Imagine leaving your family and traveling to another country to not only start school in a completely new environment, but also step onto the field in a way you never have before.

For many international students here at Paly, athletics is mo

re than just games and exercise. They are gateways into American culture, friendships and s

chool community.Whether it’s learning the different systems of American sports, or adjusting to school spirit and pride, these international athletes bring unique perspectives that can enrich their teams.

At Paly, opportunities for international students come through the district’s foreign exchange program. Each year, only a handful of students are accepted — no more than five per high school — through state department approved exchange organizations. These programs carefully find host families, ensure students meet age requirements and help provide the J-1 visa that is required to study in the United States.

The adjustment can feel nerve-wracking for some new students, but for others, adjusting to American high school culture feels almost natural. Junior Anton Gerdemann, who joined the Paly football team this fall, is an international student from Germany who already feels comfortable in his new home.

“When I was young, my family and I used to live in Sunnyvale,” Gerdemann said. “So when I decided that I wanted to spend a year overseas, my parents approached some of their old friends and asked if they would be willing to host me.”

All his life, Gerdemann has been interested in playing American football, however, the opportunities in Germany were limited.

“I was such a huge fan of American football, but could never play because there were no football clubs near me,” Gerdemann said. “When I learned that Paly had a no-cut football team, I thought I might as well try-out to become one of the reserve wide receivers.”

As a new member of the football team, Gerdemann was struck not only by the athletic opportunity here at Paly, but also the overwhelming support that came from the stands.

“The biggest hype is the high school sports here,” Gerdemann said. “In our first game, there were more people there than all the games I ever played combined.”

For Gerdemann, the energy of the student section was something new. The chants, signs and  band created an atmosphere that went far beyond the game itself. He explained that this passion passion motivated him to work harder during practices, since he felt he was representing not just his teammates, but the entire Paly community.

While Gerdemann carved out his place on the football field, sophomore Emma Lodes has been navigating an entirely different path on the field hockey team. Originally from Vienna, Austria, Lodes moved to Palo Alto on account of her mom’s new  job at Stanford University nearby. Unlike Gerdemann, Lodes’s move is permanent — making her adjustment long term.

Field hockey, which was already a part of Lodes’s identity back in Austria, was her introduction to Paly life. However, she quickly realized that sports culture manifests differently in America. Sports in Austria are tied to independent clubs, not schools. Games have less fanfare and sports don’t play a central role in a student’s life. At Paly, she felt the difference immediately, explaining that the excitement of her teammates and fans together creates a fresh sense of belonging

“Everything feels more like a community,” Lodes said.

Lodes also enjoys the team-oriented approach to Paly. In Austria, teams are more centered on individual performance, contrasting with Paly’s focus on teamwork and camaraderie. At Paly, practices are not designed to showcase an individual’s talents, but rather they prioritize collective effort to grow and progress together. This focus helped Lodes adapt to American high school sports and reshape her idea of what success on the field looks like.

Off the field, Lodes has been adjusting to the academic differences as well. In Austria, she would have had a rigid schedule of 13 required subjects, with very little room for discretion. At Paly, Lodes has the luxury of choosing courses to pursue specific interests.

Lodes also expressed the different academic culture between the two countries as well.

“In Austria, school felt more about just learning and studying, but here it feels like a community,” Lodes said.

For Gerdemann, football seemed like an out of reach dream in Germany, while for Lodes, field hockey is a familiar sport reframed by a new culture. Although their journeys ran different paths, both have come to the same realization: at Paly, sports are not just games, they are doors to community, belonging and identity.

Together, their stories highlight the unique gift that foreign students bring to Paly. For these students, Paly athletics are not only about winning or losing, they are about crossing cultures, creating friendships that reach across borders and showing how the spirit of teamwork extends beyond the playing field.