This week in the spotlight: College of Charleston! Slamstox athlete Nevill Ruiter’s new home. This summer he flew to America and from now on he is a Charleston Cougar!
As a 12 year old boy, he started playing golf as a hobby, but pretty soon he knew that he wanted to aim higher. He quit playing tennis and soccer to take the next step and he certainly did! After earning his spot in the Dutch U19 team, he came in second place in the Dutch Youth Championships and he won the Chech International Match Play Championship. Now, he wants to continue his grow in America! His first goal: getting into the World Rankings and eventually the top 100. He is going to face this challenge at the College of Charleston!
His immediate connection with the coach and their shared ambitions made Nevill book his ticket to Charleston. This is what his new coach has to say about him:
“He is extremely competitive and self-motivated. He has already shown off his potential by winning national amateur championships in Europe. We have a great young man on his way to The College.”
Are you curious about all the ins & outs of the College of Charleston? Keep reading!
Campus
The name makes it a bit obvious, but the College of Charleston is located in… yes, Charleston, South Carolina. The university was founded in 1770, which makes it the eldest university in South Carolina. The city is known for its history, architecture, culture and its beautiful coastal environment. Rightfully so, the College of Charleston is very proud of this, because it makes for some really nice shots, like the one below.
With no less than 240 different student clubs, there are plenty of opportunities to make new friends and gain new experiences! As a student-athlete you will mostly be busy with your sport and studies, but there is always room to go out for fun activities. The most beautiful beaches are only 20 minutes away form ‘Downtown Charleston’. So in your free time: Go out and have some fun!
Watch the video below to get a better idea of the atmosphere, the city and the facilities of the College of Charleston.
Do you want to be a student-athlete at an American college or university?
Sport
Just like Nevill, the other 300 College of Charleston student-athletes are called ‘Cougars’. On game-day the whole campus turns maroon and white with fans. They can come and watch 19 different sports teams, among which Nevill’s golf team. All sports teams play in the NCAA Division I in the Colonial Athletics Assosiation (CAA).
Watch below what the College of Charleston’s ‘game-day’ looks like:
One of the things that sets the College of Charleston apart is the fact that they do not have an American football team. This allows more room for the development of other sports. There is literally more space for awesome athletic facilities, such as the TD Arena. This is the venue where the basketball and volleyball teams get cheered on by more than 5100 fans!
The College of Charleston has more amazing facilities at Patriots Point Atletic Complex. The sports baseball, softball, soccer and tennis each have their own stadium. The sailing team also has a lovely complex which is located at the Patriots Point Harbour.
One of the core values of the College of Charleston is diversity. You can see this in the variation in the Cougar student-athlete group. They represent 26 different countries with each a different background. This is also the case in Nevill’s golf team, where 5 out of 7 players are non-American. His teammates are Canadian, German, Scottish and South African.
Like many other American universities, the Cougars have a fight song. Nevill already started practicing so he can join everyone in singing the school anthem! You can find the chorus of the song below:
Do you want to know the entire song? Click here to listen it!
Study
Obviously, student-athletes need to study too. Beside your sport, a lot of your time goes into your studies. The College of Charleston is a public university with a diverse offer in education programs, which are divided in the following categories:
- Arts
- Business
- Education, Health and Human Performance
- Humanities and Social Sciences
- Languages, Cultures and World Affairs
- Sciences and Mathematics
Offered in these categories are: 64 majors and 82 minors. Besides that, they have 22 master’s degree programs. The College of Charleston has 800 devoted teachers who are fully committed to bringing out the best in their students. With a student-faculty ratio of 14,5:1 you can achieve your academic success, besides practicing your sport. Do you want more information on the College of Charleston’s education programs, click here.
We end this university spotlight with one of the special traditions the College of Charleston has to offer: graduation. You have probably seen the traditional graduation robe and cap in an American movie somewhere. But when you graduate at the end of your American adventure from the College of Charleston, you will wear a white dress or a white dinner jacket. This is one of the many unique things about the College of Charleston! You can see how beautiful everyone looks at their graduation below.
Are you thinking right now: “I want to take on this American student-athlete adventure!”? Get in contact with us, and together we will make it happen!
