Coupeville Sports

Brooke Crowder

“I care about you; I care about you as a person and then you as an athlete.

“You can do hard things.

“Also, I don’t expect perfection; I just expect you to try.”

That’s the message Brooke Crowder imparts to her own children, and it’s a message she’ll soon be passing on to Coupeville Middle School athletes.

When her hire is approved by the school board, the local rancher will join Bennett Richter as a CMS girls’ basketball coach.

Crowder, who owns and operates the 1902 Ranch, replaces Mia Littlejohn, who stepped down after a year to pursue educational goals.

CMS kicks off practice this coming Monday, Jan. 22, with the first contest in an eight-game season set for Feb. 8.

With their newest coach, the young Wolves are getting a woman who grew up deeply immersed in sports while living in multiple states.

“I played in all the community sports programs as a kid and ballet,” Crowder said.

“I fell in love with basketball in the 6th grade. From then on, it was my sport, even though I continued to play others.”

Crowder bounced from tennis to basketball to softball through high school, then continued on to play hoops on club teams during her college days.

Her time on the hardwood was a constant work in progress, as family moves gave her different opportunities at different schools.

After playing in California through her sophomore season, she finished up her prep hoops run in Reno, Nevada.

“I had a diverse experience coming from a very developed program to a new school’s program that was at the beginning of development,” Crowder said.

“I went from being #6 on the bench to the leader overnight. My confidence grew exponentially during those leadership years.

“In my senior year, my coach would regularly ask me to help others on my team 1-on-1,” she added. “This exposed me to a teaching experience that sparked my love for helping others.”

Crowder has continued to pursue that coaching dream while also balancing life as a Navy wife, mom, and business owner. She’s been a personal trainer and CrossFit coach for the past decade.

“Years after college, I found a community and team within CrossFit,” she said. “My love of coaching was reignited.

“I began coaching CrossFit classes for adults and kids and started to get involved in coaching my kid’s community sports.

“However, my available time to coach has always revolved around my husband’s deployments over the last 20 years.”

With his retirement from the Navy in 2023, the chance to expand her coaching opportunities has blossomed for Crowder.

“I felt that I had more time and support (now),” she said. “So that I could support my kids’ sports endeavors as well as be a part of a school program that aimed to provide kids with personal growth opportunities.”

As Crowder enters the CMS gym to begin her new duties, she wants to join Richter in fostering an atmosphere of positivity and growth.

“My goals this season are to build with fundamentals, create an inclusive team with communication, and grow the athlete’s confidence,” she said.

“I want to help create the feeder program for the high school to support the advancement of the athlete’s athletic careers.”

With her schedule opening up, and a prime chance to assist in the growth of Wolf athletes, Crowder plans to be around for the long haul.

“I hope to be in this position for a while as my own children are passing through the Coupeville ranks.”