Fil-Am teen dreams of Olympic glory in ice hockey

LOS ANGELES — Fourteen-year old Filipino-American Celine Whitlinger possesses the dominant requisites of a promising athlete. A 5’7" and 140-pound one-time “Player of the Month" pick, she could easily be a sports scout’s prime target. A basketball project, tennis protégée, or topnotch volleyball hopeful? None of the above. Whitlinger is the star goalie of the 14U Anaheim Lady Ducks ice hockey team. “I love ice hockey because it is a fast sport, it is very exciting," the standout 8th grade student at St. Hedwig Catholic School in Huntington Beach told Philippine News. “I played several years of roller, both in net and as a skater, so ice hockey is a natural course for me." “We observed that she’s very athletic, so we developed her from different kinds of sport, from basketball, swimming, soccer and then hockey," narrates mom, Debbie, who grew up in Blumentritt district in Manila. “Three years ago, Celine was discovered by one of the coaches. She was asked if she wants to play ice, so that’s how it all started." The Lady Ducks, divided into several age-groupings, is the female counterpart of the popular Anaheim Ducks, a professional ice hockey team that won the Stanley Cup last year. The club was founded in 1993 by The Walt Disney Company as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, based on the film “The Mighty Ducks." This year, Celine’s 14U team won the Pacific District Championships by defeating the Phoenix Lady Coyotes, 3-0, in the final game (The team eventually won 3rd the national competitions). Besides finishing 6-0-0, the Lady Ducks outscored their opponents 25 to 5. Celine holds an outstanding below 2.0 goals against average this year. Although she spends time 5 to 6 days a week in the ice, and practices twice weekly under a coach, Celine doesn’t lose grip of the bubbly trappings of a youth-in-bloom. She’s, after all, only 14—and exudes the feisty exuberance of a starry-eyed teenager.“I’d like to be a veterinarian in the future, and also be an Olympian," she said. “Meantime, I enjoy being young. I love listening to rock and alternative music, when I’m not playing the piano and guitar." More significantly, Celine is an honor student holding a 3.9 GPA and enjoys advanced math and science. “Our deal with her was, as long as she can get an A in all her subjects, she can play hockey. And she’s always been in the honor roll," says Debbie. “And I love her adobo," Celine chimes in. The Whitlingers’ youngest, it seems, has been amply inspired and motivated by a melding of zeal and humility from a cross-cultural household. Dad Bob is always around to check on her daughter’s developments as an athlete. “I coached her for seven years. Her strongest point, I think, is her temperament, she’s very level-headed, very calm in the net, has great hand coordination, although she has to improve on her speed a little bit," Bob, who hailed from Minnesota, said. “Celine has always been an exceptional daughter—smart, beautiful, intelligent and athletic," he added. - Philippine News