Danielle Rogers found out firsthand how loyalty creates opportunity.
After a historic 2009-10 season for the Tennessee-Martin soccer team in which it won its first Ohio Valley Conference championship, Rogers watched as her team's success changed its whole dynamic.
Craig Roberts, the most successful coach in UT-Martin history, took an offer to become the new coach at Ball State. Starting sophomore goalkeeper Aubrey Buehler planned to follow Roberts to Ball State and compete for the starting job.
With two key pieces from the championship team gone, Rogers was left with a difficult decision: stay at UT-Martin or follow Roberts and Buehler to Ball State.
She chose Ball State.
"It was a very difficult decision to leave UT-Martin and so many things went through my mind," Rogers said. "I thought about it being my last year of college. Would my credits transfer to Ball State? I was leaving my life of three years at UT-Martin.
"But I feel like I made the right decision."
Along with starting 52 career games at UT-Martin, Rogers was coming off a season where she was named the OVC Defensive Player of the Year. She was going to be a senior, and leaving a program she helped build was difficult.
But Rogers knew going to a bigger school would be a great opportunity. She started her entire career under the direction of Roberts. The lure was too hard to resist.
Rogers' teammates are glad she transferred.
"There was never an awkward, ‘Oh, there is the girl from UT-Martin' moment with her," junior defender Tina Vanatta said. "I got to know her better this summer, and she is a very relaxed person and fun to hang out with."
Roberts was pleased Rogers joined him at Ball State.
"Danielle is very loyal and senses that I care a lot about my players and drive them," he said. "She has a respect for my knowledge base and knows I am very hard on my players, but the demand is for end-of-the-line success."
Rogers' performance on the field seems to suggest she made a wise choice.
She has started every match for the Cardinals, leading a defense that has given up only four goals in four games.
The defense has been key in Ball State's 3-1 record, its best start since the 2005 season.
Despite her short time in Muncie, Rogers said she feels like a team leader.
"It is just the type of player I am," she said. "I still am learning a lot about girls and the campus, so I can't be a leader off the field so much. But on the field it comes naturally to me."
With all the success she has had on the field, Rogers remains humble.
"It is my final year of college soccer, but it still feels so new to me," she said. "It is kind of crazy that I have only one year left."
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