Alumni Spotlight with Kelsey Christensen
“It was an awesome experience over the last two years”
Kelsey graduated from the Sport Coaching and Leadership master’s degree in the summer of 2018. She is now an assistant coach for the women’s softball team at the College of the Holy Cross. Find out more about Kelsey’s experience in her master’s degree, what she learned, her most impactful class, and how the SCL program helped her reach her career goals!
Name: Kelsey Christensen
Age: 23
Lives: Worcester, MA
Graduated: 2018
Current Job: Assistant softball coach at College of the Holy Cross
What brought you to the SCL program?
I was originally drawn to the SCL program with the hopes of attaining a Big Ten education that would set me up for success in attaining a PhD down the road. I knew I wanted a writing intensive, psychology-based program that would challenge me intellectually.
What were some of the highlights during your time in the SCL program?
I really enjoyed doing imagery training projects in KIN 855 Psychosocial Bases of Coaching Athletes because it set me up with an understanding of the subject and sparked my interest for a pitching specific imagery model for softball that I used during my Capstone Project. I also really enjoyed being able to work so closely with professors in the department on a variety of projects and coursework because it allowed me to grow as a student and as a coach.
What was your favorite SCL class and why was it your favorite?
My favorite course was KIN 855. I am very interested in the psychology of coaching and how to truly connect and work with athletes and this course gave me a chance to dive into theories and other ideas that were very pertinent to the work I was doing with MSU softball. It gave me a chance to apply what I was learning in my every day practice!
What is your current job and what do you do in that job?
My current job is the assistant softball coach at Holy Cross! I work as the pitching coach and assist in all facets of the program from hitting, recruiting, practice planning, etc. I am really in love with what I do and feel very prepared for this role because I had the chance to truly put what I was learning in my Masters courses into practice while I was at MSU working with the softball team. It was an awesome experience over the last two years and I’m excited for what my coaching career has in store!
How did the SCL program prepare you for what you are doing today?
The SCL program gave me practical application theories that I was able to practice and implement during my time at MSU through different projects and papers. This allowed me to really work on my coaching practice and figure out what worked and what did not work for me and my athletes!
What is the most important thing you learned during the SCL program?
The most important thing I learned in the SCL program was that the only way you can be an effective coach is if you are willing to bend, adapt, and change to fit the specific needs of each athlete. This does not mean you have to change who you are as a coach, but in order to meet and athlete where they are at and truly get the most out of them when competing, you have to get to know them as people and how to coach them properly based on what you know they need!
What advice do you have for current or future students who want to make the most out of their degree?
I would advise current and future SCL students to truly get out of their comfort zone when working with athletes. Try new things and see what works and what doesn’t. This means going the extra mile in projects and really pushing yourself to figure out what works and what doesn’t work through trial and error. This program lends itself to practical application and any student in the program should take advantage of this!