As a young kid in pre-school I was very introverted, never engaged in having a best friend or not even a single regular friend! I was a loner, thriving in observing others and their social structures, but as I got older, I urged some sort of social engagement myself, and decided to start doing sports. I had by the age of 13 decided to start playing badminton, because my classmate was playing. A few days later, I met a relative who said “why don’t you come join me at a basketball practice?”. I remembered my mother saying “If you want to play basketball, you will have to bike to practice by yourself!” I took this as a challenge and biked 4 km (which was a lot in suburbia as a kid) to practice twice a week!
I not only gained my very first friend, but my very first best friend. I gained a whole team of friends, and we quickly became a family, and after a very short while, I learned that in teamsports you have to become a family to win games; know how each team player thinks, and learn how to communicate together and learn how you communicate individually and read each others body language etc. It was a true life learning lesson!
After my first year of playing, I gained the title “MVP” of the team. I remember being really surprised. I felt like I had just started playing and as the year went by I didn’t even realize my development, as I felt like I was just having fun with my family.
We won everything on the team. Undefeated. We won the A-league in our own age (90’s), and the C-league in the older league (89’s).
I had the greatest coach, Anders Stuhr, who saw my strengths – and weaknesses – and made me a great player, teaching me the values of not only the play, but the “family”! He spoke to the coach for the 89’s ladies at the same club, who wanted me to play for their team. Otis Lloyd. May his soul rest in peace as he has passed. Otis taught me to “stay consistent”, “pivot” and “follow through”. He was the softest, most brilliant soul I have ever met to this day. My fundamentals got so strong without even knowing it.
After 2,5 years it was time to apply for high school, and the only thing I knew by this time was that I wanted to play basketball! That was the most important, so I applied for the high school “Falkonergårdens Gymnasium” which has only 3 classes for Team Denmark support, which means you go to school for 4 years and not 3 as a standard. Here, you can legally stay out of school for travels, or have games far away that require you to spend school days away.
I went to try-outs and did good. I got accepted at the school and got the Team Denmark support and the 4 years of school.
I started high school in 2006, got scouted for another club and played in the highest female league in Denmark. I joined try-outs for the national team and in 2007 when I was in the best shape of my life, I tore my ACL in a game and my world fell apart. My life with basketball got cancelled. No practice, no national team, no league, no NOTHING.
I have always been singing, and by this time I have also been on national TV in the finals of a song contest, so I turned to music quite quickly as a substitute. I got surgery and got a new ACL the same year. The year after when I got the green light from the doctor to play again, I realized I couldn’t stay away from basketball. I started playing at an “old ladies” team.
I tore the same ACL in 2009 and the same surgeon who fixed my first ACL, fixed the second one too. When he came to see me after the second surgery he took off his glasses and said “I don’t want to see you here ever again. Pick another sport, it is not worth your health”(said with – what I felt was – love). And since then, I haven’t touched a basketball.
The year is 2024. 15 years since I have touched a basketball. By this time, I have been taking the singing to another level, singing semi-professionally and in a couple of gospel choirs, travelling the world! A dear friend I have met during the gospel-journey introduced me to Sofie, who had joined a beginners basketball team at B3B. I was drawn to the idea of joining in, ignoring the surgeon’s words which has haunted me for the last 15 years. I texted Sofie, and it was God’s plan all along for me to join B3B and the beginners team at Sydhavn and Vesterbro.
I joined a practice. I was home.
The togetherness, the family-feel, the play, the fun, the energy and GOOD VIBES are something you cannot describe, but have to experience first hand! I am overwhelmed and touched by the love for the game and the hands-on, down to earth leadership from both Ugis and Franchesca.
I appreciate the acceptance of me joining in on the beginners team, focusing on the fun and love and not the least; the game, as a compromise for my former expectations for basketball, which was on a highly competitive level. This way, I can have the best fun, with the best people, and the greatest coaches, Chris and Franchesca, who takes the seriosity and makes it 1000% fun, alongside me taking care of my knee and watching out for it.
Conclusion: Go join the game. Go join the fun. Go join the family at B3B! If you want happiness, games and fun, go join!.
Best regards, Anja Vulevic
