This fall, Baldwin High School sports teams are adding some international talent to their rosters. All  five of the exchange students attending BHS this school year are active athletes in four different sports. Though they came from many parts of the world, the exchange students are enjoying their time as athletes here at BHS.

“I played tennis when I was thirteen,” student Dn Sonchat said, already familiar with the game having played back in Thailand. “I practiced only once a week for one and a half hours.”

Raquel Lopez, also a tennis player, had a similar schedule to that of Sonochat’s when she played back in her homeland.

“I just played once a week in Spain and here I play five days a week,” Lopez said.

Not all of the exchange students were as familiar with their sport as Lopez and Sonochat, however.

“This is the first time I have ever played football,” exchange student Nils Drescher of Germany said. “The next football club back home is far away, so this is a new experience.”

Participation in athletics at BHS has also helped many of the international students reach their American dreams. “

It was kind of a dream that I had since I was a little girl to be an American cheerleader,” said Tabea Trümner, also from Germany.

Many of the students are seeing a difference in their expectations of a sport and the actual experience, but luckily the variations have mostly been for the better.

“More people go to the games than I thought,” said soccer player Guillermo Fernandez of Spain.

The language barrier has brought on a few difficulties in both practices and games for the international students.

“It is hard to catch up on the plays,” said Drescher.

Similarly, Trümner agreed that it took some time to adapt to the change in language.

“At first it was a little difficult to understand all the words from the sidelines and learning them. It’s getting better,” Trümner said.

So far, the international athletes are enjoying their time on fall sports teams. They also have been helping their respective teams towards success.  The soccer team is ranked at the state level, the cheer squad has been working hard on new cheers and routines, the tennis team has been performing well at their matches, and the varsity football team’s record is currently 3-0.

“I am having fun with the team and every activity I do here,” Sonchat said.  “Everything is my favorite.”