Indiana University Athletics
McManmon Adjusts to Life in Midwest
2/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 3, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Moving away from home for the first time to go to college can be challenging and freshman Kelly McManmon is no exception. The one-time University of Maine commit is working at adjusting to life away from the East Coast after following first-year head coach Sharon Versyp from Maine to Indiana.
The Lee, Mass. native became a highly touted recruit coming out of Lee High School. She left as the school's all time leading scorer with 1,751 points, and led her team to a state championship in 2003 and two state runner-up finishes in 2004 and 2005.
Coming out of high school, McManmon had signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball for Maine and Versyp. After Versyp accepted the job at Indiana, McManmon wanted to follow.
"One of the things I liked most about Coach Versyp was the fact that she is very straight forward," McManmon said. "She tells you what she expects of you and at the same time is very supportive. I wanted to play for Coach Versyp, because I know she will push me to get the best out of myself both on and off the court. She coaches with so much determination and passion that it rubs off on everyone around her."
McManmon, who is experiencing life in the Midwest for the first time is taking things slowly. She is enjoying her time at Indiana thus far, even though she admits it would have been a completely different experience if she played at Maine.
"Playing on the East Coast would have been a different experience," McManmon said. "Although I would have been able to have family and friends there more often, I'm happy to have the experiences of traveling in the Midwest."
One thing she does miss is playing in front of friends and family in a familiar environment.
"It's harder not playing in front of a crowd that knows you," McManmon said. "But at the same time, it is also new and challenging."
Even though she knew the challenges of leaving the East Coast and coming to IU, she is excited about her future in the cream and crimson.
"It was hard at first going far from home and not knowing anyone," McManmon said. "Having a team and coaches who are very supportive made the transition easier. I was excited to come to a new place, and so far, it has been a big transition all around, but one that I feel will make me stronger in the end."
