Sports Reporter
Bryan Rooks, CMU’s Assistant Athletic Director, can’t say how many international athletes play for the school off the top of his head. But there are many. To Rooks, as soon as students join a team, they become athletes representing the university, regardless of their nationality.
The school doesn’t have an international athletic recruiter. Having a significant number of international athletes on campus is a testament to the reputation of the teams and the networking abilities of the athletic department.
The lacrosse team features two Australian players, Kade Robinson and Jesse Stone. Robinson was contacted by coach AJ Stevens when a friend suggested him. Stone played for a college in St. Louis before deciding it wasn’t a good fit. He contacted Robinson, who recommended him to Coach Stevens. Stevens had worked closely with Stone’s coach in Missouri.
“They spoke to each other, so I didn’t have to show a film or anything like that,” Stone said. “It’s hard for the other Australians who have come over here and played sports to be scouted, so it’s all through film and through word of mouth. It’s all about who you know.”
Softball coach Kristin Mort also found players through professional connections. The softball team’s three international athletes, Courtney Maihi (New Zealand), Shannon McClenahan (Canada), and Lety Perez (Mexico), were recruited from a sports organization and junior colleges, respectively. Mort has been recruiting from Perez’s junior college coach for years, and offered McClenahan a scholarship based on a video her Texas junior college coach sent. Maihi played summer ball in the U.S. and was awarded a D1 scholarship from University of Northern Colorado. After playing at UNC for two years and returning to New Zealand because it wasn’t a good fit, Maihi contacted Triple Crown’s owner, who called Mort.
“She’s a six-foot D1 pitcher who played two years at that level, so we took her,” Mort said.
Both athletes and coaches seem to agree with Rooks’ opinion that their cultural background doesn’t impact their playing.
“It’s the same sport,” Robinson said. “You just have to get used to different rules.”
“Our interpretation of the rules and the way the game is refereed is a bit different. The speed of the game here is a lot quicker. Back home, we’ve played with guys who played for 20 to 30 years and I feel like their knowledge rubbed off on us. Especially coming over here, I’ve had a better, deeper understanding of the game,” Stone said.
McClenahan hasn’t had to adjust much.
“There aren’t many cultural differences because Canada’s not a whole lot different. Americans play their national anthem before games and it’s kind of weird not to hear my national anthem. That’s the biggest thing, but I don’t feel any different than the other athletes,” she said.
“For Courtney, the outstanding cultural difference in the game is that in the U.S., players spit a lot on the field and that’s an ejection in New Zealand. It’s a rules violation — they don’t spit in their culture at all. She finds it odd that people spit all the time in our country, particularly on the field because it shows disrespect for the game,” Mort said.
The inconvenience of distance is the most challenging aspect. Mort arranges housing for her international players by finding compatible teammates and helps them through the admissions process.
“It’s been interesting because I’ve never had an international student and then I got all three last year. The biggest difficulty for me was understanding the recruiting and admissions standards and how they vary,” Mort said.
The expense of international travel means homesickness and restlessness are occasionally a problem.
“I feel like I’m closer to home now than when I was in Texas,” McClenahan said. “This is my fourth year away so it gets easier every year, but when all the teammates go home or when their families come watch, it’s hard.”
“When I first came over, I was more excited than anything,” Stone said. “I was chomping at the bit to get over. My mom and dad were crying at the airport, and I wasn’t showing emotion because I was so excited. Homesickness has its moments. I wish I could go home for a weekend, to hang out with my friends and family. People here have been so nice though.”
“It’s a bit too expensive to fly out for a weekend, but people here take you in and make you part of their family,” Robinson said.
It takes an extreme level of commitment to succeed as an international athlete, but Robinson, Stone and McClenahan all enjoy it. At the end of the day, they’re not international students facing communication barriers and cultural differences. They’re CMU athletes with unmistakable passion for their sports.
ssummar@mavs.coloradomesa.edu
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