The decision to take up basketball over football turned into a Hall of Fame career for Moose Jaw’s Troy Gottselig.
Gottselig was named one of five athletes and builders in the Class of 2024 for the Moose Jaw and District Sports Hall of Fame.
He learned that he had been nominated by his former high school coach Lorne Armstrong for the honour through his brother Mark. While they tried to keep it a secret, Gottselig was told to expect a phone call.
The next thing he knew, he was taking a call from Moose Jaw and District Sports Hall of Fame Chair Larry Graham, letting him know that he was being inducted.
"I was kind of caught off guard, but it was pretty humbling and a special feeling to be a part of that,” said Gottselig, who now resides in Abbotsford, B.C.
Born in Moose Jaw and raised on a farm near Findlater, Gottselig attended Peacock Collegiate, where he was a standout football and basketball player. He was named captain of the city and provincial champion 4A football team in 2005.
Gottselig was recruited by the University of Saskatchewan Huskies to play football but “being 180 pounds at 6-6 soaking wet, I don’t know if I was ready to take the hits at the next level.”
The decision turned out to be a good one as he would go on to have an outstanding career as a basketball player.
"Sometimes I look back and wonder if maybe I should have played the tight end position for Brian Towriss at USask, but I wouldn’t be where I am today with the kids I have now and my wife and career. It all worked out and all came full circle,” he commented.
He was recruited to play basketball at the junior level for CIS (now U Sports), but was considered not big or strong enough to play at the senior level. He decided to follow in the footsteps of his siblings and played basketball at Medicine Hat College, where he was named Most Valuable Player.
From there, he joined the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s basketball program from 2007 to 2010. He won the CIS title in his final year, the first national championship in the school’s history. Gottselig was named an all-star in the championship tournament and won the Jack Donahue Trophy as the tournament’s MVP.
After university, Gottselig made the Canadian Men’s Development Team and spent six seasons playing professional basketball across Europe and North America.
Despite playing professional basketball, he said the highlight of his career is still winning a CIS title.
“Even though I had a lot of success overseas, making money and playing with professional teams all over the world, it was never the same once money was involved. The good thing about university sport is that there is no money involved. You might have your tuition paid for or something like that, or if you go down south you’ll get a full ride, but all those guys are there for a reason and that’s for the love of the game,” Gottselig explained.
In 2013, Gottselig joined several of his ex-Huskie teammates to represent Canada at the FIBA 3X3 Basketball Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they qualified for the World 3X3 Tour Final in Istanbul, Turkey.
Giving back to the community was also a big part of Gottselig’s career. He ran an elite youth camp in Moose Jaw from 2016 to 2018 to give exposure to basketball players from across Saskatchewan.
"The reason I started the camp was to give some of these kids that were just like me an opportunity to get seen and noticed because otherwise they get lost in the shuffle or they are diamonds in the rough that never get the opportunity,” Gottselig said.
Gottselig credited his high school coaches for where he is today, saying although he never thought he was talented enough to get to the next level, it was his high school coaches that put him out there and sent tapes to college coaches.
Gottselig will be inducted into the Moose Jaw and District Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 alongside athlete and builder Ken Bradley from golf and athletics, speed skating builder Wally Boshuck, powerlifter Brian Montague, and long-time basketball referee Murray Swayze.
The induction ceremony for the Class of 2024 will take place on Sept. 28 at 5:30 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre. Tickets are $60 and are available at the Moose Jaw Events Centre Box Office, online at sasktix.ca, or by calling 306-624-2050. Tickets are on sale until this Friday.
Additional information about the Moose Jaw and District Sports Hall of Fame can be found at www.mjdshf.com or by emailing info@mjdshf.com.