"A Chat with U" is a feature designed to learn more about the special student-athletes at Union College. These features are written by Bob Weiner, a veteran sports writer who is best known in his career for his collegiate coverage at the Daily Gazette in Schenectady, NY. Bob's latest story is on Union men's soccer players, sophomore Another Kushaina and first year Walani Ndhlovu.
BY BOB WEINER
Their smiles are contagious. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why Walani Ndhlovu and Another Kushaina, a pair of native Africans on the men's soccer team, have quickly conquered most of their cultural challenges and adapted rather smoothly to their temporary home on the Union College campus.
Both Ndhlovu and Kushaina admit that there are many differences between their far away homelands and the scenic yet busy surroundings of Schenectady. But their positive attitudes and willingness to learn new things have made the transition much easier than expected. The fact that they've been accepted with open arms by their teammates accelerated the process.
As expected, there was some culture shock early on.
The first thing Ndhlovu noticed when he arrived on U.S. soil two years ago from Malawi was that American students had tilted heads, constantly looking down at their cell phones.
"I think people here are not connected much. Everybody here seems to be into their own business," said the 5-foot-8 153-pound first-year defender.
However, it didn't take long for Ndhlovu to decide he wanted to study in the U.S.
"Actually I came to the states in 2014 as part of the Pan African Youth Leadership Program," Ndhlovu explained. "That was at Boston University. I liked that school, and I thought that I would like to come to America to study. All the facilities over here are very nice. It's quite a contrast to home. There aren't many facilities for school back home. There are many more options here."
Ndhlovu, who was a standout at Mzuzu Academy back home, was a bit anxious about American cuisine, but he quickly discovered he liked almost everything he ate.
"The food is so different from home, but I'm kind of getting used to it," he said with a chuckle. "It seems like there are so many more options in America than back home. I just point to something and give it a try. I like most of the food here. It's not quite as healthy as most of the things I was eating back home, but it's quick and easy to get."
He is doing well in his classes, but it's quite a challenge.
"Classes here are not so much of a problem to me, but the only difference here is the workload. It's much harder than back home. There is so much more homework here," Ndhlovu said. "Fortunately, I went to prep school (Taft School in Valley Cottage, NY) before I came here, and that prepared me quite well. I'm studying electrical engineering, and I love it. I want to be an engineer when I graduate. One of the great things about being here at Union is that you learn to become independent as a student. When I lived at home, my mom and dad did most everything for me. Now, I have to be independent."
Not surprisingly, Ndhlovu is still a little homesick. "It was a little scary here at first, and last year, it was very hectic," he said. "Now, I'm used to it. I miss my parents and my friends, but I know why I'm here, and I also know I'm going back home eventually."
Classes are fine, but Ndhlovu is most at home when he's on the soccer field. A hip injury has limited his action to just two games so far, but he loves being around the players and his favorite sport.
"Actually, soccer is the only sport I've ever played. I learned it when I was quite young, and I grew up playing it," he said. "I like the energy of it. I like to be constantly moving. It's a great sport. I'm good at running, and I'm athletic. I like to tackle. My goal is to improve. I don't want to stick to being the person I am. I want to play with the team and learn from my friends."
Union head coach Jeffrey Guinn enjoys being around the affable Ndhlovu.
"Currently, Walani is a reserve," Guinn said before a recent practice session at College Park. "But he's one of the hardest working players in practice. The most exceptional thing that he brings to the table is his attitude. There was only one day when he didn't have a massive smile on his face, and that was because he had so much pain in his hip. He has an amazing attitude. His enjoyment of the game is contagious."
While Ndhlovu is a defensive player and is a little more reserved, Kushaina is an offensive threat who is much more outgoing. He agreed with Ndhlovu about most of the challenges both Africans have faced, but he appeared more at ease with the process.
"It's true that things are really different here," said the 5-5, 130-pound forward/midfielder from Manicaland, Zimbabwe. "You've got to remember that we've got to take classes in English, and that is one of the hardest things to do. You have to be more focused and have that extra effort to comprehend the language while you are learning the subject. You have to pay attention. When you are studying chemistry and calculus, it's a little tougher to learn it in English."
Like Ndhlovu, Kushaina enjoys American food. "One of the things that was the biggest surprise to me is that I really like American sushi," he said. "I never liked it before. I didn't even like hearing that sushi was raw fish and rice. Now, I like it very much. American food is so diverse."
Kushaina said that making friends here is a piece of cake.
"Meeting people has never been hard for me," he said. "The boys take good care of you on the field, and even the guys who didn't make the team take care of you. It's a tight group. It's not that hard to find friends around here."
Kushaina, a sophomore, appeared in 13 games last season, scoring a goal with two assists. So far in limited action this year, he has a goal and three assists.
"The game is so big," Kushaina said. "There are 22 players, and they are all running for this one ball .At the end of the day, you can't run past 11 players with the ball. That's what's most different about American football. In American football one player can get the ball and run. Soccer requires more teamwork than any sport. I love the sport. You get to spend so much time with the friends you have on the team."
Kushaina loves creating offense. "I like running at players. I'm an attack-minded player," he said. "I like getting the ball on my right foot, show the fake or something, and cross the ball and hopefully get a goal for our team."
While Guinn said that he found out about Ndhlovu late in the recruiting practice, Kushaina was on his radar all along.
"Another came from Berkshire Prep School, and I watched them play every year. They were the No. 1 team in the country in two out of the last three years," Guinn said. "I was very happy to get him.
"Another is battling an injury right now, but he's our fastest player and a very good one-on-one player," Guinn said. "He's a real threat out wide. He should love being an attacking player. That's what he's good at."
Kushaina said he has both long- and short-term goals in mind.
"I'm an economics major, and I have a great interest in African politics," he said. "I would definitely like to be an ambassador or something like that. I think I can help. Depending on where you are in Africa, there are a lot of problems."
But he also hopes that soccer remains in his future somehow.
"I just love the sport. I would love to be a coach someday. I don't think I will ever play professional, but I would love to be around the sport," Kushaina said. "It gives me so much pleasure. In Africa, people are freer about the game. They play it more for fun. Here, it is more organized with more tactics. I think I could be a good coach if I went back to Africa with what I've learned here."
As for Guinn, he said there have been no issues whatsoever having Ndhlovu and Kushaina on his roster.
"Their being Africans has no impact on anything," he said. "Within a team, if you have different points of view across the cultural spectrum of thought, it can only help your players. This has been a great educational experience for our kids, and it's been great for the entire program."
