Kalia Littlejohn (Dawn Hesselgrave photos)
Kalia and Mia Littlejohn hanging out with big bro Zepher Loesch, circa 2008.
“This is my court, fool!!” (John Fisken photo)
Kalia Littlejohn never stops moving on the basketball court.
The Coupeville Middle School 7th grader, who is celebrating her birthday today, zips back and forth relentlessly when she is in a game.
Whether running the Wolf offense from the point, where she is a constant danger to slash to the bucket, or playing an elbow-swingin’ defense that results in more than her fair share of picked off passes, balls knocked out of bounds and frustrated foes, she’s dynamic.
It’s a family style, as older siblings Mia Littlejohn (a CMS 8th grader) and Zepher Loesch (a former CHS standout) play the same way.
An in-your-face, what-you-gonna-do-about-it-cry-to-your-momma style that looks like they just stepped off a street court in Jersey, injecting a nice shot of grit and confidence into laid-back Coupeville.
Kalia developed her style trying to keep up with her older brother, who went on to play ball after high school (“I have played basketball for a very long time. Zepher would always play with us outside.”) and has grown to love the game.
“What I enjoy the most about basketball is the feeling you have when you have that lay up or that shot and you just hope it goes in, that challenge to get the ball in that basket,” Littlejohn said. “Oh, and I “LOVE” defending. I think one of my strengths is defending.”
While she’s already ahead of the average player at her grade level, she’s always looking to get better.
“What I want to work on is everything,” Littlejohn said. “Because I think there’s always room for improving.
“What I want to improve the most is dribbling and shooting.”
Basketball is not her only sport, as Littlejohn and her older sister have both played select soccer for many years. She also played volleyball for CMS and plans to run track in the spring.
A big fan of hip hop and country, she picks math as her favorite class “because it’s challenging” and enjoys “spending time with family, listening to music or sleeping.”
With a family full of athletes (step-brother Wiley Hesselgrave, a sophomore at CHS, is a football and basketball star as well), Littlejohn gets tremendous support, allowing her to stay dedicated to her sports.
“My whole family has been an impact on the person that I am today,” she said. “My brother, Zepher, has been a huge impact in basketball. Also my dad was a big impact in my sports.
“My mom (Dawn Hesselgrave) takes me everywhere we need to go and has been a big help in soccer,” Littlejohn added. “But she can still beat me in soccer, sadly.”
