Grey Rische emerges from the water.
“My schedule is swamped with activities!”
Grey Rische is not joking. The Coupeville High School freshman has his days jam-packed, bouncing from activities as diverse as being the Class of 2017 President to scuba diving, welding, jazz band and his newest pursuit — smacking tennis balls along side older brother Jared Helmstadter.
“I have been playing tennis for about three weeks now and I sincerely enjoy it,” Rische said. “I started playing tennis because my brother played and I thought it looked like a lot of fun.
“I love the fact you can be competitive and not have to listen to the coaches behind you,” he added. “You are your own coach and your own motivator when you are on the court playing. I also love being able to play with my brother.”
While he’s a newcomer to the hard courts, Rische is no stranger to sports.
He plans to play basketball (“I love being able to race along the court to try to take home a victory with my fellow teammates”) and run track at CHS, and has an extensive baseball background. Then there’s his underwater adventures.
“I’ve been scuba diving since last April and I have enjoyed it ever since,” Rische said.
On the tennis court, he has a bit of a built-in comfort factor, teaming up with his brother to form a potent doubles duo. Known as Thunder and Lightning when they played little league baseball, they mesh well together.
“My goal for the upcoming season is to play some varsity matches with Jared,” Rische said. “We know each others strengths and weaknesses, which should make us capable to win some.
“My strengths include my back hand and my spikes, although I still need to work on both due to being a newbie player,” he added. “I still need to work on my forehand and being able to stay positive. I am a very competitive person and when I lose I get very down on myself. So I need to work on that too.”
In the moments between his many sporting accomplishments, Rische enjoys geometry (“I love math in general, but geometry is a new type, which makes it even better”) and welding (“I have gotten one burn, but it will eventually make a cool scar”). Music also drives him, whether he’s playing it or listening to it.
“I love music, but not music everyone else loves,” Rische said. “I love jazz and a few other bands such as Imagine Dragons and The Script.”
Whether playing sports or learning in the classroom, Rische draws huge support from his large family, which can always be found at any games involving him, Jared or sister Camilla.
“My brother has made a huge impact on me. Whether it be on the field or on the court, he is always helping me brush up on my skills or teaching me more,” Rische said. “If it weren’t for my brother I don’t think I would be half the athlete as I am today.
“Also, my dad would have to be another huge impact on me,” he added. “He is the one who urges me to run for office and to complete new activities such as scuba diving. He is the Superman to my Kryptonite.”
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