Ondrej the Tiger

During the Encampment Tigers’ six-man football season, there was one player who was head-and-shoulders above the rest. Literally.

Seen during the defensive plays, No. 40 looked more like he belonged in a college or professional game than a high school game. Standing at over six feet in height, it was hard to miss him when he took to the field.

“I’ve never played football [before], this was my first time. It was a great experience and I’m very grateful I could experience such a thing,” said Ondrej Sumpik. “It’s very different than any other sport I’ve played.”

Ondrej—pronounced like Andre—is attending Encampment K-12 School as a foreign exchange student. The move to Encampment from the Czech Republic for a school year has been a change for Ondrej in more ways than one. For starters, Encampment is 7,317 feet above sea-level while his hometown of Milovice is 725 feet above sea level. Additionally, his host town has a population of 450 people while his hometown has a population of 14,000.

“There are many differences, but the lifestyle generally and the mindset of people. Most Americans are super competitive and they’ve grown up in an environment where they compete in sports,” said Ondrej. “Many of my friends [in the Czech Republic], they don’t play any sports at all.”

Having never played American football before, but having watched it growing up, Ondrej appeared to do rather well playing defense. For the season, he earned 21 defensive points and had seven tackles. Six of those tackles were assisted with one of them a solo tackle. He also got a fumble recovery during the quarterfinal playoffs round against the Kaycee Buckaroos.

This season, said Ondrej, was a great way to learn about how to play American football and how it is different from watching the NFL.

“Mainly my spike of [the] football after a fumble recovery. I’ve always seen it in the NFL, so I thought it was a normal celebration and it was unsportsmanlike conduct,” said Ondrej. “There are more calls for holding. I didn’t know it was that strict.”

Spectators of the Encampment home games likely heard Duane Gilbert, the defensive coach, calling out his name during a play as Ondrej learned more and more how to play.

“He [Gilbert] gave me some useful tips [on] how to execute the position I was playing. He helped me a lot, as well as Mr. Willford,” said Ondrej. “I really value what both of them have done for me, but especially Mr. Gilbert as the defensive coach.”

According to Ondrej, he’s always had what he calls a positive relationship with American football. In the Czech Republic, he said, his friends were more interested in soccer—known as football in Europe—but his dad was a fan of the NFL. That interest, he said, developed when his dad was a foreign exchange student himself 30 years ago in Cheyenne.

“My dad is a big fan of football. He’s also been to America as an exchange student, so he started watching football after his experience,” said Ondrej. “He’s a fan of the [Denver] Broncos.”

Ondrej wasn’t sure if he’d be able to play American football while going to school in Encampment due to a herniated disc in his back.

“My doctors told me that I shouldn’t take some hard hits, which is one of the principles of football, so I was kind of skeptical,” said Onrej. “I worked on strengthening my core and everything went well and I’m very glad for that.”

When he’s not playing football—especially now that the season is over—or going to school, Ondrej said he likes to hang out with the friends he’s made in Encampment. He also likes to spend time with his host family, Heidi Sifford and her sons, and has made trips to both Casper and Laramie. He said he also likes making visits to the natural hot springs in Saratoga.

Since arriving, Ondrej has found out that he will be staying for a full school year instead of just one semester. He said he hopes this means there will be a trip to Yellowstone National Park during spring break. Overall, Ondrej said he has had a great experience with the community.

“It’s a great experience. It was a little hard coming from a French-speaking country to here knowing nobody and not being sure about all of the stuff. I think I’ve set up a great mindset,” said Ondrej. “I’m trying to be engaged with the American people, trying their habits and lifestyle, such as football.”