Charlie Aldridge, Walt Welch, Elli and Emma Shulenberger.

By Mike London
mike.london@salisburypost.com

CHINA GROVE — Senior Taylor May needed 20 points for 1,000 when the South Rowan girls headed to face a powerful Hickory team in the first round of the 2009 3A state playoffs.

South lost. That was her last high school game, but she got the 20. Exactly 20.

May, who is now Taylor May Welch, was the homecoming queen and enjoyed a charmed high school athletic career in basketball, track and field and volleyball. Arguably the county’s best volleyball player and fifth in the discus in the 3A State Championships, she was Rowan County’s Female Athlete of the Year for the 2008-09 school year.

That meant memorable opportunities such as arm-wrestling photo ops with the Male Athlete of the Year — West Rowan’s KP Parks.

College athletics got tougher. The players were quicker. May seemed really tall in high school, but not so much at Catawba. She was a role player for three seasons, doing her her best to be great in that role. Strictly through perseverance, she finally became a standout on the court as a senior.

The main thing was that she never lost sight of the reason she was at Catawba. It wasn’t to get buckets; it was to get an education. Today she is a certified occupational therapist. She’s worked in the field, although with two young children, she’s taken on more of a teaching role now.

Two of May’s best friends in high school were Katie Wise (Shulenberger) and Katherine Van Wieren (Aldridge). They were a year older, members of the Class of 2008. The triple towers  got to play together for three varsity seasons, and they combined for 2,278 career points. Their teams were competitive. More importantly, coaches made the high school athletic experience a positive one for the three girls whether they were on the volleyball court, in the basketball gym or throwing on the track.

When their playing days were over, it wasn’t like they never wanted to see a basketball again. Instead, they couldn’t wait to teach the game to their kids someday.

That time has come.

“We’ve always stayed in touch, always stayed friends through the years, even when Katie went to UNC Asheville to play basketball,” Welch said.

The towers are all married 30-somethings now. They were bridesmaids in each other’s weddings. The bonds forged in all those high school battles still holding them tightly together.

Katie Wise is now Katie Shulenberger, massage therapist, while Katherine Van Wieren is now Katherine Aldridge.

Aldridge taught kindergarten for years, but now she’s the director of children’s ministry at China Grove’s First Methodist Church. That’s the church where her brother, William Van Wieren, a football and baseball star in his South Rowan days, is the pastor.

Aldridge was the first to take the plunge into coaching basketball last season. Her son, Charlie, played in the South Rowan YMCA program as a 5-year-old in a 6U league, and he liked it well enough to return for a second season.

This season, Welch’s 5-year-old son, Walt, is old enough to play in the league, as are  Shulenberger’s 5-year-old twin girls Emma and Elli.

That’s two boys and two girls, so it’s a well-balanced, fun group.

“Katherine got the coaching thing started with some phone calls,” Welch said. “She’s the head coach, and she asked if Katie and I would help her out. Some days, it feels like we’re trying to herd cats out there, but it’s never dull and it’s always fun. You can see the kids improving from week to week. That’s rewarding. The three of us being on a basketball court together again also has been rewarding. It’s been one those cool, full-circle moments you get to have in life.”

Welch, who is the aunt of Carson football lineman Will Welch, explained that the young hoopers practice diligently once a week. They play a game on Saturdays.

There are no egos, no leading scorers because they don’t employ a scoreboard. This is a league that’s all about fundamental basketball concepts and skills. It’s a league for learning how much fun working together as a team can be. The former Raiders still use some basics they learned from South Rowan girls coach Jim Brooks and they use some things they picked up from their college coaches.

“If we did keep score, the season max would probably be about 20 points.” Welch said with a laugh. “But even when they are at this young age, coaching your child can be hard because you’re always going to be tougher on your own than on someone else’s kid. That’s probably been the biggest challenge for me.”

But mostly it’s been good times.

A lot of laughs, a lot of hugs, and an occasional bucket.

Maybe they’re getting some 1,000-point scorers started.

“Getting to coach with my best friends and coaching our kiddos might be the best and most hilarious thing ever,” Aldridge summed up.