By Matt Gade

605 Sports

NEW UNDERWOOD — Coming from Madrid, Spain, Leyre Fernanadez traded a bustling metropolis rich in culture and history for open fields and cattle as a foreign exchange student at New Underwood High School.

“It was like a cultural shock. I came from a really big city, and when I got here everybody was super nice to me all the time, so that made it easy,” said the 15-year-old Fernandez. “The first month. I was like, what the hell am I doing here? But I did get in and make friends and now it’s really easy.”

While the change from Spain to New Underwood may have been a shock, the game of basketball is a passion she’s carried with her across the ocean.

“I was waiting for the basketball season, but it's the only game I play, but it's really good,” she said. “I love basketball, and I love it here, because you play much more, even in a shorter time. You play a lot of games, a lot of practice.”

In Spain, Fernandez, who has played basketball since she was four, said they play basketball almost year-round, but with games much more spread out.

This season, Fernandez is playing point guard for the Tigers varsity basketball team, which is 7-3 on the season and just finished second in the West River Tournament, falling to the defending state champion Bennett County Warriors in the championship game.

The seven wins surpassed the Tigers’ six wins all of last year.

“I think the biggest thing she's brought is we just got that point guard that can handle the ball, handle the pressure. Pressure has been kind of our Achilles heel for last season and stuff, and she just brings a calmness and experience with it,” head coach Dallas Richter said. “And I think she just brings great experience for being a sophomore. So she knows how to get to the rim, she knows how to facilitate. She gets us in our offense. It’s just that presence of a true point guard up front, and it's just made a world of difference for us.”

Fernandez is being hosted by coach Richter while she is in South Dakota.

“Oh, she's funny,” Richter said of Fernandez's personality. “She's a jokester. She's always in a good mood. She's always singing. She's a fun kid.”

New Underwood head coach Dallas Richter talks to the Tigers' Leyre Fernandez, left, and Emmalee Scott (11) during the West River Tournament championship game against Bennett County on Saturday at the Barnett Center in Rapid City. (Matt Gade/605 Sports)

Fernandez said she’s always in a good mood because not only has her teammates been very welcoming but everyone in the New Underwood school district.

Ferandez said she likes the smaller community “much more” than the big city of Madrid.

While she loves basketball, Fernandez has had to adapt her game a bit since playing in the U.S.

“The biggest thing is the way they call the travels,” Richter said. “They get kind of the FIBA and the NBA rules. So they get two steps. Oh, we don't get two steps. We only get a step and a half. So that's been an adjustment for her. She's working on it every day, trying to figure it out.”

While she’s working on her footwork in practice, Fernandez is a social butterfly, according to Richter. 

Fernandez said she really enjoys classmates, but her favorite thing since coming to the U.S. is the food.

“I love the food,” Fernandez said, noting there isn’t one food in particular. “It’s better.”

The Tigers' next game is Tuesday at 6 p.m., hosting Philip, and Fernandez is already excited to get back on the court.

“I love these games. It's so much fun,” she said. “I'm so proud of our team. I think that we are working super hard and they're all really good (people). They make everything easier for me.”