NOTE: Join us this week as we celebrate NCAA Division III Week and highlight what it means to be a student-athlete at Hope College. On Tuesday, we profile women's basketball player Angelique Gaddy.
By Caroline Hannema
A simple text message on a Wednesday morning was all it took to provide junior soccer player, Toby Blom, with an experience he will never forget.
The text message asked Blom if he was interested in going to Japan with four other Hope students as part of a two-week exchange program with Technos College in the summer of 2014.
An answer was needed by Friday and without knowing too many additional details, Blom committed to the trip.
Blom and his fellow students arrived in Toyko and spent the first week exploring the city. They spent time adjusting to the the culture with their tour guide from Technos College before heading north for a week-long soccer camp.
Owned by Technos College, this soccer camp catered to young kids, ages eight to 12, and was run by Japanese and Italian coaches with professional playing experience. Blom and the Hope students helped alongside these coaches and played with the kids as they trained three times a day. The language barrier proved to be difficult at times as there was no crossover between the English, Japanese, and Italian languages. This forced Blom to rely heavily on their translators, but it didn't stop him from embracing all aspects of the trip.
Blom recalls that his trip to Japan was a great learning experience, not only for the sport of soccer, but also because it challenged him to be open to new things.
When Blom left for Japan, he had no idea what to expect with the culture and how he was going to interact with people and overcome the language barrier. While it was not easy to adapt to these things, Blom recognizes that this opportunity stretched him out of his comfort zone and challenged his perspective. And, this is just one of the many opportunities Blom is grateful for at Hope.
Blom initially had no interest in coming to Hope College. He was looking at Division I schools where he could play soccer, but as time progressed, Blom didn't love the feel of the big schools. He came for an overnight visit, stayed with a current soccer player, and suddenly found his niche for the Hope community.
Blom affirms, "Hope is an incredible place." He enjoys the smaller class sizes and that his professors know him by name. The community at Hope stands out to Blom and he recognizes what a blessing it is to engage with Campus Ministry events and worship with his teammates and friends.
While Blom is preparing for one more season with the Flying Dutchmen, his travels and opportunities to impact the world are far from over. He just got back from a Spring Break trip to Jamaica where he worked in a deaf village, building into kids' lives, and this summer he plans to head to California to participate on a beach soccer team. It's not uncommon for Blom not to know what to expect with these experiences, but he says that is what makes it fun at the same time. Hope has provided him with a community of support and he is ready to let these opportunities continue to shape his perspective on life.
NCAA Division III Week Profiles
Monday: Men's soccer student-athlete Toby Blom
Tuesday: Women's basketball student-athlete Angelique Gaddy
Wednesday: Track & field student-athlete Boone Marois
Thursday: Baseball student-athlete Jake Chipka
Friday: Volleyball student-athlete Jayne Kessel
