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From the Netherlands to Boston College to Rice University, Mijke Roelfsema reflects back on her journey to play soccer in America.
Mijke first thought about playing in the U.S. after one of her ADO Den Haag teammates came back from competing at Alabama. Mijke recalls the wonder and curiosity she ignited.
“She started telling stories of how it was. It just sounded amazing, like such an adventure. And so I got very interested in going to America and to do the same thing.”
When Mijke decided she wanted to play in America, she had to commit to the process. After creating a video, taking the SAT, learning more English, and connecting with foreign coaches, the thing that Mijke found the most difficult was the overwhelming amount of paperwork she had to fill out.
“I think I did paperwork for a half a year,” she said.
At Boston College, Mijke began to become more comfortable with “kick and rush” soccer. Off the pitch, Mijke learned American style passive-aggression.
“Dutch people are definitely way more direct. They just say it how it is. I've learned with a lot of Americans, they just talk around it. They will be like, ‘Oh, that looks amazing' when they might not think that.”
After her sophomore season at Boston College, Mijke's coach advised her to transfer. With her added time in America and the help of her teammates, Mijke was much more prepared for the recruiting process her second time. She laughs at her original understanding about playing soccer in the U.S.
“When I came the first time,” she recalled, “I had no clue what ACC was, I had no clue about basically anything.”
Related: Going Global? 35 Questions International Athletes Must Ask Coaches in the Recruiting Process
When weighing whether to transfer to a better soccer school or a better academic school, Mijke decided that she wanted to prioritize her life as a college student.
“[At top soccer programs], you have to do so much that you almost have no time to be a real student. I wanted a real college experience and feel included in the school and be friends with students all over.”
At Rice, Mijke found herself engrossed in her academic studies. As a psychology major, she enjoyed learning about interpersonal relations and human behavior. From her experiences in class, she was able to improve her understanding of the game. In particular, Mijke started to prepare mentally for her games.
“When the national anthem is playing, I do this thing where I [trap] everything that I'm worried about or thinking about in a circle,” she said. “And then envision myself throwing all of those things out of the circle to clear my mind of everything other than soccer.”
Related: It's All Going To Be Okay: My Experience After One Year as an International Athlete
Despite her success on the field, winning Conference USA defender of the year and being named a MAC Hermann semi-finalist and an All-American, Mijke is most appreciative of the opportunities and experiences soccer brought her.
“I've met so many amazing people,” she said. “I've learned a new language. I've stayed in America for five years.”
As for what's next, Mijke just wants to continue the adventure.
“I'll just see where I'll end up,” she said. “As long as I'm doing what I love. I can work for the rest of my life [but] I'm not ready to start working yet.”
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Image Credit: Rice Athletics
* Originally published on January 5, 2023, by Chloe Singer
