The Armenian Report met with Pyunik women’s team player Alexah Fite, an American footballer who has traveled far from home to continue her career in Armenia and take part in European competition.
For many players, moving abroad is part of the dream of building a football career. For Fite, that journey led from Dallas, Texas, to Armenia, where she joined Pyunik and stepped into a new football culture, a new country, and a very different daily life.
Fite’s path to Armenia began in the United States, where football had already been part of her life from the start. Growing up in Texas, she was surrounded by the sport at home and developed a connection to it early.
“I grew up in Dallas, Texas, and both my parents played football growing up, so I just naturally started playing and grew up around it my whole life.”
That background helped shape her football ambitions, but the chance to continue her career in Armenia came through a professional connection. Pyunik was looking for players for its Champions League campaign, and the opportunity quickly turned into a major step in her young career.
“My agent actually had some connections with Pyunik and they reached out needing some players for the Champions League last summer, and so then I came.”
For a player fresh out of college, the move was about more than just changing teams. It was also about entering a new football environment, gaining experience, and trying to build a future in the sport at a higher level.
“I just thought it was a great opportunity to be able to come and play in the Champions League and just get a professional experience since I just graduated from college. I needed to get my name out there and come into the European scene of playing.”
Her arrival in Armenia brought the expected cultural adjustment. Moving from the United States to the South Caucasus meant leaving behind familiar surroundings and learning how to adapt in a place that felt very different from home. At the same time, that difference was part of what made the experience meaningful.
“Definitely a lot different than where I’m from, but I thought it was really cool to just be in a new place and learning a different culture.”
Fite also noticed differences on the field. While she said team life itself felt familiar in some ways, she described the style of play as one area where Armenia and the United States are not the same. In her view, American football often places more emphasis on athleticism, while the game in Armenia feels more tactical.
“I’d say the culture of just, like, the team is pretty similar. Just, you know, you’re playing with some of your best friends. But when it comes to football, I think it’s a little bit different. Just how you play and how, I feel like in America, it’s very, like, based off athleticism and here it’s a little bit more like tactics in a way.”
One of the strongest parts of her experience in Armenia, according to Fite, has been the welcome she received from Pyunik’s players. Even with a language barrier, she said her teammates made sure she felt included.
“Very welcoming. Even the ones that can’t speak English, they still make an effort to give me a hug and say hi to me every single day, so it’s been great.”
That support mattered because moving across the world came with real personal challenges. Fite said distance from family has been one of the hardest parts of living abroad, especially because she had never spent that much time so far from home before. Language has also made daily life and training more complicated at times.
“I think, one, just I’ve never been more than like two and a half hours in a car away from my family, so that’s really hard being a whole continent away. Just being with my family and then the language barrier, like, you know, just being able to not be in every conversation and understanding things at training and stuff. But other than that, it hasn’t been too difficult.”
Still, she said Armenia’s atmosphere and the attitude of the people around her helped make the transition easier. What stood out most to her was the warmth she felt from those she met.
“It’s just how nice everybody is and welcoming. People really make an effort to make sure that I feel okay and welcomed and involved, which I really appreciated.”
Her connection to Armenia was not only about football. Fite said one reason she was excited to come was Armenia’s place in Christian history. As someone from a Christian family, that part of the country’s identity meant something to her personally.
“Yes, I do. That was one of the big reasons why I was excited to come here, because I grew up Christian and my family’s Christian, so that was exciting for me.”
During her time in Armenia, she also visited Sevan and saw one of the country’s churches there, describing it as beautiful. It was, so far, the only Armenian church she had visited, but it clearly left an impression.
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