Flying into the U.S. as an exchange student can be a wave of emotions. When coming from another country, there can be a lot of differences and challenges one must adapt to.
Some obstacles one might face are the languages being spoken, the food eaten, the school schedules and the sports.
It only took one search for German exchange student Adele Kluessendorf to find the SHS girls’ golf team. Kluessendorf knew she had to be a part of it.
“Before I went to Southport and got my placement for my house family, I searched up the Instagram account, and then I found the golf team,” Kluessendorf said.
Kluessendorf started playing golf 12 years ago. As a little girl, her dad would golf with their neighbor, and she would go along for the ride. The sport has stuck with her ever since.
Even after all those years playing golf, Kluessendorf has never played for her school in Germany.
European schools do not have school sports or any extracurricular activities, unlike schools in the U.S. Instead, athletes like Kluessendorf play on club teams.
“You play sports on your own after school … in a club. I just play in a golf club,” Kluessendorf said.
As a result of Kluessendorf’s departure from her club, she left her friends. So making new connections with her teammates at SHS is vital for her.
Luckily, her host family ended up being the family of junior Lillie Youmans. Youmans is also on the golf team with her.
Some of her other teammates also share classes with her throughout the school day.
One of the first teammates Kluessendorf reached out to before meeting the team was junior Claire Davis. They met coincidentally through the SHS girls golf Instagram account.
“She texted me about a month before she came, just introduced herself, and talked about golf and stuff like that,” Davis said.
While Kluessendorf is still adjusting to being a newcomer, she is getting the swing of things here at SHS. She is making new friends and bringing positivity to the golf team, according to Davis.
Every day allows her to experience life at SHS and make new memories in the U.S.
“She brings a lot of excitement, and it’s very fun to play with her, just because she’s never negative and always has something good to say,” Davis said.
Alongside her teammates on the course, one thing noticeably different Kluessendorf found about golf in the U.S. was the weather.
Back in Germany when she is with her club team, the season is year-round. Her team competes from March to October, while in the winter time they practice indoors.
Throughout that time, the weather there is a lot cooler than Indiana weather.
Compared to her season in Germany, at SHS it is a lot shorter. The season starts in August and ends in late September or early October.
“I would prefer playing golf in Germany over in the U.S., because here a lot of golf courses are just different,” Kluessendorf said. “I feel like it is very hot here for a long period, so you see the grass, and their courses are not as green and courses are not as healthy.”
While the way golf itself is played may not have changed significantly, Kluessendorf has faced challenges that an athlete at SHS would never have to worry about.
She may have flown in from another country, changed time zones and met new people, but one thing that never changed was her love for golf.
“I think it’s relaxing,” Kluessendorf said. “You have a lot of time and you can concentrate … And it’s long, and it’s outside.”
No matter what country she may be in, Kluessendorf will always have her passion for golf.
