Concordia is the home of many athletes who choose to come from all across the nation and the world to become Golden Eagles and represent the school on a collegiate level.

There are many things that make Concordia the special school that it is. One of the major attraction points for Concordia is that it is the home of the NCAA Division II Golden Eagles. 

But what is it that makes the school special to the point where high quality athletes come to compete here? 

For many of the international athletes, the location and the program played a major role. “I had a couple of options in California. Location was a big one for me. And I really wanted to come to California. At the end of the day I chose Concordia mostly for the location and then for the offer from the coach,” said tennis player senior Adrian D'Aoust. 

Concordia is a smaller school and a major perk of that are the relationships that can be built. “The coach reached out to me personally, talked to me personally, and that helped a lot. He did that for me and I am sure he did that with the other players on our team,” D'Aoust added. “It was a very personal relationship from the beginning,” 

Graduate student James Caddies on the tennis team emphasized the importance of the athletic program in making his decision to come here as well. Caddies said, “I really really enjoyed getting to know the team. The boys are very similar to me. I felt very welcomed by the school. The coaching staff has been the highlight of my time here because I am being coached by my former CUI assistant coach, Gertjan De Wilder.”

Senior Mike Jansen, on the tennis team, also agreed on the importance of the area when deciding to play for Concordia. Before coming here, he did not know much about the area except the weather. “I chose Concordia because of the location and the job opportunity in this area is great. It means I can start work out of college in the area and stay there,” said Jansen. 

A common theme that brought these athletes to Concordia and is continuing to bring athletes here is the sense of community Concordia has cultivated within its culture and the beautiful area where the school is situated. 

Let’s cheer on our fellow Golden Eagles and their coaches this fall. To keep up with our athletic program, follow on Instagram @cuigoldeneagles. 

Tags: sports

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About Jenna Hoffman

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