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12/30/2022 08:13 AMOld Saybrook boys’ basketball Head Coach Chris Perras said senior forward and tri-captain Bradley Kulmann leads by example on and off the court. The senior has been a consistent presence for the Rams this season, leading Old Saybrook to a 3-0 record and claiming Sports Person of the Week honors. For Kulmann, being a good leader for those around him is personal, and has been, dating back to a tragic loss he suffered when he was five.
“My dad died when I was five, so I’m the oldest man in the house,” Kulmann says. “I have two siblings a year below me, so I have to help my mom out a lot. She teaches in Haddam, so she’s not here all the time, and when she gets back it’s around six or seven, so I have to help out around the house and also help out with my brother and sister to keep them on top of things.”
Kulmann says his father suffered a heart attack while sleeping. After losing his dad, he gradually accepted more responsibility at home. Now, as a senior, he says he provides as much assistance as possible to make life easier and more manageable for his mother.
“If my mom isn’t home, I drive my brother and sister to practices or people’s houses, so that takes some time,” the senior says. “I help (my siblings) out with school work because I took those classes, so I know a bit about those topics.”
The tri-captain says life after losing his dad played a large role in shaping the person he is today. Kulmann says this experience has also helped to establish the qualities he feels are needed for success.
“(My upbringing) had a big impact on me,” he says. “I wrote my college essay about that, the qualities that are big to me: adaptability, cooperation. It’s a big part of my life.”
Despite having more responsibility than the average high school senior, Kulmann says he has always felt supported by those around him. He credits his mother, Angela Kulmann, for being a consistent, positive influence in spite of all she’s endured losing her partner.
“She’s driven us to games, practices, all of that,” Kulmann says. “She’s raised us as great people, I love how she’s raised us and the decisions she’s made. Everything she’s done, and my grandmother as well, both of them just caring for us a lot and spending as much time with us, has had a big impact on the personality I have, just always being happy and kind to others.”
These admirable qualities were noticed early on by Perras, according to the Rams’ coach. He says Kulmann is mature beyond his age and a role model on the basketball team. Kulmann adds another compliment his coach gave him.
“I remember when we had end-of-year meetings, (Perras) said he would pick me to babysit his kid,” Kulmann says.
The tri-captain has been helping Perras and the Rams pick up wins this season, leading them to a perfect start through three games. Perras says Kulmann, who also plays soccer, brings athleticism, top-tier conditioning that enables him to play the entire game, and a high defensive IQ.
“He’s the kind of kid that defense comes first and that’s what we’re focused on as a staff,” Perras says. “Over the last couple years, we want to win off our defensive effort and Brad’s the type of kid that he’s always getting multiple tips and deflections on passes during games, he’s always in the right spot.”
Kulmann says he enjoys playing defense, attempting to shut down the opposing team’s best player, or sit back in a 2-3 zone and jump passing lanes to intercept passes, leading to easy buckets in transition. Perras says Kulmann excels in any defense due to his awareness, and that playing defense is what gives Kulmann joy.
“I said (after a victory this season), ‘your defense was awesome. You probably had 10 or 12 tips and deflections,’ and he said ‘defense is why I play.’ That’s just who he is,” Perras says.
As a senior and tri-captain, Kulmann says his confidence has grown on the offensive end, making him feel comfortable taking more shots and attacking the basket off the dribble. Kulmann’s improved from scoring a basket or two a game to averaging 10 points per contest this season. Perras says he’s noticed the shift in the senior’s confidence, too.
“He hit a kid with a crossover and I said ‘where did that come from,’ “ Perras says. “After the game (Brad) and I were talking and I said ‘where’d that crossover come from?’ and he said ‘Coach I’ve always had that.’ He’s never used it, but that tells me he’s having fun and playing with confidence.”
Kulmann has also displayed confidence in the classroom, according to the Rams’ coach. He says Kulmann is a 3.5-to-3.6 grade point average student and has already been accepted to Ohio State, Miami University (Ohio), and Fairfield University, and Kulmann adds that Wheaton College accepted him as well. The senior is interested in sports analytics, and Perras says he envisions Kulmann enjoying a long and successful career post-college as the world of sports analysis continues to grow.
“He’s a big math guy and he likes to observe trends in sports and with the way sports are going, I can see him calling the shots,” Perras says.
The senior has a bright future ahead of him. His team is enjoying a strong start to the season, picking up two of their three victories by double digits, and he’s locking players up defensively and wowing his coaches with his moves. However, Kulmann says what is most important is continuing to lead. He says losing his dad, and the life experiences which followed that loss, have provided him with perspective.
“I don’t worry about the little things,” Kulmann says. “If it doesn’t bother me too much, I just compromise. I feel like having my siblings here and living with them has helped me to not worry about so many things and just be calm and worry about myself. I feel like that goes over to the basketball court, obviously as captain if someone is doing something wrong I need to tell them, but minding my own business and keeping everyone on track is a big part of it.”