KEVIN M. BENEDICT/Missourian The international members of the Columbia College men's soccer team, many of them wearing jerseys from their home countries, represent five countries in Europe and South America. They are (from left to right): J.P. Perez-Castro, Juan Pagoada, J.P. Irrera, Ivan Navarrete, Morten Crosby, Gustavo Lopez Cesarego, Ignacio Raul “Nano” Recondo, Kjell-Einar Teien, and Vladimir Roganovic, photographed in November 2002.

The Sport Route

Local athletes travel from around the world to play the sports they love

By Sara Stoltz
Adelante staff writer

When Nano Recondo decided to leave the television business in Argentina, he wanted an opportunity to come to the United States to study and work. He had already attended film school in Argentina, and he hoped to attend a U.S. college and ultimately work in Hollywood. A soccer player since age 7, he discovered that his skills on the field could translate into a free education in the United States.
Recondo’s experience is like that of many of his foreign counterparts’; he is using his athletic skills to get an education, not for fame or glory. The Institute of International Education, supported by the U.S. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, reported that the number of international students attending American universities is almost 600,000. Recondo and other student athletes like Juliana Godoi, a volleyball player from Brazil, and Ursulla Jose, a basketball player from Brazil, realized they could get an American education by playing the sport they love.
The routes these young athletes follow in pursuit of their dreams are as diverse as the countries they come from. Some follow a pipeline created by compatriots from their hometowns or countries; others come at the invitation of colleges with active recruiters. The trend is growing, perhaps in large part because of the growth and increasing organization of companies like International Doorway to Education and Athletics, based in Florida, which gave Recondo his chance.
IDEA helps international students find college scholarships by organizing summer showcases in the United States. It has tripled in size since its inception in 1998 with 90 students the first year; now the program has up to 300 athletes each year.

JENNA BUSEY/Adelante International student Nano Recondo, left, laughs during a choir class at Columbia College with other classmates Montague Nordeen and Susan Gater. Recondo plays soccer for the college.

After combining with International Student Exchange Program, an existing program based in Argentina, IDEA started with soccer showcases. It has added basketball, baseball, volleyball, field hockey and golf for both men and women from 25 countries.
IDEA director Diego Duhour says 100 percent of the athletes the company recruits receive full or partial scholarship offers, and his is the only program in the country that actually brings players to the United States to meet and play for college coaches. “It’s really important for the coaches to meet the players, and vice-versa,” Duhour said.
Not every athlete can afford the transportation and housing fees of a program like IDEA. Word-of-mouth recruiting proves just as vital to area coaches, who rely on contacts in other countries as well as coaches at other universities to spread the word about top players.
Melinda Wrye-Washington, volleyball coach at Columbia College, has coached nine South American players in the past four years and attributes recent recruits to her assistant, Endrinha Sosa from Venezuela. Sosa has already signed two national team players from Venezuela for the upcoming season.
Mike Davis, basketball coach at Columbia College, heard about Jose from a Division I coach who had seen her play. He cited networking as a major asset in bringing in top players from other countries.

Adjusting to a new life
While some students like Recondo, grow up learning English, others, like Jose, don’t know the language at all when they arrive. Programs such as Columbia College’s yearlong ESL class help smooth the transition.
“It’s amazing the progress she has made,” Davis said of Jose. “She learns from the other players, just like they learn about her culture from her. It really benefits everyone.”
Although the transition to the United States presents challenges, student athletes are able to overcome initial culture shock because they immediately have a group of teammates who share a common bond. Although international students face language barriers, homesickness and differences in background, once practice starts, they are in their comfort zone.
“Once they step on that court, it doesn’t matter where anyone is from,” Wrye-Washington said. “Volleyball is universal.”

National Impact
At Missouri Valley College, admissions director Milena Lazarevic estimates that 85 percent of international students on the 1,425-person campus are athletes. Missouri Valley has players from Ecuador, Spain, Argentina, Mexico and Uruguay, to name a few. Thirteen of the 24 men’s soccer players are from outside the United States. This is representative of the greater impact foreign players have at the NAIA level; nine of 11 soccer All-Americans in 2003 were from outside the United States
“International recruiting is gaining importance,” Wrye-Washington said. “When a team has one or two international players, it lends a sort of credibility to the program.”
At the national level, volleyball is seeing an influx of top players from South America. The NAIA national champion in 2003, National American University in Rapid City, S.D., had seven Brazilians on its ten-person roster. Columbia College is keeping up; it has recruited two national team players from Venezuela for the 2004 season.
With the inception of programs like IDEA, international athletes are finding American colleges more accessible than ever. “I definitely think international recruiting will increase in popularity,” Wrye-Washington said. “Having international students — not just athletes — benefits everyone on campus.”