VMS spotlight – Cely Brinkmann

Oma for president. Vail Mountain volleyball’s Cely Brinkmann thinks her grandma should be president and having met Oma, we don’t disagree. Oma’s at every VMS game rooting for Cely and the Gore Rangers. Look for Oma and company at today’s Homecoming volleyball game at The Garven at 4 p.m. For more on Cely, read on: Date of birth: April 15, 1988Born in: VailGrandma: OmaMother: ChristinaSister: Matty, 9, third grade at VMSPosition: Outside hitterWhat’s it like to be a senior in this school?: “It’s crazy to be at VMS and be a senior. You have a lot more responsibilities because you have younger kids looking at you, copying your every move. So, you have to be good. But it’s good.”What’s Homecoming going to be like?: “Homecoming’s going to be intense because we have our new gym, finally. I’m sure everyone’s going to be here because it’s Homecoming. It’s a big deal for us.”

What do you like about volleyball?: “It’s just intense and I love having a team sport. I don’t think I could ever do a sport where it was just me. I’d have to have my teammates because they bring energy and I give energy. It’s a tight-knit thing.”How close is this team?: “We’re very close. We’ve been playing for eight years together – Lara (Green), Miranda (Farley), Aubrie (Apple), Lindsay (Wright) and I. We’re like sisters. We fight like sisters. We get along like sisters.”What is it going to take to get to state?: “It’s going to be mental toughness with us. In the past, we’ve had the ability. Sophomore year and junior year, we had the ability to go, but our mental toughness … we just gave up. We started losing. We started getting down on ourselves. We’re not doing that this year at all. It’s going to be a mental game.”Best moment in volleyball: “Probably beating Vail Christian last year at their place.”Most embarrassing moment: “I was back serving my freshman year and Garvey threw a jump serve at me and I hit Maggie Haslee in the back of the head. As you know, she was not very happy with that. Tree (Lara Bossow) would have been like, ‘Ha, ha.’ Maggie was like, ‘Are you kidding?'”Funniest teammate: Della ElichWhat is Mike Garvey like as a coach?: “He’s probably the best coach that I’ve had just because he’s so intense and he loves this game more than anyone. For him to bring his intensity helps us all just want to make him happy.”Favorite subject: PsychologyCollege plans: Looking at schools in Colorado, New York and FloridaCareer plans: Child psychology or sports psychology

Sports you watch: “I’m a big, big basketball fan and I love my Nuggets.”Favorite teams: Oakland Raiders and Green Bay PackersAnd: “I have to put this down here because my mom will shoot me if I don’t – as another favorite sports team, you have to put the Yankees or she’ll kill me.”Favorite athletes: Kenyon Martin and Bret FavreFavorite TV show: Family GuyFavorite TV star: Carmen ElectraFavorite movie: How HighFavorite movie star: Rachel McAdamsFavorite book: The Tao of PsychologyHobbies: “Playing volleyball and soccer. That and hanging out.”

Favorite music: Hip-hop, R&B and technoMac or PC: PCFavorite Web site: Nuggets.comHow are the Nuggets going to do this year?: “They’re going to win the whole flipping thing.”Favorite food: TofuFavorite pizza slice: Mushrooms, black olives and onionsFavorite color: PinkIf you were a tree what kind of tee would you be?: PalmIf you were ruler of the world for one day, what would you do?: “I would make my grandma president.”Sports editor Chris Freud can be reached at 949-0555 or via cfreud@vaildaily.com.Vail, Colorado