Love of basketball takes Foote to Kansas Wesleyan

Louisburg senior Megan Foote recently signed her letter of intent to play basketball at Kansas Wesleyan.

When Megan Foote thinks back on her young life, there have been few constants that have been there like basketball.

Playing in her final season with the Louisburg High School program, Foote wasn’t ready to have that love leave her just yet.

On Jan. 20, in front of family of friends, Foote saw her dream of playing college basketball become a reality. She signed her letter of intent to join the Kansas Wesleyan program.

“I was extremely happy and relieved for the day to finally come that I could sign to Kansas Wesleyan,” Foote said. “The recruitment process is very stressful and I had many options to weigh. It means everything to me to be able to continue playing basketball, as it has been my dream for as long as I can remember.”

Picking a future home was tough for Foote to decide on, but once she made her visit to the Salina campus, Foote was wowed with what she saw and loved her conversation with head coach Ryan Showman.

“What stood out most to me at Kansas Wesleyan was the coaching staff and coaching style,” Foote said. “When I stepped on campus I immediately felt at home. Coach Showman and Jenkins made me feel welcomed right away.

“The community there is wonderful as well and in a wonderful place in Kansas. Their facilities were great as well. It was a pretty easy decision for me to make. The first time I visited campus, I wanted to call Coach Showman and verbally commit right away.”

Foote is joining a Coyote program that has experienced a lot of success in recent years.

Kansas Wesleyan, under Showman, captured the school’s first KCAC regular season league title last season, finishing with a 21-3 conference record. The Coyotes were 26-6 on the season and made their second straight NAIA National Championships. They won their first game of the tournament before it was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Foote says Showman, who has coached the Coyotes since 2012, will give her an opportunity to compete for playing time when she arrives on campus.

“The Kansas Wesleyan program fits me perfectly,” Foote said. “Coach Showman is a very relaxed and family-oriented man. He knows how to coach girls basketball, as he never loses his cool and respects his players. Kansas Wesleyan is a program that builds through their JV program. Most of their players start on JV and work their way up to varsity, but if a player is ready for varsity their freshman year, Showman is not afraid to play them. 

“They like to play pressure defense and work the ball outstandingly well. They don’t have just one star player, they have girls all around that contribute. Showman is the type of coach that will change his system to adapt to his personal. He studies his players well and knows what will put them in a winning position. I am excited to get on campus and show that I belong.”

The Louisburg senior is off and running in her final year with the Lady Cats as she has helped them to an 11-2 start to the season.

Foote has averaged eight points a game through 13 contests to go along with five rebounds, four assists and three steals a game.

“We’re excited about Megan joining our program,” Showman said. “She is a smart defender who plays extremely hard every possession. I love her ability to score at all 3 levels on offense. What I like most though, is that Megan gets the job done in the classroom and is a leader who makes her teammates better. That will translate within our program. We’re excited to get Megan to campus to start working with her.”

Foote has spent 11 years playing the game she loves and she has had a lot of help along the way and she know she couldn’t have done it without them.

“It has always been a huge dream of mine to play basketball in college,” Foote said. “I can’t thank my coaches, Andy Melton, Jenny Diederich, Mario Washington, Jim Foote, Coach (Adrianne) Lane, John Ozier, and Suzanne Reedy enough for installing the love of the game in me. They have made me into the person and player I am today.”

As as excited as she is to get to college, Foote is looking forward to seeing what the rest of this season brings and she is hoping her Lady Cats, under head coach Adrianne Lane, can make a deep run.

“This season has been unreal,” Foote said. “From everything my team and I have endured the past couple of seasons, especially last, we have proved everyone wrong. No one except for us, our parents, and coaches believed we could do as well as we are right now. And the best part is that we aren’t nearly done yet. I can’t say enough about Coach Lane and everything she has done for me. She truly brought back the joy and happiness I once lost for basketball, while also making me into a more efficient player. 

“The Louisburg program has not only helped grow me into the player I am, but also the person I am. I have learned to stand up for myself and my teammates. I also learned that what matters most is that we as a team have each other’s backs and will always fight for each other no matter the score or cause. Basketball is much more than who can score the most, it’s a family atmosphere and the Louisburg program has taught me that.”

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