As the new 2024-25 school year begins, new talent and culture are introduced on the soccer field. Like in the field, the exchange students face the year with excitement, aspiration, and determination as they are eager to embrace new challenges and build connections.

Parkway Central High School (PCH) allowed many international students to experience the values of the ‘American Dream’. From football to soccer, these students prove that love for sports transcends across international borders, and their presence fills the team with diverse backgrounds, stories, and fun memories that last a lifetime.

The school’s soccer team has had the opportunity to receive three talented German individuals: seniors Farzad Rahimi and Leo Baehre, and junior Till Soltau this year. As part of the YFU (Youth For Understanding) organization, these students can feel the true meaning of a home away from home.

While the excitement of exploring new cultures is inescapable, exchange students often still struggle with the absence of their friends and familiar environments that they had back home. Bahre was born in Germany and grew up in the Netherlands, so he is familiar with moving around countries. Despite the distance, he admits these trips never fail to fill his memory box.

“I miss my friends, which is normal,” Baehre said. “Everything is different here, but it’s fun to come for a year to see different things.”

These differences are what make adjusting to life in another country challenging, but for these students, the contrasts are what offer a unique perspective on culture and education across the world from where they grew up.

“The school is way bigger, we don’t even have a swimming pool in my high school. Here every teacher has their own classroom, in the Netherlands the teacher switches classrooms and you stay in one,” Bahre said. “We don’t have sports associated with the school and we don’t have any teams, you would go to clubs instead”

Going to clubs and playing sports when growing up expanded their social circle and skills, allowing them to feel more comfortable playing a familiar sport while making new friends in the United States.

Farzad Rahimi plays on the varsity soccer team and the varsity football team. Although ‘American’ football is not as popular in Europe as it is in the United States, it has proved to be increasing in attraction as a popular European sport. According to NFL Draft Buzz, “in 2024, NFL broadcasts in Europe, particularly in Germany and the UK, saw a 13% increase in viewership compared to the previous season.”

Combining his soccer skills with football, Farzard plays as the football team’s main placekicker, kicking the ball for field goals, extra points, and kickoffs.

“I played soccer for quite a long time. After a certain amount of time, you just get the feeling for the ball. And training and talent play an equal role. Soccer helped me because I already had a feel for kicking” Farzad said.

The head varsity soccer coach, Brian Adam, discussed how the differences in team training in the United States and Europe can bring challenges into their daily habits regarding their sports or activities.

Adam said that some of the differences are that the students might not have expected to train every day and have games multiple days a week, and that “there’s not a tremendous difference for them, just the ability to perform with somebody in your face. Europeans are a bit more focused on calmly controlling the ball”, so “it was probably a little overwhelming coming from a European club basis.”

Although students in PCH are used to going to practices every day after school, that is not the case for schools outside of the United States. Soltau said that he is used to going to his house first and then doing his activities later in the day after school, which is pushing him to change his habits to adjust to the new schedules.

There are weeks when the team has practices and games on weekdays and weekends. On Saturday, September 14th, just hours before homecoming, the soccer team played home against Parkway North, where Rahimi scored in the first half of the game, setting a victorious mood. Both Baehre and Soltau were able to keep the ball away from their defensive side, taking another win to their charts.

“I’ve waited a long time for this and of course, I’m hoping for more goals now,” Rahimi said.

Sports have a unique power that unites all nationalities together, both while being on teams and among spectators. As the team practices and competes, the players share laughter, challenges, and victories, forming deep connections that go beyond the game. These shared experiences not only help them develop friendships but also create a supportive environment where everyone feels included and valued.

According to the YFU organization, the exchange student program “is more than just an education; it’s an experience that shapes their personality and prepares them for the future,” building essential life skills such as adaptability, social and cultural skills, and resilience along the way.