Austrians in the USA

“Yanks” get scholarships for these sports

In some cases, students in the USA have to shell out over 100,000 dollars a year in fees. It is therefore understandable that there is an enormous amount of competition for sports scholarships. Nevertheless, even Austrians make it across the pond to combine top-class sport and education in unusual disciplines.

It is actually unimaginable. However, films such as "Blind Side - The Big Chance" with superstar Sandra Bullock at least give us an idea of the importance of sport in the USA. Boys and girls as young as 17 or 18 are already revered as superstars there. The college selection process is a real media spectacle. And for many young people, a previously unattainable dream comes true. Just like in the Hollywood blockbuster that tells the story of NFL star Michael Oher.

Costs of over 100,000 dollars
Without the much sought-after sports scholarships, it would often be impossible to go to university. Especially as the annual costs are immense, averaging several 10,000 US dollars. On its website, Harvard Business School in Boston recommends budgeting as much as 106,800 dollars per academic year! 

Unusual sports
Every year, 180,000 sports scholarships, i.e. a total of 3 billion US dollars, are awarded to students with exceptional sporting achievements. Anyone who believes that these are only the typical sports such as American Fooball, basketball or baseball is mistaken. Because as crazy as the costs at universities are, the sports for which scholarships are available are just as unusual. From bowling to obstacle courses to water polo, everything is included. And the "Krone" even found Austrians who were able to combine top-class sport with an education thanks to the wide selection. 

"Discovered" in South Korea

Christina Hillinger from Kirchham didn't actually want to study after successfully completing her A-levels and worked in a law firm as a legal secretary. However, as a national team markswoman, the 20-year-old took part in the World Championships in South Korea last year and came into contact with the coach of the US team through team leader Margit Melmer, who was looking for talented shooters.

"At first I didn't know whether I should do it. I didn't even know what I wanted to study. But after a short period of reflection at home and discussions with my mom and my coach, I applied," says Hillinger, who will now be studying communication sciences at TCU, Texas Christian University, in August while training in sport shooting at the highest level. "That doesn't often happen," says Hillinger, who feels honored and hopes to get ahead in sports as a result. 

A doctorate in pharmacy thanks to water skiing

Claudio Köstenberger has already successfully followed this path. And with an atypical sport. "As number two in the world at the time, it wasn't that difficult to get a place," says the Carinthian, who managed to get into university in Louisiana thanks to his water skiing talent. "There are two universities there that award water skiing scholarships. If you want to combine sport and education, that's the only way. It's a different world, where athletes are valued for what they do," says Köstenberger.

The professors even thanked me for representing the university so successfully.

Wasserski-Ass Claudio Köstenberger

The best example: "I did my doctorate in pharmacy there and there was a clash of dates with a competition during my last exams. But that wasn't a problem, the professors even thanked me for representing the university so successfully and they were proud," says the multiple national champion. Postscript: "If I hadn't gone to the USA, I could have quit the sport." Incidentally, Köstenberger is not the only local water ski athlete to combine studies and sport in Louisiana. Lili Steiner is currently there and has been studying physics since September. Previously, Luca Rauchenwald also took advantage of this form of training. 

Title with Colorado
Elena Exenberger's American Dream sounds even stranger. The daughter of former slalom ace Monika Maierhofer got her scholarship in our national sport of all things. The 23-year-old from Salzburg is studying media studies and psychology at the University of Colorado Boulder and, like Tyrolean Denise Dingsleder (Master's in Finance), was part of the NCAA National Ski Championships, a non-profit organization that organizes the most important and significant college championships in the USA and Canada, as an alpine skier for her university. "This allows her to combine her passion for skiing with an education. Elena likes team sports and it's another step in her personal development," says Monika about her daughter, who previously competed in FIS races for the ÖSV. 

70 a year to the USA
But even purely amateur athletes are not automatically barred from this path. Agencies such as "Students Go West" theoretically also help district league footballers to obtain scholarships. "We bring around 70 athletes to the USA every year, mostly footballers, but we also have volleyball players, tennis players and track and field athletes," says Managing Director Fabio Rumpler.

Addendum: "They have to be amateurs, but they all play competitive sport. You have to meet certain requirements. After a thorough analysis, we also decide whether it makes sense!"