When freshman Ana Moleon Hidalgo first got on a call with Cal Poly’s recruiting staff, she was listening for good news and translating in real time for her parents.
As the coaches laid out their vision for her, she paused between sentences, relaying everything in Spanish so her parents could follow along.
Still not fully fluent in English, she got a glimpse of what life would soon become, which meant navigating conversations and an entirely new culture in a language that wasn’t her own.
“It’s been hard trying to adapt to the language and having a new routine and different things to do every day,” Hidalgo said. “Now, my days are really different from how they were in Spain.”
The biggest challenges for Cal Poly’s international basketball players don’t always come on the court. From struggling to keep up with fast-paced conversations in a second language to longing for home-cooked meals thousands of miles away, they navigate more than just a game.
Adjusting to a new culture, balancing academics and bridging language barriers overwhelm the transition.
Every player shares a love for the game, but for four international teammates, that passion led them far from home. On the Cal Poly Women’s Basketball team, four international players moved to the United States to pursue their passion for American basketball.
Sophomore guard Jordan Billing made the journey from Australia to California’s Central Coast to join Cal Poly as a freshman, becoming the first international player under third-year head coach Shanele Stires. This past season, she was no longer alone, as the Mustangs welcomed three more international freshmen: Hidalgo, Carmela Fontes and Nora Perez.
While the dream of playing Division I basketball in the U.S. is a powerful motivator, it comes with challenges. Trying to process commands in a second language added extra pressure on defense because a split-second delay in understanding could be the difference between a blocking foul or drawing a charge.
Off the court, even the simplest tasks felt foreign. With dining dollars required for freshmen, ordering a meal became a daily test, hoping their choice wouldn’t be a disappointing surprise. And beyond campus, adjusting to life in the Central Coast came with another realization: the lack of diversity and Spanish-speaking people, overwhelmed by the feeling of missing home.
Recruiting process
When recruiting, coaches and programs rely heavily on a network of relationships to identify, assess and eventually bring international players to their teams. This system is no different for international basketball players.
Associate Head Coach Samba Johnson mentioned that they have built relationships with several contacts overseas who keep them updated on the student-athletes they work with throughout the year.
Reviewing game footage is another crucial step in the recruiting process, allowing coaches to assess a player’s skills, playing style and potential fit for their program without making a trip abroad.
Johnson explained that the coaching staff watches film together to evaluate which players best meet the needs of their program before beginning the process of reaching out to them
Johnson added that the time differences mean late nights or early mornings talking to prospective players and their families overseas.
For many international players, the idea of playing Division I basketball in the U.S. is a dream they’ve held for years.
Growing up in a country without a clear path to both higher education and competitive basketball meant moving away to fulfill that dream.
The U.S.’s structured college athletics system was the perfect embodiment of a place where academics and basketball could thrive side by side, offering opportunities they couldn’t find anywhere else.
“In Australia, we have nothing like college [sports],” Billing said. “There is really no pathway unless you go pro right away.”
As a result, coaches find that convincing these players to move away from their families isn’t particularly difficult.
“It’s kind of an easy sell because they’ve already grown up wanting to come over here,” Johnson said.
Overcoming language barriers
Reflecting on the recruiting process, Hidalgo from Elche-Alicante, Spain said it was difficult for her parents to talk with the coaches due to the language barrier.
Regarding family concerns, Hidalgo’s mother was initially hesitant about her daughter moving to the U.S. for college, worried about the challenges she would face. However, her father, who had also come to the U.S. to study, understood the experience firsthand and was more supportive, knowing the opportunities it could offer.
Language remains a significant hurdle for international athletes as they navigate both their sport and daily life in a new country, one of many concerns Hidalgo’s mother had.
Hidalgo picked up English by listening closely to her teammates and jumping into conversations. After about two months with the team, she finally felt confident enough to communicate on the court. But even with that progress, adjusting to the language has been an ongoing challenge.
“Honestly, I still don’t feel confident talking as much,” Hidalgo said.
Perez, from Donostia San Sebastian, Spain, learned English in school growing up but said it didn’t fully prepare her for real-life conversations.
“They teach you grammar and things like that, but when you come here, it’s not like that,” Perez said. “You need to be able to speak with people and maintain a conversation, but in Spain, they don’t teach that.”
Having already gone through the challenge of learning English in high school, Fontes arrived at Cal Poly with an advantage over Hidalgo and Perez. Her familiarity with the language made the transition smoother, allowing her to not only adjust more quickly but also become a source of support for her international teammates as they navigated the same language barriers she had once faced.
“During summer and even now, when they wouldn’t understand something, I would either translate it or help them understand, and they were able to pick it up pretty fast,” Fontes said.
Hidalgo shared that it was reassuring to have Fontes around because it felt comfortable to have someone to talk to in her own language to help her better understand what was going on.
Fontes moved from Empalme Olmos, Uruguay during her sophomore year of high school after being scouted by a coach who saw her play for the Uruguay National Team.
Before moving to the U.S., Fontes did not speak any English, making the transition to American high school life daunting both on and off the court. However, attending Woodside Priory School, a boarding school in Portola Valley, California, eased the adjustment since she was surrounded by other international players who faced similar language and cultural barriers.
“We were all adapting as a group, so I think that’s why it was easier,” Fontes said.
Fontes’s struggles with the language barrier extended beyond the classroom and into her performance on the court, where communication was essential. Early on, she found herself hesitant to speak during games, unsure how to articulate her thoughts in the moment.
“In the beginning, I didn’t really talk,” Fontes said. “I didn’t know what to say on the court, so I wouldn’t talk as much. I was able to understand what coach was saying, but I mostly found it hard talking on defense.”
She gradually picked up the language through daily conversations with teammates and classmates and structured learning in school.
Over time, as she became more fluent, she gained confidence in calling out plays and responding instinctively, but in those early months, the game’s rapid pace often left her feeling one step behind.
Hidalgo says Perez and Fontes have been her biggest source of support since moving to the U.S., finding comfort in their shared language. “It’s really good to have someone to talk to in your own language,” she said. “It makes everything feel a little more like home.”
On the other hand, Billing doesn’t have to navigate a language barrier like her teammates, but that doesn’t mean communication always comes easily. The sophomore from Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia often finds herself the subject of lighthearted teasing when she mispronounces words that sound perfectly normal back home.
“I guess I say ‘capsicum,’ and you guys say ‘bell peppers,'” Billing said. “Same thing with tomatoes and bananas. Some words like that, the girls laugh at.”
Living abroad, holding onto home
Perez spoke about the mental toll of living so far from her family, highlighting how isolating it can feel at times. But she also stressed the importance of opening up and being vulnerable with friends. She said that talking about her feelings after a tough day helps lighten the emotional weight and makes the distance a little easier to manage.
Perez and Hidalgo call their family daily, keeping in contact and sharing photos and moments from their life to help bridge the distance.
Despite staying connected through video calls, Hidalgo found that the phone calls didn’t do justice to the comfort of being physically close to her family. No matter how often they spoke, the virtual connection couldn’t replace the sense of support and familiarity she missed.
“Not having them around is the hardest part,” Hidalgo said. “Sometimes you just need to be with them.”
Having experienced the emotional toll of being away from her family during her first year all by herself, Billing understood the feeling of the early struggles of being far from home. She says the girls have built a nice community with each other, fostering their support for one another.
“I’ve dealt with it a lot by myself last year, so they come to me for a lot of things,” Billing said. “Whether it’s support for classes or when they’re feeling homesick. They know they can come to me whenever they have any issue, and it’s kinda nice to know we’re all in it together.”
To fill the void of missing home, Hidalgo keeps herself busy by focusing on her training, spending time with teammates or going downtown, channeling her energy into the things she loves.
After about three months in San Luis Obispo, Perez felt she had finally settled in. But mentioned how the food culture shock remains a challenge, something they are all still adjusting to as they navigate life far from home.
“Since I have dining dollars, I need to eat on campus,” Perez said, “But that is kinda hard because I don’t really like the food.”
The Central Coast doesn’t have many options for diverse, authentic food either. Unfamiliar meals and missing the authenticity of home added to the challenges of living in a new country. But, like their approach to the game, they’re learning to adapt.
Perez still tries to keep the Spanish tradition alive during holidays, where she says she and Hidalgo prepare Spanish meals together. A specific dish is the tortilla de patatas, which Perez describes as the “Spanish omelet.”
The role of team support for international players
For these players, Cal Poly has become more than just a school; it’s become their new home.
While the transition from their home countries hasn’t been without struggles, they’ve found support in their teammates, who have become like family. The guidance of their coaches and the close-knit atmosphere of the athletic program have allowed them to find a home away from home.
Senior guard Annika Shah discussed how the team goes out of its way to make international players feel comfortable and bring a piece of home alive for them. By incorporating elements of their culture, like using phrases such as “vamos” or “hola” and playing music by artists like Bad Bunny, the team helps create a welcoming environment of their home away from home. These small but meaningful gestures foster a sense of belonging and allow the players to maintain a connection to their roots while easing their transition into the team.
“Using some of their terminology and implementing it into basketball has been super fun, and we all get a smile out of it,” Shah said.
The international players all spoke about the strong sense of support within the team, saying that everyone genuinely looks out for each other. Without cars or the ability to drive, they rely on their teammates to help them get around, which has created a family-like atmosphere and made the transition to a new country a lot easier.
“Our teammates and coaches have really helped us with the transition,” Fontes said. “We know that if we need something, they’re always there for us.”
