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Well-known member
Globe-trotter Cote shines on and off the court
Story by Amber Kuehn
Montana Kaimin
Laura Cote knows better than to travel on the basketball court – that’s why she chooses to do it elsewhere.
The 5-foot-8 junior guard from Gardiner, who dons the No. 11 jersey at Lady Griz games, has been all over the court and all over the country.
Laura Cote knows better than to travel on the basketball court – that’s why she chooses to do it elsewhere.
The 5-foot-8 junior guard from Gardiner, who dons the No. 11 jersey at Lady Griz games, has been all over the court and all over the country.
“I think I’ve been to 45 states,” Cote, 21, said. “I need to go to Alaska, and I’ve never been to Maine, Alabama … Vermont and New Hampshire.”
If that isn’t impressive enough, ask her about her travels to India, Thailand and Kenya, where she’s done missions trips with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, a student group on campus.
“We spent three weeks (in Kenya) with a pastor in the middle of nowhere, with no contacts,” Cote said. “No one was white, and no one had ever met a white person before. We spent those three weeks learning about their country, and they were learning about the Western world from us.”
Cote also spent two of her collegiate spring breaks in Tacoma, Wash., where she built houses with Habitat for Humanity. She’s hoping to lead a group for the same project this spring break.
Perhaps it’s her interest in international relations or her curiosity that takes her places some can only imagine. Or maybe it’s simply her desire to help people.
Teammate Lauren Beck said Cote is the kind of friend anyone would be lucky to have.
“Laura’s a really giving person,” she said. “She’ll give all she has to you.”
Right before her freshman year of high school, Cote took a missions trip to Mexico where she helped build a house for a family living in total poverty. She said it was a life-changing experience for her.
“I still wrestle with that image even today,” she said. “My eyes were open to cultural differences and real poverty, and not just in a TV kind of way, but in a real way. I guess it’s just kind of changed my focus on life. … I’m a lot more thankful than I used to be. To whom much has been given, much will be required. I want to live my life in such a way I can give back.”
With all the time she’s spent traveling, one would find it hard to imagine that she finds time to play basketball. And while basketball is a big part of her life, school is a top priority. A physics major with a double minor in history and math, she manages to maintain a 3.74 GPA.
“(School) has always been important to me, and it’s important to my family,” Cote said.
UM head coach Robin Selvig said Cote is one of the few girls on the basketball team he knows he can talk about world affairs with.
“She’s really smart,” he said.
Basketball wasn’t a part of her life until she was in junior high. Cote had played baseball while her family was living in Kansas City, Mo., but when they moved to Gardiner they didn’t have baseball, so she picked up basketball.
She lettered in basketball, volleyball and track in high school.
Cote said that while she liked track and loved volleyball, basketball was always what she was best at, and she’s really glad she decided to come to UM and play.
Cote said her goal for the season is to win a game in the NCAA Tournament.
“I’m just really impressed with the way we score as well as we do,” Cote said. “We play a much more up-tempo game than we have in the past.”
Saturday against Northern Colorado, Cote scored a career-high 18 points. But despite her success on offense, Cote said she still considers herself more of a defensive player.
“I’ve always had the same role – to come off the bench and play good defense,” she said. “If the opportunities are there I’ll try to score, but it’s not that important to me.”
Selvig said he has seen continued improvement from Cote.
“She’s definitely made great strides as a basketball player,” he said. “She’s playing much more confidently.”
So what is Cote’s favorite thing to do in a basketball game?
“When I get a rebound even though there are really tall people around me,” she said with a smile. “I always just feel vindicated, I guess.”
Watching her, it may seem as if Cote is in her element when she’s on the court. But it isn’t always easy stepping out onto the hardwood, since her biggest supporter isn’t in the stands to see her play. Cote’s father passed away last year, and she said it’s been the biggest obstacle she’s had to overcome.
“That was really hard,” she said. “He was definitely my biggest supporter in anything athletic.
“I think that was one of the hardest things about last basketball season, just because he was the one who was more excited about me coming here than me.”
Beck said if she had to pick one word to describe Cote, it would be courageous.
“Laura’s been through a lot in the past couple years,” she said. “Sometimes things don’t happen in life the way we think they should, but she’s very brave.”
Cote said that she’s doing better, but it’s hard to regroup emotionally. She said she just wants to be able to try things again. After graduation, she hopes to go to grad school and study environmental engineering. But until then, she will continue what she started on the basketball court. Playing for her coach, her teammates and her dad. Playing for the love of the game.
Story by Amber Kuehn
Montana Kaimin
Laura Cote knows better than to travel on the basketball court – that’s why she chooses to do it elsewhere.
The 5-foot-8 junior guard from Gardiner, who dons the No. 11 jersey at Lady Griz games, has been all over the court and all over the country.
Laura Cote knows better than to travel on the basketball court – that’s why she chooses to do it elsewhere.
The 5-foot-8 junior guard from Gardiner, who dons the No. 11 jersey at Lady Griz games, has been all over the court and all over the country.
“I think I’ve been to 45 states,” Cote, 21, said. “I need to go to Alaska, and I’ve never been to Maine, Alabama … Vermont and New Hampshire.”
If that isn’t impressive enough, ask her about her travels to India, Thailand and Kenya, where she’s done missions trips with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, a student group on campus.
“We spent three weeks (in Kenya) with a pastor in the middle of nowhere, with no contacts,” Cote said. “No one was white, and no one had ever met a white person before. We spent those three weeks learning about their country, and they were learning about the Western world from us.”
Cote also spent two of her collegiate spring breaks in Tacoma, Wash., where she built houses with Habitat for Humanity. She’s hoping to lead a group for the same project this spring break.
Perhaps it’s her interest in international relations or her curiosity that takes her places some can only imagine. Or maybe it’s simply her desire to help people.
Teammate Lauren Beck said Cote is the kind of friend anyone would be lucky to have.
“Laura’s a really giving person,” she said. “She’ll give all she has to you.”
Right before her freshman year of high school, Cote took a missions trip to Mexico where she helped build a house for a family living in total poverty. She said it was a life-changing experience for her.
“I still wrestle with that image even today,” she said. “My eyes were open to cultural differences and real poverty, and not just in a TV kind of way, but in a real way. I guess it’s just kind of changed my focus on life. … I’m a lot more thankful than I used to be. To whom much has been given, much will be required. I want to live my life in such a way I can give back.”
With all the time she’s spent traveling, one would find it hard to imagine that she finds time to play basketball. And while basketball is a big part of her life, school is a top priority. A physics major with a double minor in history and math, she manages to maintain a 3.74 GPA.
“(School) has always been important to me, and it’s important to my family,” Cote said.
UM head coach Robin Selvig said Cote is one of the few girls on the basketball team he knows he can talk about world affairs with.
“She’s really smart,” he said.
Basketball wasn’t a part of her life until she was in junior high. Cote had played baseball while her family was living in Kansas City, Mo., but when they moved to Gardiner they didn’t have baseball, so she picked up basketball.
She lettered in basketball, volleyball and track in high school.
Cote said that while she liked track and loved volleyball, basketball was always what she was best at, and she’s really glad she decided to come to UM and play.
Cote said her goal for the season is to win a game in the NCAA Tournament.
“I’m just really impressed with the way we score as well as we do,” Cote said. “We play a much more up-tempo game than we have in the past.”
Saturday against Northern Colorado, Cote scored a career-high 18 points. But despite her success on offense, Cote said she still considers herself more of a defensive player.
“I’ve always had the same role – to come off the bench and play good defense,” she said. “If the opportunities are there I’ll try to score, but it’s not that important to me.”
Selvig said he has seen continued improvement from Cote.
“She’s definitely made great strides as a basketball player,” he said. “She’s playing much more confidently.”
So what is Cote’s favorite thing to do in a basketball game?
“When I get a rebound even though there are really tall people around me,” she said with a smile. “I always just feel vindicated, I guess.”
Watching her, it may seem as if Cote is in her element when she’s on the court. But it isn’t always easy stepping out onto the hardwood, since her biggest supporter isn’t in the stands to see her play. Cote’s father passed away last year, and she said it’s been the biggest obstacle she’s had to overcome.
“That was really hard,” she said. “He was definitely my biggest supporter in anything athletic.
“I think that was one of the hardest things about last basketball season, just because he was the one who was more excited about me coming here than me.”
Beck said if she had to pick one word to describe Cote, it would be courageous.
“Laura’s been through a lot in the past couple years,” she said. “Sometimes things don’t happen in life the way we think they should, but she’s very brave.”
Cote said that she’s doing better, but it’s hard to regroup emotionally. She said she just wants to be able to try things again. After graduation, she hopes to go to grad school and study environmental engineering. But until then, she will continue what she started on the basketball court. Playing for her coach, her teammates and her dad. Playing for the love of the game.
