“Ready…go!” With a shout, senior Nolan Chen tosses a basketball toward the backboard, watching as it ricochets off the glass and teeters on the rim. Right on cue, two younger players break from their drill lines on opposite sides of the court, sneakers squeaking against the hardwood floor as they sprint toward the basketball and fight for possession. “Go!” Another basketball flies toward the basket, followed by two more players. “Go!” With each successive round, Nolan takes note of footwork and positioning, offering tips and suggestions as players circle back.

The best way to learn something is to teach it. With the game of basketball, Nolan follows this very principle. Since elementary school, he has honed his skills on the court as a player himself, learning from coaches and fellow teammates. He carries those lessons forward to his assistant coaching role, paying forward his own experience as a player by training younger generations in his spare time.

“When I coach, I don’t just share drills but also my experiences from my past few years as a player myself, my views on what it means to be aggressive and playing smart,” Nolan said. “It’s about sharing your experience, absorbing others’ experiences, and taking pride and joy in your contribution to everyone’s improvement, both in yourself and your players.”

Nolan remembers one player he coached who got rejected by his school team the year prior. To help him improve, Nolan guided him through personalized drills to fill the gaps in his game and also pushed him to adopt a more competitive mindset on the court. He made the team that year.

“That’s one of my proudest moments,” Nolan said. “It’s a good feeling seeing players that I coach reach their goals and find success and accomplishment because I’m making a tangible difference in their lives.”

Beyond coaching, Nolan personally values basketball because it’s a sport he can fall back on during bad days. He clears his mind on the court and finds renewed inspiration through teammates and play. 

“The time on the court is simply the time on the court,” Nolan said. “I stop dwelling on past choices and don’t worry about what’s up next. Those can come after I leave the court. Even the worst of days can become like any other day.”

Despite the exhilaration that comes with the sport, Nolan’s journey through basketball wasn’t a smooth and straightforward one. In his early years of high school, he struggled to find confidence in his game. He would dedicate hours on end to grinding, practicing and refining his skill only for that progress to not come through during games.

“That’s the most frustrating moment that you could possibly ever have,” Nolan said. “Especially when that happens over a span of multiple games where you play significantly worse than you know you could play. If that happens over and over again, you start playing worse, even in practice.”

But, Nolan worked to overcome the slump. Working his way up from the frosh team to varsity in his junior year, he started performing better even as opponents grew tougher. He recalls one game during his junior year when he scored 16 points with minimal playing time.

“High school basketball is different from any other basketball I’ve played,” he said. “Compared to club teams, it’s harder because I’m coming off the bench. That night was a big confidence booster for me. If you can come off the bench and do well, you show that the results speak for themselves.”

Advisor Kerry Enzensperger has also observed Nolan’s self-assurance grow in advisory. She first met him on the Santa Cruz team-building ropes course during the 10th grade trip. Nolan initially started off quiet and a little timid, but his outgoingness quickly shone through as he formed a tight-knit bond with his fellow advisees.

“He’s not as quiet as people think he is,” Enzensperger said. “I’m personally a little more loud and outgoing, and having advisory be a really safe space to let them be their organic selves has helped Nolan step out of his comfort zone. He always puts himself out there. If he sees somebody struggling, he’ll help them. He is really thoughtful and kind, and I’m grateful to have a person like him in my advisory.”

Nolan carries this positivity to cultivate growth in other places. He regularly takes on volunteer work around the community, helping out in activities ranging from book sorting to mason jar painting and math tutoring. 

His eagerness to enrich environments around him extends to his friendships. Close friend senior Ian Gerstner, who has known Nolan since elementary school, appreciates his calming presence in day-to-day situations.

“He always ensures and tries his best to make everyone feel they belong; he puts a lot of people at ease whenever they meet him,” Ian said. “The benefit of a true friendship is that you sometimes don’t even need to talk to each other, but just being in each other’s company is sufficient.”

When he hangs out, Nolan doesn’t hold back. Close friend senior Daniel Gergov first met Nolan at the lunch tables in sophomore year and has since grown to become one of his closest friends. He particularly cherishes Nolan’s sense of humor and spirited personality.

“When we met up to go bowling one weekend, Nolan would always hype us up during our turns, mixing jokes with words of encouragement,” Daniel said. “He’s always the one laughing and uplifting people, which brings up the mood and also brings us closer together.”

Whether it’s through basketball, volunteering or friendships, Nolan values depth over breadth, pursuing genuine passions with unstoppable momentum. Reflecting on his last four years in high school, he has come to realize the importance of persistence amidst ambition. He hopes to pursue medicine and neuroscience in the future, and coaching and volunteering serves as an ambitious step toward those aspirations in helping others.

“Take all opportunities that you can get, take risks,” Nolan said. “When I grow old, I don’t want to think about what I have accomplished and not come up with anything. For example in the future, if one of these kids that I coached becomes a big shot, I get a moment to brag that I played a part, no matter how small.”