Harrison Kahn reflects on another way to choose the right Putney program

During my time working at Putney, I’ve had the chance to reflect on the different ways students choose the right Putney program. A participant of Community Service Vietnam might be looking for the perfect way to help support a small community in the developing world—while a student on Cultural Exploration in India may come for the chance to practice creative writing using the palaces and street markets of Mysore as inspiration.

Since I’ve joined Putney Student Travel, however, I’ve noticed an entirely new factor in the equation. Sports.

If sports are your calling, the decision can be easy. Baseball is a no-brainer—we’ll see you in the Dominican Republic or Nicaragua. Soccer? Have fun in Costa Rica, France, Spain or the UK. Kayaking? You’ll probably want to explore the coastal waterfalls of Dominica. For other enthusiasts, decision-makers may include ping-pong in China or sand-boarding in Argentina (see picture!).

Last November I had the opportunity to travel and live in Argentina for a month. One day my Spanish tutor invited me to join her husband’s soccer team. The team’s goalie was out of town and they needed someone for that night’s semi-final match. Soccer is not my forte to say the least—nor is Spanish. Give me a ping pong paddle on any college campus in Beijing and I’ll be fine, but soccer in Buenos Aires?

I was nervous. The team I was joining was semi-professional. They were, on average, 4 to 6 inches taller than me. To top it all off, this was an important game; They were vying for a semi-final berth.

Looking back I am proud to say that I didn’t blow it. I even made a few saves that surprised my teammates. Much more important for me than our win, however, was seeing the incredible power of soccer to knock down barriers of language and culture. There are many ways to choose the right Putney program, but I am confident that if you pack your passion to swing, dribble or paddle you will come home with great memories and even better friends.