By Becca Friedman, Public Relations sophomore 

Becca Friedman was one of 15 students who participated in the Globalizing American Sports study-abroad program from the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, held Nov. 1-6, 2023 in Frankfurt, Germany. To read other stories from the program, visit here.

Deciding to sign up for this course was a decision far outside of my comfort zone. When I received the email about the abroad opportunity in July, I thought to myself, “That sounds amazing, but I would never go.” The longer I sat with the idea, the more I realized how amazing of an opportunity it would be. 

Going into the trip, I was nervous but not as nervous as I would have expected myself to be. I believe a main part of this is because I had time to get to know my classmates before we went abroad together. Thanks to that, I did not feel like I was traveling alone at any point of this trip. I also appreciated that we had groups for our projects, for it is better to travel in a group to go out and get content in Germany. The entire time we were abroad, I felt safe being surrounded by my classmates.

From this experience, I have learned quite a bit about the international sports world, which is exactly what I hoped to gain from this course. I am only in my third semester here at UF, so my classes have not catered toward my interests so far. This was the first class that I chose to take because it matched my interests, and not because it was a requirement. During our time in class before our trip, I learned about the foundations of globalizing American sports such as football and baseball. I also learned how to properly write a feature article, which I did not know how to do before.

The most educational part of this class, however, was our study abroad experience. From meeting with the DOSB and RTL, I learned about the soccer club structure in Germany and the NFL’s agreement with German television. From talking to the people at Frankfurter Allgemeine (a leading newspaper in Germany), I learned more about what it is that writers look for to get published and how important integrity and transparency is to maintaining a paper’s reputation. By just being a tourist, I learned about Frankfurt and its history and how to use public transportation to get around the city. I also picked up on a few German words such as “Danke schön” and “bitte schön.”

From interviewing and interacting with fans outside of the stadium and in the city square, I gained a new global perspective on expanding American football overseas.

There is only so much that you can learn in a classroom. Being able to talk to the people that the NFL is marketing to allowed me to better understand the globalization efforts. For example, I talked to fans from Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands. Each of them decided to get into football years ago, for it was something different from soccer for them to watch. Many told me that they viewed the Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs game as a “party” compared to a soccer match that is extremely tense. Fans start to catch on to American football because it is fun for them, even if they do not understand all about the game. Now that I have gained the fans’ insight, I understand that the NFL and Major League Baseball must take the entertainment approach in globalization efforts.

My only recommendation for improving this trip would be to explore more out of the city of Frankfurt. The day we went to Heidelberg was my favorite day, for it felt as though we were in a completely different country. I would have loved to use an extra day for another day trip to explore a different city in Germany. I also would have loved to learn more about the soccer culture in Germany and see a game, as well. 

Overall, I walked away from this trip with a better understanding of sports on a global market, as well as an increased sense of confidence in myself. I am very proud of myself that I took the jump to sign up for this course, and I know that it bettered me personally and academically. 

Posted: December 18, 2023
Category: CJC in Frankfurt, Sports, Study Abroad Projects
Tagged as: Globalizing American Sports, sports, Sports@CJC, Study Abroad, Study Abroad experience