Students from the Methodist Ladies’ College, a private school in Sydney, Australia, visited campus recently as guests of the Exeter girls water polo and field hockey teams. To enhance the students’ experience touring the U.S., MLC organized athletic contests for their girls in soccer, water polo, field hockey and tennis at both private and public schools in California, New Jersey and New Hampshire.

During their visit, the Australians played pickup scrimmages against Exeter's field hockey and water polo players. Coach Lundy Smith, who coordinated their stay at Exeter, said, “The best part of the visit was the chance for our girls to meet new people, learning about the larger world while playing competitive games.” The Australians’ style of play helped the Exeter athletes pinpoint some areas they could work on as a team and demonstrated new playing techniques.

The visitors not only played the sports games, but also stayed overnight on campus, rooming with Exeter athletes. Erika, an upper, found the visit interesting and entertaining. “We spent time with them outside the sports games, so we learned a lot about the differences between our lives and theirs," Erika said. "We got to know them as specific people, not just a group of visiting athletes.”

Allie, a lower, was charmed by the Australian accent and impressed by how curious the visitors were. “They wanted to meet a lot of people which prompted me to meet new people, too, as I introduced them to members of the Academy community. They enjoyed trying new things, and that rubbed off on me.”

Amanda ‘07, who can hardly wait to visit Australia now, says she was most struck by how easy it was to bond with someone from half a world away. “The girl I roomed with had so much in common with me. She’s my new best friend!”