Thirteenth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

Globalization has significantly altered the sporting field. It provides more resources and encourages student athletes to expand their opportunities beyond national borders. This study explores the experience of international student athletes, analyzes and reflects on the motivations, advantages, and challenges of overseas experience, and also investigate the impact of cultural differences. The in-depth interviews were conducted with three Taiwanese international student-athletes who attended the varsity at an NCAA Division I university. The research findings revealed that motivations identified by student athletes to attend a US university include experiencing a higher intensity, broadening their horizons, and learning more skills for their sports. The overseas experience is also regarded as an opportunity to develop their athletic career abroad in the future. However, being in a country with an unfamiliar culture and using a different language both bring a huge challenge for study and sports training. There are also some potential cultural differences in coaching styles, lifestyle, academic performance, and the way of communication between the US and Taiwan. To cite an instance, student athletes have to pay more attention to their studies in order to reach the grade standard for attending the competition. Even so, these high-pressure contexts help student-athletes develop higher self-discipline and mental toughness as well as improve their language proficiency. Suggestions are conducted by realizing the realities of the international student athletes experience. The knowledge revealed by this research can help better inform student athletes before making critical decisions relating to their future in both education and sport.