Not so long ago, the experience Frode Flos van der Schans has gone through with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s basketball program was the norm in college sports: A student-athlete is recruited to one school, signs, develops, improves, and when his or her turn comes, is ready for the opportunity, all of this happening with the same program.
Things shifted significantly during the current decade. The NCAA transfer portal was made more alluring, not only to athletes seeking playing time (or more of it) after changing schools became easier due to relaxed rules regarding immediate eligibility, but to athletes seeking money (or more of it) from NIL deals when those became permissible five years ago and/or, as of this school year, via revenue sharing from the athletic programs directly.
As a result, staying somewhere for multiple years when playing time isn’t immediately obtained is more frowned upon than lauded by athletes these days. Which is why the ascension of van der Schans, a 6-foot-4 forward from the Netherlands, into the Mocs’ rotation has been special — because it’s been different.
Growing up, she was the youngest of four children in the family. She moved out of her childhood home in Amsterdam when she was 15, having been taught by her mother to be independent — “When I moved out, I was ready to be in a big world,” she said — and learned competitiveness from wanting to be better than her siblings.
Van der Schans grew up singing in the choir and performing in theater, but her height suited basketball (as well as volleyball, which she also played when she was younger), and she got something from time on the court that her other pursuits didn’t provide.