University of Minnesota Athletics
Making the Right Choice: Junior Katie Alsdurf
2/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
As college students get older and more mature, they are asked to make more and more difficult decisions about the course their lives will take. Some of these decisions are major, and will impact the rest of their lives. Junior guard Katie Alsdurf had to make one of those decisions after the conclusion of her sophomore season at Marquette University. Alsdurf chose to transfer to Minnesota, passing up another season as a starter at the Conference USA school. In a basketball sense, Alsdurf chose to step up to a greater challenge, in which she took on a lesser role, but has gained an experience that has by far exceeded her expectations.
A selfish person would have taken the minutes, the points, the starting spot, and ran with it, but not Alsdurf. The junior from Forest Lake, Minn., knew that Marquette was not the right fit for her. She made an unselfish decision, one centered on the most important thing in her life, her family.
"The main reasons I chose to transfer to the Minnesota were to be closer to home, to be part of a very successful program, and mainly to be closer to my family and friends. I get to see them on a more regular basis, which has made this situation a much better fit," explained Alsdurf.
Alsdurf knows she is fortunate to be part of such a caring and close family, and living close to home makes it much more convenient for them to spend time together. While at Marquette, Alsdurf's parents, Doug and Gail, would travel five hours by car to catch almost all of their daughter's home games in Milwaukee. Now they are able to have lunch together at least once a week, and Katie's home games are only a quick ride away.
"When I was at Marquette, my parents still made it to 80 or 90 percent of my home games, which was nice, but now, it's only a 30-minute drive for them. Besides that, I go out to eat with both my mom and my dad every week, and get to see my brother much more often than I could when I was five hours away. I think it's great for our whole family, because it is a lot easier for us to get together," stated Alsdurf.
Although her major decision turned out to be the right one, the transition was not always easy. As a transfer, she had to spend the entire 2003-04 season out of game action, and was limited to practice only. This is a tough thing to do for any athlete, but imagine having to sit out and watch while your team not only has a dream-come-true season, but makes it to the Final Four! Having practiced with the team all season, Alsdurf and fellow transfer redshirt April Calhoun, traveled to New Orleans on their own to take part in the Final Four experience.
Alsdurf explained her year away from game action as, "extremely tough. Especially when you see the team getting on the plane to go to the Final Four in New Orleans. All the different times throughout the year when you want to be a part of something, you're still there, but it's just different when you are not in uniform. I will say this though; it was much better than it would have been anywhere else because the team was so successful. I can still say I was a part of something pretty special."
When sitting out a season limited to just practice, not everyone gets to go up against one of the greatest players in women's basketball day in and day out. Alsdurf got to hone her game and learn the Golden Gopher system against the unforgettable Lindsay Whalen, who Alsdurf lists as the most famous person she has ever met. Alsdurf believes the intense competition of practice has helped her improve her game.
"We have some of the best guards in the nation here, and going against Whalen or any of the guards here every day, you are going to get better. Everyone competes at such a high level, which means there is nothing for you to do but get better. Also, our scout team that we go against is made up of guys that are bigger, faster, stronger, which helps every single one of us," claimed Alsdurf.
Even with her play improving, Alsdurf has had to adapt to a new role. In high school, Alsdurf was the go-to player averaging 19.2 points per game her senior season. At Marquette she was a major contributor, starting 49 of her 58 games there. Now she is looked to, to provide a change of pace and give depth to a very talented Golden Gopher backcourt. She has a deadly three-point shot in her arsenal, and coaches love her competitive spirit, which has helped her earn a spot in the rotation.
"It's been an adaptation. It's become easier as the games go on. It's nice to be on winning team and have the chance to contribute whenever possible. Everyone wants to start and everyone wants to play more minutes, but it's all about finding your spot and seeing where you fit in. My role right now is to come off the bench and be a spark," commented the 6-0 junior.
One reason Alsdurf has fit into her role so well is that she enjoys playing with and being with her new team. She explained that it is a different situation than she has ever been in before, a unique team with the right attitude.
"The unique thing about this team is the confidence everyone has and the intensity every day at practice. From top to bottom, everyone is confident and everyone expects to win every game. The talent level is so different here, we have people who don't play very much, who could probably start at any other Big Ten school," said Alsdurf.
Now comfortable and happy with her new surroundings, Alsdurf is enjoying her time at the U of M, whether that is playing poker with teammates or spending quality time with the family that played a huge role in her deciding to come back closer to home. One element of Alsdurf that has stayed consistent through the entire process is that she is extremely driven. The public relations major is set to graduate in spring, and will start graduate courses here at Minnesota in the fall, working toward a sports management master's degree. At some point down the road she hopes to coach basketball, and share her all-encompassing experiences with future players.
Everything seems to be falling in to place for Katie Alsdurf at Minnesota. She is one of the fortunate college students, who when faced with one of those life-changing decisions, made the right choice, a choice that has positively impacted her and her family. There is one other party that is reaping the benefits of her choice, the Golden Gopher women's basketball team. Every team should be lucky enough to have such a talented and compassionate person make such a choice.
Story by Dominic Ladd, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant
As college students get older and more mature, they are asked to make more and more difficult decisions about the course their lives will take. Some of these decisions are major, and will impact the rest of their lives. Junior guard Katie Alsdurf had to make one of those decisions after the conclusion of her sophomore season at Marquette University. Alsdurf chose to transfer to Minnesota, passing up another season as a starter at the Conference USA school. In a basketball sense, Alsdurf chose to step up to a greater challenge, in which she took on a lesser role, but has gained an experience that has by far exceeded her expectations.
A selfish person would have taken the minutes, the points, the starting spot, and ran with it, but not Alsdurf. The junior from Forest Lake, Minn., knew that Marquette was not the right fit for her. She made an unselfish decision, one centered on the most important thing in her life, her family.
"The main reasons I chose to transfer to the Minnesota were to be closer to home, to be part of a very successful program, and mainly to be closer to my family and friends. I get to see them on a more regular basis, which has made this situation a much better fit," explained Alsdurf.
Alsdurf knows she is fortunate to be part of such a caring and close family, and living close to home makes it much more convenient for them to spend time together. While at Marquette, Alsdurf's parents, Doug and Gail, would travel five hours by car to catch almost all of their daughter's home games in Milwaukee. Now they are able to have lunch together at least once a week, and Katie's home games are only a quick ride away.
"When I was at Marquette, my parents still made it to 80 or 90 percent of my home games, which was nice, but now, it's only a 30-minute drive for them. Besides that, I go out to eat with both my mom and my dad every week, and get to see my brother much more often than I could when I was five hours away. I think it's great for our whole family, because it is a lot easier for us to get together," stated Alsdurf.
Although her major decision turned out to be the right one, the transition was not always easy. As a transfer, she had to spend the entire 2003-04 season out of game action, and was limited to practice only. This is a tough thing to do for any athlete, but imagine having to sit out and watch while your team not only has a dream-come-true season, but makes it to the Final Four! Having practiced with the team all season, Alsdurf and fellow transfer redshirt April Calhoun, traveled to New Orleans on their own to take part in the Final Four experience.
Alsdurf explained her year away from game action as, "extremely tough. Especially when you see the team getting on the plane to go to the Final Four in New Orleans. All the different times throughout the year when you want to be a part of something, you're still there, but it's just different when you are not in uniform. I will say this though; it was much better than it would have been anywhere else because the team was so successful. I can still say I was a part of something pretty special."
When sitting out a season limited to just practice, not everyone gets to go up against one of the greatest players in women's basketball day in and day out. Alsdurf got to hone her game and learn the Golden Gopher system against the unforgettable Lindsay Whalen, who Alsdurf lists as the most famous person she has ever met. Alsdurf believes the intense competition of practice has helped her improve her game.
"We have some of the best guards in the nation here, and going against Whalen or any of the guards here every day, you are going to get better. Everyone competes at such a high level, which means there is nothing for you to do but get better. Also, our scout team that we go against is made up of guys that are bigger, faster, stronger, which helps every single one of us," claimed Alsdurf.
Even with her play improving, Alsdurf has had to adapt to a new role. In high school, Alsdurf was the go-to player averaging 19.2 points per game her senior season. At Marquette she was a major contributor, starting 49 of her 58 games there. Now she is looked to, to provide a change of pace and give depth to a very talented Golden Gopher backcourt. She has a deadly three-point shot in her arsenal, and coaches love her competitive spirit, which has helped her earn a spot in the rotation.
"It's been an adaptation. It's become easier as the games go on. It's nice to be on winning team and have the chance to contribute whenever possible. Everyone wants to start and everyone wants to play more minutes, but it's all about finding your spot and seeing where you fit in. My role right now is to come off the bench and be a spark," commented the 6-0 junior.
One reason Alsdurf has fit into her role so well is that she enjoys playing with and being with her new team. She explained that it is a different situation than she has ever been in before, a unique team with the right attitude.
"The unique thing about this team is the confidence everyone has and the intensity every day at practice. From top to bottom, everyone is confident and everyone expects to win every game. The talent level is so different here, we have people who don't play very much, who could probably start at any other Big Ten school," said Alsdurf.
Now comfortable and happy with her new surroundings, Alsdurf is enjoying her time at the U of M, whether that is playing poker with teammates or spending quality time with the family that played a huge role in her deciding to come back closer to home. One element of Alsdurf that has stayed consistent through the entire process is that she is extremely driven. The public relations major is set to graduate in spring, and will start graduate courses here at Minnesota in the fall, working toward a sports management master's degree. At some point down the road she hopes to coach basketball, and share her all-encompassing experiences with future players.
Everything seems to be falling in to place for Katie Alsdurf at Minnesota. She is one of the fortunate college students, who when faced with one of those life-changing decisions, made the right choice, a choice that has positively impacted her and her family. There is one other party that is reaping the benefits of her choice, the Golden Gopher women's basketball team. Every team should be lucky enough to have such a talented and compassionate person make such a choice.
Story by Dominic Ladd, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant
