PAX - Program of Academic Exchange is a program of PAX Laurasian Exchange and is designated by the U.S. Department of State as a J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program sponsor.

So many sports in America!

 

If somebody asked me what American culture is, sports would be one of my answers. In my country, people don’t play sports very much. Even if somebody wanted to play, they don’t have many options—mostly soccer, or basketball if you’re lucky. There is also a clear line between sports and education.

When I came to the U.S., I was shocked, because most people play sports here. And there are a lot of sports, like soccer, basketball, swimming, and more. So everybody can find something. And unlike my country, not only boys, but also girls play a lot of sports, and schools have girls’ teams. Sports and education don’t hamper each other, they even complete each other.

I hope this project will encourage people from other countries to play sports. Not to be a professional athlete, but for self-discipline and good health. One of my biggest goals is to encourage girls to play sports at the high school level.

I believe my video of people playing basketball will encourage boys and girls from different countries to play sports, because it looks cool. And the interview with the coach explains the importance of sports. The video of the crowd cheering the players shows the appreciation of people for players and encourages other people to try a sport.

—Ingilab (FLEX, Azerbaijan), hosted by the Hansen family (IN)