26 student life Sophomore Moses Rotich from Kapchorwa, Uganda, came to Harding with a plan to run for the cross country team. Once he set foot on campus, however, he had a change of heart. Rotich saw the soccer team playing and was reminded of how much he loved the sport. He played soccer since he was in secondary boarding school — similar to American junior high school. “In boarding school we played soccer all the time, and I came to love it with a passion,” Rotich said. Coming to the U.S. was a big adjustment for Rotich. Stereotypes existed in Africa about American soccer, but joining the Harding team gradually changed his thinking. Practices were as intense at Harding as they were at his home, and there were some different rules to get used to. The weather, however, was Rotich’s biggest adjustment. “I have never lived in a humid place before, and the weather here changes so fast,” Rotich said. “I remember when I first tried out for the team. It was so humid, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe that day.” One of Rotich’s biggest challenges was communicating with his teammates. He was a little intimidated because he had such a thick African accent and started out very quiet with the other soccer players. “After a few days though, I learned that it is very difficult to isolate yourself in the United States,” Rotich said. “The guys would different sport same worlds,
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