An early childhood education major with aspirations of being a preschool teacher, freshman De'Mean Bond has contributed greatly to the success of the Kean University women's basketball team. 

So far this season, the freshman has received two New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Rookie of the Week awards, which is an indication of her positive persona and evident passion for her sport. 

In a victory over Ramapo College on Saturday, January 28, 2017, Bond earned her 10th double-double of the season with 21 points and 22 rebounds.  

The college rookie began playing basketball during her freshman year of high school. She started playing just to play, but once her coaches began showing interest in her skill, she continued to perfect her craft. 

Bond attributes her decision to play basketball at Kean University to Head Coach Mandy King and Assistant Coach Brian Erickson, as they came to many of her high school games, which meant a lot to her. 

As soon as she met the players on the team, Bond knew she was in the right place.

"I came to one of the practices and it felt just like home as soon as I came to the practice," Bond said. 

Even with her new teammates being friendly and welcoming, making the transition from high school to college while adapting to an entirely new team was challenging. 

"In high school, I was used to basically everybody that was on my team [because] we've all been together from AAU [Amateur Athletic Union]," Bond said.

But getting to know a new group of girls ended up not being as hard as she thought it would be. Now she feels really close with her team, as the upperclassmen and captains eased her transition and adjustment to a new school and new teammates. 

"They talk to me if I'm feeling down," Bond said. "In the beginning because I was having a really, really hard time adapting to everything, they really talk to me and get [me] through everything."

King and her coaching staff maintained high expectations for the incoming freshman class, and they have met every expectation while taking the program to a new level. 

"I think it's always difficult to make that transition from high school to college, but we had a great core group of older players, especially at our sophomore class and in our Senior Captain Jaquetta Owens," King said.

These upperclassmen were able to teach underclassmen the brand of basketball that they have developed and continue to believe in, which enabled the freshmen to make the team's culture even better. 

As per King, Bond's youthful excitement has contributed greatly to the team's overall chemistry and culture.

"I think she's meant everything to it," King said, "I think it's really hard to have a bad day when you're around De'Mean."

Although she is a very serious competitor on the court, she also makes playing basketball fun.  

"She just kind of reminds us on a daily basis that we're really, really lucky to have this opportunity to play a game we love with the people we care about and it doesn't get any better than this," King said. 

Bond's teammates and coaches motivated her throughout the season to develop into the player she is today. 

"When I have people that constantly push me and show me that I can do something, it just makes me keep going," Bond said. 

Playing on the women's basketball team at Kean University has also provided Bond with experiences that she has never had before. The team traveled to Puerto Rico before Christmas, where they played two games.

"That was my first time getting out [of] the country and getting on an airplane, so it was really cool," Bond said. 

King's goal for Bond is for her to continue playing the game she loves with competitiveness and passion. 

"I think when she does that, it fuels our entire team and we feel like we can't be beat," King said. 

King wants Bond to believe in herself and her teammates because they never know what can happen, whether it is positive or negative. 

"I think that's the biggest challenge, is just to enjoy every moment, embrace the grind as we go through a really tough NJAC schedule," King said. 

Bond is focused with one goal in mind for the remainder of the season: "To win the NJAC."

"You know, just to keep moving forward and help it to make us better as a team, closer as a team because in the end we will be cutting down the nets in Harwood Arena," King said.