Kelly Hutsell

Ashlea Kramer, Topeka senior, works out with her teammates from the Kansas women’s rowing team yesterday.

The three children in the Kramer family have all played college sports, and they’ve done it at different colleges.

The two oldest, Brandan and Lance, went to different colleges for football. Brandan was a tight end for Harvard and Lance was a full back for Kansas State.

The youngest, Ashlea, has been rowing at Kansas for four years.

It is no surprise, though, considering all of them grew up playing sports. Kramer was involved with basketball, volleyball and, her favorite, softball, which she started playing when she was 6 years old.

“They all started playing at a young age,” their father, Duane Kramer, said. “They were never forced into sports, though, and could always make their own decisions. Some received scholarship money and some didn’t. Sports were just something they always enjoyed.”

Their parents were always there for support and never forced sports on them, Ashlea Kramer said.

“They started us off young. My family has always been into sports,” she said. “Our parents have always watched us. They didn’t have to push us, we all just loved sports, and we always stuck with it. For me, I didn’t have any experience with rowing, but I loved being part of a team.”

Kramer originally wanted to play softball in college. She had offers from junior colleges in western Kansas, but she wanted to attend a Division I, four-year school where she could work toward her physical therapy degree.

She remembered Kansas rowing recruiters coming to Seaman High School in Topeka when she was a senior. That year, they were trying to recruit girls from in state, and they began mailing and calling Kramer.

“Someone called me about rowing at KU,” Kramer said. “I decided that I would try playing softball at KU first, and if that didn’t work, I would seriously think about rowing. Now I got to try another sport, and I’m really glad I did.”

The experience of playing college sports has been a positive one for all three of the Kramer kids. They loved the team aspect and enjoyed getting to know other people.

“You meet so many people,” Kramer said. “If I had not done rowing, I wouldn’t know any of those girls.

A friend of the family, Merlyn Stallbaumer, is happy that both their families share something in common: Both had kids who attended K-State and the University. The two families’ children grew up together, and the parents watched each other’s kids play sports at Seaman.

The family saw the women’s rowing team last year in Oak Ridge, Tenn., and last fall in Lawrence at the Kansas Cup.

“We have enjoyed watching Ashlea,” Stallbaumer said. “We watched her all through high school with basketball and volleyball.”

The lessons sports has taught Kramer will stay with her. She said she didn’t know what she would do without sports and the responsibility that comes along with it.

“People don’t understand how hard college sports can be,” she said. “It can be difficult at times to balance everything.”

Her brothers have successfully transitioned out of the sports world. Brandan is in his last year at the University of Kansas Medical Center, and Lance works with a construction company in Grand Junction, Colo.

Kramer will graduate in December 2005 and then work toward her master’s degree.

No matter where members of the Kramer family end up, their experiences with sports will always stick with them.

“After a year or two, I’m sure there will be an empty spot in their lives,” Stallbaumer said. “But because of that college team experience, it gives them a large plus for the rest of their life, a huge advantage.”

When Ashlea’s dad thinks back on her hard work, he can only be proud.

“I’m so proud of Ashlea,” Duane Kramer said. “It takes a lot of hard work, and Ashlea is always willing to put that in.”