Formerly a problem student
Bremen’s top athlete ensures USA premiere
Updated June 16, 2026 – 3:25 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Formerly a problem student, now on the road to success: Colin Schroeder goes to the USA. There he will be the first Bremer to join a US college team.
Colin Schroeder is taking a special path: According to the education authorities, the 19-year-old is the first person from Bremen to transfer to a US college because of his basketball performance.
Schroeder is joining California State University and will play for the Fresno Bulldogs in the future. He was most recently under contract with EWE Baskets Oldenburg. Several colleges had courted the young basketball player, and a scholarship is part of the move.
Talent was evident early on, but the grades were poor
The move to the USA is the current highlight of an unusual development. Schroeder is a U18 European champion, a national player, has already gained professional experience – and has just graduated from high school. For a long time it was not a given that the two came together.
As an eighth-grader, Schroeder moved to the sports-focused high school on Ronzelenstrasse. His sporting talent was noticed early on. School-wise, things were much more difficult. “When I came to Ronzelenstrasse, I couldn’t even think about graduating from high school,” says Schroeder. “I was considered a problem student. Bad grades, bad social behavior.”
What followed was an everyday life with a clear structure: early training, lessons, training, clubs, competitions. There was also a school, sports boarding school and club as a close support network. “It was exactly this structure that changed my life,” says Schroeder. “She didn’t give me time to think about nonsense.”
“Colin is a real fighter’s heart”
For Education Senator Mark Rackles (SPD), Schroeder’s path is an example of how competitive sports and schools can work together. “Colin Schroeder’s path shows how education and competitive sport can work together,” says Rackles. Success is the result of talent, hard work and support from school, sports boarding school, club and family.
We need your consent to be included by our editorial team Instagram-View content. You can use this one (and all others as well). Instagram-Content on t-online.de) can be displayed and deactivated again with one click.
Harald Wolf, competitive sports coordinator at the high school on Ronzelenstrasse, also remembers the difficult beginning. “When Colin came to us, his sporting talent was immediately visible. However, he still lacked the necessary motivation when it came to school issues.” This is where the individual support started.
According to Wolf, over the years a network was created consisting of a school, a sports boarding school, EWE Baskets Oldenburg, tutors and teachers. Schroeder developed particularly strongly in the upper school. “Colin is a real fighter. He knows what he can do and where he wants to go,” says Wolf.