With the mid-October deadline for many study abroad programs looming, many Tufts juniors are anxiously awaiting acceptance letters and sending in visa applications.
But varsity athletes considering programs abroad must shoulder an even larger burden. Fall and spring athletes have their study abroad options cut in half, and even then, spending a semester abroad can interfere with preseason training, postseason competition, and offseason conditioning and skills workouts.
For many athletes, the decision between a top-notch season and a unique academic experience is daunting.
"When I realized that basketball was the only reason I would choose not to go abroad, I decided it was time to reprioritize," said senior basketball player Tayrn Miller-Stevens, who spent the fall 2005 semester in Italy. "While basketball is definitely one of my passions in life, I've always wanted to experience the most possible, during my time at Tufts. For me, that meant that studying abroad became a priority."
In most Div. I schools, going abroad is not an option for student-athletes, as scholarships or a spot on the team are at stake. NESCAC schools, however, put a greater emphasis on the student aspect of the "student-athlete" label; classes are a priority, practice times are kept to a minimum, and coaches are not allowed to participate in offseason training.
This philosophy created strong study abroad programs and reputations at schools like Tufts and Middlebury and has allowed the student-athletes at NESCAC schools a complete academic and cultural experience.
Tufts' reputation for strong study abroad and language programs-between 40 and 45 percent of the junior class at Tufts goes overseas each year-and the reduced commitment to an athletic team in the offseason, attracts many student-athletes.
"I chose to go to school here, because I was able to obtain the complete package," Miller-Stevens said. "I liked that Tufts had a strong international feel to it, and that the school encouraged its students to learn about new cultures and gain strong language skills."
Although athletes abroad must be diligent in maintaining skills and fitness, the Athletics Department embraces the school's mission for a well-rounded student and is accepting of athletes who opt to study abroad.
"The study abroad program is one of the things [the Office of Undergraduate Admissions] touts," crew coach Gary Caldwell said. "I have potential student-athletes that ask if they will be deterred [from studying abroad], and I say, 'No.' Some majors are aided by studying abroad during junior year. It's about connecting everything together."
Certain sports pose more obstacles to going abroad than others. Athletes participating in dual-season sports, such as crew, tennis, and sailing, must choose between one of their two seasons. For winter-season athletes whose season runs from November to March, studying abroad will inevitably conflict with part of the season.
"I was worried that my teammates and coach would think I was abandoning them by leaving for the year, and that I was not committed to basketball," Miller-Stevens said. "Fortunately, when I explained to them my reasons for leaving, they were very understanding and supportive."
Regardless of the sport, separating from a beloved team can be quite an ordeal. Miller-Stevens had originally intended to stay abroad in Italy for a year but decided instead to return for the spring semester in time for the second half of the basketball season.
"Everything about [basketball], I missed," Miller-Stevens said. "I missed the day-in and day-out toil of practice and working with 12 other committed players towards a common goal that we all believed in ... I knew that I desperately wanted to be back on the floor with my team. I called my coach right from Italy."
In addition to the team chemistry experience that is lost with a semester abroad, the biggest challenge is often in keeping up physical skills away from campus.
"Coming back halfway through the season was a bit tough at first," Miller-Stevens said. "Even though I had worked out while I was away, being in 'basketball shape' is much different than simply being in shape. It took a couple weeks to really get back in the groove, get in shape, learn the new plays, [and] get to know the freshmen."
While some athletes run or frequent local gyms, others hone their skills by playing with a local sports team. Junior softball player Danielle Lopez, who is currently abroad in Barcelona, is determined to come back swinging away.
"Before I left I e-mailed the head of baseball and softball in all of Spain, and they gave me the contacts for the team in Barcelona," Lopez said. "By playing with this team I'm keeping my skills on the field and improving my Spanish ... I don't feel like a foreigner or an American idiot, and it's all in Spanish."
Depending on the country of study, however, athletic options can be limited.
"As far as participating in sports, it depends on the program," Caldwell said. "There is one member from the men's [crew] team and one from the women's team in Ghana, and the availability [of crew facilities] there is quite limited."
Senior squash co-captain Julia Avrutin, who studied in Madrid last fall, ran into similar difficulties.
"The courts were over an hour away so I didn't really play at all," Avrutin said. "It was a real struggle to come back."
To avoid the drawbacks of leaving during the school year, some athletes also take advantage of their summer vacation and study abroad then, instead. Junior cross country tri-captain Catherine Beck participated in a two-month-long archaeological dig in Vescovado di Murlo, in Tuscany, Italy. Sophomore lacrosse and squash player Brian Rassel participated in the month-long Tufts in Annecy program, while sophomore hockey player Joe Milo was one of many who choose to spend six weeks this summer at the Tufts campus in Talloires.
"There are always other options," Miller-Stevens said. "Many athletes study abroad during the summer or set aside time to travel when they graduate. Usually, if there is a will, there is a way."
