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03/18/2023 06:41 AMFamily influence can often be a big reason for a young athlete to get hooked on a certain sport. For Old Saybrook junior Nora Kulmann, this is exactly what got her on the track to play basketball, the one she believes is the right fit for her.
Nora has been playing basketball since she was little, when she started on the park and rec team in town. She gained an interest in the sport after watching her older brothers, Bradley (senior) and Drew, play.
“I started since I played for the park and rec team. I played all throughout middle school and high school,” says Nora. “My older brothers play and I watched them play when I was younger, which made me want to get into it. They always helped me get better, and we played basketball outside.”
Nora, who is also on the soccer and track teams at Old Saybrook High School, had a very decorative junior campaign with the Rams this winter. She led the Shoreline Athletic Conference (SLC) in three-point shots, totaling 43 for the season. She scored a career-high five threes in a game against Old Lyme this winter.
“My most memorable game was probably when I got my highest three’s in one game. I got five against Old Lyme,” says Nora. “We all came together, and we all worked really hard.”
Rams Head Coach Steve Woods has seen drastic improvements in Nora’s game over the last three years, highlighting her ability to accept feedback and using it to help her grow.
“She has probably improved more than anyone else in our program. When I first saw her play as a freshman, she did not have a lot of overall skills, but she did have a nice technique on her shot,” says Woods. “I have been harping on her for the past couple of years now and telling her that ‘I see you becoming a great shooter if you work on it,’ and this year she has absolutely validated what I saw and my wishes too.”
When the season began, Nora was primarily a three-point shooter, but as time progressed she became a more versatile threat on the floor, driving in the paint and using her feet to fool her defenders.
“She could fake her shot, shoot a step-back three, cross over and go to the basket. She was doing things by just working on it at practice and in games,” says Woods. “She improved in every aspect of her game, and going into senior year I think that she will be one of the better players in the Shoreline. She sees both sides of the court and finds the open player, she has really improved in that area. She is a really unselfish player and for a kid that is a really good shooter, she will not force her shot.”
As Woods recognizes the true talent and ability Nora possesses, it is often her own standards she holds for herself that can hold her back.
“If I had to pick one challenge, at times she was too hard on herself. She did get better when we showed up at the end of November to now,” says Woods. “She improved dramatically and added so much to her game. I am really excited that she will continue to improve and be a recognizable top player again next year.”
Despite being a major scoring threat when she steps foot on the court, Nora also has the ability to recognize that there are always areas of improvement.
“My coach says that I am really good at shooting, but there were some games that I really did not shoot well,” says Nora. “I worked on my off-the-dribble game and other aspects of the game.”
As Nora looks ahead to her final campaign on the hardwood with Old Saybrook, she hopes to maintain the strong bond she has with her teammates and make a deep playoff run as a group.
“I am really looking forward to being with the same girls because we have no seniors this year,” says Nora. “I am looking forward to having that bond and we should make it far in shorelines and states.”
Woods fully believes in Nora and her Rams teammates, especially because of the winning attitude she brings day in and day out.
“She is one of those kids that wants to win it all and that is the mentality we like to have,” Woods says. “I think we are going to be a pretty good team in the Shoreline next year because most of those teams involved a lot of seniors. We have the opportunity to move up and I could see us being a top seed next year.”