by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
The 15-7 Walker-Hackensack-Akeley HS (MN) Wolves boy’s basketball team is having a solid season. They are preparing for the section tournament just around the corner.
One of the top players in the conference is 6’2”, senior Cole Rasmussen. He is a multi-sport athlete and plays football, basketball and baseball. He is also a member of the Lake Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. His mother is Rhonda White-Michaud and his father is the late Daniel Rasmussen. His parents are both Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe members.
“Respect is a core value that has been instilled in me through my parents,” said Cole. “It is also a core value of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. I carry this value with me in all aspects of my life. With sports being a large part of me, I respect my coaches, teammates, opponents, fans and family. I appreciate all the help that the Indian Education Office provides to me at WHAHS. I am proud to be Anishinaabe and a member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.”
“As a small child my parents always encouraged me and my love for sports,” said Cole. “They would practice with me and provided me with skills and any equipment that would help me to develop as an athlete. I remember throwing footballs with my Dad at a very young age. Playing baseball with my Mom in the cul-de-sac. I have always been playing basketball with my older siblings and their friends.”
“One coach comes to mind, Dan Craven as he has been a coach to me through out the years, in baseball and basketball,” said Cole. “He also has stayed on top of me to be a better student.”
Coach Dan Craven said: “I’ve known Cole since kindergarten as he was in my son’s class and I was his elementary PE teacher up through grade 5. I also coached him in Little League baseball, 9-12 basketball and 9-12 baseball. I knew his father, Dan, well before he passed as he was Director of Transportation and drove us to many events. Cole’s mom Rhonda is active in supporting Cole’s activities in attendance as well as volunteering for sporting events.”
“’Red’ is Cole’s nickname as he kind of has reddish hair. Red is not a “rah-rah ” leader. He leads via example on the court or field. His biggest role in leadership though is shown through how he is respected by and gives attention to younger kids. He has helped in elementary basketball events and is always friendly in the school hallways. He is not aloof, and in turn, youth respond to him. ‘Hey Red…!’ is a very common hallway occurrence from youth at WHA Schools, quickly followed by an upward chin nod in return along with a quick smile, surely acknowledging that the youngster was recognized and appreciated,” added Coach Dan.
“I thank former varsity head coach Pat Richter for believing in me and moving me up to varsity basketball that gave me the experience needed to become the player I am today,” said Cole.
“I appreciate Coach Darin Schultz for his encouragement and support on and off the court,” said Cole.
“I have only known Cole for four years now, but I can tell you, Cole’s leadership is much different than your typical vocal leader on the floor,” said Coach Darin Schultz. “Cole is a very soft spoken player, who leads by example. Cole loves the game of basketball as much as anyone I know. You can see that on the floor with his passion and competitiveness. The rest of the team feeds off of his energy. Where I see Cole’s leadership come out the most is with our youth teams. Cole has always been one to give back by volunteering at every youth camp or tournament. Cole is a big role model for these younger players coming up in our program and he does not shy away from that one bit. I will see him talking with younger kids in the hallways at school and supporting them at their games. As a teacher myself, I even have 1st and 2nd graders who will come up to me and ask, ‘how did Cole do last night?’ As a coach, I cannot ask more out of a player. He is an outstanding person who shows his personality through his passion and competitiveness for the game who loves to give back and have a positive impact on others around him.”
“For several years I participated in the Knights of Columbus Free Throw Shooting Contest,” said Cole. “This contest was held at different sites in Northern MN. With this contest I competed with some of the best free throw shooters in the area. I won this contest three times at the local site and advanced to the next level. This experience gave me confidence in myself and helped me continue with my love of basketball.”
Photo Credit: Dean Morrill, The Pilot Independent
I coached Cole in Jr. High baseball (7-8th grade)
As a player, Cole was the spark in leadership and teamwork through his actions! His voice was soft spoken but his words where strong. Teammates were drawn to him through the positivity of his words!
It’s been a pleasure to watch from a distance the kind of man he has become!