Mads Kyed Jensen – Los Angeles, California

My name is Mads Kyed Jensen, I’m from Gentofte Denmark. I went to UCLA. I got the idea to go to the U.S. in high school after I could see that I maybe could take volleyball to the next level, I played well with my club team and junior national teams. I really loved volleyball, so I was sure that I wanted to play abroad, but I was scared to sign a professional contract immediately and be left without any form of education when I got older. Education was and is very important to me.

So I thought about it and it became clear that volleyball for me could become the gateway to get accepted into a high quality school in the US. I was a little bit nervous in the beginning because I didn’t know anyone, but of course everyone was happy to welcome me, and I fit in nicely with the group. I was also lucky to get along really well with my roommate (hi Ethan), who I quickly became very good friends with. on the court, I played setter, but later in my career switched to opposite. In the classroom I studied Economics and Mathematics.

Compared to at home, the training was more intense and earlier in the day! We would have morning team practices which I liked but wasn’t used to. And I was happy to have a coaching staff working full time, prominent physiotherapists, statisticians, etc. The game day atmosphere was intense because we wanted to win and we had more pressure than what I was used to. It was fun to play with and against players on such a high level though.

My best volleyball moment in college was beating the reigning national champions Long Beach State at their home court in a full gym, I think around 4000 people could fit the arena. But honestly, the things I remember most fondly are the moments off the court with teammates who came to be close friends. I had the most fun times at the house parties with all the other student-athletes from different sports.

Balancing sports and studying is honestly a big challenge, and you must know beforehand that it will be hard, especially because it’s also important to go to parties and social events. I had to fail a few tests for me to realize what it takes, and then I got together with classmates and teammates to have study sessions. It helped a lot to hold each other accountable.

Outside school and volleyball I planned to travel a bit with my friends, but unfortunately during the pandemic we got sent home and I haven’t returned since. We wanted to road trip the west coast and visit the national parks of California.

For me, moving away from friends and family was the hardest part. Sometimes I felt lonely and far away, but luckily home was only a phone call away. In retrospect, I’ve remained in contact with everyone who matters the most. But in the moment, it can feel very difficult. I like to think that my time in college has made me open to new experiences, cultures, and people, because I got to meet so many different personalities from all over the world. It has made me appreciate our differences. Most importantly, I had loads of fun. So my advice for future players is to go out of your comfort zone, try new things, and don’t take it all to seriously, no matter if things are going well or not. Remember to enjoy the ride and not long only for the destination.