Alden Krausse, junior forward, said her love of basketball started early and has stayed with her all the way through college. She is now in her third year of playing for IU Southeast.
She said she was just 3 years old when her older sister started making her play the game with her.
“I’m glad she made me play though, because I absolutely love it,” Krausse said.
Krausse is getting her degree in general studies, with a minor in English, but, she is not stopping there.
“After graduation, I hope to get my master’s degree in elementary education,” Krausse said. “I think teaching kids would be the greatest thing ever.”
While some consider it hard to be a student athlete, Krausse said she doesn’t agree.
“I don’t think it’s that hard to go to school and play on the team. It’s not hard to pass classes,” Krausse said. “You just have to be dedicated.”
Robin Farris, head coach of the women’s basketball team, said Krausse does a great job juggling everything.
“She works hard both in the classroom and on the basketball floor,” Farris said.
Krausse said one of her favorite things about being on the team is playing home games.
“There is so much support when we play at home, we have a great fan base,” she said. “The away games are fun too, but given the choice, I’d rather play at home.”
However, she said she feels more pressure to win at home.
She said a benefit to playing an away game is the bonding that happens on the bus while traveling. Since some trips can last two to three hours, she said it’s a good thing the team really gets along and has fun while on the road.
On the court, Farris said Krausse is very skillful.
“Her greatest strength is her versatility as she has the ability to score inside because of her height and she also is a good shooter, so she can step outside and shoot as well,” Farris said.
Farris said he also appreciated the way Krausse went the extra mile this summer by doing a lot of running. This enabled her to be better conditioned when the season started.
“She was better able to run up and down the floor by being in better shape,” Farris said. “She has also increased her jumping ability which has helped her become a better shot blocker and defender for our team.”
Krausse said when she isn’t on the court, she and her friends like to investigate an urban myth.
“We like to go to Fairdale and go Big Foot hunting,” Krausse said. “We had heard there was a sighting so on days we’re all free we get together and go look for clues.”
During the summer, Krausse is a lifeguard at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville.
“I love life-guarding and when I’m not working I get to ride the rides there,” Krausse said.
Krausse said she always wears flip-flops, except on the court.
“I don’t ever wear anything besides them,” she said. “My feet don’t really ever get cold, so when I’m not on the court, I’m wearing them.”
By LINDSAY VEITZ
Staff Writer
lkveitz@ius.edu
