never imagined heād have to explain the phrase āout of the blueā to one of his players when he accepted the job as 91ĢĘ²®»¢ās bowling coach in 2004. But when your roster of 11 consists of student-athletes from four continents, you canāt always assume everyone is speaking the same languageāso to speak.
This is just one challenge Williamson faces as he steps up recruiting overseas for 91ĢĘ²®»¢ās championship bowlers.
āWe are blessed with the ability to recruit in a global environment,ā he says. āWe want to find the best bowlers in the worldāwhether they are from the United States or notāand bring them to 91ĢĘ²®»¢.ā
, a sophomore from Singapore, and , a freshman from Australia, have assimilated to the United States without much difficulty, but itās been a bit more challenging for Moscow native , believed to be the first 91ĢĘ²®»¢ athlete from Russia.
āThere is a huge cultural difference,ā says Williamson, who guided the Commodores to their 2007 national championship. āMaria had been taking English for a long time, anticipating the chance to come to the U.S. for college, but she learned āProper English.ā She doesnāt understand some of the slang we use. I had to explain to her what āout of the blueā meansāwhich isnāt easy. Itās been a unique experience for all of us.ā