Transferring schools halfway through one’s athletic and academic career is not how most high school athletes predict their college experience to look like. But according to Oury Diane (junior), one of the newest recruits to the men’s soccer team, making the switch from being a winger at Connecticut College to forward here at Occidental this fall has left him with no regrets.
“Soccer has always been a language to me, like, to get to know people. Most of the lessons I know [are] through soccer,” Diane said.
According to Diane, from his upbringing in Guinea to his time in Connecticut, soccer has long been a part of his life. After spending a year at Connecticut College, which won the NCAA DIII championship in 2021, Diane said he wanted more after feeling as though he could not properly showcase his abilities on the field.
“That’s when I started looking at schools so I could go somewhere where I could be appreciated and be able to play a sport I love,” Diane said.
According to Diane, he enjoyed his time at Connecticut College and keeps in touch with his prior teammates and his transfer was more due to a pull to come to Occidental rather than a push to leave his team.
Cooper Gersch (sophomore), said that after playing soccer at Whitman College for a year he wanted a change in scenery in terms of not only athletics, friends and campus culture, but also the opportunity to be a kinesiology major which was not available at Whitman. But according to Gersch, during the time he was deciding what schools to apply to, he found out he had torn his meniscus.
“I decided to take the gap semester and just work at home, recover and do rehab and find the school that was perfect for me,” said Gersch. “I wanted to take the jump and try this Spring semester thing out and I’m very glad I did.”
Gersch said that while his injury and the switch to playing on Occidental’s men’s soccer team was unexpected, it also taught him a lot especially in terms of his relationship with soccer.
“No matter how many bad things you go through, it kind of taught me that I’m here, and I’m happy here. It all led me to this and kind of enjoying it while I can… [and trying] not to take every day for granted,” Gersch said. “I’ve just learned to kind of enjoy the little things a bit more.”
As some of the newest editions to the Occidental men’s soccer team, both Diane and Gersch said the team and their coaches have made their transition feel supported and enjoyable.
“The transition was very smooth,” Diane said. “Teammates, coaching staff, people here are all really happy to have me here and I was happy to be here.”
According to another transfer, Logan Rooney (junior), the switch from playing DI baseball at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to DIII at Occidental was prompted by a push to consider moving.
“[The] biggest reasons why I left UMass were not liking the coaches and not really feeling that bond with the team, other people on the team and not really being excited about going to practice every day,” said Rooney.
In initially choosing the UMass Amherst, Rooney said that the allure of going to a DI school led him to rush into committing before taking a tour, speaking with coaches and understanding the campus’ culture. According to Rooney, while at UMass Amherst, he did not enjoy playing and felt anxious when it came to games which made him want to go somewhere else.
“It is a game. It’s for kids. And I kind of have this privilege to play it longer than other people and I really appreciate that,” Rooney said. “It shouldn’t be a source of stress; it should be a source of joy.”
Similarly to Gersch, Rooney said Occidental’s kinesiology program aided in his decision to choose Occidental. But according to Rooney, by the time he made the decision, the fall application deadline had passed, leading him to take a semester off and join this spring. But despite coming later than anticipated, Rooney said that the adjustment with the team and coaches has been great.
“They’ve just been amazing. Just bringing me in with open arms,” Rooney said. “Even though I’ve only known these guys for two weeks, I honestly can say that that’s the type of relationship that I that I really want with these people. I genuinely feel like they got my back.”
In coming to Occidental, Diane, Gersch and Rooney said that while adjusting to a new school and new teammates is not without some unpredictability, their time so far within the Occidental community has been positive. Most importantly, according to Diane, Gersch and Rooney, the change has led them to have a more valued and enjoyable relationship with their sports.
“For example, this morning I’ll get up [and] put on a random highlight video of two college teams playing and I’ll have that excitement,” Rooney said. “I’m really excited. And I just can’t imagine that passion ever really going away.”
Contact Anissa Basnayake at basnayake@oxy.edu
