„Wij zijn de meiden van de Knickerbockers en we worden kampioen. We zijn van de week weer lazarus geweest vannacht de meiden van de Knickerbockers vieren feest. Ole oleeee ole oleeee knickerbockers ole oleee!!!“. Without knowing this song you could never be a true member of the student soccer club The Knickerbockers. It is sung when your team wins a game, and afterward in the clubhouse the Appleknockers, or short the Flop, when you and your team stand on the bar and celebrate your win. The club is the epitome of Dutch sports culture. Therefore, it comes unsurprisingly that there are not that many international students. I only know of 4 to 5 guys and 2 girls, which includes myself, who are active players, and this with 18 men teams and 9 women teams. Why might this be the case? 

The ACLO, which is the biggest student sports organization in the Netherlands, offers a variety of sport courses to participate in. Furthermore, the ACLO is the head organization for many sports clubs. Indeed there are 51 different clubs you can become a member of. For example, the rowing club G.S.R. Ageir or the fencing club G.S.S.V. Donar 1881. While the sports courses that the ACLO offers are taught in English, the instruction language in the clubs is naturally Dutch.While many internationals join sports courses there seems to be a hesitation among internationals to join sports clubs. This situation is predicted to prevail and is not easily ‘fixed’ since there are multiple problems that come together. 

First, is the predicament of talking in a foreign language since the sports part and the social part is in Dutch. In a group of people speaking the same language and in which only one person is foreign, it is natural that the rest will fall back into the major represented language. This makes the one person feel left out and not wanted. Which makes the international become quiet and absent and ultimately leave the team. I approached the problem of language differently. I was not able to speak Dutch before I joined the Knickerbockers.I understood a little bit but that was pretty much it. Nonetheless I never wanted my teammates to speak English just for me. Due to the fact that it did make me feel uncomfortable and I did not want to get any special treatment. Moreover, I recognized that them talking in Dutch will only help me learn the language faster. My teammates never minded me talking English back or them needing to explain something to me when I did not understand it. Thanks to them I am now at that point where I can even have a conversation in Dutch, and I got my job because of my Dutch skills. 

One of my teammates told me that if I would not be as kind and willing to learn Dutch as I am, they would have not been very welcoming toward an international. A friend of mine experienced something similar in her team. They said to her that if she would not be super good at soccer, they would have excluded her from the team until she would have quit. Reports similar to this statement do surface in conversations with other internationals and also in articles which naturally makes more internationals hesitant to join.

I asked some of my teammates to comment on what they think is the reason for the friction between internationals and Dutchies within the sportive environment in Groningen. 

Vere, one of my lovely captains, has always been very open toward internationals since she is interested in different cultures and likes to share her culture with others. However, she understands why there are not that many internationals in Dutch sports clubs. As I have mentioned earlier, language is indeed one of the major problems. It is not only the inability of internationals to speak Dutch but also that the Dutchies get self-conscious about their English-speaking skills. Furthermore, a language barrier is also in the way when one wants to get to know another person. It is way harder to become friends with someone if you speak different languages and therefore requires more effort from both sides. Another aspect that is in the way of internationals being more integrated into sports teams is the Dutch culture. Dutch people are group people. Everyone has their group of friends, and these groups can be very hard to get into even for people who speak the same language. Therefore it comes unsurprisingly that for internationals who do not even speak the language it is near impossible to become a part of a sports team. Nonetheless, as I have experienced, it is very well possible. This might be because of the open, laid back, and non-hierarchical culture at The Knickerbockers but also, as Vere has pointed out, after all internationals are welcomed in dominantly Dutch sports clubs if they try to learn the language, are open, fun, and active at social activities. However, you cannot expect that people will be talking English to you and you have to be willing to be uncomfortable in the beginning since there will be a lot of Dutch, Dutch culture, and Dutch beers surrounding you. 

Another kind captain of my team clarified that she does not know a lot of internationals and thus does not really know why so many do not join. Therefore, she assumes that for internationals it is more attractive to join a sports club where already other internationals are. So basically, like Dutchies, internationals like to stay within their groups and do not get out of their comfort zone. The biggest hurdle to master is indeed the language. She commented that I showed a lot of effort to talk Dutch with them, and in larger groups where I was, and still am, uncomfortable to speak, I listen and do my best to join the conversation somehow. This was really important for my friendship with this teammate since I did not speak Dutch in the beginning and she does not really speak English. Our conversations were often really one-sided and I did not understand her at all. When she started to notice it she spoke slower and tried to talk some English to me and now a year later we are friends and I appreciate her very much. While this friendship may have taken longer it was definitely worth the effort. Her tip is “be nice and social, try to involve yourself in the conversation by responding to the conversation material and a must for this is to speak a little Dutch.”

I can conclude that being part of a Dutch sports club has helped me a lot to destress during the exam period and it brought me through all those lockdowns. Moreover, because of how much I enjoy the environment and my teammates, I considered this when I decided to stay for my masters in Groningen. I have become so fond of the Dutch culture, its language, and also the directness of Dutchies that I might stay in the country after I finish my education. I am aware that this is my experience and that maybe others encountered something completely different, but I believe it is worth a try if you actually want to experience the country that you are living in. 

So here are a few tips that will help you to get integrated into a Dutch sports team a little bit easier.

1. Be willing to take the risk and realize that it might be hard in the beginning however the outcome will be because of that even more amazing
2. Do not hesitate to ask a question about anything if you do not understand something. Dutchies are very willing to help you out but they sometimes just do not know-how.
3. Try to show that you are trying to learn the language and maybe speak it a little bit before you join the team.
4. Do not get upset when they forget about you not understanding them in a group. Just realize you will get there, and it is not so much about you as a person but only because it is natural to switch back to Dutch if you talk to a group of Dutchies. 
5. It is normal to be uncomfortable and feel shy and awkward. Just try to get over that and do the best you can in listening and maybe joining the conversation with only one sentence.
6. Be a team player on the field and off the field.
7. Even though you might be hesitant to go to social gatherings, just go! It is the best way of connecting with your team members
8. Just be nice, kind, and genuine in your effort and everyone will see it and try to help you out and get to know you.
9. Most importantly enjoy the sport!