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01/29/2020 11:00 PMTaylor Cote is a stabilizing force as one of the senior captains on the Old Saybrook girls’ basketball team. Taylor earned the title of captain through sheer hard work and enjoys leading the Rams on the court. Taylor leads Old Saybrook in tandem with fellow senior captain Wendy Bowden.
“I love the leadership role,” says Taylor. “I was somewhat surprised when I was elected as a captain. I’ve tried to lead by example. I like being able to work with the younger players on our team, to always have and maintain a positive attitude. That’s very important.”
Old Saybrook has seen some struggles through the first half of the season with its record of 2-11. However, the Rams are a young bunch who have several underclass athletes contributing this year, and Taylor believes that better days are ahead for the program.
“We’re young. We’re definitely hoping to get a few more wins, but what is really important is the future, past this year,” Taylor says. “The younger kids—and there’s some talent and skill there—are the ones who can turn our team around. It might not happen this year, but the future could be very promising.”
Head Coach Steve Woods has seen Taylor make great strides as a basketball player throughout the past few seasons. Taylor earned her starting spot in Old Saybrook’s varsity lineup as a junior last year.
“Taylor has developed into a solid and dependable post player. She always had that ability to rebound, to pull the ball down off both the offensive and defensive rims. Now, she’s also starting to put up points,” Woods says. “In her last two games, Taylor has averaged 11 points, pushing her season average up to nine per game. She’s usually good for 10 rebounds.”
Taylor started playing basketball when she was in the 6th grade. Taylor stepped away from the game for a few years, but got back on the floor for her sophomore season at Old Saybrook.
“A bunch of my friends began twisting my arm about returning to basketball,” says Taylor. “I just couldn’t turn them down.”
Taylor is also a member of the Old Saybrook softball squad. She won the job as the Rams’ starting shortstop when she was a sophomore.
“I’ve been playing softball since the 3rd grade. Of the two, I feel that it’s my better sport,” Taylor says. “As a shortstop, you’re in the thick of it defensively. I love that role, as well. I’ve also spent a few summers playing on teams.”
Halfway through her senior year, Taylor has been in contact with 14 colleges and is looking toward a future in the health sciences. She is thinking about becoming a physical therapist.
“I love working with people,” says Taylor. “And helping them get through injuries and putting them back together is something that I’d like to do.”
Before that, though, Taylor still has several basketball games and an entire softball season to look forward to at Old Saybrook.
“That’s more time for me to work with those younger athletes,” Taylor says. “In the big picture, that’s very important to me.”