It is that time of year where many college athletes have been deprived of playing time and dislike the program that they are competing for. Most of these athletes are in the process of deciding, or have already decided, to transfer and play for another school. Athletes who decide to transfer either make the best, or the worst, decision of their lives.

Wayne State women’s basketball has been very successful this year, with a record of 23-3. We have a solid program and girls who know how to work together.

The team has a total of 13 players, five of whom are transfers.

Jordan Spencer, Millie Niggeling, Sadie Murren, Haley Moore, and myself. Being a transfer is tough, because you are so used to the way a certain coach is and a different playing style, and transitioning to a new program is difficult. But overcoming that type of adversity makes you that much stronger of a player and much more coachable. All five of us transferred to Wayne State for one ultimate reason: to win.

We knew that coming to Wayne State would be a complete change because Coach Kielsmeier is so intense, and runs his program differently than we were used to.

Each of us transferred from all different areas of the United States. Jordan Spencer is a senior this year who transferred her sophomore year from University of Nebraska Omaha. Millie Niggeling is also a senior who transferred from the University of Massachusetts. Sadie Murren is a junior who transferred from the University of Lincoln. Haley Moore is a sophomore transferred from Eastern Michigan University. Lastly, I transferred from Gillette College in Gillette, Wyoming. All of us have different backgrounds, with the same passion to be successful.

We all had different reasons for coming here. “I transferred to be back closer to home and I like being in Wayne because my parents can make it to all of our home games,” Moore said.

“I transferred because UNO went to Division I, and I would not be able to play for any championships for the rest of my career because of NCAA rules,” Spencer said. “I also like it here because of the team. We are all so close and truly go out there with everything we have, and we all care about winning as much as we care about each other.”

“I transferred because I wanted more of an opportunity to impact a team on the court,” Murren said. “I love it here. I love my teammates, and the success we have had this season is a testament to how hard the team and coaching staff work.”

My experience was somewhat different than the rest. I came to Wayne State after graduating from a junior college, and the decision to come here was easy after meeting Coach Kielsmeier. His coaching style was a perfect for me, with his level of passion and dedication for the game.

All of us share our past stories with one another, and with the exception of Murren, we each came from a team with a lack of discipline, and our teammates didn’t have the drive to win a National Championship like all 13 of us have now. All of us agree that transferring to Wayne State was the best decision that we could have made regarding our basketball careers. “Coach has specific plays that allow each of us to be successful,” Spencer said.

I agree, he knows each of our strengths and weaknesses. He coaches us hard, and wants what is best for us on and off the court. Coaching style is one of the main differences from our other schools. He knows the game so well, and has been coaching for 15 years.

“When I transferred here, I was almost in shock. The way coach is able to understand all 13 of his players, and make us go, was different compared to Umass,” Niggeling said. “We try harder during warm ups here than my team ever did in a game.”

For all athletes who transfer, they may not feel as positive about their decision as all five of us do, but my advice would be if you aren’t happy in your current program, it wouldn’t hurt to try something new and find a team and a coach that fits your style of play.