Reinaldo Llerena // Staff Writer
Initially, the adjustment to life in the United States was difficult for Marvin Hezel, defensive player for the FIU men’s soccer team, who grew up in a small town with a different climate.
Born in Waldshut‐Tiengen, Germany, Hezel grew up in a family oriented, relaxed community with a small population. He was introduced to soccer at a young age by his parents and often played with friends in his free time. When he was offered a scholarship to play overseas in Miami, he jumped at the opportunity.
“It took about a year or so to get used the Miami weather,” said Hezel. “It was a big change from Germany. I often practiced in the heat that first year to try and get used to it as fast as possible. Coming from a town that only had 25,000 people to one that has almost half a million is a big change. It felt crowded compared to Waldshut, where you have met or seen just about everyone that lived there.”
It didn’t take long for the soccer player to make a name for himself here in the states. In 2015, Hezel was named the Conference USA “Defensive Player of the Week” for the week of Sept. 8.
He started all 20 games of the Panther season and accumulated a total of six points throughout the season. The points include two goals and two assists from the FIU defender. At the end of the season, Hezel was named to the 2015 All‐Southeast Region first team, the All C‐USA first team, the C‐USA Championship All‐Tournament team and the C‐USA All‐Academic team.
“When I first arrived in the U.S., I spoke a very limited English,” said Hezel. “I was very excited when I was awarded a scholarship to play at FIU, but more excited about a foreign opportunity to play overseas while getting an education.”
Hezel said he would listen to how the people around him spoke English and would research any unfamiliar words at night. He made it his goal to look up at least one word per day during his freshman year to help him learn English. Hezel said his English is almost as good as his German, although he has trouble with the occasional word.
Now entering his senior year, Hezel is focusing on his final season on the team and completing his undergraduate degree in marketing. He is currently interning with FIU’s Sports Marketing department and working out twice a day to get ready for the fall season.
“I love the communication aspect of marketing,” said Hezel. “Learning how to promote a product to a certain consumer is the part I like the most. There’s some psychology at play in marketing that I am fascinated by. It’s an interesting field.”
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