By: Daniel Hurren
Being a student athlete in our modern day is no easy task. The NCAA reported that about 75% of U.S. Olympians competed in college and many Olympians were still in college at the time of competition. The American university system is the main feeder for every professional sport in the country as well as for our international competitions. This is noteworthy because these athletes are being tasked with performing at a world class level all while maintaining 15 credit hours an acceptable GPA and, up until a few months ago, not receiving a dime in cash compensation. It should come as no surprise that the Research Innovation Scholarship Entrepreneurship (RISE) found that “95% of male and 85% of female athletes reported higher stress compared to 52% of non-athlete students.” Now combine this with being from a foreign country and we get international student athletes; quite possibly one of the most stressful categories under which one can fall.
International student athletes are not only faced with the trials of navigating a new culture, a new language, a new education system and a new life but they must also maintain a rigorous training schedule, continue to maintain healthy nutrition habits, and compete on some of the nation’s most competitive stages. One who is not an athlete or is not an international student will not understand the difficulties experienced when an international student athlete first comes to the United States. International student athletes face extreme challenges affronting the new culture, the language barrier and the daily financial and general living demands in the United States.
Eastern New Mexico University Athlete from Kenya, Silvestre Kibarar, noted that in terms of culture, adjusting to the climate was one of the most difficult aspects of being an international student athlete.
Silvestre stated, “In Kenya, the weather is constant but here, we have snow in the winter and in the summer, it’s like a desert; that makes training hard”
Another Kenyan student athlete, Devis Cheruiyot pointed out emphatically, “The food here is much worse for training. In Kenya, all the food is organic; milk even comes directly from the cow but here, everything is processed”
While these major adjustments would be difficult for any student, we must keep in mind that these individuals must adjust to the new culture while maintaining a rigorous training schedule, often training twice per day. This can cause immense levels of, not only mental, but also physical stress as the body adjusts to new diet and weather.
While English is the most pervasive language in the world, most international students will face a grand and difficult language barrier as English is not their native language. Once again, international student athletes are in a double problem in this situation as they must not only overcome this language barrier in the classroom but also on the field of play.
Silvestre Kibarar is quick to point out, “the English spoken here is different from the English we learned in schools. I often feel that coaches can’t understand me, and I don’t fully understand them.”
Many of these international student athletes affront these difficulties from their very first day in the country. Silvestre even remembers struggling to receive and understand directions and instructions on his very first day in an American airport. These international student athletes are faced with enormous language barrier challenges and others who do not understand their plight expect them to understand everything and adapt immediately. These are things that must be understood by classmates and teammates.
Possibly the largest challenge faced by international student athletes is the issue of money. The F1 student visa on which all international students come to the United States stipulates that “F-1 students may not work off-campus . . . but may accept on-campus employment subject to certain conditions and restrictions” these restrictions are that the student may not work more than 20 hours per week (USCIS). Under any normal circumstances, the number of student employment opportunities on a college campus are extremely limited but during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, these employment opportunities have been almost impossible to find.
Devis Cheruiyot stated that as international student athletes, “You can’t just go to Walmart and start working”.
On top of the limited and often non-existent cash flow, often, one dollar is the equivalent to upwards of 100 units of foreign currency. This can often lead international student athletes to overspend. When a sandwich in your home country costs 500 units of currency but here only costs 5, it may seem like an amazing deal, and it becomes easy to spend without thinking. Many international student athletes have reported overspending tendencies during the first several months in their new country. This may be the most stressful of all aspects about being an international student athlete. The inability to earn money not only creates financial stress but it can be demoralizing when one is not able to use his or her talents and work ethic to provide for themself.
When asked what would help international student athletes the most, Kenyan Devis Cheriuyot said, “When you see an international student athlete, just know it’s a struggle, we’re working really hard just to make ends meet.”
Students who are either not international or non-athletes will never fully understand the struggle experienced by international student athletes but the advice of Devis could be a start towards bridging this vast gap. Simply realizing the struggles faced by these valiant members of our university society will create more sympathy and institutional change that will facilitate success not only on the field of play but also in studies and life.
