Nienke's blog

Going to the United States as an International Student-Athlete

Studying abroad as an international student-athlete is a big adventure and an exciting and informative experience for young students. However, moving to a whole different country can be a lot to take in and it will take some adjusting. 

An athlete’s greatest wish is to keep being able to grow in their skills and to keep learning and getting better. Sometimes that means taking things to the next level, like moving to a different country to become a student-athlete in college or university. Being a student-athlete teaches people that if you want to be successful, you must know what it means to be part of a team. College athletics helps people grow as a person, which then also helps them grow as an athlete.

Diversity is a great strength when it comes to playing sports. A team with a broad range of backgrounds has a unique chance to attain a variety of skills and perspectives to enrich the team environment, the educational experience, and their development as a team. Having an international student-athlete on your team or being an international student-athlete on a team is a unique and exciting experience. But how does the international student experience the switch from playing in their home country to participating in college sports in the United States? What are some of the differences and how big are these differences for them?

I am going to interview (at least 3) student-athletes from different countries and sports to see how they have experienced the switch from their home country to the US. 

• Can you introduce yourself? What is your name? Where are you from? How old are you?
• How long have you been playing ….. (their sport)?
• What made you decide to come to the US?
• What are some of the biggest differences you have seen between playing sports in the US versus in your home country?
• Are these differences making/Did these differences make it harder for you to adjust to the American student-athlete life? 
• What was the hardest for you to get adjusted too when you first came here? How do you experience that now?
• What do you wish you would have known before you come to the US to make your transition easier?
• Do you like the sports culture better the way it is here or back home?
• How did the team respond to you when they learned that you were from a different country?
• What have you learned while playing sports here that has really impacted you?

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