Home » Sports » New London Sports » New London basketball assistants share state experience

New London basketball assistants share state experience

Laack, Beyer played in 2 state tournaments

By Erik Buchinger


Two of the New London girls basketball team’s assistant coaches look to guide the Bulldogs to state like they did when they were players.

New London’s varsity assistant coach Christina Laack and JV head coach Brittany Beyer were part of the Bulldogs’ two state tournaments in 2006 and 2007 for the program’s first two state appearances in school history.

New London made it to the WIAA Division 2 semifinals in 2006 and reached the state title game, losing in overtime in 2007.

“It was an incredible journey,” said Beyer, who is in her second year as a coach in New London. “Being the first to ever go for girls’ basketball is a huge thing in New London. It really brought the city together, and it was really awesome to see the city come together for our team and back us all the way down to Madison.”

Laack is in her fourth year as an assistant coach with New London, and she said she discusses the experience to her players.

“It was probably one of the best experiences I’ve ever had with the whole state atmosphere and representing your town,” Laack said. “As a team, we’ve talked about it before, and for a lot of them, that’s one of their goals, so we’ve just got to keep telling them that hard work will get them there.”

Current New London head coach Troy Krause was also the head coach for those teams.

“The first one was such a dream come true,” Krause said. “I can just remember that my goal when I first started trying to build this was just to get to a regional final. I was really happy for the girls.”

According to Krause, he said among the reasons he brought Laack and Beyer back to the program was because they were coachable as players, and they know what he wants for the team.

“What is nice is that they know what the expectations are,” Krause said. “I’m able to use them as good role models, and I’ve told our girls a lot of times in the program to go to them. They’ve had success as players in the high school level, and they have that experience.

“Both of those girls are great coaches, and I think Brittany has the aspirations to be a head coach at some point, and I think she’ll do a great job, and Christina does a great job as the assistant.”

Laack said she returned because she enjoys working with the kids and likes working with her former coach.

“I always have had a passion for basketball and helping the youth, and there’s no better place to come back to than New London and work with one of the best coaches I know,” Laack said.

Beyer said she wanted to make sure she gave back to the team.

“I decided to come back to really give back to the program that gave so much to me,” Beyer said. “It’s pretty cool to come back to New London and do it from the other side and give these girls the experiences I had in high school.”

Laack said bringing the team to state as a coach would mean even more to her than going as a player.

“It would probably be a much better feeling knowing you’re helping other girls do it rather than yourself,” Laack said. “I think it would be awesome.”

Accomplishing the feat of going to state as a player as opposed to as a coach would be a different feeling, according to Beyer.

“I think it’s a little different,” Beyer said. “As a player, you definitely get to enjoy it, but as a coach you get to see it from another side. Just to watch the girls succeed on the court, I think is one of the most gratifying things of coaching.”

Scroll to Top