Since Ainsley Adams (12) first started playing hockey at the age of 5, she has fallen in love with the sport. It wasn’t long until she was playing for a team ranked 10th in the state, drawing the eyes of recruiters. 

So, when the club team that had been a major part of her life for the last three years decided to bring in another goalie without telling her, even after she had already verbally committed mid-February of last year, it was a huge shock — one she wouldn’t stand for. 

“It felt very unfair,” Adams said. “The fact that I was told through the grapevine and not directly from my team just made me feel very bad about a lot of things.”

Immediately, she began researching teams that she could play for, emailing coaches in hopes of a fresh start. One team, the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite Hockey, ranked 37th in the 2024-25 USA Women’s 19U Tier 1, had seen Adams play and asked to set up a call the next day.

“It was kind of like, oh my gosh, somebody wants me,” Adams said. “My old team doesn’t want me, but here’s another team that is a lot better that wants me.”

When the call ended, she had secured a spot on Pens Elite. In less than 24 hours, Adams had made a decision that would uproot her life to Pittsburg. 

The transition was far from easy. Even before she moved, things seemed to be out of control. Adams wasn’t able to own an apartment at 17, so finding somewhere to live was difficult. But only two days before leaving for  Pittsburgh, one of her teammates’ offered up her basement. 

From there, she had to make completely new routines and friends, and navigate living on her own for the first time in her life. 

“It seemed as though every time I thought I had found my footing, there was another obstacle thrown at me,” Adams said. “I was always trying to fight for ice time or worried about my grades slipping.” 

There wasn’t anyone she knew well enough to talk to about these problems either. Adams had moved into someone’s basement that she didn’t know, and was still figuring out how to create a good relationship with them. She wasn’t in a position to ask them for serious advice. 

“It was crazy, really weird,” Adams said. “A lot of learning each other, and getting over the quirks. Everybody is different, every family is different and they are very different from my family.”

But it wasn’t just a new environment she had to adjust to–it was a lifestyle. She had transferred from public school to a private Catholic institution, meaning she had to adapt to religion classes and daily prayers, something she had never experienced before. But even beyond the curriculum, the cultural shift was striking. 

“It was a complete 180 from public school,” Adams said. “The political ideology I am surrounded by is extremely different. I went from a very liberal, inclusive, open-minded school to a conservative school that lacks diversity and inclusion to all.”

On top of this, she was handling over seven hours of practice every day. Her schedule was extremely overwhelming: school from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., then training from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., a short break for food, and then back on the ice from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“It was a lot on my body, just ‘go, go, go’” Adams said. “I felt like I was trying to find my footing while running a million miles a minute. And, I really loved it.”

After about two months, things started to fall into place. She had found her rhythm. As winter came and the number of tournaments decreased, she was finally able to catch her breath.

“[The team] were all so busy that we didn’t really think about getting homesick,” Adams said. “I was so happily busy that I didn’t have time to think about the change and process it until everything started slowing down.”

It wasn’t the same story for her parents. At first, they were totally against the idea of having their oldest child suddenly move away to a city they knew nothing about. 

“They’ve taken it pretty hard; I think it’s hard for them to adjust to not having that last year with me,” Adams said. “They weren’t able to process that junior year was my last year living at home, and so they are always saying that they miss me.”

On the ice, Adams has been able to train alongside elite international and national players. Even though her team faced several injuries and had to bring on new players in season, they haven’t let these setbacks take away from their growth. 

“We’ve had such a fun and successful season I honestly can’t really remember how many wins and losses we’ve had,” Adams said. “Even with changes in players, we have such an amazing staff and support system.”

Despite her new opportunities, Adams couldn’t help but miss home. East Lansing has always been a place she’s felt the most connected to that has shaped her ideals.

“I definitely like the messages spread there more than the ones I’m currently surrounded by,” Adams said.

Initially she considered transferring back for the second semester, as she had always dreamed of walking across the Breslin floor at graduation. But, with loads of paperwork and the potential inability to play lacrosse here, the logistics made it nearly impossible.

“I like where I am now,” Adams said. “And as much as I love EL, I don’t think I need to go back. I love the change and am so grateful to be here – I would not change it for the world”