Coupeville Sports

Having completed a four-day summer basketball camp road trip, Coupeville High School girls’ hoops coach David King has a few thoughts to share on the experience.

In his own words:

Survival, in this case it was a three-way street.

Being the only guy with 19 teenage girls along with (wife/assistant coach) Amy, all I can say is I survived the trip.

On the flip side, the players had to survive me for four days. Oh and survival for Amy, being a coach, a “mom” to 19 girls and dealing with me.

In reality, the trip and camp couldn’t have gone better. Well, we could have actually done without the injuries.

Of the 19 players, five were freshman, four were going to camp with us for the first time and 10 others went last season. A very good mix.

I’ll try to keep things short, but as the players know, I can go on and on. Especially when I’m talking basketball and sharing the things the players have done.

There were many success stories and players stepping out of their comfort zone.

I do know one thing, each one of these players kept a positive attitude and never complained or questioned the madness that Amy and I schedule during a camp.

The players always encouraged their teammates, helped each other and improved from day one through day four. I also can’t stress the positive attitudes enough.

Day one made for a long day.

Met at the high school at 6:15 AM so we could pack the truck and load into the clown van and catch the 7:15 ferry.

We made it to Ocean Shores around noon, this gave us enough time to get settled in and ready for the first game of the day.

By the way, with the number of players that went we made two teams and played in a JV division and a varsity division.

Teams came from all over, that meant there was a potential starting time of 7 AM and the latest a game might start was 12 AM (yes, midnight).

Since we had two teams we were scheduled for four total games on Monday, six total on Tuesday and should have been six on Wednesday.

However, we like team bonding time and getting away from the gym, so we requested just four games on Wednesday.

Thursday both teams played one game each before packing up and heading home.

Back to day one and game one.

Varsity led us off at 2 PM. We started slow with some nervous energy, but once we got going we settled into playing a good game to lead things off.

Our leaders stepped up all week. The maturity in Kailey (Kellner)’s game was apparent from the beginning.

Over the past few years all of her movement on the court seemed to be one speed, FAST! What she showed was a calmness to her game that allowed her to play more efficient especially on offense.

Mikayla (Elfrank) was only at a couple of our open gyms and is looking to fit in with the returners.

A good athlete and she brings an element to the team that we haven’t had over the past few years.

She is able to catch on the wing or on the baseline, see the floor and dribble drive to the basket. There is a smoothness to her game that I think others will be able to feed off.

Mikayla also brings good habits on the defensive end and can rebound as well.

My only wish was that when she had transferred in last year that she joined us. Missing a year means she is playing some catch-up.

From top to bottom the nine players that got in played well.

Game two on the day was at 4 PM for the JV team. I think it helped having varsity play first.

That said, there were still nerves present.

Defensively we didn’t play too bad, offensively is were the nervousness shows up a little more. It took us a little while to get going.

Tia (Wurzrainer) checked in and promptly scored the first basket for the JV team.

If I had to guess, she isn’t the one I would have thought that would have scored first for us (she is a quiet one).

What it did show me is that she wasn’t afraid to shoot the ball. Pretty awesome to see that if she is open she has the confidence to shoot.

The smile afterwards on her face along with the other players cheering was priceless.

A couple players I wanted to highlight are Brittany (Powers), Maddy (Hilkey) and Maya (Toomey-Stout) from this game. I know, I know, three players already in the first game.

Brittany didn’t play as a freshman, came and played last season, which was a good addition to the program.

Over the years many players don’t like to shoot (no confidence to shoot) but Brittany isn’t one of those players.

Her confidence in the first game helped the younger players relax some. She had good court awareness and played solid defense.

During open gyms she has worked on her shot along with putting the ball on the floor and looking to attack the basket.

It will be fun to watch her develop her game the next two years. Coming to camp was a very good thing for Brittany.

Maddy, as we all know, had never played basketball until this past season.

She has made big strides in her knowledge of the game.

She also knows there are many areas she needs to work on to get better. Ball handling and confidence are two of those areas.

The other team put pressure on us and pressed us, Maddy stepped up big time vocally and physically.

We struggled to get the ball up the court and Maddy took it upon herself to pass the ball in and also became a ball handler against the press.

During one possession, she had the ball, put it on her hip and directed the others on what to do and where to go. This type of play continued through the four days.

Great to see from someone so new to the game doing these types of things.

Maya, quiet and very attentive, but, from what I hear, not so quiet when with her friends.

Since I didn’t get to see much of the eighth grade games last season, I asked her what positions she played last year and if she played point guard.

The answer to PG was a very quick, No!

As the returning players know we as coaches push players beyond their comfort areas and look to expand their game. In the second half I informed her that she would be going in to be the PG.

The look on her face was classic.

Talk about being thrown into the fire right off the bat. She may not have liked it, but Maya went in and handled the pressure of playing point very well.

This can be confirmed by each of the other players.

Next is getting her to look at the basket and shoot.

Game three on the day was at 8 PM and the second JV game.

The long day set in along with a very good and efficient opponent that knocked down threes.

Records and wins aren’t as important for us during camp. Of course we want to win, but we look at camp as learning and getting comfortable in our play as individuals and as a team.

In this game Hannah (Davidson) started and dominated the rebounds, pulling down 13 for the game.

From the little I know about Hannah she appears to be a laid-back person off of the court. But put her on the court and there is a change.

She is ALL over the court (for those that know old school basketball she reminds me of Moses Malone with her relentless pursuit of rebounds).

She throws caution to the wind and sacrifices her body at all costs to secure the ball.

If there was an award for a player diving to the floor and having the most bruises she would win first and second place.

Amy started recording how many times she was on the floor. It was great to see.

Her ball handling was a pleasant surprise as well. She has a big upside to her game.

Last game of the night was 10 PM for varsity.

A rough game for us, but our second half we played almost even against our opponent.

We were also playing with one less available player.

In the first varsity game Kalia (Littlejohn) dove for a loose ball late in the game and had a player on the other team come crashing on top of her.

On the play Kalia hit her head hard on the court.

With Kalia feeling the effects of that and wanting to be cautious we kept her out of the next game and decided she needed to be checked for a possible concussion.

Like other players we have that are new to the game, Sarah (Wright) keeps learning and improving.

She has played a few years and made big strides her freshman year.

In this game she played her solid defense and rebounded with authority. When she got her hands on the ball it was there to stay.

Her basketball knowledge has grown since the start of her freshman year and this showed in her communication on the defensive end with directing and always communicating to the others on the court.

One area she is working on his her shot. She wants to be a complete player.

She struggled the first couple of days with shooting, but towards the end of camp she knocked down three different open jump shots. All looked like she has been an accomplished jump shooter for years.

We thought Monday was long, then Tuesday hit.

After getting back to the rooms around 11:30 PM, we had our 1st JV game at 8 AM.

This was the first game we started to see the players start to jell together.

We started a mix of returning players and the first game we started Ema (Smith) and Hannah together.

In this game Ema really stepped up.

Not getting a full season in as a freshman due to an injured knee slowed her growth as a player. What it didn’t slow down was her maturity.

We didn’t know what to expect from her coming into camp or how much playing she could do because of her knee.

What we discovered was she played at a level that was beyond what she showed as a freshman.

There was a calmness to her offensive game that was fun to watch. She has always brought a toughness and that continued during camp.

The younger players migrate to her and she helped them with nerves along with directing the team on a whole.

Having other players who can handle the ball let her settle in as a wing/post player.

She did a nice job on defense, rebounding and her shooting improved. It will be great to see what she can do with a full season next year.

Varsity was up next.

Amy took Kalia to the doctor before the JV game, got the all clear for her to play.

And, as we all know, she is ready to play at any time all the time. Since she missed the previous varsity game we played her in some varsity and JV games.

One of our best games all week. We got solid play from all 10 players. Nine of 10 scored in the game.

In the first half we attacked the hoop with drives which was nice to see.

At halftime we talked about this and I challenged them to attack even more and see if we can get to the free throw line more than the first half. For the second half we shot 11 free throws.

This game was one of Mia (Littlejohn’s) most efficient games.

She led us in scoring with 10 points, but more importantly she directed our offense as a PG should.

Looking ahead for open teammates, if we didn’t have a fast break, she got us into our offensive sets and helped us play well and share the ball.

When she is getting her teammates the ball in the right spots we are a very good offensive team. This opens up her game as well.

It allows Mia to dribble drive from the top and either shoot her floater or kick it to an open teammate on the low block and wing.

This upcoming season I’m looking for Mia to continue with this type of leadership by getting everyone involved offensively.

Up next was JV at 1 PM.

This was our closest game, score-wise, for JV up to this point.

Taking a two-point halftime lead, then a six-point lead midway through the second half before stalling out offensively and losing by five.

The great thing is that the players didn’t panic or lose confidence and fought until the end.

Hannah (9) and Ema (7) did a great job of rebounding for us.

This was the game that Ashlie (Shank) stepped up and showed what she can do when she plays with confidence.

Having Scout (Smith) there to help play the point helped but Ashlie stepped up this part of her game by collecting rebounds and driving up the court on the fast break.

And doing it with a purpose.

Ashlie is unsure at times, doesn’t have confidence in her play and shy on offense, so this was a big step for her.

She also made strides with catching the ball and looking for her shot. She nailed two jumpers in the game. We are looking forward to see her continue to gain confidence in her game.

3 PM varsity game.

By this time players are getting tired and bodies are getting banged up.

Coaches (me) may get details mixed up on what happens in each game. But if I remember correctly this was the game Kyla (Briscoe) got injured.

She was going after the ball and the ball found her left fingers/hand in the wrong way. The ball nailed her finger/hand and she came out in excruciating pain.

We got her to the bench and put ice on it.

It was her left ring finger and in to her palm. She could barely move her finger. She sat for a while, then came back in midway through the second half.

This game we just didn’t play well and our offense didn’t have movement or a good flow. Too much standing around and not attacking the basket.

A game to learn from and hopefully put behind us.

7 PM and it’s the third game for JV.

A game we could have/should have won, but ended up losing by two.

The team played really well. We had struggled offensively up until this game. Things did change and it was our highest scoring output for JV for the week.

After the last JV game I handed the freshman a small Nerf basketball to help them work on their shooting form.

A few weeks ago I gave one to a couple of varsity players and that was showing positive results.

Well, the freshman started working together right away on the process we asked of them.

Throughout the rest of the week when we were at the different gyms with the little downtime we had they could be seen using the Nerf ball.

Scout is one that is aggressive and isn’t afraid to shoot when open.

Something she and I have talked about is slowing herself down and shooting with more arc. Something clicked between the practice with the Nerf ball and this game.

Scout looked confident with her shot, she slowed herself down and every shot she took was so much cleaner and in control.

The transformation has started, not just with Scout but with all players that have used the Nerf ball technique.

Scout knocked in 12 points for the game, all on jumpers with two of them from behind the arc.

Not to be outdone, Tia also showed that the extra work paid off.

Tia may not be loud on the court but she played big and improved as she played more games.

This was probably her most complete game.

She is quick on defense and is able to get her hands on passes or get steals. She is stealth out there because you don’t see her or hear her, but she causes problems for the opponent.

She was able to pull down four rebounds and score on two jumpers.

Game six on the day was at 9 PM for varsity.

We ran into a team that you could tell had played a lot of ball together. They ran at every opportunity and played a very aggressive defense.

Maybe it was due to mental fatigue and being tired physically, along with a very good opponent, but our first half was not something to write home about.

We just played poorly and at times looked liked we wanted to give in or quit. This is the day and time the players struggle, but pick themselves up the rest of the week.

I think a good and open halftime talk — yes, both coach and players spoke up — helped turn our second half into a good half of basketball.

That’s all on the players for turning things around.

We ended up having all 10 players score; Kailey had taken charge in the first half.

We were down big (17) at halftime but outscored a very good team 24-22 in the second.

A rough first half, but a great bounce back. This is what very good teams do.

You don’t forget the bad, but you do have to move on from it and this team did just that. Very proud of them.

Lauren (Grove) has been playing with a very sore hip all week and for a few weeks now it has been bothering her.

She is one tough player like many others here in Coupeville.

Despite the pain, she played through it and played well the whole time at camp.

One thing that impressed me with Lauren was her leadership. I know the younger players watch how she goes about her business on the court and she is someone I would have new players watch.

She may not be a stat stuffer, but the intangibles she brings is outstanding. She is always up for the challenge of guarding the opposing teams best wing player.

After the long day, it was back to the room for some team bonding despite everyone being tired.

The players got in their assigned groups and completed a crossword puzzle that Amy created.

It consisted of basketball terms and things I may say.

It also had at least one answer that related to each player. We thought it would be good for the players to get to know maybe something new about each player.

Earlier in the day they had gotten a poster sized paper and each room had to come up with a team name and put their design on it. Each room then hung it up on their door.

Wednesday morning came very early. First game was 9 AM for varsity.

The players stepped up and carried over from the last games second half and played well from the beginning to the end.

Mia again directed the offense well; Kailey was a scoring machine, she ended up with 11. She was one of four players that made a three.

The weekend before we left for camp, Kailey traveled to the East side of the mountains to play in a college showcase game, then Monday morning ready for camp.

She has been playing on sore knees for quite a while, but that has not slowed her down one bit.

Her basketball IQ has grown tremendously since she moved to Coupeville.

The one thing we can count on is her leadership that she has grown into. She is always encouraging the other players and tries to see the positive.

That along with sprinting up the sideline like we teach when there is a fast break opportunity.

When she slows down on her jump shot it has increased her percentage of shots made.

Lindsey (Roberts) had been playing well up to this point but was disappointed with her shooting.

She can be her own worst enemy; this is something we are working on.

One thing I saw this week is that it wasn’t affecting her as much as it did last season.

She got her jump shot going in the previous game. Then in this game she nailed a three.

The great thing is she kept shooting when open even if not making them.

She has the skill set to make a big jump in her game from last season to this upcoming season.

One thing I’ve told her is to be Lindsey and play to the best of her ability. If she does this she will be a hard match up on both ends of the court.

As a precaution I chose to sit Kyla out this game and the later game on this day. She wasn’t happy, but I’m going to err on the cautious side.

We had Amy take her to the doctor’s office hoping to have it checked out knowing full well he didn’t have the X-ray equipment to check for a break.

Basically they got there, but being a small vacation town the doctor shows up “whenever” or about 30 or so minutes later than they open.

The receptionist wasn’t the nicest person and suggested we could head over to the grocery store and buy stuff on our own and wrap it.

JV had the next game at 11 before Amy bought us a seven-hour break for team bonding.

We had Kalia and Allison (Wenzel) playing in this game.

Allison wasn’t able to make too many open gyms, so we decided early on we would have her split time on both teams.

What she brings is stability on defense and rebounding. She never complained about splitting time, but just brought her lunch pail to every game.

I believe being on both teams helped her.

She is a steady influence for the younger players and when playing with the older players she is a very good role player.

This week I saw improvement with her jump shot.

In the past she has had to play in the post most of the time, but she has been working on expanding her game to become more of a threat with being able to shoot the 10-15 foot jumper.

I’m hoping she will be able to make more open gyms through July to continue to develop what she has started.

After two HUGE pizzas and salad for lunch, it was time for some team bonding at the beach.

Some time in the ocean and then what has become our sand castle competition tradition. Something that each player looks forward to.

JV had the 7 PM game.

Another close game for us, but we just couldn’t get over the hump.

The play is getting more consistent and we are starting to play a complete game. Players are playing with more confidence and having fun, not that they weren’t having fun before.

But you can just see in the way they are interacting and getting more comfortable around each other.

We had planned to not have Kalia play in the game, but she asked and it was an easy decision to let her play.

She may not like this, but I have referred her to being like a gnat or at times a rabid gnat.

This is not a negative, but a positive compliment.

She is vocal when on the bench and also directing her team while on the court. But what she does defensively is annoying her opponent and this is the reason for the reference.

It’s a great thing to see.

In this game she showed a side that I hadn’t seen in the past on offense.

She helped players get into the proper positions. And when she was able to penetrate into the key, she was able to make great passes to a post player for easy baskets.

It would have been great if she played last year, but she is eager to listen and learn and will be a good addition to the program.

Varsity played at 9 PM against one of the best teams we saw at camp.

We could only muster five points in the first half and down big at halftime.

The great thing with this game, we didn’t let up or down. We fought and played hard the whole game.

In the second half we were able to get our offense going and scored 20 to the opponents 25.

Tiffany (Briscoe), like I have said in the past, she may not be the tallest post player, or the best shooter (OK, she does not like the offensive end of the game), but what she makes for what may perceived as shortcomings is something all players should have.

She plays with heart all the time.

Every practice and every game Tiffany gives her teammates 100% effort. What a great attribute to have.

Tiffany does realize she needs to become an offensive threat along with being willing to dribble and handle the ball.

What she showed us is that she is willing to do these things even though it’s a very uncomfortable position for her.

This week she looked at the basket, took open jump shots and put up shots after getting offensive rebounds. This wasn’t the norm during our last season.

Back to the hotel for a few hours before Kailey, myself and eight teammates headed back to the gym to watch Kailey compete in the three-point shooting contest that started at 1 AM.

She made it past the first round, knocked one player out in the second round before getting knocked out by the player that won it all.

Day four and one game each. Varsity at 9 and JV at 11.

Both games were slow moving, all teams were exhausted but they gave effort.

Both teams won, this gave varsity four wins and it was the JV team’s first win. A great way to end the last day.

Kailey rebounded well, pulling down 10 and Mia paced us with 13 points.

After sitting Kyla on both Wednesdays games despite the pleas from her to play, Amy and I talked about it and allowed her to get into the last varsity game on Thursday.

She had even suited up and tried to convince me on the Wednesday night game to allow her to play.

Talk about excitement and a happy camper (no pun intended).

Finger taped up the best we could, we inserted her into the game midway through the 1st half.

Not able to catch the ball with her left hand unless it’s with the bottom of her palm, she promptly showed me how tough she is.

She scored a basket the first time she touched the ball and made it a three-point play by making the ensuing free throw.

At one time I could see her mouth form the words “ouch that hurt” after catching the ball.

Of course we didn’t hear one complaint about it.

She has been working on her game along with looking at the positive side of things. What she has shown leading up to camp and at camp is that she is turning the corner and becoming a player that I have been expecting her to be.

It’s a great thing to see.

In the JV game, we wanted to get a win, each player when called upon stepped up and played their role and did it well.

Hannah played in control, adjusted her game after getting a defensive rebound and not dribbling into a double or triple team. She was now looking to get it to a guard.

The one player I haven’t talked about yet is Avalon (Renninger).

Talk about a steady player and a player that appears to be confident and in control of her emotions.

Yes, like me and many of the Coupeville players, she can really get down on herself. Something she and I talked about briefly that we will continue to work on.

Avalon may or may not be calm and cool on the inside, but her demeanor on the outside says she is just that, calm and cool.

For someone so young to have it or hide it is something I am impressed with.

I give direction and she jumps in with both feet despite that it may or may not go well.

A few days earlier I told her she was like a bulldog. She looked at me and wasn’t sure if it was an insult or a compliment.

I can assure her and everyone it is a huge compliment.

She is one I want to have on my team every day of the week. She just makes good decisions and makes her teammates better.

But off the court, one of the nicest people anyone could meet.

I’m glad she and each of the others are here in Coupeville and representing the red and black!

The time together for these players is going to go a long way for this program and when we can actually start practicing for the high school season in November.

We have a very good mix and talented group. What a great camp for all involved.

I also learned at least one Beyoncé song and many new rap songs. All at a very high volume.

Note to myself, don’t let the kids run the asylum or in this case the radio and volume.

Thanks to the parents for allowing Amy and me take your kids to camp.

A big thanks to Amy for ALL that she does for me, the players, taking photos, keeping stats and keeping all of us organized.

Memories and basketball, what’s better than that?

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