Sports
After two years at Navy, Bell makes move to UMBC
Former Eastern Tech standout realized a future in the military was not right for her.
Madi Bell (Eastern Tech) knew before the Patriot League tournament last year that she planned to transfer after her sophomore season at the U.S. Naval Academy.
"The military was not for me," Bell said. "Being there two years I realized this is not what I want to do with my life. I want to be a teacher and it did not make any sense to be there."
Bell said if she signed papers before her third year at Navy she would have been obligated to serve five years in the military after college or else have to forfeit the full scholarship to the academy.
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The only problem was that Bell did not get her release from Navy until last May, after the season was over and after she had completed the spring semester. That meant that Bell, who played lacrosse and soccer at , did not know where she would be in college last fall and if she would be able to play lacrosse or have to sit out a season.
Navy gave her a release the day before her appeal hearing and Bell, who lives in Rosedale, decided to transfer to UMBC last fall. Since she did not have to sit out a year Bell is a junior midfielder and started for UMBC in a 19-7 win over George Mason on Feb. 11 in the first game of the season for the Retrievers.UMBC plays Feb. 23 at Florida.
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"When I transferred I did not know what I was going to do. UMBC did not recruit me in high school. I knew I wanted to stay close to home," Bell said.
The Eastern Tech grad also considered the teachers' education program at Towson but decided to attend UMBC.
"She understands the game already," said Kelly Berger (Hammond High), the head coach for UMBC who played in college at James Madison. "You don't feel you are teaching someone who is new to the (college) game.
"She has taken a good outlook on it and has adjusted as well. She does what you ask. You wish you had 20 more of her. She has such a good outlook on life in general. It shows on the field."
UMBC was 11-7 overall and 3-3 in league play in 2010.
"I am expecting big things from us. I am hoping to take the conference championship in the America East," Bell said. "We have a great attack. We have a lot of depth. I am starting to get a lot more confident.
"I see what my role is. I am getting used to my new role. I feel I can step back and be a leader. I know what is expected out there."
Bell started all 18 games as a freshman at Navy and had 22 goals and three assists. Last year she played in 20 games, with just two starts, and nine goals and five assists.
Bell said she told Navy coaches she planned to transfer after the 2010 season and that played a role in her decrease in playing time. She also suffered a thumb injury during her sophomore year at Navy.
Bell's boyfriend is Ryan Rivers, who graduated from Eastern Tech and now is in the minor league system of the Angels after playing in college at Charlotte. He is a first baseman who was drafted last June by the Angels. Bell's father, John played baseball at Calvert Hall.