Before LSE Junior Cyrriac Joubert moved 4,600 miles from France to Lincoln to be an exchange student, he had never touched a football. Now, he’s trading his rugby jersey in for Friday Night Lights.

Since arriving, Joubert has joined LSE’s football team and become involved in the school community, building connections with teammates and classmates, while adjusting to a new sport and culture. It was his experience with a different sport that gave him the confidence to try out for football.

“Back in France I played rugby with my friends,” Joubert said. “My experience in rugby has helped me a lot with learning football and early on allowed me to grow skills outside of the sport which I still use today.”

Rugby, which began in England in the 19th century and later influenced the development of American football, gave Joubert a foundation in kicking. Joubert’s time spent playing rugby with friends made him an ideal candidate for the kicker position on LSE’s football team.

“I hope to kick a couple times for varsity and that the team does well this season,” Joubert said. “My friends I have made on this team, I wish nothing but the best for them and know with all their work that they deserve to go far.”

In his time here he has created great bonds with teammates such as Arto Driver (11), as the two have been able to share cultural similarities and differences. One of their earliest interactions was when Joubert was teaching Driver words of French on the sideline. Over time Driver and Joubert have been able to share their love for food as Driver introduces some of his favorite places to eat. These friendships have helped him develop a greater understanding of America and eased the transition to a new school and environment.

“Arto has helped me early on by giving me a friend when I didn’t have any friends,” Joubert said. “Carlo Rissetto (fellow Sophomore kicker) and I have trained together and Carlo has helped me learn football and how to kick which has been good.” In regards to his future as an athlete, Joubert mentioned that another sport has sparked his curiosity.

“Soccer seems interesting to me as well, because I have never tried it before, and people like Carlo play [it too].” He said.

Overall, throughout his time in a new country, Joubert has expressed his determination to make the best out of his time here by way of gaining new friends, abilities, and outlooks on life. He has found all of this possible throughout the once foreign game