Veronika Skokánková - basketball success story

It's clear that studying abroad is full of adventures. As many twists and turns as Veronika Skokánková experienced, but it's not common. What was student life like in Idaho, what happens to verbal agreements when you get hurt, and how much does honesty pay off?

When did you first think about going to study in America?

It was a strange situation, two years before leaving for the USA, scouts came to see my basketball teammate and she eventually managed to get into the university. We often called each other and she made me think about how great it was there. Gradually, our contact cooled down, but I always had that thought in my head. So in my fourth year, besides school and training, I just sat at home in front of the PC and looked for all possible universities where good basketball was played, and looked for ways to get there.

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If we stay in the Czech Republic for a moment, how did you manage to combine high school and basketball?

Almost not at all. I went to a language business school in Bubenec. I wasn't an excellent student, I focused more on basketball. But I didn't have an individual plan and, given my results at school, the teachers almost always had a problem releasing me for training camps, national team tournaments or anything else. They almost never managed to accommodate me.

What did you base your choice of university on? Was it primarily the quality of the basketball team, or rather the field of study or the prestige of the school?

At that time, there were no agencies that would help with the selection. Of course, there were agents from the basketball world, but they usually didn't want to work with women, so I was on my own. I enjoyed marketing and management, so I looked for this field, but of course I was more interested in the quality of basketball and also the location. I got the best offer from Fresno State University in California, but when communicating with the coach, I realized something that I didn't have at all. At that time, I was training at USK Prague with women from the A-team and professionals from the WNBA, I took it as a plus, but I was more of a shot in the foot, because the American university system views training with professionals as if you were already a professional athlete yourself.

So how big of an obstacle was that?

The coach was interested in me, but it had to be done in a way that wouldn't cause a problem for the school. So the coach sent me to his friend who coached basketball at a Junior College in New Mexico. Junior Colleges are basically schools where American students who didn't get into more prestigious universities go, it's kind of like a zero year. He sold it to me by saying that I would get a taste of the American lifestyle, training and the combination of sports and school, and that he would take me to Fresno State in a year.

But that didn't happen, did it?

That's right, it was completely different. After a few games, I tore my knee ligaments and the season was over for me. I negotiated a so-called Red Shirt so that I could at least stay in school and get a full scholarship. Unfortunately, at the moment of my injury, the coach at Fresno State stopped caring about me. I even met him at a tournament about a year and a half later and he didn't even say hello to me, which was sad.

What happened next?

The recovery of my knee was in my opinion too rushed. The first time I could start putting 100% weight on it, according to the doctors, was in the first match at the tournament in Dallas. And of course, it immediately broke again. I went home for Christmas, had a meniscus surgery, and the rest of the season was kind of half-hearted. After two years at Junior College, I was looking for a new school.

How did it turn out?

An assistant coach helped me, they sent me to a private Christian school in Idaho that played Division II. They didn't credit a few of my transfer credits, so I basically went back to my sophomore year.

What was the change like going from New Mexico to Idaho?

I didn't experience a completely American movie life (laughs). But it was a 180-degree turn in terms of people and culture. For the first two years, I was used to quite undisciplined and irresponsible people. For example, the police came to campus to arrest a basketball player who shot another guy in a bar over the weekend, my roommate's parents were in prison for murder, and so on. There were students from all walks of life there, and it looked like that. It was a completely different story in Idaho. Everyone prayed, didn't talk dirty, didn't lie, and were principled. Sometimes I would like to go back to that lifestyle, it was so pure. It definitely gave me a different perspective on life, namely that even today, people can be nice and helpful to each other.

And how was school?

It was good there (laughs). School in the Czech Republic annoyed me because they looked at me in a stereotypical way, as another stupid athlete who just wants to throw himself after the ball and often deliberately went against me. In America, it's the complete opposite. There, athletes are viewed with prestige. The teachers and the whole system worked in our favor, especially when we were foreigners. Everyone at that school knew us, when we came to class, the teacher immediately called us and offered us that we could basically decide for ourselves when we wanted to write a test or submit an essay. They were accommodating when we had a tournament and I didn't have time to prepare for the test. On the other hand, in the Czech Republic, they deliberately called me to the board after the tournament, when they knew that I couldn't have time to study the day before.

And basketball?

I immediately joined the team and we had a great group and the results showed it. I became the best player on the team and I also received the Most Improved Player of the Year award. I felt good.

How was the campus life?

In Idaho, the rules were pretty strict, considering the local mentality. There were separate dormitories for girls and boys right on campus, they could only visit each other during certain times of the day, after that it was forbidden, as well as closing the doors to the rooms and other things. I didn't want to live on campus for many other reasons, so I lived in a big house with my teammates. But there were strict rules, especially for athletes, three fouls were enough to get me kicked out of school. Once I was caught at a party and I got suspended for three games. But the biggest problem came at the very end of my studies.

What happened?

I had a partner from the Czech Republic, he flew to Hawaii for the Christmas tournament. Since it was Christmas break, we could stay in Hawaii after the tournament. I had made that arrangement and my boyfriend was supposed to come to see me, everyone knew about it in advance. I was with the team throughout the tournament and only spent time with my boyfriend when I didn't have any obligations. But before the last game of the tournament, the coach told me that I definitely wouldn't stay here with my boyfriend and would go back. I didn't listen and went to see my boyfriend after my sports obligations. When I returned to school after Christmas, they kicked me off the team. I was afraid that they would take away my scholarship in my senior year and I wouldn't be able to finish my studies. The dispute dragged on to lawyers, and fortunately, my lawyer negotiated before a potential trial that I could return to school and finish my studies. But I never returned to the basketball team.

Happy end. What did you do after graduation?

I originally didn't want to return to the Czech Republic, it was more attractive for me to stay overseas. But I had a boyfriend here, we were even engaged, so I chose to return. I set off without basketball, but after a few weeks I started missing the sport so much that I had to return to it anyway. Immediately after my return, word spread among the clubs and they started to rope me in. I played in the first and second leagues, then one season in the extra league, so I ended up playing in the Czech Republic for another five years.

And your job?

I started at Tesco as an assistant, but I was promoted every year in the company, and after three years I ended up as a sales manager with a smaller team of people. I currently work at Big Media in the sales department. I didn't intend to do business at all, I didn't want to, but I tried and now I've been doing it for four years.

What qualities or skills that sports in America taught you do you use daily at work today?

Sport is actually quite similar to business. You have to be assertive, know how to sell yourself, have sharp elbows and don't be afraid of defeat, that's very important. Just like in sports, I adhere to FairPlay in business. At the same time, if a business succeeds, it's like a big victory for me, plus the icing on the cake in the form of money.

What are the main benefits of your 5 years abroad?

I grew up a lot there, became an independent person. It was a lot about discipline and self-sufficiency. I would definitely recommend this option to younger basketball players, because then the doors are open to both sports and professional careers.

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