Playing the Local Field

By Lisa Oon, Sports Editor

One of the biggest reasons why final-year exchange student Catherine Baron, 22, who hails from England, chose NTU was because it had an Ultimate frisbee team. Baron reached out to the team captain before the school term started and the team invited her to train with them. She represented NTU in the Singapore University Games (SUnIG).

TOUGHER TRAINING: Catherine Baron, 22, who is from England, showcases her backhand throw in Ultimate frisbee. Due to the more intensive training she undergoes in NTU, the final-year exchange student hopes to improve her skills while she is in Singapore. She trains three hours per session here, compared to two hours per session back in England.  PHOTO: CEPHEUS CHAN

Baron has opted to train for SUnIG instead of travelling around Asia, as most foreign exchange students are wont to do.

The product design engineering student said: “It’s very easy as an exchange student to stick to other exchange students. But I didn’t want to do that. I feel that it is important to get to know the local students. And the team has been very welcoming.”

“I played all the time back home, and I really wanted to play here too,” she added.

INTENSITY

Jacob Dodge, a third-year student from the United States (US) Naval Academy, has joined the swimming, aquathlon, and cross country teams here in NTU. Back in the US, he was in the triathlon team. To him, it was a way of keeping fit while studying in an overseas university.

Dodge, 20, shared that the training in Singapore is less rigorous compared to what he is used to in America.

“Back in the states, our team trains three times a day for four times a week. We then train two times a day for the rest of the week,” he said.

“Here, the swimming team trains three times a week, and the cross country team trains two times a week. I still have to train a lot by myself to keep up with the fitness of my teammates back home,” he added.

Baron, however, paints a different picture.

She said: “It’s definitely more competitive here. Maybe it’s because of SUnIG, but we train for three hours each session, compared to two hours back home. I hope to improve while I’m here due to the intensive training.”

WEATHER

Most of the foreign exchange students had a similar and familiar grouse concerning the Singapore’s humidity.

Baron shared that in England, Ultimate is played both indoors and outdoors. Furthermore, they sometimes play in the winter. She thus perspires a lot more than usual when playing in Singapore.

She said: “After five minutes of playing, here in Singapore, I look disgusting. Luckily, we train in the evening so it’s not so bad.”

“However, it is better than playing in the winter. Sometimes our hands are so numb that it is hard to catch the frisbee,” she added.

George Rodgers, 21, who is from England, feels the same way.

The third-year Aerospace Engineering student said: “Back home, rugby is considered a winter sport. We would wear layers of clothing to keep warm. Here, I just sweat and sweat and sweat.”

“For the first couple of weeks it was rather tough, but now I’m used to it and it would feel weird not being drenched in sweat while playing,” he added.

SWEATING IT OUT: George Rodgers, 21, who is also from England, catches the ball during an NTU Rugby training session in the evening. The third-year Aerospace Engineering student shared that it took a couple of weeks to adapt to Singapore’s humidity, considering that rugby is a winter sport in his hometown.                                        PHOTO: CEPHEUS CHAN

Cross country runner, Emily Willson, 21, who is from Colorado in the US, said: “I used to get up early at 6.30am to run, or I ran at 4.45pm after class. But here, it’s too hot during those timings, so we train in the evenings. It’s taken some getting used to.”

TAMPING THE WANDERLUST

For Stefanie Weichert, 25, joining a university team has always been a dream of hers since she never had the chance to join one. The soccer player, who is from Germany, is currently pursuing a two-year master’s degree programme in Sweden.

Weichert said: “I decided to travel around South East Asia before the term started so that I could focus on my life in Singapore.”  

BALL OF FIRE: Stefanie Weichert, 25, who hails from Germany, displays some fancy footwork in the field. With a burning passion for soccer, the exchange student, who is pursuing a Master’s degree in Sweden, continues to hone her skills through weekly sessions at NTU’s Sports and Recreation Centre (SRC).  PHOTO: ALICIA LIM

Training for the Games has definitely gotten in the way of travel plans for some of them. Stephan Köpernik, 21, from Germany, shared that he had to miss a game previously because he had already booked tickets for a trip to Thailand.

His teammate, Tobias Zetzsche, 20, another foreign exchange student, had to step in and play for him.

Köpernik said: “That was the first complication I ran into. I did not book anything else for this period because I really want to compete. I felt really badly about not being able to previously.”

“I think it is about managing your time and looking up the competition dates in advance,” he added.

GETTING IN FULL SWING: Stephan Köpernik, 21, from Germany, enjoys bonding with peers through an intense game of tennis. He has joined the NTU Tennis Club and forged strong friendships with his fellow teammates.  PHOTO: ALICIA LIM

For Dodge, it was not really a matter of choice. He shared that the US Navy had advised their students not to travel. They were only supposed to travel over the recess week.

He said: “Technically, I could leave the country but if I left and something happened, I would probably get kicked out of school. And that’s just not worth the risk. It’s a bummer, but it happens.”

Willson, however, chooses to compromise on her travel plans as she wants to support her Singaporean teammates.

“Once you get into the team, you form relationships with them, and you want to be there for them while they are racing,” she said.

WARMING UP: Emily Willson, 21, trains on the tracks at NTU’s SRC in the evenings. The cross-country athlete from Colorado trains only at dusk due to Singapore’s warmer climate.  PHOTO: CORINE TIAH