For Nicolette Langhans, basketball is about handling adversity and loving the journey of working toward her goals. This sophomore at Westmoore High School may be young, but she has a mature outlook on the game and how it is molding her as a player and as a person.
Nicolette says to be yourself. “If you know who you are or know who you want to become, life will make more sense. Everything has a reason and whatever happens, positive or negative, you know you did all you could and chose love and heart.”
Community and true friendship are Nicolette’s favorite part of being on a team. The bonds built with the players and coaches keep her passionate about the sport. “I love it. I can’t explain how much I enjoy the work and community this sport brings me,” she said.
“Coach Couch, now known as Mrs. Nixon, helped me fall in love with basketball and always pushed me to be better while checking in on my mental health. She’s a great woman and coach.
“Teammate, Blythe Crawley, has left the biggest impression on me because not only has she given me a friendship that I could never replace, she also always wants to get better. We work out and put in the extra effort together,” Nicolette said.
Nicolette is proud to represent her school as an athlete. “It is my opportunity to prove Westmoore is top tier baby! We get to represent who we are as a community at Westmoore. We are hard workers!”
It is difficult for her to choose just one memory from playing basketball. “I love the hype and energy moments. One of my favorites is probably either an IQ moment I had with my teammate or one of my three-point-shots because the celebrations are always top tier,” she says.
The perfect summer vacation would be to Los Angeles to see the rest of her family with her mom. “My mom, Natasha Langhans, inspires me because she knows who she is and chooses love in everything she does. She is a good person and the hardest worker I know,” said Nicolette.
In addition to playing on her high school team, Nicolette plays AAU basketball.