Most incoming college athletes have to deal with lack of playing time and balancing academics with athletics.

For Sarah Andrews, a junior on the MSU women's tennis team, the biggest concern was getting a Social Security number.

Andrews is from Australia and never had been to America before coming in August 2003 for MSU's International Orientation Program. What many students took for granted was new to her.

"I didn't realize it was so cold here," she said. "I'd also never seen an American football game before I came here."

Andrews is one of five international players who make up the nine-member team, which is 13-8 in the spring season.

On the men's side, all seven players are from the United States, including three hailing from Michigan.

"Women's tennis has such a wide pool you can search from, and you can offer full scholarships to everyone, so you can kind of look globally instead of locally," interim head coach Brett Page said.

"The women's team gets eight full scholarships whereas the men get 4.5 that they split out, so their money can be more effectively used by getting Michigan kids," he said.

According to Page, the difference in scholarships is a result of Title IX — a 1972 legislation that aims to prohibit sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funds.

Because of the Internet, Page, who is from Australia, says it's relatively easy to uncover and track the best players around the globe, but no matter how well you can keep track of each player's results and watch film on them, seeing them in person is crucial.

"There's more than just playing," Page said. "They need to fit in with the team's personality and the team's idea, and it's much better if you get to meet somebody face-to-face. Once you get the player, she's here for four years, so you have to get the right kids."

Drawing players to U.S. colleges is made easier because a lot of international countries don't have the high school or college athletic systems the United States does.

Freshman Marianne Eelens of Aruba was the No. 1 player in her country, and junior Pascale Schnitzer was ranked No. 1 in her age group in Chile. But when it came time to go from high school to college, options were limited.

"I really wanted to continue tennis because I put so much time in it and didn't want to throw it away," Eelens said.

She has been playing tennis since she was 12 and went to the gym every morning at 5 a.m. because her school didn't have a team.

"Now that I came here I love it because there's so many good players," Eelens said. "In Aruba there's a couple, and I'd practice with the guys. But here everyone's good, and that's fun because it makes me want to get better."

Some team members used tennis as a way to earn a good education and continue in the sport they've grown up with. Freshman Aglaya Kokurina came to MSU from Uzbekistan, where she was a three-time national champion in her age group. The first time she had ever been in this country was for college.

For some players, making the transition from their home country to America isn't too difficult, and for others, the difficulty is softened by being around other team members who are in a similar situation.

"When (Kokurina) first came here it was difficult being from a non-English speaking country," Page said. "Being on a team helps more than being an average student because she comes in and instantly she has seven friends and seven people to help her."

Coming to MSU means not only being in a new country but also leaving family members thousands of miles behind. The kinship can also help when players are homesick.

"It's hard (being here alone) sometimes," Eelens said. "Now it's OK because it's nice out, but when it's snowing out and you have to get up early for class, it's hard."

Eelens is used to sunny and warm Aruba, and her roommate, freshman Ana Milosavljevic, is also used to warmer weather in her home country of South Africa.

"We go through the same thing, and it makes it so much easier," Eelens said.

Sometimes though, players coming from other countries hit the same rough spots all incoming college students do. For Eelens, it's missing her mom's cooking. And sometimes, no amount of team support can fully prepare someone for American college traditions.

"I got woken up at 5:30 a.m. my freshman year because of tailgate, and I was like 'What are they doing outside!'" Andrews said. "That was like 'Oh my God, these Americans!'"