Feature: Different Backgrounds Bring FAU Soccer Team Together

As Florida Atlantic University continues to grow, the international scene has cultivated along with it throughout campus.

The international scene has made its way toward the athletics side of the university as well. Many of the FAU athletic teams have multiple players born in international countries.

The men's tennis team is well represented, with four different countries on the nine-man roster. FAU's women's basketball showcases six different countries.

However, there's no better example of worldwide representation than the FAU men's soccer team. The 30-man roster has players from 15 different countries with 19 total international players. Just 11 of the players are from the United States.

Getting a college sports team to work and bond together is a difficult task. It can become even more of a challenge with a team of players from many different backgrounds, both culturally and athletically.

However, the men's soccer team has been able to excel in this environment and build a team that is able to communicate on and off the field. The diversity of backgrounds among the players has become a strength rather than a challenge to come together.

Four players on the men's soccer team are from a primarily Spanish-speaking country. Junior midfielder Jose "Nacho" Alastuey is one of three players on the roster that is from Spain. He was recruited by FAU's coaches to play in America and was enticed by the coaching staff and program.

Alastuey describes the team as a family outside of the locker room. He said the team gets along really well and he appreciates the diversity of backgrounds on the roster.

"Now I have friends all over the world," Alastuey said.

Junior defender Tom Abrahamsson is another international player, one of three from Sweden. He shares the exact same sentiment as Alastuey about the soccer team allowing him to have friends from all over the world and also enjoys learning about other countries.

"Everyone comes from such a different background. My new best friend is from South Africa (defender Graeme Pratt) and before I came here, I barely met anyone from South Africa," Abrahamsson said.

Abrahamsson had not thought much about playing in America growing up until he received a message on Facebook from an agent for a firm that worked on sending international students to play soccer in American colleges.

"It was a point in my life where I wanted to try something new. I love to travel and meet new people," Abrahamsson said.

Abrahamsson was recruited by Jose Robles, an FAU assistant coach at the time. Abrahamsson not only saw an opportunity to help build a rising program at FAU, but also to get away from the cold winter weather of Sweden.

"In Sweden, the fall and winters are terrible. When I saw there was a school located in Florida, that's what got a lot interest from my side," Abrahamsson said.

The diversity of countries represented on the team is a large contrast from even just five years ago. The 2016 men's soccer team, the season before current head coach Joey Worthen was hired, only represented eight different countries on its 30-man roster.

Worthen believes that being able to expand their recruitment all over the world has benefited the soccer program greatly.

"We try to find the best talent that we can all over the world. Being able to go internationally has just opened a lot more doors for us (with) a bigger talent pool that we're able to pull from," Worthen said.

The players are not just able to come together as a soccer team but also are able to thrive off of the pitch as members of the FAU community.

Under FAU President John Kelly, the university has made efforts to promote their diversity of backgrounds. In 2017, FAU received designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the United States Department of Education. This is only given to universities with at least 25% of enrollment by Hispanic students. FAU is the most diverse public institution in the state of Florida.

Alastuey feels that the university has done well in their mission to make international students feel welcomed, pointing to emails from the school celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month as one example. He believes that regardless of background, FAU is a great school for anyone.

"Everyone here is part of the community. It doesn't matter where you're from," Alastuey said.

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