Half the World Away: An Insight into the Lives of International Student-Athletes
By Lucy Scothern
December 10, 2025
“Map with European Flags on Push Pins.” Pexels,
The opportunity to study in the U.S. on an athletic scholarship is increasingly popular among young athletes worldwide. NCAA coaches are recruiting talent internationally, particularly in sports such as soccer and field hockey, which hold stronger traditions in Europe. The appeal includes reduced or no student debt, access to extensive athletic facilities and the chance to experience a new culture.
“I think the hardest part is when you first move,” said Leonora Lynn, a graduate student from London and a member of the University of Maryland cross-country and track teams. “There’s an initial few days, the first few weeks that can be pretty tricky because you’re in a whole new place and you have no one to lean on.”
Adapting to a new landscape is never easy. Homesickness, culture clashes and balancing both academic and athletic responsibilities can cause issues when trying to settle in.
Lynn said one of the most difficult aspects of living abroad is missing family support during major athletic moments. “Not having your parents there to come and see you run is hard,” she said. “The feeling that you’re missing out with friends and family at home is sad.”
Echoing Lynn, freshman field hockey player Djuna Lorijn Eikelboom from Amsterdam said her biggest struggle is the fear of missing out. “Life at home just keeps going and your friends are going out without you,” she said. “You see all the videos and photos and that makes it extra hard.”
Maintaining communication with friends and family requires effort due to differing time zones. Lynn uses any free time to call her family as they are usually asleep by the time she finishes her daily schedule of class and practice.
“The time difference is kind of annoying sometimes because I'm busy until like 5 p.m. every day which is 10 p.m. in the UK,” she said. “At that time everyone back home is going to bed so it can be difficult.”
Freshman field hockey player Feliz Kuhne from Rotterdam said her family schedules calls early in the morning or late at night to accommodate both schedules. “The time difference is six hours,” she said. “I'll call my parents, sister and brother whenever I want or whenever they want to call me, but I mostly text my friends and otherwise it’s a planned call so it’s late for them and early for me.”
Cultural adjustments also play a big role in affecting the transition from one’s home country to the new one. Although England and the U.S. are both English speaking countries, Lynn said that the differences in humor are apparent, with many native students commenting on her British accent.
“People sometimes find my accent really strong when I say words differently,” she said. “Occasionally I pretend that I find something funny when it's not actually funny because it's American humor but it feels rude not to laugh.”
For Kuhne, her biggest cultural adjustment came from the approach towards sports in the U.S., noting its intense nature. “American culture takes sports very seriously,” she said. “Back home the field hockey and social life balance was very different and that has been hard. The people I’m living with do make it so much easier to adjust to the system though.”
Fellow Dutch teammate Eikelboom admitted that her assimilation to the high energy social culture in the U.S. is still ongoing. “People are very open and enthusiastic and it takes a lot of time to adjust,” Eikelboom said. “Sports wise people play so differently, use different tactics than in the Netherlands. “I still find it hard to accept or adapt to.”
Despite the obstacles, all three athletes said the positives outweigh the challenges they’ve faced. Lynn describes the experience of moving for college as a unique opportunity that any athlete presented the chance, should not turn down.
“It’s four years of your life, in a lifetime that time window is nothing, but it brings you so much world experience, which you're gonna be grateful for forever,” she said. “Even if you don’t like it, you’ve learned something new about yourself. You only live once, how cliché it may sound.”
For international athletes, the journey is demanding— but it is one they say is ultimately worth the effort.
“I think the hardest part is when you first move,” said Leonora Lynn, a graduate student from London and a member of the University of Maryland cross-country and track teams. “There’s an initial few days, the first few weeks that can be pretty tricky because you’re in a whole new place and you have no one to lean on.”
Adapting to a new landscape is never easy. Homesickness, culture clashes and balancing both academic and athletic responsibilities can cause issues when trying to settle in.
Lynn said one of the most difficult aspects of living abroad is missing family support during major athletic moments. “Not having your parents there to come and see you run is hard,” she said. “The feeling that you’re missing out with friends and family at home is sad.”
Echoing Lynn, freshman field hockey player Djuna Lorijn Eikelboom from Amsterdam said her biggest struggle is the fear of missing out. “Life at home just keeps going and your friends are going out without you,” she said. “You see all the videos and photos and that makes it extra hard.”
Maintaining communication with friends and family requires effort due to differing time zones. Lynn uses any free time to call her family as they are usually asleep by the time she finishes her daily schedule of class and practice.
“The time difference is kind of annoying sometimes because I'm busy until like 5 p.m. every day which is 10 p.m. in the UK,” she said. “At that time everyone back home is going to bed so it can be difficult.”
Freshman field hockey player Feliz Kuhne from Rotterdam said her family schedules calls early in the morning or late at night to accommodate both schedules. “The time difference is six hours,” she said. “I'll call my parents, sister and brother whenever I want or whenever they want to call me, but I mostly text my friends and otherwise it’s a planned call so it’s late for them and early for me.”
Cultural adjustments also play a big role in affecting the transition from one’s home country to the new one. Although England and the U.S. are both English speaking countries, Lynn said that the differences in humor are apparent, with many native students commenting on her British accent.
“People sometimes find my accent really strong when I say words differently,” she said. “Occasionally I pretend that I find something funny when it's not actually funny because it's American humor but it feels rude not to laugh.”
For Kuhne, her biggest cultural adjustment came from the approach towards sports in the U.S., noting its intense nature. “American culture takes sports very seriously,” she said. “Back home the field hockey and social life balance was very different and that has been hard. The people I’m living with do make it so much easier to adjust to the system though.”
Fellow Dutch teammate Eikelboom admitted that her assimilation to the high energy social culture in the U.S. is still ongoing. “People are very open and enthusiastic and it takes a lot of time to adjust,” Eikelboom said. “Sports wise people play so differently, use different tactics than in the Netherlands. “I still find it hard to accept or adapt to.”
Despite the obstacles, all three athletes said the positives outweigh the challenges they’ve faced. Lynn describes the experience of moving for college as a unique opportunity that any athlete presented the chance, should not turn down.
“It’s four years of your life, in a lifetime that time window is nothing, but it brings you so much world experience, which you're gonna be grateful for forever,” she said. “Even if you don’t like it, you’ve learned something new about yourself. You only live once, how cliché it may sound.”
For international athletes, the journey is demanding— but it is one they say is ultimately worth the effort.