Competing with culture:

Cross-culturals have long been a part of EMU and its vision for giving students a real-world experience. Less likely to be taken into consideration, however, is how the cross-cultural experience affects students in the athletic arena.

Softball coach J.D. McCurdy noted that junior Erin Partee, who was a part of the South Africa cross-cultural, is well adjusted. Head baseball coach Rob Roeschley commented that the only issue was players occasionally returning out of shape for the season.

Some aspects of sports can get lost in the shuffle of traveling, though. When junior volleyball player Jeff McCutcheon left for his cross-cultural last fall, time restraints kept him from turning in his physical papers on time, and in turn, meant sitting out the season opener. However, head coach Jason Axford stresses the positive effects of the cross-cultural experience. "I believe in the cross-cultural program. With the competitive nature of college sports, you have to be working out year-round…..I do feel that the students gain a different perspective of the world and they can grow from that experience."

Women’s soccer coach Greg Steffen is very optimistic about the cross-cultural program. Although players either miss the regular season or the spring training season if they choose a semester-long experience, he sees the opportunity for tremendous growth in students. Steffen believes that players returning from cross-culturals are able to make a positive impact on team chemistry and leadership, and that students can draw on their broadened horizons to improve their abilities and the program.

He admits that some players have dropped out of athletics after their experiences because they feel that sports are a miniscule part of the college experience and life in general. Yet, others realize the importance of athletics, the lessons they can learn from them, and the value of their teammates.

"If we (EMU faculty and staff) are here to impact lives, the cross cultural experience is a part of that." Steffen also notes that offering cross-culturals has helped with recruiting because students want the opportunity to experience such a unique way of learning.

Steffen and Axford said that a longer summer program would be beneficial for student athletes in order for them to gain the full experience. Steffen noted that Goshen College has a summer program that runs from the beginning of May through July and is comparable to the semester-long terms offered at EMU. This would give student athletes and students wanting to be on campus during the school year the opportunities to be able to more fully realize the cross-cultural experience.

Few in the athletic department argue the opportunities that EMU’s cross-cultural experience offers. The benefits to student athletes are long-lasting and important to gaining new perspectives of life and the world. It is possible that availability of more cross-cultural options would benefit all students, especially student athletes not wanting to miss training or in-season competition. However, many emphasize that it is what these students take from their personal cross-cultural experiences and apply in life, both on and off the court, that really counts.