Each Monday of the fall semester, we’ll be bringing you three different “Getting to Know Them” profiles on coaches, athletic administrators and athletic trainers at Slippery Rock to introduce you to the folks behind the scenes here at The Rock. Next up, we check in with women’s lacrosse head coach Kelsey Van Alstyne.  

FAST FACTS
- Entering fourth season at SRU
- Led SRU to school record 13 wins in 2018
- Played lacrosse and earned undergrad degree at Bloomsburg University
- Earned master’s degree from SUNY Cortland

QUICK BIO
Already the third winningest coach in program history, Van Alstyne has guided SRU to a record of 22-17 in her first three seasons, even though her third season last spring was cut short to the current pandemic. She led the team to a school record 13-5 overall record in her first year at the helm in 2018. Van Alstyne has coached seven All-PSAC players, five All-Region honorees and one All-American in her first three seasons. Prior to coming to The Rock, she spent four years as a Division III head coach with one season at Buffalo State and three years at Morrisville State, where she led the team to two NEAC titles. Van Alstyne and her husband Chris just had their first child this September, a daughter named Adelynn. 

IN HER WORDS
Q: What’s the first concert you went to? What’s the most recent concert you went to?
A: My first concert was Britney Spears and my most recent concert was Eric Church in Nashville.

Q: What was your favorite subject in school? Why?
A: Physical Education- I love being active and playing everything. My dad was my elementary physical education teacher and I grew up with full access to every kind of game and equipment you could think of. My other favorite was English because I love to read and write.

Q: Tell us about your family.
A: My husband, Chris, is the Director of Peak Performance and Fitness at Allegheny College. He played football and graduated from SUNY Cortland. He is currently in his last two semesters of his Master’s of Public Health through Slippery Rock! He was exclusively our strength and conditioning coach for a year, and now does our programming and helps out when time allows. He is a jack of all trades; likes to do wood-working and home improvements, brews his own beer, is a very good cook and loves to workout. Our dog Rudy Bama is a fox red Labrador and was often nicknamed the team dog when we got him last spring. He loves the water and fetch more than most and is a big fan of Rock lacrosse! He is named after mom’s love for Notre Dame football and dad’s love for Alabama football. We had our first child Sept. 1, a daughter named Adelynn Marie. She is the perfect addition to our family and we couldn’t be more in love.

My parents live in Upstate N.Y. (Saratoga Springs) on Sacandaga Lake, which is the bottom of the Adirondacks. It is our favorite place to be! My mom, Linda, stayed at home with me and my siblings, and is also a certified history teacher. She is incredibly smart, a history buff and an avid reader. My dad, Tom, is an elementary physical education teacher and has been a varsity boys lacrosse coach for over 25 years. He has coached varsity, JV and currently does modified football as well. He has been my biggest role model and influenced me to pursue the career I currently have now! He is very active and can still slalom waterski better than anyone in the family (or really anyone we know). My younger brother, Ian, also teaches elementary physical education in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. He coaches football, indoor track and field and lacrosse. He sometimes makes guests appearances at The Rock for a practice or two. He is an avid hiker and just completed his 46th High Peaker in the Adirondacks - making him an exclusive member of the 46ers club. He also received his master’s degree from Slippery Rock in Adaptative Physical Activity! My older sister, Megan, lives in Slippery Rock and is a stay at home mom to my eight-year old niece Chloe and six-year old nephew Logan (who are SRU Wlax #1 fans). She also teaches yoga, is CSCS certified and has worked with my team since I have arrived. My brother in law, Justin, is a Penn State grad and an engineer for Wabtech in Grove City. He and his friend have a side business and they are the ones who re-did our locker room!

Q: What was your first job growing up?
A:  Working for my mom’s friend in landscaping - I was 14 - I think it directly shaped how little interest I have in ever having a garden, flower bed, lots of trees, etc.

Q: When did you know you wanted to go into a career in collegiate athletics?
A: Middle School - I wanted to be a coach just like my dad. I was his scorekeeper, secretary for all the various things he was doing in the community and I just loved sports from day one. In eighth grade we had to write about our future goals and I said I wanted to be a collegiate women’s lacrosse coach. I wanted to inspire, motivate and impact student-athletes the way I saw my dad do year after year. I also have always wanted to win a national championship!

Q: What was the last book you read? Thoughts on it?
A: Midnight Sun - the new twilight book. I loved it (read it in two days). I am a huge Twilight/Harry Potter/Hunger Games fan, so I love the fantasy/young adult genre.

Q: What’s your all-time favorite movie? You can give us a few if you can’t pick just one.
A: RUDY! I cry every single time he is carried off the field. Also a big fan of Remember the Titans.

Q: How do you relax?
A: My husband and I love the craft beer scene- so we like to go to breweries and explore different areas with that. I love to be outside hiking or swimming. I meditate daily and try to unplug from technology when I can. I love to read and get lost in a good series.

Q: What’s your favorite meal?
A: This is a hard one - I love food! If I had to pick, I would say steak, grilled asparagus and broccoli and baked sweet potatoes. It’s more the dessert that matters anyway…. (anything chocolate and peanut butter).

Q: What meal/dish/item are you best at cooking? 
A: Baking - all things sweets! Not so much appearance, but taste.

Q: What’s your favorite restaurant? What do you order there?
A: CoreLife Eatery. I get something different almost every time.

Q: What was your first car? What’s your dream car?
A: My first car was a 1998 red Plymouth Neon. My dream car has always been a Black 4-door Chevy Silverado!

Q: What artists and/or songs on your current most-listened to playlist?
A: Zac Brown Band, Eric Church, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Mumford & Sons.

Q: Favorite current TV show? Favorite TV show of all-time?
A: Current - This is Us. All Time - Grey’s Anatomy.

Q: What’s your favorite season/type of weather? Why?
A: Fall! The changing of the leaves, the temperature and lack of humidity, all things apple and pumpkin, and football!

Q: When you go grocery shopping, are you the “Make a List” person or the “Just Wing It” person?
A: Make a list.

Q: What was your favorite or most memorable vacation?
A: I have been fortunate to coach lacrosse overseas - so Australia, Prague and Berlin and then England and Scotland are all tied. I was able to go back to England and Scotland a second time, and my husband and our best friend joined us. We also added Ireland to the trip and that was my favorite trip thus far. We hiked in the Highlands, went to the Cliffs of Moher and were able to spend a few days in Dublin. Australia is a close second!

Q: Where is one place you haven’t visited yet, but you definitely plan to?
A: Out west in the USA!

Q: You could have dinner with three people living or dead, who would they be?
A: Ellen DeGeneres, Abraham Lincoln and John Krasinski.

Q: Are you a tech savvy person?
A: Nope, as my players will vouch, I am pretty terrible at it!

Q: Describe your perfect day off.
A: Saturday in the fall! Wake up and go hiking. Catch the last hour of College Game Day. Head to a brewery for lunch and then home for college football the rest of the day, with a crockpot of chili and a great selection of fall craft beer!

Q: Who is your hero? 
A: My dad.

Q: Can you sing?
A: Nope - wish I could though!

Q: What is/would be your go-to karaoke song?
A: Don’t think I would have the courage to sing in public.

Q: You can only eat one thing the rest of your life, what is it?
A: Homemade bacon cheeseburger with roasted red peppers, extra sharp cheese, arugula and beefsteak tomatoes.

Q: Fly or drive for a long trip?
A: Drive.

Q: How did you decide on your kids names or pet names?
A: Pet – We made a list of names and Rudy just fit. Had to add the middle name of Bama to appease Chris as he is not a Notre Dame fan. Kids. It was very hard with both of us coaching so many people throughout the years! We had to use an app and we were still undecided until right at the end. 

Q: How many and what kind of pets do you have? How long have you had them?
A: One dog - brought him home January 18, 2020.

Q: Cats or dogs?
A: DOGS

Q: Is a hot dog a sandwich?
A: No.

Q: Does pineapple belong on pizza?
A: Yes!

Q: Sheetz or WaWa? Why?
A: WaWa - better sandwiches!

Q: What’s the last TV show you binged watched?
A: Jack Ryan.

Q: How long can you go without looking at your phone?
A: Two days.

Q: What was the last app you downloaded on your phone? What is your most-used app?
A: Haha the last one would be a contraction timer! The most used app is Instagram.

Q: What’s one game show or reality show you could go on that you think you could win?
A: Beat Shazam.

Q: Retirement destination?
A: Adirondacks!

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