Where Are They Now?

As St. Paul Central played in the Girls Class AAAA State Basketball Tournament this year, two of the most distinguished faces in the crowd were former Minutemen themselves. Linda Roberts and Lisa Lissimore were members of the Central team that won the first-ever Minnesota girls basketball State Tournament title in 1976 and have earned many achievements since their high school days. Although the two women grew up in a time when Title IX drew controversy, they played sports at the Oxford Recreation Center in St. Paul and say that they never experienced the negative side of being a female athlete. "We were very blessed to grow up in such a supportive community," Lissimiore said. "In all honesty, I didn't even really notice the difference that Title IX made because we were always given equal rights." After developing their skills in youth leagues, the two became key players for Central and led their team to a successful season and state title in 1976. That season, Central beat Benilde-St. Margaret's 49-47 in the championship game. "We had lost to Benilde earlier in the year 47-49 so it was a huge victory for us," Roberts, who was a junior on the team, recalled. Referred to as the highlight of both their high school careers, the game is remembered fondly by Lissimore, who was one of the younger players. "As a sophomore that year, I was proud to have made the varsity team," Lissimore said. "By the end of the season, I had earned the starting guard spot and was able to play a huge role for our team." Roberts went on to the University of Minnesota and played a vital role on the Gopher team from 1977-81. With All-American and team MVP honors among her many accolades, Roberts' No. 21 jersey was retired in 2006 and is something that she is most proud of. It took 25 years for her efforts to be recognized, but Roberts was honored with a night she'll never forget. Roberts' goddaughter brought out the ceremonial ball, old teammates joined her on the floor as the jersey was being raised and a reception was held at the sports pavilion after the game. "My friends in the marketing department did a great job of promoting the event and it ended up being a packed house," Roberts recalled with a smile on her face. As the Director of Special Events and Outreach for the U of M Athletic Department, Roberts is able to draw from her own experience as a student-athlete. Her goals are to build and replenish relationships between student-athletes and the surrounding community. By setting student-athletes up with mentors and opportunities to connect with kids in the community, Roberts believes that everyone involved benefits. "I want to build a support system so that the star athletes coming in from small towns will feel comfortable here and our kids in the community would have positive role models," Roberts said. Both Roberts and Lissimiore site their parents as the most influential people in their lives. "My mother was very affirming growing up," Lissimore stated. "Education was always important but I don't think either my mom or Linda's mom understood the whole basketball thing until they saw us in Central's uniforms." Their moms quickly noticed the value of sports participation as both women earned scholarships to go to college. After graduating from Central in '79, Lissimore played her freshman year at Grand View College. She transferred and spent her sophomore year at the University of Minnesota before rejoining her team at Grand View and captaining the squad her junior and senior years. Lissimore had the honors of being inducted into the school's Hall of Fame three years ago. Lissimore currently works as an Associate Director for the Minnesota State High School League. She is in charge of marketing and promotions for events and manages several state tournaments including girls basketball. "I'm very pleased to work for the MSHSL and be a part of the high school athletic community for 19 years," Lissimore commented. "Making opportunities available to all girls in the athletic field is something I'm proud to be a part of." Both Lissimore and Roberts learned vital life lessons through their athletic experiences. "Teamwork, goal-setting and over-coming adversity are three big things that I learned," Lissimore said. Roberts feels that being a part of athletics made her a well-rounded person and gave her a chance to develop leadership skills. By starting an evening basketball clinic after college, they have been able to share some of their experiences with young girls and give back to the St. Paul community. The "Shooting Stars" clinic has been running for 20 years and has touched the lives of hundreds of girls. When asked about Central's success over the last couple years, the women seemed proud to have been such an integral part of the program but focus on the bigger picture. "It is great to see St. Paul Central back in the hunt for State championships," Lissimore said. "Winning brings a community together."