- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor / Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu
2,300 miles from home, two Mercer tennis players share a bond that extends beyond the sport they love to play. Fernando Armendaris and Juliana Moscoso Chiang both hail from Ecuador, yet they find themselves in a very different culture on the other side of the equator, playing tennis in a foreign land. “Having an Ecuadorian teammate in a way makes you feel more like home I guess,” commented Moscoso. She went on to explain, “Although you may find that your team in general supports you, there's something stronger that links you to that person, its weird to explain it.”
Moscoso, a 5-6 freshman from the coastal city of Guayaquil, Ecuador, has already made a splash on the team, defeating Alabama State’s Shameka Williams in her first match 6-0, 6-0. Armendaris, a Quito, Ecuador native, has a year’s experience under his belt and will be competing in top position for the Bears this spring, hoping to help his team reverse their 4-19 (2-8 A-Sun) record last year. “Being an athlete in another country has been an incredible experience and I thank God for giving me this opportunity every day. It is certainly different from what I was used to back home,” commented the extroverted Armendaris.
Many international athletes, like Moscoso and Armendaris, come to the United States for to play for many reason extending beyond athletics. “I've had some awesome experiences with my teammates and that bonding is something that I hadn't experience in Ecuador,” chimed in Armendaris. Moscoso, in her second semester at Mercer also has had here share of experiences in a foreign culture, adding, “Up till now, I've enjoyed every single moment of the whole experience playing in a foreign country and being able to live and learn about different cultures broadens your perspective.”
Although the opportunity to study and play in a foreign country is often an exhilarating experience for international athletes, it’s also comes with its’ share of drawbacks. The inability to see one’s family takes a toll on an athlete during the course of the year, but fortunately, Moscoso and Armendaris always find themselves with a fellow Ecuadorian to relate to. “I guess what I miss the most about [playing in the U.S.] is my family, although I have a piece of it here,” relayed Moscoso. Armendaris also felt that having a Spanish-speaking teammate from the same culture helped him get through the homesickness, saying, “What I miss the most [about Ecuador] is the food and especially my mom's cooking. I also miss speaking our language [Spanish] and hanging out with some of my friends, but in that sense Juliana has definitely been a great support and she is always someone that I can talk to when I am feeling a little homesick.”
The pair of South American tennis players are two of fifteen international athletes at Mercer. As they only two representing South America this year, they both play with a chip on their shoulders. Armendaris explained, adding, “I think we both want to let all the Americans know what Ecuadorians are made of and we will give our best effort to make our nation proud, but always with God's help.”
If you happen to bump into them as they walk around campus with their tennis racquets, attending classes, and continuing to build friendships through the different organizations they’re involved in, you find yourself quickly drawn into conversation with them. They offer a different facet of the world at Mercer. Making the most of their respective academic and athletic opportunities, Armendaris and Moscoso are two shining examples of the benefits related to recruiting internationally. They’re students. They’re athletes. If you ask them, they’ll quickly tell you, they’re Ecuadorian.
- J. Andrew Lockwood -
