Summer is absolutely the perfect time to rejuvenate and recover coming off a long season; to rest your body and mind, and return in September even stronger for the upcoming year. Taking the time in the months you have off to heal in every way you need to is essential to coming back even stronger the next season. Summer is also a great time to explore the world outside the gym, from traveling to your hometown and reconnecting with family to going on a beach trip with friends.
Some gymnasts may spend their summer traveling even further to another country or continent. One of the best aspects of what college offers, whether you are a student athlete or not, is the opportunity to study abroad. Within many schools, there are unique opportunities to travel internationally, experience the culture, and learn about the places you are getting the chance to go to, and, one of the best parts, you might get to do this with some of your closest friends. Getting to study abroad is really a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the ability to go and do this is something those who have done it regard as some of their fondest memories of their college years.
While I personally did not choose to study abroad, I was able to hear about the experiences of those who have and learn just how much of a life-changing experience it was to be able to do it. Speaking with Temple specifically in mind, there are a multitude of programs already based internationally that have provided students with opportunities to study in Rome or Japan for a longer time period. For the shorter, summer offerings of the study abroad trips, there are several programs you can choose to do, one of which, perhaps the most popular, is the “Temple in Spain” program.
I had the opportunity to speak with one of my former teammates, Hannah Stallings, now a graduate of the Temple gymnastics program, who was able to be a part of this “Temple in Spain” trip. She was able to share with me what her experience was like, as well as pieces of advice she has for anyone who is looking to embark on this journey.
From the outside looking in, ‘study abroad’ might look like just a fun trip you are lucky to go on with your friends; however, there is still certainly a ‘study’ aspect within the ‘study abroad’ experience. For this trip, it was a part of a three-credit class under the sports and recreation management branch where fifteen student-athletes were selected to go after an application process. Stallings shared that as a part of the academic aspect of the trip, the athletes were required to write an essay before departing, looking into the culture of Spain, researching the areas they would be visiting, and sharing what they were most excited for. They were also required to write an essay following the conclusion of the trip about their experiences, reflecting on their time in the country, along with a slideshow with pictures, detailing what they learned and showing their favorite parts of the trip. Although this trip took students with a specific interest in sports and recreation management, there are other programs that will send you abroad to study medicine as you head into your upperclassmen years for more experience, or to have additional experience teaching before you head into the student-teaching portion of your program back at school. Whatever program you end up going for, there is absolutely an educational piece attached to it, even if it may be viewed ‘a fun adventure’ from the outside looking in.
On the day to day, Stallings shared that the mornings were scheduled group activities, like visiting the museums, touring churches and cathedrals, and canoeing. In the afternoon, they were able to go off and explore on their own, and see other aspects of the culture, places in the country that might be of more specific interest to them. The typical afternoon for the group would consist of shopping in local stores, trying the food, going to the parks, and overall immersing themselves in the culture as much as they could in the time they had there.
This program packed a lot into a short amount of time, but nonetheless, Stallings shared that the time the groups spent there was the perfect amount. One of the biggest things that personally would deter me from doing a study abroad trip would be being so far away from home for a long period of time. Before hearing about her time in Spain, I was under the impression study abroad trips were much longer, month-long to semester-long endeavors, but this trip was only a few weeks. “As someone who likes home, I enjoyed a trip of shorter duration,” shared Stallings. “I felt it was just long enough and allowed me to explore other cultures and simply have a good time appreciating and learning about a place different [from] what I call home!” If you are looking to study abroad, this would definitely be something I would look deeper into; what is the length of the program, what are you looking to do in this period of time, and how long would you feel comfortable being away from home?
Even with the beauty of the country she was able to see, the new foods she was able to try, and the overall excitement of just being in a new place, Stallings reflected on her time in Spain sharing that the best part of the trip was the relationships she was able to build. With 15 athletes getting the chance to go on this trip, six were teammates of Stallings, so being able to continue to grow her bond with these teammates, in addition to the other athletes on the trip who she might not have ever crossed paths with, is what sticks out to her the most. Being able to travel and create these memories with people you may already be close with, but ultimately have the chance to build new friendships that might have never begun if it wasn’t for this trip, is undoubtedly one of the best parts about getting the chance to study abroad.
Reflecting on this trip, Stallings has nothing but good things to share, one of the greatest havingthe chance to step outside of her comfort zone. Having the time to explore new cities, try a new gelato every day (which she shares was one of her favorite parts of the trip), and do these things with new people was what she ultimately will take away from her time studying abroad. Being in athletics and being exposed to these opportunities if you have the means and are comfortable doing so, is absolutely something everyone should be able to experience at least once in their lives. Stallings shared, “I [definitely] would encourage people who have opportunities to study abroad to do so. It’s a unique opportunity and allows you to have a greater appreciation of the world around you and think beyond your day to day life.”
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Article by Julianna Roland
