In February Anna Aehling made her debut in the Indiana Hoosiers team. There was a 0-1 defeat at Northwestern University Athletics in Illinois. But after that it was not only sporting better and better: The ambitious Coesfeld woman can look back on a very pleasant settling-in period in the university town of Bloomington, 70 kilometers south of the capital Indianapolis. “The team is super nice and the conditions here are amazing,” enthuses the 20-year-old, but also reveals: “In the first few weeks it was a change because the training is a little different and the rhythm of the game is a bit different. For example, just before Easter we had four games in nine days. ”
Of course, despite all the stress, she tries to stay in contact with her family and best friends: “Sometimes it’s difficult with the time difference,” she says and immediately promises: “But I always try to find the times of day when I can she can call. ”
In her new team, Anna Aehling, who once started playing football at DJK Coesfeld at the age of five and later played with the boys at SG 06 up to the B I Juniors, will be used in central defense by trainer Erwin van Bennekom . For the Indiana Hoosiers, the reinforcement from Coesfeld has turned out to be a stroke of luck: “We have done very well in the season that has just ended. We’ve got the most points for Indiana since 1998 and finished the season in fifth place. I think there will be more in the next few years, ”she speculates.
But even in the land of unlimited possibilities, the following applies: without diligence, no gain! “We regularly have a game on Thursdays and Sundays and practice on all other days. Only Mondays are usually free. In addition, we have to travel a lot, “she gives an insight into her workload and thinks:” All in all, we have a really tight schedule with football and university. But everything is possible, and there is also time for team evenings. ”
Speaking of time: the student who has chosen the “Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Human Ecology” course spends a lot of it at her desk and at university. And here, too, she follows a clever tactic: “I always need a little more time to complete my tasks, and during the week I often sit on my homework until evening. In return, I usually manage to do a lot at the weekend. ”
Which brings us to the leisure activities in “Hoosier State”: She spends a lot of time with her team there. “We often do game nights or go to the lake and unpack our hammocks there. We also like to go for a walk on our beautiful campus or go on short bike rides, ”the 20-year-old sounds quite satisfied.
Is there anything that she misses in the US besides family and friends? – “The German food”, Anna replies, laughs and explains: “The food here is really a little different to ours.” She doesn’t have a kitchen in the dormitory where she currently lives. As a result, she is very happy when she comes home to Coesfeld soon and can cook her own food again. “But when I fly back to America after the semester break at the end of July, I will also get my own apartment and cook myself. . . ”
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