The soccer field is College third-year Nic Jandeleit’s second home. Jandeleit grew up playing soccer in Menlo Park, CA, and has since established himself as a dominant force on the College varsity men’s soccer team. This past spring he earned second team honors after an outstanding second-year season and tied for second in the North Coast Athletic Conference in both goals (nine) and points (21). After the implementation of the College’s three-semester plan due to COVID-19, Jandeleit decided to play club soccer in Germany to continue his soccer career while taking classes through the ICN Business School.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

When did you leave the U.S. and fly to Germany? Did you have a plan at the time for what you were going to do while in Germany?

I left for Germany on July 28. My decision was contingent on whether sports were going to take place during the fall semester. Once President Carmen Twillie Ambar announced that we were not going to have a sports season, I decided to partake in the International Futbol X-Change program. IFX gives players the opportunity to get soccer trials in Europe and support on how to become a soccer player in Europe. They are also collaborators with the ICN Business School, which means that I am able to take classes and receive an education while playing soccer.

How has your experience been so far?

I have had a great experience so far. When I first showed up I trained with different clubs, and after a few weeks I joined SG Quelle Fürth. They play at a very competitive level, which has improved my playing ability significantly. I have also learned a lot from the business classes offered by ICN. Since I am a Computer Science major, it has been great focusing on a subject that I haven’t focused on in the past.

I spend the majority of my day playing soccer, going to ICN, and working out in the gym. In my spare time, I like going into the city and exploring. My roommates and I will also travel to Nuremberg. It’s a large city that is convenient to travel to through public transportation.

How did you find this opportunity to play in Europe?

When we were sent home early in the spring due to the coronavirus, I started planning for different situations that may play out in the fall 2020 semester. I’ve always wanted to pursue soccer in Europe, and I intended on doing this while taking a semester abroad. Since it was still uncertain whether fall semester sports were going to take place, I decided that, with no soccer, I was going to go abroad. My dad and I found the IFX program while searching for opportunities to play overseas and ended up committing to it.

Has your experience playing over there been any different from playing in the U.S.?

Soccer in Germany has been amazing. My team has players who used to play at the top of European soccer, which has given me the opportunity to learn so much. I’ve noticed that soccer is part of life here in Germany and across Europe. Players grow up with soccer in their culture, which is one of the biggest differences to playing soccer in the U.S. The speed of play and their ability to make quick decisions is something I have never experienced before playing here. I have never played in Germany before this, though I have been many times because of my family lineage.

How have you been getting along with the new team and adjusting?

I have had a smooth transition to my new team. I get along with all of my teammates, and we go out and do stuff together, too. Being able to speak German has helped a lot. There is no language barrier, and it has also helped me understand instructions from my coach.

How have you been staying in contact with the Oberlin Men’s Soccer team?

The time difference definitely makes it hard, but I’ve been on FaceTime calls with my coaches and teammates. It’s always great to talk to them and hear what’s going on in their life at the moment. I’m also in a fantasy football league with some of my teammates, which is another way we’ve been staying in contact.

What are your plans for the spring of 2021? Are you coming back to campus or staying in Europe?

As of right now, I do not know if I will be back in the spring of 2021. It really depends on what Germany decides to do for the future of soccer for the next couple of months. Currently, coronavirus cases are going up in Germany, and the government is considering implementing another break for soccer and many other social opportunities such as gyms and restaurants to reduce the rate of newly-infected individuals. If the break occurs, then I might consider coming back to campus sooner.