By Rachel Rosen, Media Production, Management, and Technology junior

Rachel Rosen was one of 15 students who participated in the Globalizing American Sports study-abroad program from the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, held Nov. 1-6, 2023 in Frankfurt, Germany. To read other stories from the program, visit here.

Wow. Going to Frankfurt, Germany, was a transformative experience for me. I had never been to Europe before, so not only did I get the opportunity to explore a new place, but I was able to bond with classmates. We made unforgettable memories. From the moment I got to the Gainesville airport with my 49-pound suitcase, to arriving in Atlanta and finally touching down in Frankfurt, my excitement continued to build. It didn’t feel real. I couldn’t believe it was all happening.  

Right when we landed, we went straight into a bus-and-walking tour of the city. I learned about the deep history of Frankfurt. Before going to Europe, I envisioned what it would look like in my head—cobblestone, ancient feeling streets—but, I was surprised at how modern parts of Frankfurt were. The architecture was incredible, traditional to modern, and I found myself comparing parts of Frankfurt to Chicago, as I am originally from the suburbs of Chicago.  

The next day, we had the opportunity to travel about 90 minutes away to Heidelberg, which looked a lot more like what I thought Europe would: cobblestone streets, traditional architecture and an old but charming feel. I learned about Heidelberg’s history as well while soaking in its beauty. It was absolutely breathtaking. Although it did not relate to football, this was one of my favorite experiences of the trip.

More notable experiences included going to the DOSB (the German Olympic Sports Confederation) and the Frankfurter Allgemeine, an extremely successful newspaper. At the DOSB, I learned about the German population’s interest in sports and how the culture of sports in Germany is different and similar to that in America.

This presentation revealed that sports are a source of unity and joy on a global scale, which didn’t surprise me, as they have played such a big role in my own life. Sports serves as a source of pure joy and happiness to me, so it was nice to see how much they are valued abroad too.  

 Additionally, I learned about how Germany’s television station RTL collaborates with the NFL to broadcast the league’s games to a German audience. It gave insight to the business side of sports, which is more complicated, but just as important. We saw pictures of the set of an NFL-focused sports show as well as the behind-the-scenes production side of things. That really piqued my interest because I work as a camera operator for Florida Gators sporting events. There are so many pieces that go into making a sports broadcast successful, and being behind the scenes has made me fall more in love with sports. This program broadened my understanding of how American football is addressed globally, particularly in Germany.

At the Frankfurter Allgemeine, we took a tour of the building, which was beautifully constructed, and then had a discussion with staff writers. The discussion was informative, and it was great to learn about how one of the two leading newspapers in Germany goes about covering sports. Among other sports, we heard from someone who has traveled to the Super Bowl to get content for the Frankfurter Allgemeine. I enjoyed hearing about all of the thought that goes into decision-making at a newspaper and the approach that journalists take when delving into a story. All of the industry professionals who spoke to us at the DOSB and Frankfurter Allgemeine were incredibly friendly and gave us a warm welcome with food and drinks. 

We arrived in Frankfurt on Wednesday, and Saturday was when I really began capturing content related to the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins game. It seemed like everything in Frankfurt revolved around the NFL, and it was amazing to see how many NFL fans there were in Germany. I could feel the excitement in the city. There were interactive activities, shops, performances, oversized helmets of all 32 teams and more. There were people representing a variety of teams, not just the Dolphins and the Chiefs. People came from all over to watch the game. Seeing the pre-game day preparation was awesome, and it made me even more excited for the game on Sunday.

Game day was probably my favorite experience of the trip. I smiled from ear to ear from start to finish. We got to the stadium over four hours before kickoff to immerse ourselves in the experience and capture content. Several interactive activities were happening outside of the stadium including a field goal kick, vertical and broad jump, a wide receiver challenge and more. There was also a stage with DJ’s playing music.

After the pre-game fun and festivities, we entered the stadium; and wow, was it electric. It was evident that there was a huge Chiefs fan base in Frankfurt. The crowd was locked in and ready for a good time, and that it was. While Deutsche Bank Park was smaller than a typical NFL stadium in the United States, with a capacity of about 50,000, you could never tell because of how loud it was.

During one of the timeouts, the crowd sang “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” In this moment, I felt I could let go of all the stress and anxiety in my life so I could just enjoy and embrace what was happening right in front of me. I loved every second of the game day experience, and being there reassured me that I want to continue telling special sports stories from behind the camera in my professional career.

Our primary reason for traveling to Frankfurt was to engage in projects to cover content surrounding the Dolphins and Chiefs game, but we also had the opportunity to explore Germany, and I appreciated that there was balance between football and non-football related activities throughout the trip. This balance allowed me to see the city and greater country in its entirety and made the experience feel complete.  

Throughout my time there, I smiled and laughed more than I had in a long time. Meals were another highlight of the trip for me. Being able to sit at the dinner table surrounded by classmates and [Media Production, Management, and Technology Department Chair] Roxane Coche in a different country was special. We gelled so well together, and it was the people who made the trip what it was. It is rare that you get the opportunity to travel with classmates and build friendships.

When I got home, I felt an internal sadness because I wanted to go back so badly. Right now, I’m sitting in my bed looking to my right at the scarf I hung up in my room that I bought after the game. I’m also looking at the plane tickets I pinned to my bulletin board from the trip. I put these on my wall to signify how special of an experience this was for me. 

I did not know how much I could gain from a five-day study-abroad opportunity, but I can undoubtedly say that this was an experience I will never forget, and I would encourage anyone who is interested to apply for an experience like this one because you won’t regret it. This trip made me realize that I have never been more sure of pursuing a career in the world of sports.  

Enjoy this video we produced with classmates Reighan Sheppard and Syni Sparkman:

Posted: December 18, 2023
Category: CJC in Frankfurt, Sports, Study Abroad Projects
Tagged as: Globalizing American Sports, sports, Sports@CJC, Study Abroad, Study Abroad experience