Luca Tausch, a junior economics major on the Hofstra University men’s soccer team, was not in his home country of Germany when COVID-19 forced the world into a lockdown: He was in South Africa visiting his girlfriend, who was an exchange student there.
“It was meant to be for one week, for spring break, but then I eventually got stuck there,” Tausch said. He wound up staying in lockdown in South Africa for four weeks. Once he was allowed to leave and return to Germany, Tausch had to quarantine for three more weeks.
“I think [Germany] actually did quite well,” he said. “We saw the developments in Italy and then we reacted quite well … The government took the right actions.” Tausch also commented on the cooperation of the German citizens. “People were obeying the rules and respected the severity of the pandemic,” he said. Overall, he called the pandemic “a unique experience.”
Tausch began playing soccer, or “football” as he calls it, at six years old, when he and most of his friends joined a team that his dad coached. His dream is to be a professional soccer player, but he has other alternatives in mind as an economics major.
“My main focus is going to be on sustainability, climate crisis, climate change,” he said. “Economics plays a huge role in that … I’m also interested in some nonprofit organizations that focus on sustainability.” He added that he will be getting a master’s degree in economics, but he’s unsure of whether it will be at Hofstra or at a school in Germany.
Tausch decided to come to America for school because he wanted to combine his academics with his soccer career, and thought that the U.S. was the best place for that. He said he chose Hofstra because the school had everything he was looking for.
“The coaches made me feel important [and] welcomed,” he said. “My head coach and assistant coaches really wanted me here.” He said that he does not regret his decision in choosing Hofstra.
When Tausch found out that Hofstra was canceling fall sports he was devastated, but it was something that he and his teammates had been expecting. Since then, his training routine has undergone some changes: For example, he has had to do more individual workouts, such as push-ups and sit-ups, since he cannot use Hofstra’s soccer field.
Tausch is excited to get back on the field whenever team sports resume. However, he and his teammates understand that the season will be different than in years past.
“At this point, all we want to do is play competitive games,” he said. “I love being on the field with my teammates. [They] are unbelievable and I just love playing with them.”
Tausch’s decision to return to campus was not easy, as he was unsure about the situation from a health perspective.
However, in the end, he did decide to return to campus despite the current COVID-19 situation. “Football is my life,” he said, “I missed my teammates and I just wanted to get back on the field.”
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
