The Experience of International Athletes
Adapting to a Completely New Environment
By Selin Ozdemir, Staff Writer
Recently, many international athletes have started coming to the United States to pursue their athletic careers while receiving an education simultaneously, something which is considered impossible for many countries outside of the US.
In many parts of the world, athletes are forced to choose between the sport they adore and the education they need. While moving to the US can solve this issue, adapting to a completely new environment is not always an easy task.
“When I arrived in the U.S., the hardest thing for me to adapt to was to play volleyball and study at the same time,” said Maria Cecilia, from Brazil. “I thought I could just focus on my studies, but we were practicing a lot and studying a lot. I learned how to study in an uncomfortable environment such as the bus while we were traveling for a tournament. Here I learned how to manage my time better. I am practicing for hours and studying for hours, and it is not a problem for me anymore.”
In addition to adapting to a completely different schedule, having to find new support structures around oneself is also an often overlooked part of transitioning to a new country.
“My first time playing here was definitely hard for me,” said Nikola Bartecka, a Lynn volleyball player from Czech Republic. “I missed my family so much, but my teammates made it easy for me to adapt. I had to get used to the different rules and to the practice style.”
At the end of the day, going to college is difficult for most students, but other factors can add up in life that make the process even harder. This can be even more challenging for students traveling to another country.
“The hardest part was getting used to having no friends,” said Aline Olegario, a volleyball player from Brazil. “I felt very lonely, I felt so much anxiety. I couldn’t adapt to the food, everything felt so processed. I was constantly eating so I gained so much weight, it affected my volleyball. Besides all of the negativity that have happened, I was able to overcome all of it, coped with my emotions and started to enjoy my life at Lynn University.”
Not many people can come all the way from their country to start a new life, but the difficulty of doing so has not stopped some athletes from paving the way to a better life. Students who are interested in showing support for Lynn’s athletes can do so by attending upcoming games, which can be found at https://lynnfightingknights.com/calendar.
