Ranger athletes discuss the difference in culture around sports from their home countries compared to Redwood.
By: Sophia Rexhepi and Reese Huerta
An individual. A Redwood Ranger. A teammate. A team.
We often forget just how lucky we are to be a part of a community where sports are valued.
After interviewing a pair of Redwood Rangers it was revealed that in their home countries sports at school is not an option.
Aazir Khan ’24 plays defensive back for the Redwood Varsity football team. Khan is originally from Karachi, Pakistan and lived in Saudi Arabia for 7 years. Khan says that, “There’s more opportunities here in America because you can play for your school. Where I’m from you have to pay to play for a club team and there’s no school sports to play for.”
(Photo Courtesy of Gigantea)
Khan did not know how to play football when he came to America because over in Saudi Arabi the main sport is Cricket. Khan says that, “I never played American football in Saudi Arabia. I actually had a football, but I didn’t know how to play.”
Since coming to America, Khan loves football and learned how to play. He enjoys being on the Redwood football team because he says that, “It’s really cool because you get to represent your school. Football is also the main sport at school, so football players are normally respected, which feels good.”
Khan says that, “It’s just a really nice feeling to represent your school and it gives you a sense of pride playing for Redwood. Over in Saudi Arabia you don’t have the feeling of people supporting you for playing sports.”
Not only do we have Khan on the Varsity football team who came from Saudi Arabia, but we have Antonella Cardenas ’24 who is a 4-year varsity member on the tennis team.
Cardenas lived in Venezuela for 13 years. She started playing tennis when she was five then stopped when she was 10 but started again when she was 13 and has been playing ever since.
Cardenas says that, “Tennis is what I love and over here you have the chance to be on a team in a school. Over there that didn’t happen anywhere. So here you have the chance to be competitive.”
Cardenas says that she chose tennis as her sport, “because of the feeling that it gives you. You’re out there, it depends on you. I just love it. It helps you feel that you are capable and helps me to grow not only physically but allows me to grow mentally too.”
Cardenas says that, “Here sports wise when you are an athlete everyone knows each other and in tennis it feels like you are a family.”
These Redwood athletes can help us to appreciate the opportunities were offered here sports wise in America.
Cardenas and Khan both love where they are from but also love the wide variety of opportunities that living in America has offered them and they can’t wait to continue playing there sports here at Redwood.
Sophia Rexhepi
Sophia' 24 is a writer for the Gigantea's sport section. She enjoys interviewing students and staff who break social norms. She loves writing and can't wait to interview the lovely students and staff at Redwood.
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