Melissa Niu

I’ve had a lot of friends get blind sided or screwed over in the last 48 hours 💔 so I won’t apologize for my take on the transfer portal. There’s a lot of good coaches out there doing it the right way. Some are winning. Some are still rebuilding. There’s also a lot of good athletes out there who are truly in need of a new environment. But let’s just call the last 48 hours for what it is - this isn’t about the student-athlete experience anymore & this isn’t about coaches putting the athletes first - It’s about people looking out for their best interest and finding EASY ways out. I personally never believed that’s what athletics was about. And I’m going to choose to believe what we witnessed the last few days is a reflection of 1% of interactions happening in programs. I’m going to choose to celebrate the amazing coaches I know for pouring into their athletes bc I know they outnumber the bad guys. Thank you to the coaches who are still “doing it the right way.” Thank you to the coaches who aren’t afraid to be tough on their athletes. Thank you to the athletes who go in and have hard conversations with their coaches. Thank you to the athletes who show up the next semester knowing they have to make improvements and take on that challenge willingly. Thank you to the parents who tell their kids not to give up. Thank you to the parents who say, “Trust & listen to your coach.” Thank you to the club directors who learn enough about college programs to be able to offer proper guidance to their athletes. Thank you to the club coaches who respond, “She’s not interested in transferring.” In the ever changing landscape of athletics let’s choose to be consistent in what matters to young adults - student-athlete development both on and off the court, which includes accountability for your actions, communication with adults, making hard choices, & being a team player. And if you made it this far - I hope you find a new place to play or I hope you find the player that can be loyal to you, or I hope your kid ends up happier wherever the road leads. Peace, love & volley.