Coupeville Sports

Emily Coulter

Emily Coulter does a bit of everything.

The Coupeville High School freshman basketball player will try just about any sport you throw at her (“I play softball, track, volleyball and I’m gonna try tennis”), is in the school band and can hold her own on the video game of your choice.

And while Coulter is one of a handful of players fairly new to the Wolf program, JV coach Amy King already likes what she sees from her unknown trio.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect from our three players who have not played before (or only a season in middle school) — Julia Felici, Samantha Martin and Emily Coulter,” King said after her team’s first game. “They were all fairly nervous going into this game, but once the nerves settled, they all really stepped up and played hard.”

Coulter, who swings between post and wing for a Wolf JV squad which is a perfect 2-0 heading into a game Thursday at La Conner, first picked up basketball as a way to follow in her siblings footsteps.

“My sisters played, so I just thought I would try it,” Coulter said. “I enjoy meeting new people and getting another family.”

She was a hard charging player quick to implement the advice handed to her by King during a practice I saw earlier this season. While she may not yet have the polished game of veterans like Bessie Walstad or Amanda Fabrizi,  she plays full tilt — something any coach loves to see from their players.

“My strengths are getting people away from the ball and basket,” Coulter said. “I’m still learning, so there’s a lot (to work on)!

“My goal as a player is to get better,” she added. “As a team, it’s to get through the season with more wins than losses.”

Away from the court, Coulter enjoys math class, adores “The Polar Express,” listens to a wide range of music (“My favorite music is everything!”) and divides her free time between family and the call of the console.

“I spend my free time with my dad or being a video game nerd!,” Coulter said.

When she needs inspiration, she doesn’t need to look too far, finding it inside her own family. When asked who has had an impact on helping her to become the young woman she is today, Coulter has a ready answer.

“My Mawmaw, mostly,” she said. “She’s been with me through thick and thin. That woman has done more for and with me than she has with her own sons.”