Home for the Holidays Not Possible
December 24, 2006 | Women's Basketball
It's Christmas Eve, and UW basketball junior Ivana Mijalcevic is far from home. The 6-3 post player from Ripanj, Serbia, has not been home for the holidays for three years, but it is not as bad as some would think.
It seems Serbians actually celebrate Christmas, called Bozic, on Jan. 7. And although the name means birth of Jesus, there are other customs that her family does which are different than what the average American family does. For instance, in Serbia, Santa Claus comes on New Year's Eve.
Mijalcevic (pronounced Me AL cha vich) says, 'It was so hard for me to be far away from home my first year here, but now I am just fine. But still, around this time, I talk with them (family) more often that I do during the other times. I cannot wait to be with them again for Christmas, but I do have other family here'my team and my coaches! And my wish this year is to win the Big Ten Conference!'
Although Ivana was invited to join teammate Danielle Ward in Milwaukee for Christmas day, she decided to stay in Madison, and get some rest. The Badgers have just three days off from practice before reporting back the evening of Dec. 26 to prepare for the Big Ten opener with Northwestern at the Kohl Center on Thurs. Dec. 28 at 7 p.m.
The following interview with Ivana appeared in a past UW women's basketball home game program.
Ivana Mijalcevic decided one night she was going to leave her friends and family behind in her native Ripanj, Serbia, and come play basketball in the United States. It was difficult, sure, but as time went on, Mijalcevic was able to adjust to being on her own. Three years later she is playing Division I college basketball.
How did you first get started playing basketball '
'I first started playing in eighth grade. How I started was, one of my uncles was a little mad because I didn't walk perfectly, and I was really tall. He said, `ok, we need to put you in a sport and straighten your back.' So he asked me if I wanted to play volleyball or basketball. So I said ok, let's try basketball. '
How did your first year of playing go '
'The first year went really fast. I did some good things and worked really hard. I learned so many things and saw so many things in the sport. Then I just kept playing through high school.'
How did you end up playing in the U.S. '
'During my senior year of high school, I got a call from my friend who played in Lincoln, Neb. She was graduating from Colby Community College and the coaches there were looking for a post player. So she asked me if I wanted to come play. I was like, yeah, sure. So that is how I ended up in Colby, Kan. '
How did you end up at Wisconsin'
'Colby is a small town. I played there for two years. The (Wisconsin) coaches saw me play in some tournaments and I guess liked my game. I came here on a visit and I fell in love with it."
When you first left home, was your intent to play at a Division I university'
'I didn't have a clue about the different divisions in the United States. I honestly have to say that I left home and didn't even know the name of the town I was going to. I just knew it was somewhere in Kansas. So I didn't know how strong the divisions were. My freshman year I did not think about the university setup
at all.'
What things did you like about Wisconsin '
'For me it was just important to find a place where I could fit in well with a team. A place were I was going to be able to live on my own. It wasn't a big deal about what conference it was in, or how hard it was going to be. But it just so happened to be a school in the Big Ten and it's a great conference.'
What was it like to leave home'
'I made my decision really fast; it was like an overnight decision. I didn 't want the opportunity to slip from my hands. I was going to try. I was going to see if I could survive on my own. I figured if I couldn't do it I would go back home. I knew I wasn't losing anything just to try.
'The first four or five months were just hard on me. I am the youngest in the family and it was terrible not to be with my family. But then I started meeting new people and looked at all the opportunities I had here. And as the time went by, I got used to being on my own. Now it's really easy. I still get homesick sometimes, like everybody else.'
How often do you get to go home'
'Every summer. When basketball is off, I get to go home and hang out with my family. But I workout and have fun and come back ready.'
What are the biggest differences between living in Serbia and living in the U.S.'
'Culturally, it's the food. I put so much weight on my freshman year because of the fast food. At home, I used to eat things from the bakery a lot. And my mom 's cooking was amazing. But here, being on my own, I hate cooking.'
How have classes been so far'
'It has been hard but really interesting. The classes are really big, coming from a community college. The most people I had in a class at Colby was 50 people. Here there are lectures with 200 people. But I'm doing my best. It's fun. '
What class has been your favorite so far '
'I have a Serbian/Croatian literature and that is one of my favorite classes. It is based on the history and literature from my home country.'
Have you thought about what you might want to major in '
'Right now my major is agricultural journalism. But I don't know. I am maybe going to switch that. I am still taking classes to figure out what I like. '
In the media guide it says your dream is to play professional basketball in Europe.
'That is kind of a little bit of a dream that I have had in my mind. The best conference in Europe is in Spain, Italy and France. When I am finished here I am thinking of giving it a try. It's still a little far away. Right now I am just concentrating on my time here.'
