Building on rookie success

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(Photo by Kate Turner)

Basketball runs in the blood of the Coulthard family. So itโ€™s no surprise Will Coulthard has made such an impact in just over a year at Laurier.

โ€œMy grandfather played for Canada in the 1952 Olympics and both my parents were very good players who both played in university, so I was around the game at a young age and naturally took to it,โ€ said Coulthard, a second-year point guard.

It was only natural that Coulthard, an Oakville native, started down the road of basketball at age nine, playing for a local rep team. Coulthard also played for his high school, St. Thomas Aquinas, leading them to an Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) regional championship.

After finishing his high school basketball career with the championship, Coulthard stated there were many reasons he chose to bring his skills to Laurier. He said knowing the previous success of the Laurier basketball program and the academic calibre of the school were two influential factors.

โ€œI had to make sure they had the program I wanted and I already knew it was a very good academic school,โ€ said Coulthard, a geography major. โ€œI also knew the team was very good and decided that coach Campbell was someone that I would really like to play for.

โ€œI needed to make sure that the school I went to had every thing I wanted and Laurier seemed to be perfect for me.โ€

However, the road to becoming a Hawk wasnโ€™t easy for Coulthard.

โ€œSome adversity I have had to face as a basketball player includes me being cut from a provincial team,โ€ said Coulthard. โ€œ[But] it made me want to work that much harder and become a better basketball player.โ€

Coulthardโ€™s motivation to be a better player was felt in his rookie year. He was the starting point guard and averaged nearly eight points per game and five assists per game in the playoffs, earning a spot on the OUA all-rookie team in 2011.

His quick hands and speed are a handful for opponents, making him a threat any time he can get his hands on the rock.

โ€œIt took a lot of work from where I was to get to where I am today and Iโ€™m glad that I decided to pursue basketball as a major part of my life,โ€ he said.

The sophomore guard has also flourished and enjoyed time at Laurier, settling in as a Golden Hawk, as the atmosphere has been perfect for him.

โ€œIโ€™ve loved my time here at Laurier and on the team. Itโ€™s an amazing school with a lot of school spirit and the guys I have played with are awesome too,โ€ he said.

Coulthard stresses how his off-season habits are just as important.

โ€œTo train and be ready for the season include getting in the weight room so I can become stronger and faster for when I am playing,โ€ he said.

With a handful of players inching closer to graduation and saying goodbye to their basketball careers as a Golden Hawk, Coulthard looks to find a comfortable spot in the Hawksโ€™ basketball field for the next three years.


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