Player Spotlight - Katie Keith
Basketball is a family affair for Katie Keith. She’s a third-generation Pronghorn; her mother Dawn playing for the program from 1984-1986 and her grandfather R.A. Fry coaching the men’s team during its first season from 1969-70 and 1973-76. Naturally, Katie began her playing career at a young age, inspired by her family members. “The first time I started playing basketball was when I was about five years old. I was in a program called Stars Basketball”. From humble beginnings to a storied high school career, Katie always looked to her mom for inspiration. “When I was quite young, I was always around my mom’s team at the college, looking up to all these females who were playing at a post-secondary level. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world that they were at such a high and intense level”.
The Lethbridge, Alberta native played out her secondary school years at Chinook High School, also playing in the Prairie Elite Basketball League. During her high school career, she was also named a Southern Alberta High School Basketball League (SAHSBL) first-team all-star, as well as playing for the U17 Alberta Provincial team that finished third at Nationals in 2014. Signing with the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns was the logical next step in Katie’s career, allowing her to stay close to home and continue her family’s legacy with the Horns. “When I chose the U of L, I had two things in mind. First, I wanted to play for the same university that my mom played at and that my grandpa coached at, while at the same time receiving quality coaching. Second, I wanted to put the U of L back on the map. When I signed, the U of L had been struggling for quite a while, and I really wanted to be a local player that attracted more locals to come here and recreate a winning legacy”.
A tight-knit, dedicated team is one of the many positives boasted by the UofL’s women’s basketball program. “Having an awesome team for five years of my university career will definitely always be the highlight, and all the road trips I was able to go on with them. One thing that has always made the team special is how much we care and love each other on and off the court. The chemistry we had on the court was a result of our connections off the court, and I think that helped us persevere through the times where we only had 6 or 7 girls for a weekend”. Katie also noted the strength of coaching at the UofL. “Being coached by one of the best coaches and people I know, Dave Waknuk, made my experience that much better.”
Despite the strengths, playing on any sports team comes with challenges. The Horns wrapped the 2019-2020 season with an 11-10-0 record. Dealing with injuries often left the team short on players, including many of their starters. However, Katie said the coaches and team always found a way to make it work, both at practice and during games. “With having limited numbers in practice, Dave and Donna had to be creative with how we could reproduce a game situation while only having seven girls – and props to them because we still managed to practice hard with fewer people.”
Inspired by her mother’s post-secondary team, Katie knows firsthand the importance of acting as a role model for young female athletes. “I think when we coach the Junior Horns teams or are involved in any sort of camp, it gives little girls a role model to look up to and show them that post-secondary basketball can be achieved with hard work and practice.”
This season marked the end of Katie’s USports career, but this has not dampened her passion for athletics. “I love to play volleyball and help out my old high school coach with his club team in our off-season. I enjoy pretty much anything outdoors, but mainly skiing and hiking”. While her time at the University of Lethbridge is complete, Katie is continuing her education, beginning her studies in Dental Hygiene on the west coast in September.
