Auf Wiedersehen

Exchange student Jan Bartels is heading back to Germany after a year at Citrus High in which he enjoyed success in sports, made many friends and experienced a lifestyle he has come to enjoy and appreciate.

By ANTONYA ENGLISH

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 24, 2000

INVERNESS -- When Jan Bartels came to Citrus County from his native Hanover, Germany, late last summer, he expected to spend the year studying, playing sports, learning a new culture and then happily returning to his home.

What he didn't anticipate was falling in love with life in America.

So when Michael and Claudia Bartels arrive here on May 31 to pick up their only son, it will a bittersweet time for the 17-year-old Citrus High School junior.

He hasn't seen his parents in nearly a year -- and he has missed them. But their arrival means he'll have to say goodbye to the many friends he has made and a lifestyle he has come to enjoy and appreciate.

"To be honest, I would like to stay longer," Bartels said at the Citrus track awards party last week. "Sure, I miss my parents, but I would like to tell them to come here and live so I can go to school here."

His neighbor back home spent a year in Hernando County as an exchange student and told Bartels before he left that playing sports was crucial to truly enjoying the American high school experience.

Bartels followed his friend's advice and became a three-sport letterman at Citrus this year, including garnering All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference honors in soccer.

"He had a great soccer season and good cross country season," Citrus track coach Tom Darby said. "You think about it: He came over here and got into cross country and they went to state; he got into soccer and they went to the state playoffs. He got into track and could have been at the state meet, but we had a faster runner in the 4x800 and Jan wanted him to run it. Jan had a really fine year. He's a good worker."

Bartels was a standout tennis player in Germany and considered playing at Citrus. But a season of soccer with Darby made Bartels want to follow the longtime track coach into that sport.

"I think he's a really great coach," Bartels said about Darby. "He didn't even know anything about soccer when he started out last season. I think it showed character and courage to say I'll do it if nobody else will do it. He has his own style how he treated us and how he cared about us.

"The same with coach Jesse (Bascharow, Citrus assistant). I have played soccer for 13 years and I've had many coaches and I've never had a coach like coach Jesse with the knowledge and with the way he cared about us."

Bartels' host family and friends made sure he experienced many things, from surfing at Cocoa and Daytona Beach to bowling outings in Citrus County. He has been a part of the Friday night football games, state athletic competition and homecoming activities. He even attended the prom with girlfriend Laura Woythaler.

"Prom was great," Bartels said. "There are no proms in Germany. They have something, but it is for 13th grade only when they graduate, and then they dress up but I think they don't even go to dinner."

Bartels' introduction to American teenage culture was aided immensely by track and cross country teammate Shivella Rogers. Rogers, whose mother is German, is fluent in the language.

"I'm at lunch with Shivella and she helped me to understand and to know how to behave," Bartels said.

Rogers said Bartels fit in quickly.

"We hung out a lot most of the time, and when we would go places he would be like, "What are they talking about,' and I'd try to explain it to him," Rogers said. "He made friends quickly. He's a people person.

"He's really funny because he's kind of arrogant. He came from Germany and he acts like he knows what he's doing and he had no idea what anybody was really saying. But he acted like he did and he made a lot of friends. Everybody likes him."

Bartels' experiences gave him many insights into the American perspective, including the fine line between friends and foes.

He was a member of a competitive soccer team that included players from Crystal River -- some of the same players who had been involved in a brawl when Citrus and Crystal River met during the high school season. On the competitive team, the past didn't matter.

"We got into that big fight and there were some people then who wanted to get me, but on the competitive team we got along so good," Bartels said. "That kind of showed me that sports is played on the field and everything that goes on after is totally different.

"It surprised me because we get in fights in Germany too, but we're not friends after it. Not at all."

Because Germany's school system runs 13 years, Bartels still has two years left. But he's hoping that one day he'll return to the United States to further his education.

"I will try to come back to college here, if that's fine with my parents," Bartels said. "I have to see. I already told them and my dad and me talked about it. He said if it's somewhat possible, then we'll do it.

"I like the people here so much. There are some people that really changed me, like Shivella and Cory Presnick. I have had so many friends here. I prefer people with their own style, not just the followers. There are many more people like that here, much more than in Germany."

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