and advanced engineering 1.
She is the ASB junior class president and participates in several school activities.
She plays three sports for the Patriots: indoor volleyball, basketball and beach volleyball.
Garacochea, who is in her first year as the indoor coach, is impressed with Tang and the qualities she brings to the team.
“Kaitlyn has shown herself to be an extraordinary kid,” said the coach. “She’s on time, she works hard, she’s kind and selfless with her friends. Your friends often say more about you than yourself.
“I just feel so proud of all the things she’s done that have shown that kindness of heart and generosity of spirit.”
Before the pandemic, Tang helped the senior residents at Pilgrim Terrace understand and operate their computers and cell phones.
“It was a great opportunity to meet some of the residents there and help them with technology,” she said.
Pintard was moved. He said Womble was a longtime resident at Pilgrim Terrace.
Tang thanked her teachers and coaches at Providence, and expressed gratitude to her parents, Christopher and Rebeka Tang, who serve as leaders at Waypoint Church.
“I’m grateful to my parents who have always been such an inspiration to me and role models,” she said. “And, also my family at Waypoint Church, for being such a great inspiration and uplifting.”
— Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk Sports on Twitter: @NoozhawkSports. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
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