When freshmen arrive at the University of Maryland (UMD), they’re placed in orientation classes designed to ease the transition into college life. But transfer students, many of whom come from two-year colleges and have already earned associate’s degrees, are often navigating a new campus, major requirements and social systems alone.
This gap sparked the creation of Transfer Cohort, a special academic and physical activity program just for transfer students in UMD's Department of Kinesiology. Spearheaded by longtime faculty members Dr. Andrea Liberto, Ed.D., MPH, Physical Activity Program Coordinator and Dr. Polly Sebastian-Schurer, Ed.D., Program Director, Department of Kinesiology, the program offers more than just an elective credit. It offers belonging.
“It fills fast,” says Liberto. “Students are constantly emailing me, asking how to get off the waitlist. We run two seven-week sections per semester just to meet demand.”
Community Through Movement
What makes the Transfer Cohort unique isn’t just its curriculum, it’s the method. Half of the program takes place in the classroom, where students get help with resumes, internship prep, and academic advising tailored to their goals, whether it’s physical therapy, occupational therapy, or medical school.
The other half? Pickleball.
“I’ve always said the magic happens in the activity,” says Liberto. “Freshman orientation classes create natural bonds, but transfer students miss that. So we created an experience where the court becomes the connector.”
Pickleball is the perfect medium. It’s easy to learn, social, low-pressure, and, as Sebastian-Schurer describes it, “a safe space to mess up together.” Even students who have never played before quickly realize they’re not alone, and that vulnerability opens the door to real connection.
Sebastian-Schurer, who has been with UMD for over 16 years and focused her dissertation on this very program, saw that community emerge right away: “When Andrea was first teaching the cluster, I could see it, these students were forming friendships, supporting each other. It wasn’t just about the game. It was about feeling like they belonged.”
More Than Just a Class
The Transfer Cohort helps students integrate both socially and academically. Sebastian-Schurer and Liberto don’t just teach, they guide. Sebastian-Schurer uses her advising background to help students plot their career paths, polish grad school applications, and even talk through interpersonal challenges, like how to build friendships or ask for help in difficult classes.
“They start asking each other for help in anatomy, or sharing internship leads,” says Sebastian-Schurer. “That doesn’t happen when people feel isolated. Pickleball breaks the ice in a way the classroom alone can’t.”
Students meet three times a week, which reinforces those bonds. Many stay connected long after the course ends, some even go on to play in tournaments together, join the Pickleball Club at UMD, or organize casual games on the campus courts. It’s a ripple effect that continues beyond the classroom.
JOOLA is proud to support this initiative by providing paddles, training videos, and additional resources. Every student in the program receives a JOOLA Agassi Edge paddle to take home, a tool not only for the course but for continued play and practice.
“We use pickleball as our vehicle for creating community,” Liberto explains. And JOOLA is right there with them, equipping students with the tools they need to build confidence on and off the court.
Through our instructional materials, students arrive at class already familiar with the basics, ready to engage. For some, it’s the beginning of a lifelong love of the sport. For others, it’s a way to lead. More experienced players are given opportunities to lead class drills, run warmups, or mentor their peers, developing leadership skills that translate far beyond the gym.
A Model for Success
With over 750 students in the Kinesiology major, it's easy for transfers to feel lost in the crowd. But not in this program. “We always tell them: you’re not a transfer student. You’re a Maryland student,” says Sebastian-Schurer. “Helping them believe that, and giving them the space to grow into it, is everything.”
Since the program’s relaunch, Sebastian-Schurer and Liberto have seen the impact firsthand. More students are arriving on campus with prior pickleball experience. Others are picking it up for the first time and finding a new passion. Some stay involved through campus clubs, while others bring their skills back home or into their workplaces.
“Pickleball is transferable,” Sebastian-Schurer says. “If you end up in a corporate environment where everyone golfs, but you’ve never swung a club, think back to this. You picked up pickleball in a few weeks. You can learn anything."
The Transfer Cohort at UMD isn’t just a class. It’s a blueprint for how sports can build bridges—across schools, cities, and stages of life. At JOOLA, we’re honored to play a role in that journey, one paddle at a time.
-- By Corey Bockhaus, reprinted with permission.