'lhrd I ks!.rsad, i\ orway
I laruki Tada, .Japan
Athletic Recruiting Around the world
l'ahlo !lff'Ha, Colombia
Liam I !rard, New Zraland
How international student-athletes end up representing the cardinals By Jacob Russell '22 Photos courtesy of Otterbein Athletics
In a mov<' from England lo Lexington. Kentucky, in 2006, Oucrlwin men's soccer lwad coach .labon Griffiths follo1H•d his dr!'am of playing eollcgc soccn. \011 he is making the same dn·am come true for three international studf•nts. Griffith, lwr-amr onr· of tlw top midfirlders in the country as a K,·nltH'k) Wildcat lwforr being draftrd h) \1ajor Lragur· So('crr's \ 1, 11 l•: ngland Hr1oli1tion in 2010. L nfortunalel}, his \1 LS carrer 11 a, limitr·d to onr ,t'a,on due lo an injury. Yet, man) countri!'S do not hav<• tlw opportunil) to pursu1· an education 1d1ile comprting 10 I NOVEMBER 2021
in sports, so Griffiths is grateful that he was able to pursue both, even for a short ti me. Since Griffiths· staff cannot afford to travel to trials he ld by agencies that connect aspiring inlrrnational studrnt-athletes and college roaches, the process of extending that opportunity as a head coach begins by "watching film and connecting with peers around the world'' to identif) pla)('J'S who 11ill fit in his program, he says. Henuiting beyond the Lnited States is beneficial. Criffiths says. because international players "hring a different
