Quantcast
skip navigation

Q&A with Burnsville's Kelsey Anderson

By Ron Haggstrom, Star Tribune, 04/20/11, 3:00PM CDT

Share

Senior hurler has opened the season with three shutouts


Kelsey Anderson

Burnsville’s softball team entered the season ranked No. 1 in Class 3A in the coaches association poll due in large part to the return of senior pitcher Kelsey Anderson.

The Blaze opened with five consecutive victories, including three shutouts in a row by Anderson. Here is a closer look at Anderson:

Best movie I’ve seen in the past year: “Inception.”

Three words or phrases my friends or teammates might use to describe me: Poised, confident, determined.

Favorite meal before a game: Milio’s or Jimmy John’s.

How do you balance school and sports during the year? It’s always been school first for me. Softball is very important to me, but I would not be playing if I was not doing well in school. I think that knowing I have softball drives me to do well in school.

How did you get started in softball? I started softball in second grade and played coach pitch until fifth grade. I guess that out of all of the other sports that I played, softball stuck out to me. I would always be throwing outside the first day after the snow had melted in the road with my dad, and he would have to beg me to go inside or it would be too dark to see the ball.

Who is your school’s biggest rival, and why? Our school’s biggest rival has been Eagan. We have played them in so many important games, and we each know each other so well. It is one of those teams that you have a lot of respect for.

At my first varsity practice, I felt … so scared and nervous!!! I don’t think I said one word all day. I was in ninth grade and everyone else was so much older than me. I was extremely intimidated and in shock I was even on varsity.

What is your most memorable moment as a high school athlete? The most memorable moment I have had as a high school athlete was winning state last year. The way our team came together and the way we never stopped fighting to win that game was an amazing feeling. The thought of us losing the game never came into any of our minds. We knew when we stepped on to that field we were walking away with a state championship!

What did you work on in the offseason? In the offseason I worked on fine-tuning a couple of pitches. I also worked on getting stronger and staying in shape for the season to start by lifting weights and running.

What are your goals for the 2010-11 school year as an athlete? My goals are to win state, learn a lot, get ready for playing in college, and have lots of fun!

To get focused for a game, I … try to clear my mind and get a game plan in place. I try to visualize each pitch and each batter I am going to face and try to ignore everything else. I also try to pay attention to the mechanics of each pitch to see which ones are crisp and which ones are not looking so hot. This way when I am in the game it does not take me an inning or two to find out which pitches are not working for me that day.

Who is your favorite college or pro sports team and why? The Twins  They are just awesome, and watching their games are something my family loves to do together!

Related Stories