I wouldn’t claim to have more than a moderate interest in sports. While I’ll pick some favorite players, I far from follow them religiously. I definitely don’t have a team that I follow year round, and I certainly couldn’t list off any stats or more than a meager handful of historical moments for any particular sport. I did, however, compete actively in swimming and fencing when I was younger, and I will certainly make an exception for international sports competitions (or Penn State sports). I have always enjoyed the Olympics, and in recent years, the Weltmeisterschaft (FIFA World Cup) and, most recently, the Europameisterschaft (EM i.e. the Euro Cup) have joined that list. I think soccer is particularly fun to watch because it’s fast paced and easy to follow, unlike American football (especially on television… although being at Penn State has changed my perception of this a little). However, I’m always amazed and excited by the ability of sports, especially soccer, to bring the international community together. I enjoy events like the Olympics or the WM because it’s an incredible feeling to have people from all walks of life, all over the country, waiting with baited breath for their team, or cheering in unison. It’s especially amazing because people that come from entirely different lands and walks of life, who might not even speak the same language, have this whole other way to communicate with each other through sport. Sports give people a common context for actions, people don’t have to speak the same language at all to both understand what’s happening in a soccer match, and to express their excitement or anguish about it. Being in Germany for the EM is of course exciting because it means there are games on in all the restaurants and celebrations for the games… but it’s also nice because it’s one of the times that, even as an exchange student here, I can feel especially connected to the culture. It doesn’t matter if I’m sitting with Germans or Australians or other Americans, especially for the EM (which the US, of course, has no stake in), when Schweinsteiger or Draxler scores, or Neuer saves, we all cheer and we all get to be Deutsch. It’s an incredibly powerful moment of connection and excitement. I think moments like these are part of the reason I’m such a diehard fan of the Olympics. I recognize that they can be extremely controversial for the impact they have on the local community — especially these upcoming events in Rio, and of course we should strive for solutions in the future — but ultimately I appreciate and enjoy the spirit of international community competitions like these endeavor to foster.