Amber Kistler accomplished many goals while attending Western Nebraska Community College the past two years while playing for the Cougar women's basketball team. The one goal she didn't accomplish, though, was playing in the national tournament. Kistler will try to accomplish that goal next year as she will take her skills on and off the court to Concordia University where she will play basketball. Concordia is located in Seward.
The Bayard High School 3-sport star was also looking at Kentucky Wesleyan, Metro State and a couple of places where she was considering walking on, before deciding on Concordia.
"I choose Concordia because Coach [Drew] Olson really sold his program to me, and he recruited me hard," Kistler said. "I wanted to be a part of a winning program right away and I can do that there. Also I can get an amazing education there and continue to play basketball, of course. Also, I will be closer to my family that lives up north [in South Dakota] and some friends who live in that area."
Kistler becomes a part of a Concordia team that finished last season 21-11 before falling in the first-round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament to Indiana Wesleyan. It was the Bulldogs' third straight appearance at the national tournament.
Kistler's goals at Concordia is to continue improving on the court and in the classroom.
"I want to excel in the classroom and I want to be an All-American," she said. "I want to continue to grow as a student and a ball player."
Kistler definitely made strides on the court at WNCC, where she was a key sixth player during her freshman year and then started every game her sophomore year, while being one of the team leaders on and off the court. Kistler averaged 10 points and four assists a game last season for the 24-8 Cougars.
Kistler said coming to WNCC was one of the best choices that she could have made.
"I can say that being with Coach [Dave] Harnish for two years could not have been any better," she said. "He taught me so much and I would not be the player I am today without him. It's quite the change going from high school ball to college ball and in order to play, I had no option but to get better. I think I owe a lot to the coaches and my teammates for the athlete I am today."
Kistler came to WNCC as a decorated athlete from Bayard, where she was all-conference in volleyball, basketball and track and field. She said couldn't imagine what she would be doing now if she wouldn't have came to WNCC.
"Wow, I can't even imagine what I would be doing," she said. "I probably would be working, wishing I would have went to school and regretting not playing basketball."
Well, she doesn't have to worry about that. Kistler not only excelled on the court, but she was successful in the classroom as well. She also was active in WNCC activities, serving as a Resident Assistant in the dorms as well as being a Student Ambassador. She also worked on the college newspaper, The Spectator, as well as earning a Phi Theta Kappa academic all-American honor.
Kistler said that being involved in activities outside of sports helped her shine as a person. She said academics is more important than being a good player.
" Being academically strong will get me and most other student-athletes farther than any sport could ever take them," she said. "Your education is something no one can ever take away from you. I really enjoy helping my teammates and others when they need it with class work or anything. In 10 or 20 years, people are not going to remember how many points I scored in a game, but they will remember my character and what I have done off the court."
Kistler said she never gives up and battles through all down times that she experiences. It is that mentality that makes Kistler a role model to the younger kids
"I want to say I lead by example, but I am not perfect," she said. "I'll be the first to admit I make mistakes, but it is how I get back up when I fall down that matters. I try to be my own role model and live up to my own expectations and if I inspire people along the way then that's awesome."
Kistler said it is difficult to say goodbye to her WNCC friends and the community, but she is ready to begin a new chapter in her life. Kistler will major in pre-optometry at Concordia.
"I will miss Coach Harnish, Coach Jennifer Pedersen, all the rest of the coaches," she said. " Also all the instructors because they worked so much with my teammates and myself to make everything work, they are truly amazing. I will miss everyone because you cannot go to WNCC without getting close to all the faculty, it is like a big family.
"I just really want to thank everybody at WNCC and everyone in the community for supporting Cougar athletics. They are a huge part of the program."
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