Webinar Recap – Featuring Tamara Reeves
There’s no playbook for what it’s like to be an international student-athlete competing in the U.S.—but Tamara Reeves came pretty close in our latest webinar.
A Kiwi runner from Christchurch, Tamara spent five years competing at the Division I level across two U.S. universities: the University of Central Arkansas and the University of Tulsa. In this session, she takes us inside what it really looks like to live, train, study, and grow in the U.S. college system—far from home, but closer than ever to her dreams.
Whether you're an athlete or a parent trying to make sense of it all, here’s what we took away from this honest, informative chat.
Tamara’s journey didn’t begin with a recruiter. It started at her local track club, where she came dead last in almost every event. Except one—distance running.
Motivated by her twin sister and inspired by an older athlete who had gone to the U.S., Tamara decided she wanted in. At 16, she began emailing and messaging college coaches, unsure what to say or expect. Eventually, she chose a university where she already knew a fellow Kiwi. That decision would ease the transition, but her growth was just getting started.
Host Amrit laid out the different pathways available in the U.S.—a much-needed primer for anyone just starting the journey:
It’s not about which division is “better”—it’s about which is the right fit.
Tamara described two very different daily schedules between her first and second schools—but both involved early mornings, full academic calendars, and year-round competition. For track athletes in the U.S., it’s a cycle of:
With only one rest day a week and little time off between seasons, you have to love what you do.
But the perks? Access to world-class facilities, nutrition programs, academic tutors, and gear—lots of gear. Tamara even joked about giving spare scholarship kit to her friends back home.
After two and a half years at Central Arkansas, Tamara had improved significantly—and started getting noticed. Enter: the NCAA transfer portal, a system that lets student-athletes explore other university options.
She visited multiple schools and eventually landed at Tulsa, where she had a more competitive training environment and the chance to continue growing. Her advice? Trust your gut. Talk to athletes already on the team. The vibe on paper and in person can be completely different.
Tamara only returned to New Zealand twice during her five years abroad. The homesickness was real—but so was the growth.
From a shy teenager who sent her twin sister to take her first college Zoom call, Tamara became someone who led conversations, made international friends, and found her confidence far from home. “You get out what you put in,” she says. And she put in a lot.
Tamara’s advice for anyone considering this journey?
Whether you're an athlete dreaming of U.S. college sport or a parent trying to understand what’s involved, this webinar delivers insights you won’t find anywhere else.
