We met: July 20th 2015 First Date: September 5th 2015 He popped the Question: December 31 2017 The day we become One: June 29th 2019
Every year we all stopped to Bojangles for breakfast on 264 before we hit the highway. She was in her first year as a volleyball coach and I had some time in as a football and basketball coach at Southside. When she got out the car and I saw her smiling and laughing my first thoughts was “who in the world is that?!?!!??. In that moment I knew she was the one. I waited until we got back into our separate vehicles to ask who she was. One of the coaches said, “oh that’s Atyana Starkie” and I immediately went to Facebook and sent her a friend request. So, we get to the coach’s clinic and I wasn't myself. Whenever she was around, I couldn't function. I wasn’t my usual “coaches’ clinic” self. She made me blush and want to mature even more even though I was a few years older, but at the time I felt EXTRA young again. Whenever I had the opportunity to talk to her, I just couldn’t get the right words out to say to her. The evening we got back I shot my shot and thank God it was all net lol... From that day forward July 23 until now she has been the woman of my life. Through ups and downs thick and thin she has been there for me and I can’t wait to call her Mrs. Whitney.
It was my first-year coaching which meant my first year going to the coaching clinic and meeting some of the newer coaching staff at Southside since I graduated. I wasn't sure what to expect going, I just knew I wasn't looking my best lol. I needed to schedule a hair appointment, I just ripped my last pair of contacts and was wearing old glasses, and don't get me started on my eyebrows. I didn’t go expecting to become interested in anyone, but I remember that day vividly, I had seen Davelle on Instagram because we were friends but seeing him in person was something new. I admit he was handsome, but I felt too shy to even hold an conversation. As the clinic proceeded, I interacted more and more with the other coaches, and one night we got on the subject age (which we still do to this day). At the time I was 21 and by far the youngest on staff (besides another coach) and the others started joking about how young I was, well Davelle in the midst of joking calls me sister girl. I cringed thinking wow this man thinks I'm a little girl and has “friend zoned” me. Time continued to pass and with the new name sister girl I didn't think it would go any further, so I didn't feel so weird being around him and joking. I guess his definition as far as sister girl had a different meaning than what I had in mind because once we got home shortly after he messaged me, and we continued to talk...….and well here we are a few years later about to embark on a new journey together as Mr. and Mrs.