By Gene Helfman

Special to The Weekly

Marina Steinbrueck attended Central Washington University and received an Associates Degree. While in Ellensburg, she played rugby and worked with mentally and physically disabled patients to qualify as a Certified Nursing Assistant.

Steinbrueck took a gap year on Lopez, working as a trainer at Island Body and Fitness, opening a coffee shop in the morning, and waiting tables at night.

On advice from Lopez instructor Larry Berg, she returned to school at Washington State University, attracted by their great rugby program. She graduated with a major in criminal psychology/human development and was offered a position with a Juvenile Corrections facility in Arizona. Those plans were derailed when she was seriously injured by a reckless driver and she returned home to Lopez to recuperate.

During a stint as a Nursing Assistant at Hamlet House, she accepted an assistant volleyball coaching position at Lopez High (“returning to my roots”). This led to coaching middle school volleyball and track and field.

She successfully applied for the athletic director’s position and has since coached middle and high school volleyball, track and field, and middle school girls basketball.

Now in her fourth year as AD, she’s also raising her daughter Gale Grace while serving as vice president of the Northwest 1B Athletic Directors Association.

“Life is good. I have my family, my sports community, and I’m in the place I love most, Lopez Island. GO LOBOS!”