Sports in the United States are really very important.

Many universities and schools have several teams, and everything is set up for the wellbeing of athletes.

The fields and facilities are of high quality and all the necessary medical staff are in place in the event that athletes are injured.

Every year, many foreign students decide to leave their country to continue their school and sports activities in the United States. It is a very hard choice because they are leaving their family and their friends for the first time for the most part.

It is helpful to understand their motivations and feelings about their new lives.

Personal testimony

I am part of AIC athletics and I am international student freshman. I’m on the Cross Country team, and my event is 800 meters.

The team is really very welded – all the training is done in groups and there is team spirit. Team members are really invested in the overall team success – it’s really a good atmosphere. What is really motivating is seeing our efforts rewarded. In my personal case for example, after my first 6k cross country meet of my life it was hard, but I was elected rookie of the week of all clubs. Obviously after that we still want to train harder. We do not want to disappoint the team.

Exclusive interview

The YJ interviewed two of international athletes. They agreed to tell us a bit more about their impressions.

Iman Dumas is a 23 year-old from France. She’s a sophomore student in Business and is a member of the Track and Field team, her event is the 800m and cross country.

She’s been at AIC for a year now. According to Iman, coming to the United States to pursue her studies and the sport was an opportunity because she stopped Track and Field in France and would certainly not have resumed if she did not come over to the U.S., because here she found a team to motivate her and give her confidence to continue practicing. Overall, Dumas says she does not regret her decision.

Stefan Balan is an 18 year-old from Canada, and also a Business student. He is center back on the Soccer team.

We asked him what he appreciated here and on the contrary what he likes it a little less. The only negative point is the food. Other than that, he likes tranquility and calm on the campus – when there is free time he appreciates that there are plenty of places to visit.

He visited New York during a sports meeting; he tells us this memory with a lot of emotions because it was a good time that he was able to share with his team. It’s for moments like the one that Balan is happy to be in the United States.

Generally, international athletes do not regret their choice, they are welcomed here and do their best for their teams. It is a great change of life, sometimes difficult but necessary to evolve. The internationals discover a new culture and a new language and memories.