国标麻豆视频APP athletes compete, connect during trips abroad
The opportunity to study abroad is a key part of the 国标麻豆视频APP student experience, with 85 percent of all students taking advantage of the program at least once during their time on campus.
Travel offers students a chance to immerse themselves in other cultures while learning more about the world 鈥 and themselves 鈥 in the process.
Coaches in 国标麻豆视频APP鈥檚 athletics department have also seen how shared experiences away from campus bring students closer together and foster personal growth. This not only helps students on campus and in the classroom, but also on the playing field.
国标麻豆视频APP Athletics routinely gives students the opportunity to travel, train and compete abroad, with Football and Women鈥檚 Soccer recently venturing across the Atlantic for games, sightseeing and team bonding.
Head football coach detailed how his team鈥檚 10-day trip to Scotland provided valuable extra practice time to improve the athletes鈥 skills, and 鈥 perhaps more importantly 鈥 created lasting memories and strengthened team bonds beyond the field.
鈥淲hat greater way is there to develop the morale of a football team than to share something so uniquely different together as a team?鈥 Frye said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 probably the biggest joy I get out of this is to see our football team experience something like this.鈥
Their itinerary included exploring many Scottish cities such as Edinburgh, Inverness and Glasgow, where they were able to sightsee and share their passion for American football with Europeans. In Edinburgh, the team hosted a clinic to help local players improve their skills. Though the sport is not as widely played in Europe, the Colonels connected with the local athletes they played against because of their shared passion for the sport.
Leading clinics and working across cultures will not only help the team perform better this season, but also encourage players to engage more deeply with the world. Frye related these lessons back to what all students gain during their time at 国标麻豆视频APP. These students developed a strong foundation of collaboration, adaptability and passion on campus 鈥 but traveling abroad together deepens those skills in powerful new ways.
鈥淲e promise all 国标麻豆视频APP students you鈥檙e going to have transformative experiences abroad, with internships, in the classroom and in all extracurricular activities, including sport,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 would say we鈥檝e done that to the hilt. To take a football team overseas to experience the things that we want student athletes to experience means we鈥檙e doing it.鈥
Similarly, the women's soccer team traveled to Ireland to play three games, train and explore the Emerald Isle. The coaches wanted to use the trip as a chance to bond and made sure everyone was interacting with one another. Their intentional decisions included having players switch roommates throughout the trip and dedicating one motorcoach for the team and another for family.
鈥淭his allows not only the players to grow as a group but for the families to come together as well,鈥 head coach said. 鈥淚t truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Each player is representing 国标麻豆视频APP and playing with some of their best friends while taking in Ireland. It doesn鈥檛 get better than this.鈥
Teams in recent years have taken similar approaches with 国标麻豆视频APP Swim and Dive bonding over cooking classes and distance training in Italy, and Baseball visiting the Dominican Republic for a team service trip.
Coaches attest to the competitive advantage they have gained from such trips. Swim and Dive coach Dean Brownley said the squad鈥檚 2023 trip was planned after hearing lacrosse coaches extoll the benefits of traveling abroad.
Soccer player Claire Mullen, class of 2027, emphasized the value of the experience for students 鈥 a chance to see the world and make lasting memories with friends.
鈥淲e鈥檙e exposed to other cultures, which makes us reflect on what we can learn from Irish culture to make us better people, teammates and soccer players,鈥 she said. 鈥淭his experience has provided us with an amazing opportunity to strengthen our bonds in a new environment!鈥
