Women's Soccer | April 14, 2023
MORROW, Ga. -- The Clayton State University Department of Sports Information presents a new series of release that are going to come out for the next several Friday afternoons called the International Student-Athlete Spotlight. Sports Information Intern Nina Koopman spotlights three exceptionally talented women's soccer athletes that come from different backgrounds.
Ida Ditlevsen
Ida Ditlevsen is a junior playing on the Clayton State University women's soccer team. She came to campus in the Spring of 2021 and has been an important player since. She has been the captain and has gotten multiple awards including the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Team of Academic Distinction, PBC Presidential Honor Roll, and Clayton State Laker Award. She is a midfielder and is studying Psychology.
Ida grew up in Denmark, where she lived with her brother, sister and parents in a town called Naestved. Ida had always been a big sports fan and tried different sports, such as gymnastics and swimming. However, she fell in love with soccer when she first touched the ball at six years old and she never looked back. She had never been to America before, but she knew that she wanted to combine soccer and school, which was impossible in Denmark. She found the perfect match at Clayton State. The location of the university, the campus, and the people are the reasons why she chose this school. Clayton State's women's soccer team is full of international players, and she liked the idea of being a part of a team that represented people from all over the world.Spring 2021 was the first time Ida set foot in The States, so everything was new. When asked about her biggest culture shock, she tells me about the adjustment in starting a conversation. In the United States, every conversation begins with "Hey, how are you" and Ida had difficulty answering this question. She remembers asking her domestic roommates for help because it is not the first thing you would ask a person in Denmark.Studying abroad can be challenging but also instructive. Ida tells me that studying abroad has made her understand to put herself first. While being away from home, there are many ups-and-downs including learning to take care of herself and putting herself first. Those are the two of the biggest things she had to learn.
The best part about being an international student-athlete is that she can play soccer almost daily while getting her degree. When I ask Ida what her best memory here is, she answers: "Clayton State has given me the best gift ever: friendships. My best memories include my friends here, from the big games we won to BBQ's Friday nights. I'm grateful that I have had the opportunity to travel around in The USA with the friends I made at Clayton."Ditlevsen has some clear goals when it comes to the future. In five years, she sees herself having a bachelor's in psychology from Clayton State and getting a master's in either sexology, couple therapy, or sports psychology in Denmark. In the meantime, she hopes to travel the world, learn more about different cultures and speak a little Spanish.Ida has multiple tattoos, and I ask her about her favorite one. She answers: "My favorite tattoo is the one I have on my right arm. My sister and I have the same one. It is a daisy, and it represents my grandmother, who passed away. My grandmother had a pair of earrings, which were daisies, and out of these earrings, she made me and my sister a necklace each. Those earrings have been in generations in my family. I feel I have a piece of my sister, grandmother, and the older generation of strong women with me always."
Lois Beer
Lois Beer is a Clayton State University women's soccer team junior. She has been struggling with a knee injury, but luckily, she is doing better now. She is famous for her great tackles, and head coach Ross Henderson is happy when the athletic trainer gives her the green light to play. She is hard-working, both on the field and in the classroom, which resulted in getting a PBC Presidential Honor Roll. She is a midfielder and is studying Business.Lois Beer grew up in Swindon, England. She started playing soccer just after she could walk at the age of four years. Her first team was Highworth Town, and she played for Swindon Town FC from U10-U18. Clayton State gave her the opportunity to continue playing a sport she has always enjoyed while completing her degree. She came to Morrow because she liked the school's location and she wanted to play in a competitive conference. The opportunity to play on a team with girls worldwide was also a big motivator for her.
Being an international student and moving to the US, she has learned a lot about different cultures, especially as the team has players from all over the world. It has increased her understanding of diversity and taught her much about how other countries play soccer. Another good thing about being an international student-athlete in America is that the professors are accommodating and understand that there are differences in the education system that international students have had to adapt to. They are supportive and help ensure international students can complete courses even when they are in season. Besides the lifestyle differences, Lois had to get used to how the game is played in the USA. Soccer is played quite differently than in Europe, including the style of play, tactics, and the way teams approach the game. She discovered that soccer is more direct in America, while in England, there is more focus on controlling the game and passing. The game is also officiated differently; some rules are different. Studying abroad broadened her opportunities.
She did not consider doing a business degree before she came here. In the US, students must study various subjects, such as music, American government, and critical thinking. If Lois were the do a degree in England, the entire course would be tailored towards the subject she chose when she initially enrolled in the university. After trying business classes, Beer changed from Health and Fitness to General Business and Management. She explains: "I would not have considered or even thought I would be able to a business degree if I stayed and studied at home as I had no experience studying Business." Lois and her knee do not have the best relationship. She has been injured multiple times but has been working hard to return stronger. She describes her best memory as finally finishing a game without getting injured. Lois hopes to graduate in the Spring of 2024. After I ask her about her future plans, Beer says that she has "no idea. I have never been entirely sure what I want to be when I am older. Hopefully, I can get a good job and continue to play soccer at the highest level I can," she said.
Elisabet Isleifsdottir
Elisabet Isleifsdottir is a freshman on the Clayton State University women's soccer team. She is a defender and one of the few that is left-footed. She was struggling with a concussion during fall but is now totally recovered and ready to play. "Ella," as most teammates call her, studies Chemistry. Elisabet is a native of Reykjavík, Iceland. She grew up in the capital playing a lot of sports. She did figure skating for a few years and competed in track and field for six years. Soccer is a sport that she discovered relatively late. She started playing at the age of twelve as a goalkeeper and changed to left outside and winger at sixteen. Elisabet is happy in America and at Clayton State University. The biggest reason she chose to come to CSU is head coach Ross Henderson and the number of international players. The location of the school and the option to study chemistry were a bonus.
The United States is different from Iceland. The biggest culture clash she has experienced was that many people are religious here. It took her a while to get used to it, but now she even learned much about religion. Another culture clash was American food. The food here is unlike what she is used to in Iceland. To this day, she cannot get used to all the fried food. She learned to respect other cultures and that her culture is not "the best." Another big thing she learned while studying abroad was to be independent and live by herself. College life is her favorite part of being an international student-athlete. When I ask her to elaborate, she explains: "I love how I can play college soccer and study simultaneously because both soccer and education are very important in my life. That I'm able to do both at the same time is amazing. I have also met my best friends, which makes my experience even better." Ella likes to have a good laugh, and when I ask who she would choose if she could have dinner with anyone, she answers: "I would have dinner with YouTuber Kai Cenat because he is the funniest person I have ever seen. I would enjoy eating dinner with him and laughing nonstop." Her best memory so far is the second half of the match, this spring, against Reinhardt when she tallied an assist. "I am looking forward to more moments like that," she says.
Please stay tuned as next week, I spotlight a pair of men's golfers.
