If athletes are willing to follow the bouncing ball anywhere, then basketball doesn’t have to end after university.
This month, Nanaimo’s Sara Simovic left Vancouver Island, and Canada, to go play professionally in Croatia’s first division.
Simovic, a Wellington Secondary School grad who played one year at Vancouver Island University and four years in CIS/U-Sports, joined Pula ZKK Crnja Tours this week.
After finishing her post-secondary eligibility at the University of the Fraser Valley, Simovic knew she wanted to play at the next level, but wasn’t sure what opportunities would be available. She decided to go for it, get EU citizenship and get an agent.
“I started looking into things and it came up and it was a good opportunity and I took it,” Simovic said.
Pula is her father’s hometown, a city on the Adriatic Sea about two-thirds the population of Nanaimo. Simovic has never lived in Croatia, but has visited half a dozen times and can speak the language. She’ll live with grandparents there and has job leads.
“I know what it’s about and it makes it an easier transition, I think,” said Simovic.
She has “no idea” what to expect on the court, though. She said Croatia’s first division isn’t Europe’s top level, but could possibly be a stepping stone and allow her to show what she can do as an import player.
“I’m going there, seeing what happens and they’re excited to have me,” Simovic said.
She’s put herself in position to have success, building off a high level of play at UFV in 2017-18 when she led the Cascades in minutes played, assists and steals and was second in scoring.
“My last two years were definitely my best basketball and the stats can show it and everything,” she said. “I’m really happy where it all ended off.”
Since that season ended, she continued workouts with an eye to her basketball future. Since signing with her new team, she hasn’t trained differently, but perhaps with more intensity, she said.
“Really just repping out things that I’m good at and working on those [so] when I get over there that I’m performing really, really good,” she said.
Avneet Brar of Brar Basketball has coached Simovic for years and while he doesn’t know a lot about the Croatian women’s first division, either, he expects Simovic to excel because he knows how hard she works.
“At a young age, she was told what it would take to be successful and she’s one of the few athletes that did every one of those things,” he said.
Simovic said there are many different leagues and levels for players who want to keep going with basketball and “it kind of depends how much you want it,” plus hard work.
“I was just this puny, skinny kid from Nanaimo and I think the biggest thing is putting in the work…” she said. “There’s days you’re going to complain and hate it, but get in the gym anyways, work your butt off and it will pay off.”
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