Anyse Grimble recently finished her sophomore season on the Westchester Lady Comets basketball team. Westchester had a 4-5 overall record and 2-3 Western league record.
Despite having a shortened season, Grimble was excited to reunite with her teammates and compete. She noted how the Lady Comets had a strong chemistry throughout their season.
“We all get along perfectly,” Grimble said. “That’s one of the good things about being on a team, it’s just like having another family.”
Her favorite game was in the first round of the Division 3-AA Southern Section Playoffs where the Lady Comets battled against the Nipomo Titans. Westchester won 55-49.
“She got a lot of playing time,” her father Michael Grimble said. “She was out there, up and down the court.”
During the pandemic in the summertime, Grimble knew she had to start working to get in shape for the next season. Michael helped Grimble train in their back yard.
“We practiced drills like every day,” she said. “That helped me stay in shape and stay ready for the next season.”
Grimble also acquired help from New York Liberty forward Reshanda Gray. Michael taught Gray back when she was a standout student athlete at Washington Prep high school. Prior to the WNBA season starting in 2020, Gray would work out with Grimble and be a mentor to her.
“She taught me more than high school would teach me, so it was just a big benefit,” Grimble said. “She helped me automatically and I really appreciate that from her.”
When Grimble was a freshman, the Lady Comets reached the City Section Open Division Championship game. She noted how that was a big moment.
“It was fun. For it to be just my ninth-grade year, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Grimble said. “I really appreciate that moment.”
A major lesson that Grimble learned as a freshman was how to play with more aggression. Different methods taught her how to use her body to be more aggressive.
“Since I had older people to guide me, it was kind of easy,” Grimble said. “But I still have to learn on my own and I still have to learn it outside of practice.”
Grimble has a 4.0 GPA and is taking community college courses for the second consecutive summer. Last year, she took a health class where she learned how to be a better athlete.
“It just helped me understand what the body needs to keep going,” Grimble said. “Being an athlete, how to take care of your body, how to take care of injuries.”
Grimble knows that academics come first, so she uses time management to balance her athletic and academic endeavors. Grimble finds motivation and inspiration from her father, Michael.
“He just pushes me through,” Grimble said. “Once I feel like I can’t do no more, he’s like “no, you got this. You can keep going.””
