Two Tiger athletes compare overseas’ sports experiences with CF

High school sports are different all around the world. For example, in other countries there are sports that we do not have in the United States, such as water polo in Spain and men’s volleyball in Thailand. There are many differences in the ways that coaches coach, the practices they do, how they do practices, the discipline level and so much more. 

Senior Pablo Moreno recently moved to the United States from Spain at the start of the year. As soon as he got here, he joined the men’s cross country team where he had a major season, improving dramatically from where he was at the beginning of the year. However, he did not always run. Back in Spain, he played water polo, which was his favorite sport. 

What sports did you play in the country you are from/lived in?

When I was young I used to play futbol (soccer) and basketball, but in the last five years I stopped playing them and just focused on playing water polo.

How was it different from sports in the United States?

Well, first of all sports are way more competitive back in Spain. People tend to feel stressed and end up mad if there is a slight error, but on the other hand they train way harder and are more motivated. In addition, sports are not directly related to schools. Even though schools have teams for some of the main sports, if you want to be part of the better competitions, you play in clubs.

Which did you like better?

I think that there are some advantages to Spain’s sports, and there’s some advantages to the U.S. sports. For example, I like that people do sports in the school and get to know some of their classmates, but I dislike that sports only last for three months, and if you want to focus on one sport you have to join a club. In Spain, I like that the seasons last longer. I used to play from September to June, and it can be nice to do some sports outside of the school because in the U.S. you end up being in school from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the school if you have training after class

What was the coaching like? 

In Spain, coaches were more rude and used to motivate us by being harsh and disciplined. They used to play with us and try to show you what your errors were while playing. They had a stronger work ethic than those of the U.S., and if they caught doing something wrong or missing any practices on purpose, they would assign you pushups or harder swim sessions. I feel like the main difference is that U.S. coaches are like friendly “friends,” and Spain’s coaches are strict coaches.

Did you have more positive experiences in that country or in the United States?

I had more positive experiences in Spain, but I think that is because I spent more time over there than in the U.S. where I have only been for three months. I remember winning a lot of matches in Spain, and the trips by bus back to our city were awesome. We would get in the back and play music super loud, and after the trip was over we would hang out or go to a party or something. However, I have had some pretty nice experiences like when I broke sub 20 for cross country in the 5k  here in the U.S.

What is it like leaving those teammates when you move, and joining a new team?

It is difficult, especially when those teammates are your friends and there’s only a few people that know how to play water polo. On my side, it was difficult to stop doing the sport that I’ve enjoyed the most and doing a new one, but at least everyone in the team was super nice to me.

Senior Luke Hartman also had experience in foreign sports; however, he did not always live there. Hartman lived in Thailand for a few years while his parents were teaching. During this time, he attended school and played sports. 

What sports did you play in the country you are from/lived in?

I played basketball, volleyball and baseball

How was it different from sports in the US?

So I play baseball for a club team, and the rest I play for the school. The club baseball team was very similar to any club sport here in the U.S. Due to a lack of popularity of baseball in Thailand, it was mostly composed of either Japanese, Korean or half American/ full American kids. We had very knowledgeable coaches, and for the most part it was the same as the U.S. One big difference is that we played three tournaments a year. We had one tournament in Bangkok, one in Singapore and one that moved around every year. That was one really cool aspect of the team. School sports were pretty similar as well. I played lots of basketball and even played up with the high schoolers as a seventh grader. The level of play was a lot less just due to the smaller size of the school, but it was just as fun. I played volleyball, which men do not have the option to play here. That was some of the most fun I’ve had, and I wish we had volleyball in Iowa. 

Which did you like better?

Both were very fun. I would say for the sports that I played both there and here, it was more fun there. I think this can be credited to the coaching and the fact that it always felt personal. This was achieved because the basketball coach was also the volleyball coach and PE teacher. I got very close to this coach, and it very much amplified the fun I had while playing. For baseball it was probably similar in how much fun I had. They were very similar excluding the number of games and travel. One thing I like better here is XC and track. There wasn’t XC or track, and I have had some of my closest friends come from XC.

What was the coaching like? 

The coaching was very personal in Thailand. Like I said I knew the coach very well because I saw him a lot more than I might see any other coach. The coaches here are definitely more qualified than they were there. For baseball, the coach was just a parent of the team that was American and probably just knew a bit about baseball; whereas, the coaches here have a lot more experience with their respective sports. My volleyball coach was a football player at Long Beach State and a former cop in Compton but loved sports and volunteered to coach even though he might not know all that much about volleyball.

Did you have more positive experiences in that country or in the United States?

I wouldn’t say I have had more in one or the other. The one coach that I have talked about extensively was a very tough coach, but he would be tough on you and then completely switch gears and tell us how much he appreciated and cared about us. I always felt like he was tough on us because he cared and wanted and knew we could be better. He was also only tough inside the sport. Outside practice or games, he was extremely nice and caring. I would say I’ve made friends here within the sport just like I did in Thailand, and coaches like Mr. Egan are very important people that I interact with that enhance my experience within the sport. 

What is it like leaving those teammates when you move, and joining a new team?

Leaving my teammates wasn’t so much about leaving teammates but just that they were my friends who I would spend eight hours of my day with. This meant that I would be leaving my friends and classmates behind knowing that they would be on the opposite side of the planet and that I would hardly ever get to see them again. As for arriving to new teammates, I lived most of my life here in Iowa, so I was more returning to teammates. Obviously, there were and are a lot of people I didn’t know before that I am now very good friends with, but I think that is the case for many people as they enter middle and high school. I definitely had a head start that made the transition back much easier than the transition over.