University of Minnesota Athletics
Kelly Roysland: Hometown Hero
2/6/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Kelly's athletic background was been spurred by her parents' activism in sports. Her father coaches the Fosston's boy's basketball team, and her mother was the girl's volleyball and golf coach. This diverse athletic background has helped Roysland excel in every sport she has participated in. Her high school athletic career was marked by great achievements and numerous honors. "My most memorable achievement in basketball has to be when we broke the state record with 78 consecutive wins and won back to back Minnesota State Championships," she said.
This all-around athlete was picked as a three time all-state honoree in volleyball and was named Minnesota's Ms. Volleyball her senior year. She also earned six varsity letters in golf. "Besides basketball, one of my greatest achievements was being named Ms. Volleyball because it was such a big surprise," she said. "It was such a surprise to me because I was not going to pursue volleyball in college."
Because Roysland loved and excelled in more than one sport, she had a difficult decision to make when deciding which sport to pursue beyond her high school days. "I was really torn between basketball and volleyball," she explained, "But I think I got more exposure through basketball because it is a more popular sport. Basketball was the first state tournament that I made it to, so that also jump started the recruiting process."
Roysland's father was a college basketball player himself, so he has provided support in helping his daughter make the transition from high school to college. Adjusting to the life of a collegiate student- athlete is not easy, so her father's advice has proved to be valuable. "The first semester was hard, getting used to classes and balancing them with basketball," she said. "Also, being so far away from home is not easy."
The University of Minnesota campus is about a five-hour drive from Fosston, so she hasn't had many chances to return to her hometown since arriving at the university. While being away from home, she has really benefited from all the support that her teammates have given her. "All of my teammates have been great and very supportive in our transition to college life," she praised. "Nothing but positive things have come from everyone involved."
On the court, Roysland never could have expected the success that the Golden Gophers have experienced up to this point. The team has consistently been ranked in the top 10 nationally, and had a record- setting 15-0 start to the season. "We had a fairly difficult non- conference schedule this season compared to last year, and to go undefeated through it was a great accomplishment," she said. "The Big Ten schedule is going to bring a lot of tough competition."
Roysland, along with the other freshmen on the squad, has been seeing a lot of playing time and has made important contributions. She averages more than 20 minutes on the court each game, is scoring 5.8 points per game. While fans and opponents are so familiar with names like Lindsay Whalen and Janel McCarville, there are certainly others on Minnesota's squad who are worth watching. Roysland is one of them, and she knows how much her play can impact a game. "The coaches depend on us to come into the game and perform well, because we can't just rely on Lindsay (Whalen) and Janel (McCarville) to score 30 or 20 points every game."
The crowd, sometimes referred to as the "sixth man", can also be a factor in the outcome of a contest. Minnesota's fans have been coming out in full force, and they aren't only coming from the metro area, but also way up north in Fosston. Roysland has been able to look into Williams Arena's packed stands and see groups of supportive hometown fans who made the long drive to see her in action. "I think that it is really special for them to take the time to come and see me play. It hasn't been limited to just relatives, but all kinds of people that I haven't expected to see," she said. "Knowing that people are taking their time to support me and the team, and that they want us to do well has been very special to me."
The efforts by the fans from Fosston help the team as a whole, but have a unique impact on Kelly Roysland. With a hometown crowd behind her, she feels comfortable and confident as she plays in her first season as a Golden Gopher. The small community of Fosston, Minn., has been recognized for it's strong girls basketball program over the years. Much of the success in recent seasons is due to a new face on the University of Minnesota campus, Kelly Roysland</ a>. The kind of impact she made on girl's basketball in Fosston has now transferred to the Golden Gophers. Even though her college basketball career has just begun, she has already stepped into a key role in the success of this talented team of women.
Kelly's athletic background was been spurred by her parents' activism in sports. Her father coaches the Fosston's boy's basketball team, and her mother was the girl's volleyball and golf coach. This diverse athletic background has helped Roysland excel in every sport she has participated in. Her high school athletic career was marked by great achievements and numerous honors. "My most memorable achievement in basketball has to be when we broke the state record with 78 consecutive wins and won back to back Minnesota State Championships," she said.
This all-around athlete was picked as a three time all-state honoree in volleyball and was named Minnesota's Ms. Volleyball her senior year. She also earned six varsity letters in golf. "Besides basketball, one of my greatest achievements was being named Ms. Volleyball because it was such a big surprise," she said. "It was such a surprise to me because I was not going to pursue volleyball in college."
Because Roysland loved and excelled in more than one sport, she had a difficult decision to make when deciding which sport to pursue beyond her high school days. "I was really torn between basketball and volleyball," she explained, "But I think I got more exposure through basketball because it is a more popular sport. Basketball was the first state tournament that I made it to, so that also jump started the recruiting process."
Roysland's father was a college basketball player himself, so he has provided support in helping his daughter make the transition from high school to college. Adjusting to the life of a collegiate student- athlete is not easy, so her father's advice has proved to be valuable. "The first semester was hard, getting used to classes and balancing them with basketball," she said. "Also, being so far away from home is not easy."
The University of Minnesota campus is about a five-hour drive from Fosston, so she hasn't had many chances to return to her hometown since arriving at the university. While being away from home, she has really benefited from all the support that her teammates have given her. "All of my teammates have been great and very supportive in our transition to college life," she praised. "Nothing but positive things have come from everyone involved."
On the court, Roysland never could have expected the success that the Golden Gophers have experienced up to this point. The team has consistently been ranked in the top 10 nationally, and had a record- setting 15-0 start to the season. "We had a fairly difficult non- conference schedule this season compared to last year, and to go undefeated through it was a great accomplishment," she said. "The Big Ten schedule is going to bring a lot of tough competition."
Roysland, along with the other freshmen on the squad, has been seeing a lot of playing time and has made important contributions. She averages more than 20 minutes on the court each game, is scoring 5.8 points per game. While fans and opponents are so familiar with names like Lindsay Whalen and Janel McCarville, there are certainly others on Minnesota's squad who are worth watching. Roysland is one of them, and she knows how much her play can impact a game. "The coaches depend on us to come into the game and perform well, because we can't just rely on Lindsay (Whalen) and Janel (McCarville) to score 30 or 20 points every game."
The crowd, sometimes referred to as the "sixth man", can also be a factor in the outcome of a contest. Minnesota's fans have been coming out in full force, and they aren't only coming from the metro area, but also way up north in Fosston. Roysland has been able to look into Williams Arena's packed stands and see groups of supportive hometown fans who made the long drive to see her in action. "I think that it is really special for them to take the time to come and see me play. It hasn't been limited to just relatives, but all kinds of people that I haven't expected to see," she said. "Knowing that people are taking their time to support me and the team, and that they want us to do well has been very special to me."
The efforts by the fans from Fosston help the team as a whole, but have a unique impact on Kelly Roysland. With a hometown crowd behind her, she feels comfortable and confident as she plays in her first season as a Golden Gopher.
