International Athletes Seek Community, Contribute Diversity at Earlham

For Immediate Release:
April 11, 2006

First-year student Victor Anciano of Venezuela was the second-leading scorer (11 goals) in 2005 North Coast Athletic Conference men’s soccer play and was named to the All-NCAC Second Team.

RICHMOND, Ind. — Earlham College’s enrollment of international students has risen to record numbers during the past two years, and in recognition of its long history of innovative international programming the College is a recipient of this year’s Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization from NAFSA, the Association of International Educators.

Therefore, it’s only natural that the growth in international students also has impacted intercollegiate athletics on campus.

“In my first 20 years at Earlham I think I only had two international athletes,” says men’s soccer coach Roy Messer, who in 2005-06 marked his silver anniversary as a member of Earlham’s athletics department. “That’s changed because we’ve put some emphasis into recruiting international students.”

There are 128 international students representing 52 nations at Earlham this academic year. Thirteen participate in varsity athletics.

One of the factors in the rising numbers on athletic teams is that Earlham coaches and admissions counselors are combining efforts in attracting student-athletes. “I have worked very closely the last several years with Roy Messer,” says Musa Khalidi, associate dean of admissions and director of international student admissions. “I talk with the coach frequently and then I know exactly what he needs from me.”

The men’s soccer team currently has the most international involvement, boasting five foreign players. “They all have an idea of what we want,” Messer says of the group and offshore Quakers athletes in general. “I’ve just had more than anybody else.”

In his career Messer has witnessed soccer’s rise in quality and popularity in the United States. He says the days of an international student-athlete having an impact right away in a competitive program such as Earlham’s are quickly dwindling.

“Years ago when soccer was really young in the United States, any kid who knew what the ball looked like was going to have an advantage, especially in Division III,“ Messer says. “But, they have to be a genuinely good athlete now. Athletics in the U.S. is culturally different and international players need to understand that we approach it very seriously. So, we try to recruit international players with that in mind, but it’s difficult.”

Communication is probably the most problematic aspect of recruiting international student-athletes, but once one joins a Quakers team he or she contributes to a far more important aspect of Earlham athletics: diversity.

“They give people another look at the world,” says Messer.

Record-setting Scorer

According to Khalidi, from the student-athletes’ perspective, international teammates hope to become part of the College community. “They put their skills on the field, but above all there is a sense of belonging,” he says. “I can tell by the way they play that they enjoy every part if it. So, it makes you very proud to be a part of it, too.”

An international student-athlete gaining a lot of attention at Earlham is first-year men’s soccer player Victor Anciano.

“The university system is different here than it is back home,” the 20-year-old Venezuelan explains. “I was looking for a place with a strong academic program and somewhere that I could play sports.”

Before coming to Earlham, Anciano was a student at the United World College in New Mexico. “I decided to stay and get my college degree in the United States,” he says. “(Director of Admissions) Nancy Sinex came to our school and that’s how I learned about Earlham.”

And following his arrival, it wasn’t long before Earlham and the rest of the North Coast Athletic Conference schools became aware of Anciano. His 11 goals last fall set an Earlham record for a first-year player and made Anciano the second-leading goal scorer in the conference. He was named an NCAC Player of the Week in October and finished the season as an All-NCAC second-team selection.

Compared to the experience of many other international student-athletes, Anciano’s transition to Earlham was relatively easy. He lived in the United States for two years before coming to Richmond.

“When I got to United World College, it was hard to adapt because I had never been away from home,” says the younger striker, who plans to major in biochemistry. “When I came here I thought it would be the same, but it really wasn’t. The soccer team helped me a lot.”

Having campus friends is important to Anciano, who returned home last December for the first time in three years.

“You get used to being away from home and learn to live without your family, but you know that they are always there for you even though you are far away,” Anciano says. “We talk about once every two weeks.”

Among Anciano’s companions on the Quakers soccer squad is Atiq Zamani, another biochemistry major who moved to Indiana with his family from Afghanistan in August 1998. “I came to America and didn’t speak a single word of English,” recounts the 21-year-old junior. “It took me about six months to learn English. All I did was listen to music and watch cartoons.”

Zamani played three years of high school soccer and eventually graduated from Bloomington North High School. “I always thought I was going to Indiana University, until I met Roy Messer,” he says. “He invited me to come and visit Earlham.”

Like Anciano, Zamani was attracted to the academic and athletic environment that Earlham offers. He is using the opportunity for growth.

“I was really shy,” says the recently made American citizen of his pre-Earlham years. “The only place where I was confident was soccer. That was the way I found a lot of my friends. But, coming to Earlham was a great opportunity to be around people and get to know them better. It’s one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made.”

Same Game, Different Surface

Tennis is also a popular sport for international students at Earlham. The men’s team has three players, while there is one on the women’s squad.

Shiro Fukuzawa is part of the College’s exchange program with Waseda University in Japan. “I haven’t played tennis in four years,” he admits. “It’s very fun and the atmosphere is very friendly, but also very competitive.”

Although Fukuzawa believes that the level of competitiveness in Japan is similar to that in America, the Nagano native also appreciates the differences he has found with his sport in the United States.

“We didn’t have a coach” at the prep level, says Fukuzawa, who now plays No. 5 singles for the Quakers. “So, it was tough for us as high school students to organize practices.”

Fortunately, Fukuzawa now has Earlham coach Justin Carrier to help, once they get past the seemingly ever-present language obstacles.

“My English isn’t very good, so it’s hard sometimes to understand what the coach says,” Fukuzawa says. “But, he explains a lot by demonstrating and what he does is consistent.”

Birgit Kuba is one of two female international student-athletes at Earlham, where she plays No. 4 singles on the women’s tennis team. “Everything is totally different here that it was at home,” the native of Vienna, Austria says. “We don’t have sports teams in schools.”

Kuba came to Earlham in August of last year for her first experience in the United States. In Austria, she played tennis two or three times a week.

“From the beginning, I thought it was a lot of tennis to be playing almost every day,” remarks Kuba about Earlham’s practice routine. “I got used to it though, and I really like the team.”

One of the most difficult parts of Kuba’s adjustment to the United States was the surface of American tennis courts. “At home I play on clay and it is different playing on hard courts,” she says. “I was confused that I couldn’t slide. It’s very different tennis … much faster.”

Though the rounding of her game is only one of many benefits Kuba is enjoying during her time at Earlham. “It’s been a great experience so far,” she says.

— EC —

Contact:
Don Tincher, director of sports information
765/983-1795 — E-Mail Don

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This page last updated: April 12, 2006