Jason Couch, head football coach at Alma College in Alma, Michigan, led a unique EF Study Abroad program to Scotland. Couch, known for his distinctive Alma College Tartan kilt on the sidelines of Alma games, planned a program that celebrated the historical connection between Alma College and Scotland—earning Alma its affectionate nickname, “Scotland, USA.” This trip, with a group made up of 181 students, football players, and fans, culminated in a football game against a local Scottish football team: The East Kilbride Pirates.
What inspired you to do this study abroad program in Scotland?
I wanted to give our student athletes an opportunity to see another culture and spend time together that they wouldn’t normally get to spend. After two weeks of traveling with limited phones, relationships continue to grow from that experience.
Had many of these students had been out of the country before?
Most had not. I actually had two students who had never flown before and now here they are, flying across the Atlantic. That opportunity to be able to see a different culture is spectacular.
Alma got a chance to play a football game against a local Scottish team. Tell me about that experience.
The East Kilbride Pirates are a team near Glasgow that play American football, which is certainly not the number one sport of choice in Scotland. They’re going against the norm by not playing soccer or rugby. They love—and I mean love—American football.
So, this was an opportunity for them to play against an American team. Our guys have played football probably since middle school, and some of their players started playing in their 20s and are in their early 30s now.
The Pirates can only practice once a week and play games on weekends because they have regular jobs, which is quite different from the football experience that we get here in the U.S.
How was the game experience for the students? How did it differ from a game that they would play back home?
The experience certainly showed on the field that our guys were a little more prepared. We typically practice 5–6 days a week and you could see that was a little lopsided in our favor. But their guys were genuine, excited, and just happy to be playing.
Before the game, you don’t usually get into much conversation with the opposing team, but they wanted to talk to players and coaches, which we did. And then afterward both teams went out in Glasgow. It was a lot of fun.
Was there anything about their experience that surprised you or that you weren’t expecting students to be surprised by?
We’re from a small town, so going to a large city like Edinburgh was an eye opener. Some people in our group had never really spent time in large cities like that. It was much livelier, with people out walking and the city markets. Most of our guys probably hang out in their backyard at home.
How did that experience impact the students?
The feedback was extremely positive. The players talked about the new and deeper friendships that were developed, which is great.
Getting to see the guys at East Kilbride—guys who just play football because they’re passionate about it and they love it—I think fired our guys up a little bit more and reminded them, yeah, we get to play. Nobody’s making us, we’re doing it because we just love this game.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of creating study abroad programs like this?
Well, the most rewarding part was that we had zero incidents, no problems. When you’re traveling with 181 people, that’s huge.
For me personally, it’s hearing guys on the buses when we’re going from one place to another, laughing with each other about things that they did the day before and the fun they’re having with each other.
What advice would you give to other educators considering developing a study abroad program?
Start early. Really do some research on what you don’t want your group to miss out on.
Hotel location is absolutely key to making it convenient and easy. For us, I wanted easy access so students could walk to restaurants and shops and the Old Town of Edinburgh. Having close proximity to those is very important, and in future planning, I’ll continue to make sure that’s at the top of my priority list.
For students who might be on the fence about doing a study abroad program, is there any advice you would give to them?
The world is so big. If you can afford to do it, go for it. We have a lot of amazing things here in the U.S., but if you get the opportunity to explore, I think it’s fantastic.
