When Diane Rose Kelly got word that she was being inducted into the 2nd Annual Mercer County Community College Athletic Hall of Fame Class, it led to a moment of shock, followed by entry into a time machine.
“I was totally surprised to get the call,” the Lawrence Township native said. “It felt like a spin back in time.”
And what a spin it has been for a woman who has lived the epitome of a full life.
The condensed version, which is tough to get from the gregarious Kelly, is as follows:
It started with her athletic exploits in soccer and softball at Notre Dame High School and Mercer, and in soccer at George Washington University. She had a fling with a start-up women’s team, the New Jersey Wildcats, but was getting out-physicaled by opponents. “Truth be told I was now in a rock star body not a soccer body,” Kelly said with a laugh. “It was time to play for fun.”
She tended bar at Smitty’s Kicks for Mercer legend Bobby Smith, who she considered a mentor, and also worked his camps before gaining a master’s degree in Health Education, Fitness and Nutrition from the University of West Florida in Pensacola. The fun-loving Kelly also coached the women’s soccer team there from 1991-95 and had three highly touted New Jersey players in Theresa Thoma, Michelle Ogborn and Denise Picerno, “who were late for our first double session practice. I had them paint my condo in return for lateness.”
Upon meeting Nikki Thompson, the two formed the band JAYLA and played Florida beach bars, bookstores and restaurants. Kelly gave up coaching in 1995 and the duo moved to a more enriching music scene in Orlando, where Kelly served as an adjunct professor at several colleges. JAYLA headlined the Daytona 500 and opened for such acts as Pat Benatar, Train, Gavin DeGraw, Kansas, Styx, The Doobie Brothers, The Black Crowes and many others. “Super fun rock star stuff!” she exclaimed.
In 2005, Kelly followed her brother to California and taught physical education in Beverly Hills. JAYLA played in some major Los Angeles venues, while Kelly also mixed with former Lawrenceville neighbor Dan Lavery, a member of the bands Tonic and True.
The next several years she worked at Pierce College as an Associate Professor of Health and Kinesiology and was named Health Professor of the Year three times. Musically, Kelly embarked on a solo career in 2010 and became the author of four self-help books.
Now living in Georgia with her parents, Kelly is writing her latest book— There is No Goalie: How I Scored 126 in my Four Year Collegiate Women’s Soccer Career. Due out in the fall, it is a book about soccer, mindset and character.
It’s not surprising that soccer would be her latest writing project, considering it helped mold Kelly into the diverse woman she has become. As a child, she stood by at parties, shyly observering everyone else having a good time.
Athletics changed all of that.
“Sports taught me how to stand out and be a leader among my peers,” Kelly said. “In soccer and softball, my coaches and teammates helped me to build character, a healthy mindset and an understanding of how to relate to other people with a common goal: winning and playing together as a team.”
With her dad being transferred frequently due his job with Xerox, Kelly had various residences as a youth, going from Highland Park, to Cleveland, to Rochester, NY where she first began to play recreation soccer.
“We would play when it was snowing and in those days the balls were made of hard plastic,” she recalled. “I would come home with welts on my legs.”
It was then on to Danbury, CT, where Kelly played field hockey, softball and baseball. At age 14, Kelly moved to Lawrenceville and entered Notre Dame during her sophomore year.
“That first day when she came out for the team, it was super exciting because of her background of playing soccer,” said Sandy Koschek, ND’s former girls soccer and softball coach. “She was a no-nonsense person. She came out to practice every day, and was just so into practice.
“She worked hard every single day, there were days when she stayed after practice and practiced some more if something didn’t go right. She’d go home and practice after our practice. She was very, very driven.”
So much so that Kelly would load herself down while riding her Sting-Ray bike across Darrah Lane to a large target wall at Lawrence High where players could kick balls against.
“I would shove a soccer ball in between the seat posts, carry a gallon of water in one hand, while holding the steering wheel and holding my boom box in the other hand,” Kelly said. “That image makes me laugh when I recall it. I must have looked hilarious.”
She was joined by friend Donna Frascella, an LHS player, and ND teammate Julie Meagher.
“I remember the big, gigantic brick wall at the high school,” Kelly said. “Some days the grass was so high the ball would barely move.”
The work paid off. From 1982-84 Kelly played on a soccer co-state championship team, and in her junior and senior seasons she was All-Colonial Valley Conference, All-County and All-State in both softball and soccer. As a senior she was named the Lawrence Athletic Association’s Student-Athlete of the Year. In her three years Kelly scored 76 goals and left her mark on the program.
“She ranks right up there with Vicky Hebeler and (the late) Nicole Dennion as three of the top players who ever played at Notre Dame,” said Koschek, who coached the program for 37 years. “Diane played midfield then got moved up to line with Nicole and Vicky and she fit in with the two of them.”
Kelly remembers the moment it all began, when she scored her first high school goal at Eggerts Crossing’s Zimmer Field. The word “vividly” was invented to describe how well she recalls the moment.
“I had a mystical moment,” Kelly said. “I was dribbling the ball and I picked my head up to survey the field. I saw an open goal from about 35 yards out. I instantly shot the ball and watched it sail into the back of the net over everyone. The goalie was cherry picking out on the 18 yard line and I saw her in la la land for a split second. I made a choice that would shift my soccer career. It caught everyone by surprise and, well, elation rang out! I can still feel that moment as if it is happening now.”
That was just the start. From there she went on to score 82 career goals at Mercer, which was a NJCAA Division I record at the time. Kelly was All-American in soccer in 1984 and 1985. When Kelly made honorable mention All-American in softball in 1986, she became the first MCCC athlete to ever achieve All-America status in two sports.
Kelly played both sports for the late, legendary “Wild” Bill Drake at MCCC. Drake literally recruited her off the high school softball fields, as every time he officiated Notre Dame games he would put the bug in her ear about going to Mercer.
“Drakey brought out the best in me,” Kelly said. “He believed in me and my talent. When someone believes in you, you feel that you will do anything. Your personal best is all you have and sometimes we do not know what we can do on the field or in life until another person helps you bring it out of yourself. Coach Bill Drake was that person for me at Mercer County College for both soccer and softball.”
Then it was on to George Washington University, where she led the nation and set a single-season school record with 29 goals as a junior. She finished with 44 goals, placing her second on the school’s all-time list.
Soon it was on to the “real world.” After years of teaching; music and writing have become her passions and Kelly feels she can touch lives through both mediums. As a solo artist she recently recorded and co-produced an album, Avalon Rose, which is available on Amazon Music, Itunes and most digital mediums.
“I would love people to feel moved by my music,” Kelly said. “Nothing can move people like a song. I made my record with the best of intentions to uplift humanity and to create and share songs people can relate to. Hence the song (on the album), “Relatability!’
She is currently promoting the CD while writing her book. But her athletic career will always remain a backdrop to her life.
In 2000, Kelly was inducted into the Mercer County Soccer Hall of Fame. This past February, she got word during the same week this year that she would be inducted into the MCCC and George Washington HOFs.
When she got the call for Mercer, Kelly had to break her philosophy of always looking ahead.
“I am not much for looking back too long,” she said. “I am a ‘move on’ kind of woman. However, I do savor. The honor tapped into a wordless feeling of humility for the experiences. I dug out my scrapbooks and just dove in to reclaim the memories into my heart. It made me think of all the lives I touched and all the kids who looked up to me (through teaching and working camps). That’s cool! I love kids and I have been a big part of many young people’s lives over the years.
“I feel blessed to have been able to use my athletic skills at a top-notch level but to also have some amazing teammates, coaches, and parents. The Mercer athletic department was like family. Between Bill Drake, Puggy Malone, Al Leister, Carol Gibilisco, Lisa Camilone, Robert Pugh, Charlie Inverso and all the coaches and staff, it felt like family. This is what helps a kid get through. They were all mentors. They were all encouraging. When you walked into the Athletic office there was this vibe of unity and passion.”
That vibe goes back to high school, as Kelly made sure to request that Koschek came to the induction dinner.
“I’m extremely proud of her,” Koschek said. “She called me months ago and asked if I would go to the banquet and I was stunned when she said ‘You had a lot of influence on me, I would really like you to be there.’ It was awesome she thought of me after all these years and wanted me to be there.
“I’m not the least bit surprised that she’s done so well at everything she’s attempted. She was just one that responded well to no-nonsense – ‘Let’s get out there and have fun but we have a job to get done out there.’ She never complained about anything. She’s like a perfectionist. If it’s not right, she’s gonna keep working on it.”
And that dedication has led to an enriched and fulfilling life that still has a long way to go.
To learn more about Kelly’s music and books, email drosemusicfriends@gmail.com
Mercer County Community College Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Diane Rose Kelly recently released a music album called “Avalon Rose.” Kelly is a native of Lawrence Township.,
