MUNCIE, Ind. – Fifty days from now will be the start of the season for the Ball State women’s basketball team. This season, the team welcomes six international players.
An intriguing change of strategy from the coaches, as last year’s number of international players was simply zero.
“Having internationals is such a comfortable experience because I have someone that is in the same position as me,” said freshman Alba Caballero.
As all of the international players are from Europe, they mostly share the same cultures and can therefore help each other with the struggles that they may face. Freshman Violeta Rojas described how the game can be different than in Europe.
“Tempo is really fast, I don’t think that we play that fast in Europe,” Rojas said.
For some, this contrast can end up being a main factor in the disparities between the American practice method and the European practice method.
“We condition a lot here,” Violeta explained. “In Europe, we don’t. We just get to practice and do it.”
Caballero also noted that, in addition to differences in the game, the student-athletes also tackle different living situations.
“In Spain, it is hard to study and play at the same time, and we just live in our houses,” Caballero said.
Contact Max Huillet with comments at max.huillet@bsu.edu.
