Mia Littlejohn is about to break both your ankles, on the same play. (John Fisken photo)
Littlejohn celebrates a soccer trophy in 2011. (Photo courtesy Dawn Hesselgrave)
“I have played basketball ever since I can remember.”
Leaving a trail of broken ankles behind her, as she bobs and weaves, stutter-steps and then blows past foes with a nasty cross-over, Coupeville Middle School 8th grader Mia Littlejohn is a gym rat, through and through.
She plays other sports, such as select soccer, but it’s hoops that she lives for, and hoops where she’s making a name for herself, even at a young age.
“I will never stop playing basketball, even if it kills me,” Littlejohn said. “I will continue to play AAU ball if possible and mom allows and cannot wait to play with Makana (Stone), Julia (Myers) and the other high school players .
“It will be awesome!”
Following in the footsteps of older brother Zepher Loesch, a former CHS roundball star, she is usually the most electrifying player on the court.
“I started playing after watching Zepher play and seeing how much fun it was,” Littlejohn said. “I decided that I wanted to play too. Basketball was my brother’s passion and it has become mine, too.
“I live to play guard and wing because there is a lot of action and I get to drive the basket,” she added. “I enjoy the action and aggressiveness, the want for the ball. I like to be on the wing so once that you get the ball you can head fake it then drive, putting you ahead of the person who was guarding you.”
A point guard who can score as well as pass, Littlejohn realizes the importance of setting up her teammates “(I want to assist each of my teammates to score 30 points — 15 baskets — for the season”) while never being afraid of putting up the ball herself.
“My strength is driving to the basket, giving direction, and getting around people while going up the court,” she said. “All you have to do is look and lean one way, but quickly change and go the opposite direction.
“I need to look out because once I “suck in the defense” over to me, than everybody else (my teammates) is open.”
A virtual year-round player — she has done time with a Mukilteo AAU feeder team, a Snohomish AAU team and the Oak Harbor Catz travel squad — Littlejohn wants to tweak some parts of her game. Little things that can change the outcome of a game.
“I definitely have to work on free throws, those can make or break games,” she said.
Away from the court, she enjoys PE and math, helping her mom, Dawn Hesselgrave, cook and art projects. She also does volunteer work with younger sister Kalia.
A big fan of the movie “Frozen” (“It is really funny”), she favors old school beats from the likes of KISS, AC/DC, Journey and The Scorpions.
“I rock like my mom!”
Like virtually all successful young athletes, she has benefited from a strong support group, not only for rides to practice but for inspiration along the way.
She credits step-brother Wiley Hesselgrave (“He has the best aggressive defense I have ever seen”), CMS teammate Lauren Rose (“Such a good friend”) and Loesch (“The one who inspired me to even play. He was always popping up three’s and it was so exciting to watch him play ball”) as her personal heroes.
The backbone of the family, however, remains her parents.
“My mom is the person who has, and does take me to all my practices over the years, and my dad (Mark Hesselgrave) has started helping with off-Island AAU practices these past two years,” Littlejohn said. “I love them so much for encouraging me to play sports.”
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