GW Athletics Hall of Fame Spotlight: Diane Rose Kelly
12/8/2021 1:00:00 PM | General, Women's Soccer
High-scoring forward led transformation of women's soccer program
Over two seasons in Buff and Blue, Diane Rose Kelly helped transform GW women's soccer with an incredible goal-scoring ability that's stood the test of time.
After transferring from Mercer County Community College in her native New Jersey, Kelly made a splash during the 1986 season with a nation's-best 29 goals while helping the fledgling program make a nine-win improvement from the previous campaign to 12-10 under Head Coach Adrian Glover.
In 1987, Kelly was the catalyst for a group that made more history by cracking the regional rankings for the first time. Led by 15 goals and five assists from their star forward, the Buff and Blue went 15-6-1, a mark that remains tied for the program's most victories in a season.
More than three decades later, Kelly's offensive achievements remain remarkable. She ranks No. 2 all-time among GW student-athletes in both goals (44) and points (96) behind only fellow Hall of Famer Chemar Smith, and her 61 points in '86 are 21 more than any other Colonial for a single season in the program's history.
After graduating with a degree in Exercise Science, Kelly played a season of pro soccer with the New Jersey Wildcats before going on to earn her master's degree at the University of West Florida, where she also coached its soccer program.
Through the years, Kelly has pursued her passion for education as a college professor/author and music as a singer-songwriter who has been part of bands that opened for national headliners like Pat Benatar, Train and Gavin DeGraw. Today, she's pursuing a solo career and set to release a new album of inspirational songs titled Avalon Rose in the spring.
Kelly will officially be inducted soon into the GW Athletics Hall of Fame, alongside seven other celebrated individuals and one historic team.
As she prepares to take her place among the athletic department's all-time greats, Kelly looks back on a tremendous career in Buff and Blue in the first edition of our Hall of Fame Spotlight series.
What does going into the GW Athletics Hall of Fame mean to you?
"I'm super humbled and honored, especially after all these years. My time at GW is just really nostalgic for me. Both playing on the soccer team and then also just taking in the history of the city. I used to run around the monuments almost every day, and I would meditate at the Potomac. I found myself. I found a really cool place inside of me when I was at GW. I was very honored to get the call from (Director of Athletics Tanya Vogel) and have a really great conversation with her, as well."
What was it like during that first season to find instant success individually and help the program grow as well?
"That first year when I came in from Mercer County College, I just kind of played on instinct and learned as I went along. It was a great year for me. I was driven, and I had some really awesome teammates. That made such a difference. They were so supportive, and I was able to focus on what I had to do during the game to be the best that I could be. I knew my job was to score goals, so that's what I wanted to do."
Could you feel the program gaining more recognition and respect as your GW career went on?
"Yeah, that was really gratifying to kind of synergize my skills and my teammates' skills with the development of the program. There was a lot of talk about GW breaking into the top 20 for the first time. Our coach, Adrian Glover, was really, really proud of that. We were breaking new ground, and I was super excited to be a part of it."
It was a unique time in GW Athletics history. What do you remember about what made it special?
"It was just really cool for us. It was fun to practice down on the Mall. We'd practice down there and some other places. We were a team that was always on the road. Even our home field was at a park miles away. There was a sense of innocence about it, a sense of excitement about it, and I think we just made the best of it.
"We were happy to be playing and traveling. Adrian took us to England, and that trip was just wonderful. I had a lot of great experiences with my teammates, just getting to know who they were and the culture from where they came from and their histories. It was great to share that with them. Looking back, being in D.C. grew me up from a girl to a woman in so many ways."
What's your favorite memory from being part of the program?
"One of my best memories involves Rachael Raver, (her former teammate who was tragically killed shortly after their graduation). I remember that she was so excited to score a goal. I passed her the ball, and she scored a goal. Her whole energy and countenance lit up like 'Thank you so much, Diane.'
The girl's a complete angel, just one of those selfless people and players. She was hardly ever put up front (at forward), so I remember that as one of my favorite memories. It doesn't have a happy ending, but I was able to be of service to somebody and give them a highlighted moment that meant a lot. That stands out to me because this world's so transient, and we're all transients on the path of each other's lives. That moment stands out, of course, for so many reasons and words that I can't even find."
Out of your 44 career goals, is there one that stands out?
"I just loved scoring goals. I loved being in the 18 and wanting the ball and just having this mystical force come over and put the ball in the net. Bam. It's a done deal. It's God's gift. God gave me a gift, and I tried to use it to the best of my ability to help the team and just have some fun.
"To be honest, every day was special for me. I'm not sure my favorite memories even involve scoring goals. It was just being around and making a difference in people's lives and what the game of soccer does to you as an athlete. It's the camaraderie and the exciting experience of being part of something bigger than yourself with an amazing group of women."
After transferring from Mercer County Community College in her native New Jersey, Kelly made a splash during the 1986 season with a nation's-best 29 goals while helping the fledgling program make a nine-win improvement from the previous campaign to 12-10 under Head Coach Adrian Glover.
In 1987, Kelly was the catalyst for a group that made more history by cracking the regional rankings for the first time. Led by 15 goals and five assists from their star forward, the Buff and Blue went 15-6-1, a mark that remains tied for the program's most victories in a season.
More than three decades later, Kelly's offensive achievements remain remarkable. She ranks No. 2 all-time among GW student-athletes in both goals (44) and points (96) behind only fellow Hall of Famer Chemar Smith, and her 61 points in '86 are 21 more than any other Colonial for a single season in the program's history.
After graduating with a degree in Exercise Science, Kelly played a season of pro soccer with the New Jersey Wildcats before going on to earn her master's degree at the University of West Florida, where she also coached its soccer program.
Through the years, Kelly has pursued her passion for education as a college professor/author and music as a singer-songwriter who has been part of bands that opened for national headliners like Pat Benatar, Train and Gavin DeGraw. Today, she's pursuing a solo career and set to release a new album of inspirational songs titled Avalon Rose in the spring.
Kelly will officially be inducted soon into the GW Athletics Hall of Fame, alongside seven other celebrated individuals and one historic team.
As she prepares to take her place among the athletic department's all-time greats, Kelly looks back on a tremendous career in Buff and Blue in the first edition of our Hall of Fame Spotlight series.
What does going into the GW Athletics Hall of Fame mean to you?
"I'm super humbled and honored, especially after all these years. My time at GW is just really nostalgic for me. Both playing on the soccer team and then also just taking in the history of the city. I used to run around the monuments almost every day, and I would meditate at the Potomac. I found myself. I found a really cool place inside of me when I was at GW. I was very honored to get the call from (Director of Athletics Tanya Vogel) and have a really great conversation with her, as well."
What was it like during that first season to find instant success individually and help the program grow as well?
"That first year when I came in from Mercer County College, I just kind of played on instinct and learned as I went along. It was a great year for me. I was driven, and I had some really awesome teammates. That made such a difference. They were so supportive, and I was able to focus on what I had to do during the game to be the best that I could be. I knew my job was to score goals, so that's what I wanted to do."
Could you feel the program gaining more recognition and respect as your GW career went on?
"Yeah, that was really gratifying to kind of synergize my skills and my teammates' skills with the development of the program. There was a lot of talk about GW breaking into the top 20 for the first time. Our coach, Adrian Glover, was really, really proud of that. We were breaking new ground, and I was super excited to be a part of it."
It was a unique time in GW Athletics history. What do you remember about what made it special?
"It was just really cool for us. It was fun to practice down on the Mall. We'd practice down there and some other places. We were a team that was always on the road. Even our home field was at a park miles away. There was a sense of innocence about it, a sense of excitement about it, and I think we just made the best of it.
"We were happy to be playing and traveling. Adrian took us to England, and that trip was just wonderful. I had a lot of great experiences with my teammates, just getting to know who they were and the culture from where they came from and their histories. It was great to share that with them. Looking back, being in D.C. grew me up from a girl to a woman in so many ways."
What's your favorite memory from being part of the program?
"One of my best memories involves Rachael Raver, (her former teammate who was tragically killed shortly after their graduation). I remember that she was so excited to score a goal. I passed her the ball, and she scored a goal. Her whole energy and countenance lit up like 'Thank you so much, Diane.'
The girl's a complete angel, just one of those selfless people and players. She was hardly ever put up front (at forward), so I remember that as one of my favorite memories. It doesn't have a happy ending, but I was able to be of service to somebody and give them a highlighted moment that meant a lot. That stands out to me because this world's so transient, and we're all transients on the path of each other's lives. That moment stands out, of course, for so many reasons and words that I can't even find."
Out of your 44 career goals, is there one that stands out?
"I just loved scoring goals. I loved being in the 18 and wanting the ball and just having this mystical force come over and put the ball in the net. Bam. It's a done deal. It's God's gift. God gave me a gift, and I tried to use it to the best of my ability to help the team and just have some fun.
"To be honest, every day was special for me. I'm not sure my favorite memories even involve scoring goals. It was just being around and making a difference in people's lives and what the game of soccer does to you as an athlete. It's the camaraderie and the exciting experience of being part of something bigger than yourself with an amazing group of women."
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