It’s been just over a month since Cape Town’s up-and-coming football star Cassidy Arendse moved to the United States, and she’s already has cemented her place in the first eleven of Angelina College in Texas, featuring in almost every game. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t a little home-sick.
“I’m still settling in,” she says. “It’s been a tough transition for me to get used to the way they do things around here and to adjust to the weather because it’s very hot and humid. But I’ve managed to push through and I’m not giving up. My teammates are very supportive and they’ve helped me through so many things.”
The Rocklands-born Arendse, who played as central defender and also occasional striker for Maties FC in the Sasol League Western Cape prior to leaving for the US, penned a two year contract with Angelina College in the National Collegiate Athletic Association to pursue both her football and academic careers.
She said football in the US, FIFA top-ranked nation, is different to what she was used to in the Sasol league.
“Football here is very tactical, physical, and aggressive, and they play fast,” she says. “People here are more committed to the game; it’s like an actual career to them. They are also very healthy and are mindful of what they are eating.”
Arendse, who also played for Vasco Da Gama, noted that she has learned many valuable lessons in the past few weeks.
“You need to always give 110% effort, no matter if it’s a training session or a friendly game. I’ve learned to develop the will and determination to persist through obstacles and achieve my goals, and that to learn from my failures is to better myself as an individual in order.”
So what does she miss the most about South Africa?
“I miss my family and friends the most, of course. And the food – the food here is good, but not South African good!”
