In Chicago, the first Serbian-American Student-Athlete Association has been founded, aiming to gather and assist all students of Serbian descent who are already studying or wish to study at American universities. This includes those born in America or the Balkans, and those who have already received scholarships or are still trying to obtain them.
Yesterday, they held their first forum in the hall of the Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Chicago, where they spoke about the joys and benefits of playing sports, as well as the challenges and difficulties they faced.
Parents, friends, family, and even the youngest attendees, who are just preparing to follow in their footsteps, came to listen and posed the most questions.
Daniela Trubint, president of the association, says that there is no similar association in America:
“We want to create a platform where former, current, and future student-athletes can gather, connect, and establish themselves, so that the former can help the current and future ones in that transition between high school and college, and to help parents with answers to some questions. On that journey, our children go through a lot—they face problems, injuries, depressions, and very often there is no one to help them, neither practically nor with advice. The greatest help can be provided by those who have already gone through it. We want to create a network across America and hope that the Serbian community will recognize the importance of this endeavor,” says Trubint, adding:
“It’s simply incredible that there isn’t a single association of athletes of Serbian descent in America, and yet look at the names we have, how strong we are. So much so that one can freely say: ‘Only sport saves Serbs’ because we are a country with probably the most medals per capita. But it seems to me that we don’t promote it enough. My child is now finishing college and is able to help those who are coming with their experiences. Some other children who want to help others have gathered here today, and that should be utilized and taken to a higher level,” concludes Daniela Trubint.
In addition to the students who were present, two of our perhaps most famous Serbian athletes studying in America—basketball players Anđela Dugalić and Lazar Stefanović—addressed the audience via video link. Anđela Dugalić has already won a gold medal with the senior national team and is currently preparing for the European Championship. Lazar Stefanović, a former Serbian national team member in younger categories, is now studying at UCLA University in California.
We took the opportunity to ask Lazar if he plans to enter the NBA draft and if he expects a call from coach Pešić for the European Championship. We also heard what other Serbian student-athletes told us about their experiences, both good and bad, about how Serbian songs are played in American college locker rooms, and about their plans to one day play under the Serbian flag…
Anđela Dugalić is currently the only Serbian student born in America who has won a medal for Serbia, so let’s believe that some of the guys and girls you just saw and heard will follow in her footsteps!
Author: Antonije Kovačević
Video: Vladimir Talijan
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