SE: Bonnen Makes International Adjustment Quickly for K-State Soccer
Sep 12, 2019 | Soccer, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Silke Bonnen (pronounced sil-KAY bo-NEEN) came to K-State soccer more prepared to make an immediate impact than the average freshman, especially one from more than 4,000 miles away.
In many ways, her experience in her home country of Denmark actually readied her for the move to American collegiate soccer.
For starters, it helped she played in Denmark's top women's league since 2017. She started 40 matches and registered more than 3,000 minutes in two seasons with Ballerup-Skovlunde Fodbold, being named the team's player of the year in 2017-18.
Six matches into Bonnen's first season at K-State, she ranks fourth on the team in minutes played, averaging about 81 minutes a game.
"The level she plays at back home, playing under some of the top players in the country and in the world, I think being in that environment, that level has allowed her to be composed and sharp in the back," K-State head coach Mike Dibbini said, as K-State (1-3-2) hosts Gonzaga (4-2-0) on Thursday at 7 p.m. to start a five-match homestand, including a home match against Tulsa on Sunday at 1 p.m. "We're excited about her future."
Bonnen said the talent level between her home league and what she's faced so far at K-State are comparable, but the style of play and depth of that talent have been greater in the United States.
"On my old team, we would have like 18 players, so it's a bit different when you have like 30 players here," she said. "There's more competition here."
There's also more lifting involved than most freshmen have ever experienced. Bonnen falls into this group, but barely. She's been lifting with a professional trainer for more than four years.
"I've heard some of the other internationals don't lift at all (before coming here)," Bonnen said, "I feel like I was prepared."
Bonnen started preparing to come to the United State to play college soccer about two years ago, after friends and teammates who did the same convinced her to look into it.
Once she graduated high school, she took a "gap" year, but she did not travel or relax much. Instead, she served as a substitute teacher near where she grew up. She stepped into classrooms, ranging from first to fifth grade, and out of her comfort zone, as teaching is not a future career goal.
"You definitely get more responsibility and learn to speak up and yell at some kids," Bonnen said, laughing, of her time teaching. "It was a good experience."
Bonnen's recruiting experience started with signing with an agency that helps facilitate the process for international student-athletes. She connected with multiple programs in the U.S., but she said a few FaceTime calls with K-State's coaching staff and players swayed her toward committing before she even took a visit to Manhattan.
"They just gave me a really good impression," she said. "It was kind of hard (committing without visiting), but you have to take some risks sometimes, and I'm glad I did it."
Being so far away from home for the first time is never easy, either. Bonnen said her teammates have made it easier. Three of them — freshman Shannon Dukes, sophomore Chloe Fisher, freshman Alisha Buckingham, along with K-State student assistant coach Steinunn Sigurjónsdóttir — helped especially early on. All four are from outside the U.S. as well.
"I hung out with them a lot the first few weeks because they went through the same thing," she said. "It was nice to have someone who could relate."
While Bonnen said she still misses her mother's cooking, she's been introduced to a sweet treat she loves by three of her American teammates: Laramie Hall, Ashley Zane and Shelby Lierz.
"Oreo balls. They're good…a lot of sugar," Bonnen laughed, before adding of her teammates: "I'm getting more comfortable (here), but it's easy because they're all really friendly and helpful. So, I would say all of the team has made it pretty easy to come as an international."
At K-State, Bonnen said she's also enjoyed a style of play that suits her skillset well. While she's made plenty of adjustments, like switching from midfielder to outside back to center back and learning a new system, she's managed to catch on quickly.
"I think she's adapted really well," junior Christina Baxter said. "When she gets a ball at her feet, she just looks like she's not fazed. Someone could be sprinting at her and she'd just be, like, 'Oh, OK. Fine by me,' and I think that's the first thing I noticed is she's very calm on the ball and she knows what to do. She just doesn't hesitate."
"She's disciplined, she's composed, she makes good decisions on the field," Dibbini added, "and you can tell that she has the experience."
Silke Bonnen (pronounced sil-KAY bo-NEEN) came to K-State soccer more prepared to make an immediate impact than the average freshman, especially one from more than 4,000 miles away.
In many ways, her experience in her home country of Denmark actually readied her for the move to American collegiate soccer.
For starters, it helped she played in Denmark's top women's league since 2017. She started 40 matches and registered more than 3,000 minutes in two seasons with Ballerup-Skovlunde Fodbold, being named the team's player of the year in 2017-18.
Six matches into Bonnen's first season at K-State, she ranks fourth on the team in minutes played, averaging about 81 minutes a game.
"The level she plays at back home, playing under some of the top players in the country and in the world, I think being in that environment, that level has allowed her to be composed and sharp in the back," K-State head coach Mike Dibbini said, as K-State (1-3-2) hosts Gonzaga (4-2-0) on Thursday at 7 p.m. to start a five-match homestand, including a home match against Tulsa on Sunday at 1 p.m. "We're excited about her future."
Bonnen said the talent level between her home league and what she's faced so far at K-State are comparable, but the style of play and depth of that talent have been greater in the United States.
"On my old team, we would have like 18 players, so it's a bit different when you have like 30 players here," she said. "There's more competition here."
There's also more lifting involved than most freshmen have ever experienced. Bonnen falls into this group, but barely. She's been lifting with a professional trainer for more than four years.
"I've heard some of the other internationals don't lift at all (before coming here)," Bonnen said, "I feel like I was prepared."
Bonnen started preparing to come to the United State to play college soccer about two years ago, after friends and teammates who did the same convinced her to look into it.
Once she graduated high school, she took a "gap" year, but she did not travel or relax much. Instead, she served as a substitute teacher near where she grew up. She stepped into classrooms, ranging from first to fifth grade, and out of her comfort zone, as teaching is not a future career goal.
"You definitely get more responsibility and learn to speak up and yell at some kids," Bonnen said, laughing, of her time teaching. "It was a good experience."
Bonnen's recruiting experience started with signing with an agency that helps facilitate the process for international student-athletes. She connected with multiple programs in the U.S., but she said a few FaceTime calls with K-State's coaching staff and players swayed her toward committing before she even took a visit to Manhattan.
"They just gave me a really good impression," she said. "It was kind of hard (committing without visiting), but you have to take some risks sometimes, and I'm glad I did it."
Being so far away from home for the first time is never easy, either. Bonnen said her teammates have made it easier. Three of them — freshman Shannon Dukes, sophomore Chloe Fisher, freshman Alisha Buckingham, along with K-State student assistant coach Steinunn Sigurjónsdóttir — helped especially early on. All four are from outside the U.S. as well.
"I hung out with them a lot the first few weeks because they went through the same thing," she said. "It was nice to have someone who could relate."
While Bonnen said she still misses her mother's cooking, she's been introduced to a sweet treat she loves by three of her American teammates: Laramie Hall, Ashley Zane and Shelby Lierz.
"Oreo balls. They're good…a lot of sugar," Bonnen laughed, before adding of her teammates: "I'm getting more comfortable (here), but it's easy because they're all really friendly and helpful. So, I would say all of the team has made it pretty easy to come as an international."
At K-State, Bonnen said she's also enjoyed a style of play that suits her skillset well. While she's made plenty of adjustments, like switching from midfielder to outside back to center back and learning a new system, she's managed to catch on quickly.
"I think she's adapted really well," junior Christina Baxter said. "When she gets a ball at her feet, she just looks like she's not fazed. Someone could be sprinting at her and she'd just be, like, 'Oh, OK. Fine by me,' and I think that's the first thing I noticed is she's very calm on the ball and she knows what to do. She just doesn't hesitate."
"She's disciplined, she's composed, she makes good decisions on the field," Dibbini added, "and you can tell that she has the experience."
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