Christian I. Hirschboeck ’25
Staff Writer
College sports is a concept that is extremely popular in the United States, but not very common among the rest of the world. This could be due to many different reasons, but it is certainly interesting to see the different perspectives on one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the United States through the eyes of others. Here, I interviewed men’s soccer player Frank Janicke Permanyer ’22, originally from Weinheim, Germany, on his views of American college sports before he arrived here at Lake Forest College, and his views on them now that he is graduating from the college this spring.
Q: How did you view American college sports before coming to Lake Forest College?
A: “When it comes to American sports, they were like I thought they would be. In terms of soccer, I knew coming in that they were like I thought they would be. In terms of soccer, I knew that the class wasn’t high enough to go pro or something like that, but I knew that this sport would still be respected enough at this level to be practiced with high priority which is what made me come to the States. In Germany we don’t have college sports but I noticed that in the States, whether it was D1 or D3, they would care about the sports and do everything they could do to maximize the experience.”
Q: Now that you’re graduating, what else would you say about your experience as an athlete at the College?
A: “It was great. It wasn’t what I was originally expecting, but I made a lot of memories and friends that will last my lifetime. I am very glad I was given this opportunity because it really was enjoyable all throughout.”
To wrap things up, I’d like to thank Frank and all other senior athletes for their efforts over the past two semesters. The athletic experience on campus this school year was great, alongside a very high standard of performance put out by all teams. Good luck in your futures and remember, go Foresters!
