4. Starting in fifth grade, and extending until my graduation, I had the opportunity to be involved in a number of extracurriculars: band, choir, theatre, football, basketball, baseball, golf, speech team, and knowledge bowl. My school day would go from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., would almost always include a period of music, and would be followed by an athletic practice of some sort; after practice I would eat supper at home and if I were in a musical, I would go to rehearsal. Friday nights almost always included a football or basketball game. My days were filled by a plethora of activities, and they all in some way were related to my school. Although my American schedule wasn’t necessarily typical, I know for certain that I would have had a much different experience had I been raised in Brazil. My exchange has given me a better appreciation for the school activities in which I used to participate.
As I’ve previously mentioned, the school day is short. So when class ends at 12:30 p.m., students have until 7:15 a.m. the next day to figure out what to do with their time. Some lift weights at athletic clubs. I have friends who take lessons in mixed martial arts, and tennis. And of course, everybody plays soccer, but I’ll get to that later. When it comes to music, the most popular choice is guitar. Other than (one) harmonica, drums, and bass; guitar is the only instrument played by people that I’ve met. I’ve heard some talented singers in the break time mini-shows, but I have yet to meet someone who has ever been in a choir.
The closest thing to organized school sports is the boys indoor intramural soccer championship, of which I am a participant. Two male teachers supervise the games: one is a referee and the other keeps the book. Teams are permanent, and were chosen by the players; a team usually consists of a group of six to eight friends. Each team plays one night per week. Most games are go on without spectators, save the on-deck teams and the occasional parent.
One evening, while watching a game, I asked one of my friends if any schools sponsor traveling soccer teams. I imagined that some of the best intramural teams at my school could come to America and compete for a high school state title. After an answer and some follow-up questions, I learned that Brazilian schools don't have the money to finance such things, and I also came to understand just how much of a commitment it takes to play ‘competitive’ soccer in Brazil.
Soccer balls enter the lives of Brazilian children at very young ages, but it’s at around age seven when boys start playing on hard courts at clubs. After a few years the good players start to separate themselves. Around the ages of ten or eleven, the decision has to be made. What will be your focus: soccer or school? Most choose school. But the ones willing to take the chance choose soccer, and they begin to play on grass fields. I would imagine that it’s a decision made by parents who are advised by people who know how the system works. I’ve heard from a number of sources that most professional soccer players came from poor families, and that soccer was their way to escape their unfortunate beginnings. It is this kind of commitment that explains the fact that Brazil has won the World Cup five times.
To my understanding, there is at least one boy in the league who is going to college in the U.S. next year on a soccer scholarship. The fact that he’s ‘only’ going to an American college and not pursuing competitive soccer in Brazil tells us that he’s really good, but he’s not good enough to go pro. However, the fact that he goes to a private school means that he is a lucky one. He didn’t have to sacrifice his education to pursue the game he loves, and an American education will look good on his resume later in life.
It's interesting to think about how many great soccer players there might be -- in Brazil and in other countries -- who have never had the opportunity to play in front of other people.
There is an obvious desire to be active, musically and athletically. I think clubs and private lessons do a good job in satisfying that craving, however, whenever I talk to my Brazilian friends about American high school, the first things that come to mind are the activities. A few nights ago I was working on a PowerPoint presentation about life in America that I will deliver in English class, and I noticed that most of the best memories I have about high school all involve football, basketball, band, and theater.
I am definitely a promoter of youth exchange, and I want people to come to America. I imagine that the people here who play guitar would also be singers and would play other instruments, if they had attended an American high school. I was excited to hear that my friend Barbara, who recently left for an exchange to Oregon is taking a drama class at her school.
I think that the competitive athletes would all find their places on the school teams. I was also happy to hear that a friend of mine who went to Texas for an exchange a few weeks after I arrived, is on his school’s football team. Although he did mixed martial arts in Brazil, when I talked to him in class about playing American football, he seemed a little hesitant to go out for his future school’s team. I like to think that his school has a welcoming and encouraging coach (similar to the one I had) who convinced him to give American football a try.
I also know that Barbara brought her tennis rackets to Oregon, and I would be surprised if she isn’t one of the best players on her school’s team.
Although slightly ashamed, I now feel comfortable admitting that when I was asked what I would say to convince a potential exchange student to come to America, I thought I was just giving the logical ‘good interview answer’ by talking about the sports teams and school activities. But now that I’m away from it all, I can see that those things meant much more to me than I had ever realized.
Thanks for reading.
