Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/46359
W 42 BRAVA Magazine October 2011 Kelsey did not grow up in a family of elite athletes. The way she describes her formative years in Georgia, she just as well could have been a star softball player, a piano virtuoso, or a leader in community work and volunteerism. Her own family represents an eclectic mix of talents ranging from cooking ("my sister is a culinary queen!"), to film ("I'm so proud of my baby brother who earned a scholarship to the film school at USC"), to painting ("I'd give anything to be able to paint like my uncle!"). Yet it became clear at a young age that Kelsey was a gifted athlete. Inspired to follow in her older sister's footsteps and try basketball, it wasn't until sixth grade that she played regularly— making her debut as the only girl on an all-boys team. "I didn't care that I was the only girl. I knew I was going to take hen you're Bobbie Kelsey, there isn't a lot of time to take it easy. In the six months since Uni- versity of Wisconsin-Madison Athletic Director Barry Alvarez announced Kelsey would succeed Lisa Stone as head coach of the women's basketball team, life has moved at a whirlwind pace. Af- ter accepting the position with an emphatic yes, the 38-year-old Kelsey was off traveling the country, recruiting players and hand- picking her assistant coaching staff. If that wasn't enough, she was also planning a wedding, her move to Madison and trying to squeeze in a quick honeymoon as well. The season is just a month away, but the demands on her are al- ready plentiful. Despite the flurry of activity and a solidly booked calendar, the down-to-earth coach took a moment to sit down in her Kohl Center office to discuss the path that brought her here and where she hopes it will take her in the future. And once you get past the updates on her team, it's clear there's much more to Kelsey than life on the court. Sure, she could talk basketball as long you'd like, but she seems just as excited to chat about anything else. Somehow in the space of an hour she excitedly discusses everything from her happy-go-lucky childhood to her new husband and dear girlfriends—her boisterous laugh and easy sense of humor ever present. It must have something to do with the fact that despite Kelsey's impressive successes as both a player and coach, basketball hasn't defined her entire life. those boys to the hoop and I was going to mess them up!" she recalls with a hearty laugh. "I was already tall as a kid and very competi- tive, too. I would get mad if I lost and wanted to get right back at it. But mostly I remember taking [on] those boys." By ninth grade, Kelsey was a member of the varsity team at her high school, and by the end of her high school career she was a sought-after college recruit, ultimately choosing Stanford Uni- versity. It proved to be the right fit athletically, academically and personally. While studying and developing a tight group of friends, Kelsey and her Cardinal team made three NCAA Final Four ap- pearances, and took home the 1992 NCAA National Championship along the way. During her five years on campus she not only made her mark as a player, but a leader as well—twice named the team's co-captain as well as the team's most inspirational player. Post-college, the camaraderie she enjoyed on the court and a passion for athletics brought Kelsey into the coaching world. Turning to where she is today, Kelsey speaks about the expec- tations and the pressure she faces as she begins her first season as head coach. As Stone's successor, and the sixth head coach to lead the Badger women's basketball team, there's no getting around the fact that fans, not to mention the UW Athletic Department, will be paying close attention. Intelligent and ambitious, Kelsey is calm and confident when she says she knows what she needs to do with the team. And she has every intention of delivering on the court. But off the court, she has a plan as well.