Travel restrictions pose new challenges to Millersville field hockey players
11/5/2020 9:43:00 PM | Field Hockey, Features
MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – For most college students, heading to college and being away from home is a mix of excitement and uncertainty. But, for four members of the Millersville field hockey team, being at home and away from their teammates is an even bigger challenge because their homes are outside of the United States.
Junior Keaghan Keracher (Canada), Sophomore Pilar Zaballa (Argentina), and freshmen Qhayia Nogoduka (South Africa) and Kristin Strijdom (South Africa) are all tackling the fall 2020 semester virtually from their home countries, trying their best to stay connected with their team back in Pennsylvania.
"The hockey team meets quite regularly via Zoom to keep in touch," said Strijdom. "We international students meet at least once every two weeks with coach Shelly [Behrens]."
For some veterans of the team, teammates are nothing short of family while away from their home countries. Head coach Shelly Behrens continues to do everything she can to ensure that they are still a part of the Millersville family even if they are thousands of miles away.
"My teammates are my best friends. I talk to at least a handful of them every day," said Keracher. "Coach Shelly and I talk personally at least once a week. She is doing such a great job to make all of us who are out of the country feel involved by hosting team meetings and meetings with just the international students."
For the two newest members of the team, the adjustment from high school to college during a worldwide pandemic has been met with unprecedented challenges and worry.
"I felt a little anxious when I found out classes were being held remotely, mainly because I didn't know what to expect out of the year," said Nogoduka. "Personally, I feel like there is a lot more pressure to perform well academically since I am not playing field hockey at the moment."
"The biggest challenge has been the time difference. There is a six hour difference between the United States and South Africa," said Strijdom. "The other difficult thing is that I don't really know anyone yet besides my field hockey family. It is difficult to meet people and socialize online from so far away."
Being in another country hasn't kept these Marauders from continuing to train for and practice the sport they love.
"I was practicing with my hometown team up until classes started," said Zaballa. "Now, I am training at home whenever I take a break from studying."
"I try to go to the gym three times a week," said Strijdom. "I try to play with my stick and ball in my garden every two days."
But nothing can replace practicing together as a team. More than simple skills are developed when the team comes together on the field each fall.
"I do some stick and ball work a few times a week and have been working out and running almost every day," said Keracher. "Missing practicing and training is the biggest challenge. Skills can be done on my own, but it's the team bond that we build through training that I am missing the most."
All four international players agree that the biggest advantage of online classes is more time to spend with family.
"Having online classes gave me the chance to stay home. I love being home and I really missed my family," said Zaballa. "This whole situation is better to overcome with family rather than alone."
"I get to spend an extra five months or so with my family, which means I will be able to spend my birthday and Christmas with them," said Strijdom. "I was going to miss my brother's birthday too, but instead I got to go away and celebrate with him and my whole family. It's a memory I will have forever."
"When you move so far away from home, you gain a greater respect for the time that you do get to spend with your family," said Keracher.
While the extra time at home is a silver lining to online classes, returning members Zaballa and Keracher look forward to returning to Millersville to be with their coach and teammates.
"I am truly looking forward to playing field hockey with my team again and winning the PSAC," said Zaballa.
"I am definitely looking forward to seeing everyone again and being back on the field with my teammates," said Keracher. "I can't wait to see Shelly and show her everything that I have been working on here at home."
For freshmen Strijdom and Nogoduka, the excitement of joining their team at Millersville and beginning their collegiate athletic careers builds.
"I am so excited to meet my team and finally get to play the sport that I love," said Nogoduka.
"I have never been to the Millersville campus, so I am looking forward to seeing it for myself. I am excited about being a student, student life, and meeting new people," said Strijdom. "With regards to hockey, I can't wait to play with my teammates and experience what playing hockey as a Marauder is like."
Junior Keaghan Keracher (Canada), Sophomore Pilar Zaballa (Argentina), and freshmen Qhayia Nogoduka (South Africa) and Kristin Strijdom (South Africa) are all tackling the fall 2020 semester virtually from their home countries, trying their best to stay connected with their team back in Pennsylvania.
"The hockey team meets quite regularly via Zoom to keep in touch," said Strijdom. "We international students meet at least once every two weeks with coach Shelly [Behrens]."
For some veterans of the team, teammates are nothing short of family while away from their home countries. Head coach Shelly Behrens continues to do everything she can to ensure that they are still a part of the Millersville family even if they are thousands of miles away.
"My teammates are my best friends. I talk to at least a handful of them every day," said Keracher. "Coach Shelly and I talk personally at least once a week. She is doing such a great job to make all of us who are out of the country feel involved by hosting team meetings and meetings with just the international students."
For the two newest members of the team, the adjustment from high school to college during a worldwide pandemic has been met with unprecedented challenges and worry.
"I felt a little anxious when I found out classes were being held remotely, mainly because I didn't know what to expect out of the year," said Nogoduka. "Personally, I feel like there is a lot more pressure to perform well academically since I am not playing field hockey at the moment."
"The biggest challenge has been the time difference. There is a six hour difference between the United States and South Africa," said Strijdom. "The other difficult thing is that I don't really know anyone yet besides my field hockey family. It is difficult to meet people and socialize online from so far away."
Being in another country hasn't kept these Marauders from continuing to train for and practice the sport they love.
"I was practicing with my hometown team up until classes started," said Zaballa. "Now, I am training at home whenever I take a break from studying."
"I try to go to the gym three times a week," said Strijdom. "I try to play with my stick and ball in my garden every two days."
But nothing can replace practicing together as a team. More than simple skills are developed when the team comes together on the field each fall.
"I do some stick and ball work a few times a week and have been working out and running almost every day," said Keracher. "Missing practicing and training is the biggest challenge. Skills can be done on my own, but it's the team bond that we build through training that I am missing the most."
All four international players agree that the biggest advantage of online classes is more time to spend with family.
"Having online classes gave me the chance to stay home. I love being home and I really missed my family," said Zaballa. "This whole situation is better to overcome with family rather than alone."
"I get to spend an extra five months or so with my family, which means I will be able to spend my birthday and Christmas with them," said Strijdom. "I was going to miss my brother's birthday too, but instead I got to go away and celebrate with him and my whole family. It's a memory I will have forever."
"When you move so far away from home, you gain a greater respect for the time that you do get to spend with your family," said Keracher.
While the extra time at home is a silver lining to online classes, returning members Zaballa and Keracher look forward to returning to Millersville to be with their coach and teammates.
"I am truly looking forward to playing field hockey with my team again and winning the PSAC," said Zaballa.
"I am definitely looking forward to seeing everyone again and being back on the field with my teammates," said Keracher. "I can't wait to see Shelly and show her everything that I have been working on here at home."
For freshmen Strijdom and Nogoduka, the excitement of joining their team at Millersville and beginning their collegiate athletic careers builds.
"I am so excited to meet my team and finally get to play the sport that I love," said Nogoduka.
"I have never been to the Millersville campus, so I am looking forward to seeing it for myself. I am excited about being a student, student life, and meeting new people," said Strijdom. "With regards to hockey, I can't wait to play with my teammates and experience what playing hockey as a Marauder is like."
Players Mentioned
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