It’s Fútbol, Not Soccer: A Student-Athlete Studying Abroad

As many of you know (or maybe don’t—lol), I’m a student-athlete! I play for the women’s soccer team at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Hi, TUWS! I love and miss you all so much!

Studying abroad as a student-athlete isn’t always easy, and I know many don’t get the chance to do it. I feel incredibly lucky and grateful that my coaches and program made it possible. And as cliché as it sounds, this experience has truly been life-changing.

By the way, from here on out, I’ll be calling the beautiful game by its proper name – FÚTBOL :)

Vale, fútbol has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. I have been playing practically since I learned how to run, and I absolutely love the game. So before coming to Spain, I knew that I wanted to find an equipo to play with as part of my weekly routine. I initially planned to compete in an indoor league, but, as sometimes happens, plans changed. 

In this case, though, it was a happy accident.

Back in mid-February, I was texting with a former teammate who studied abroad with my same IES Abroad program in Granada! I mentioned I was still looking for a team and she gave me the information of the club she trained with while she was here. SHOUTOUT INTER GRANADA CF!!!

I reached out to the program director and head coach, letting them know I wanted to train and compete at a high level. Now, if you know anything about club teams and professional sports, you know there is always some kind of bureaucracy. Since Inter Granada CF has professional teams, I needed a Spanish Federation card to play in official matches with the women’s team, which I unfortunately did not have enough time to get. 

BUTTTT, thanks to the amazing program director, we were able to find a solution where I could train consistently.

Now every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, for two hours a day, I get to take a break from classes, internships, and everything else in the world and just do what I love—play fútbol. And yes, some days I am doing sprint workouts and the TUWS lifting program on my own. But thanks to Inter Granada CF, I get to experience a team culture while being abroad, which has made all the difference. 

Funny enough, since I didn’t have the proper paperwork to play with the women’s team, I ended up training with an all-guys team. The style of play is a little different, but I have loved it. Everything is a competition and the practices are always very fast-paced.

Since the training sessions are entirely in Spanish, this experience has also helped me improve my language skills and learn some Spanish fútbol slang. For example, in Spain, “ball” is "balón" (not "pelota"), and everyone is "tío" or "tía" (basically “dude” in Spanish). Plus, some of my teammates come from all over the world—Guam, Panama, Senegal, France—just to name a few. It’s been amazing to be surrounded by so many cultures and languages beyond just Spanish and English.

In addition, I knew I wanted to get involved in coaching fútbol during my time here. Lucky for me, Inter Granada CF has several younger teams and before my entrenamientos on Thursdays, I’ve had the opportunity to work as a coach. I have loved getting to help run sessions and form friendships with the younger players. 

All and all, this experience has been nothing short of AMAZING.

Looking ahead to post-graduation, I know one thing for sure—I want to come back to Spain and play for a women’s professional team. My time with Inter Granada CF hasn’t just helped me integrate into the community here in Granada—it’s also given me a better understanding of the Spanish fútbol system and what it’s like to train alongside, talk with, and learn from professional players.

VAMOSSSS!