Last school year, 79 percent of Ohio University students were Ohio residents, but the remainder of the Bobcat student body comes from places around the country, or for Franziska Schmiedel, across the pond.
Schmiedel, a freshman on the Ohio field hockey team, hails from Mulheim, Germany, a city of more than 160,000 people on the country’s western border — about 4,300 miles from Athens.
Despite the distance from home, Schmiedel isn’t the only one on the team who’s new to the country: she’s one of four international players on the team.
Argentinian Luli Gomez Teruel’s hometown, in fact, outdistances Schmiedel by less than 200 miles.
But field hockey lets Schmiedel bridge the distance from her family.
“I’m very homesick and I miss my family,” she said. “But while I’m playing, I can concentrate on the sport. It frees my mind.”
Schmiedel began playing field hockey at the age of four, an age she said is typical for German children to first join teams.
By age five or six, she said that the sports became competitive on a more serious level.
However, during her short time in the United States, she has noticed a difference in the way the two countries approach the game.
“In Europe, the coaches were more strict and they were more focused on the technique of the game,” Schmiedel said. “In this country, the game has more energy. The game is played much faster in the United States. Also, teammates here are more supportive. They push you to be better.”
Before she arrived on campus in August, Schmiedel had never visited Athens. The only contact she had was with coach Neil Macmillan and assistant coach Pam Spuehler, which were through Skype and phone calls.
“She came across my desk one day and I watched her film. I was impressed by her tapes and thought she would really make a difference on our team,” Macmillan said. “Her skill set was something that I thought would really fit into our system well.”
And Macmillan wasn’t disappointed, saying he has been impressed with Schmiedel since she arrived.
“She’s already starting games for us and is an integral part of our corner sets,” Macmillan said. “Off the field, she’s also been impressive. (Schmiedel) is a very caring and friendly person with a great drive to be better.”
Having started each of her first four games as a Bobcat, she has yet to score her first goal, but she’s attempted six shots, including a pair of shots on goal.
Even when Schmiedel is not on the field she says she has enjoyed her time.
Because of ongoing construction on Pruitt Field, the Bobcats have yet to play a game in Athens, forcing the team to travel around the country for their games. She attributes the team camaraderie from bus rides to the new culture she is becoming a part of more and more every day.
“Being in America is like being in a dream,” she said. “As I walk around, it feels like I’m living in an American movie. I really like it here.”
tj792511@ohiou.edu
@TaylorJed73
