Exchange Students Opinions on SHP Sports

In the SHP community, there have been many amazing exchange students from across the globe. Ranging from Spain, Mexico, and Australia, SHP is lucky to have a wide array of students on their campus this year.
As they have had to navigate life on SHP campus, many exchange students have attended various SHP sporting events. Phoebe Moreline, from Sydney Australia, is hosted by Lucy Newton ‘25. Phoebe has attended many SHP sporting events so far: the Boys Varsity Football games against Palo Alto High School and Burlingame High School, as well as the Girls Varsity Volleyball game against Notre Dame Belmont. While reflecting on her experiences, she said that “[she] really enjoyed the girls volleyball [game] and […] was not expecting the games to be as crowded as they were.” She noted that in Australia, “it is not common for people to attend the sports games” drawing an interesting comparison between the importance of high school sports in the U.S. and in Australia. Phoebe also found similarities between her home and SHP as she said that in Australia they “don’t have American football, but it is similar to […] rugby.” As Phoebe continues her stay in the U.S., she will look to further immerse herself in the spirited SHP community before returning home!
Joan Carbonell, a student from Spain, hosted by Charlie Van Dyke ‘26, is another exchange student who has attended various SHP sporting events. Joan attended the Under the Lights Varsity Boys Football game and two of the Varsity Girls Volleyball games. He said that the football game was his favorite, due to the great energy and its distinction from the sports back in Spain. He said that he “expected it to be crazy with all of the people shouting,” and was pleased to find out that it met his expectations. Joan also commented that at SHP, sports are taken quite seriously, and how it is interesting to see “how everyone practices everyday.” As for the volleyball games, he says that the team “did very well,” and he was very impressed by their performance.
With many exchange students on SHP campus, sporting events serve to highlight a great contrast between the U.S. and other countries. As more exchange students, like Phoebe and Joan, have the opportunity to attend SHP events, SHP hopes to create a welcoming environment and memories to last a lifetime!