University of Minnesota Athletics
Living a Dream: Hannah Garry
1/13/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
As a walk-on athlete for the University of Minnesota women's basketball team last year, she's joined the Gophers once again hoping for another ride of her life. For Garry, it's not about the minutes she plays, and it isn't about the points, it's about her teammates and making them better.
"My role is not to be an All-American or to try to score a lot of points," Garry said. "My role is to be a great practice player and to come out mentally tough every day to make my teammates better both physically and mentally. I try to help motivate them and keep them going."
Growing up in Stewartville, Minn., Garry and her parents cheered on the Gophers and attended quite a few games. "That's where I got my love for Minnesota," Garry remembered.
She played basketball in high school and was recruited by a few Division III and Division II schools here and there, but really wanted to concentrate on academics in college. "I thought about playing basketball in college but I just didn't find love with both academics and athletics at the time. So I decided I could play intramurals at the least and see what I could do here at the `U'," Garry commented.
She came to the University of Minnesota because academically, Garry is very committed and has high ambitions. She is majoring in kinesiology while planning to go on to earn a master's degree in biomechanics after she completes her undergraduate degree. Someday she hopes to make prosthetics and work in the medical field.
Even though she wasn't playing competitive basketball during her first year at Minnesota, she still had a love for the game and a love of watching the Golden Gophers, so she purchased women's basketball season tickets her freshman year. Unlike her basketball career, where's she has worked her way from the bottom to the top, her seats in Williams Arena have gone from the top of section 202 to the playing floor. Garry remembers watching the team line up for the national anthem, cheering for them during games and thinking to herself, "It would be so cool to be standing there and looking up at the flag from the floor."
That next year her dreams came true. "My B-Squad coach from high school sent an e-mail to me and said I should look at the newspaper because there was something that I would be interested in. I went and found a paper and in the corner there was a little ad for the University of Minnesota women's basketball team tryouts," Garry said. "My first thought was there are 20,000 women at the school, obviously there is going to be at least 18,000 trying out for the spot. So at first I was hesitant but then I figured I might as well try out."
There weren't quite 18,000 women that tried out for the position. After some pick- up games to weed out the players that couldn't keep up with the fast pace, there were eight to be exact. Garry made an impression on the coaches and team that got her the open spot on the squad.
It had to be intimidating coming into a program where each player has been recruited by several Division I schools across the country and expectations are nothing but preeminent. "Whalen was my biggest inspiration right away because of how she played and obviously with everything that she's done," Garry said. "But when I came in right away Shannon Bolden was the first to come up to me and shake my hand. She said `Hi, I'm Shannon Bolden.' I was thinking to myself, I know who you are."
Since the initial shock of becoming part of team that she's watched and cheered for since she was a little girl, Garry has come a long way. "I've already accomplished a lot by becoming a better basketball player. I've also become more of a well-rounded person by being a part of something where we are role models, and have to deal with all the things that come with being a part of a team like this." Garry stated.
Head Coach Pam Borton feels that Garry has been a great addition to the program. "Hannah brings a lot of leadership while bringing a lot of energy and emotion to our team. She has just as big a role as Janel McCarville. Hannah's role is different, but her role is just as important as everyone else on this team," Coach Borton said.
Garry will be the first person to tell you her role, as she knows it best. Her ultimate goal is to make her teammates better because she knows that the game of basketball is a team sport. She isn't looking for 20 minutes of playing time every game, she's just looking to work as hard as she can to make her team better and prepare them for what they will face on the court.
So how does a player like Garry keep a great attitude, knowing that she probably will not get to play many minutes? That's a question that she's been asked many times and has learned to answer with ease. "The thing that drives me everyday is that I check myself at the door say there are a million people that would love to be doing what I'm doing. Whether it is 20 down and backs, or just being on the side lines," Garry confidently stated. "There are so many people that would love to be in my shoes and I just don't want to take it for granted."
Coach Borton stated "Hannah knows her role very well. She knows what her role is and she knows what she needs to do for her team. She's an upperclassman, and she helps the younger kids. During the game, she's the emotional leader on the bench, and in practice she pushes our kids and makes them better. She knows her role better than most kids on our team."
But Garry has picked up one more duty where she flourishes, bring the team photographer. Her spot on the squad was initially going to be a one-year deal when she started last season. Garry figured that every moment of the experience was precious, and took pictures with her digital camera at every chance. "I don't really know how I got that role, but we started taking pictures on the bus and then behind the scenes with funny things that would happen, and it turned into taking as many pictures as I could, and we would put them into a slide show later," Garry said. "Now we have all the memories of the best year in Minnesota women's basketball history."
Back for another year, the junior has dreams of experiencing another trip to the Final Four. She also hopes to experience what every player dreams of, an NCAA Championship. For now, Garry knows that even though she hasn't logged many minutes on the floor, she has contributed many intangibles to the Golden Gophers' success.
Story by Cathy Behr, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant Every coach dreams of a player that plays with passion, gives 110 percent, and knows what their role is, even if it means they have a slim chance of seeing the floor on game days. Hanna Garry is what every coach would love to clone and have on their team.
As a walk-on athlete for the University of Minnesota women's basketball team last year, she's joined the Gophers once again hoping for another ride of her life. For Garry, it's not about the minutes she plays, and it isn't about the points, it's about her teammates and making them better.
"My role is not to be an All-American or to try to score a lot of points," Garry said. "My role is to be a great practice player and to come out mentally tough every day to make my teammates better both physically and mentally. I try to help motivate them and keep them going."
Growing up in Stewartville, Minn., Garry and her parents cheered on the Gophers and attended quite a few games. "That's where I got my love for Minnesota," Garry remembered.
She played basketball in high school and was recruited by a few Division III and Division II schools here and there, but really wanted to concentrate on academics in college. "I thought about playing basketball in college but I just didn't find love with both academics and athletics at the time. So I decided I could play intramurals at the least and see what I could do here at the `U'," Garry commented.
She came to the University of Minnesota because academically, Garry is very committed and has high ambitions. She is majoring in kinesiology while planning to go on to earn a master's degree in biomechanics after she completes her undergraduate degree. Someday she hopes to make prosthetics and work in the medical field.
Even though she wasn't playing competitive basketball during her first year at Minnesota, she still had a love for the game and a love of watching the Golden Gophers, so she purchased women's basketball season tickets her freshman year. Unlike her basketball career, where's she has worked her way from the bottom to the top, her seats in Williams Arena have gone from the top of section 202 to the playing floor. Garry remembers watching the team line up for the national anthem, cheering for them during games and thinking to herself, "It would be so cool to be standing there and looking up at the flag from the floor."
That next year her dreams came true. "My B-Squad coach from high school sent an e-mail to me and said I should look at the newspaper because there was something that I would be interested in. I went and found a paper and in the corner there was a little ad for the University of Minnesota women's basketball team tryouts," Garry said. "My first thought was there are 20,000 women at the school, obviously there is going to be at least 18,000 trying out for the spot. So at first I was hesitant but then I figured I might as well try out."
There weren't quite 18,000 women that tried out for the position. After some pick- up games to weed out the players that couldn't keep up with the fast pace, there were eight to be exact. Garry made an impression on the coaches and team that got her the open spot on the squad.
It had to be intimidating coming into a program where each player has been recruited by several Division I schools across the country and expectations are nothing but preeminent. "Whalen was my biggest inspiration right away because of how she played and obviously with everything that she's done," Garry said. "But when I came in right away Shannon Bolden was the first to come up to me and shake my hand. She said `Hi, I'm Shannon Bolden.' I was thinking to myself, I know who you are."
Since the initial shock of becoming part of team that she's watched and cheered for since she was a little girl, Garry has come a long way. "I've already accomplished a lot by becoming a better basketball player. I've also become more of a well-rounded person by being a part of something where we are role models, and have to deal with all the things that come with being a part of a team like this." Garry stated.
Head Coach Pam Borton feels that Garry has been a great addition to the program. "Hannah brings a lot of leadership while bringing a lot of energy and emotion to our team. She has just as big a role as Janel McCarville. Hannah's role is different, but her role is just as important as everyone else on this team," Coach Borton said.
Garry will be the first person to tell you her role, as she knows it best. Her ultimate goal is to make her teammates better because she knows that the game of basketball is a team sport. She isn't looking for 20 minutes of playing time every game, she's just looking to work as hard as she can to make her team better and prepare them for what they will face on the court.
So how does a player like Garry keep a great attitude, knowing that she probably will not get to play many minutes? That's a question that she's been asked many times and has learned to answer with ease. "The thing that drives me everyday is that I check myself at the door say there are a million people that would love to be doing what I'm doing. Whether it is 20 down and backs, or just being on the side lines," Garry confidently stated. "There are so many people that would love to be in my shoes and I just don't want to take it for granted."
Coach Borton stated "Hannah knows her role very well. She knows what her role is and she knows what she needs to do for her team. She's an upperclassman, and she helps the younger kids. During the game, she's the emotional leader on the bench, and in practice she pushes our kids and makes them better. She knows her role better than most kids on our team."
But Garry has picked up one more duty where she flourishes, bring the team photographer. Her spot on the squad was initially going to be a one-year deal when she started last season. Garry figured that every moment of the experience was precious, and took pictures with her digital camera at every chance. "I don't really know how I got that role, but we started taking pictures on the bus and then behind the scenes with funny things that would happen, and it turned into taking as many pictures as I could, and we would put them into a slide show later," Garry said. "Now we have all the memories of the best year in Minnesota women's basketball history."
Back for another year, the junior has dreams of experiencing another trip to the Final Four. She also hopes to experience what every player dreams of, an NCAA Championship. For now, Garry knows that even though she hasn't logged many minutes on the floor, she has contributed many intangibles to the Golden Gophers' success.
Story by Cathy Behr, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant
