Nenad Dimitrijevic

I watched a game last night that was worth the price of admission to the Balkans. The Junior Under 14 team looked like a team straight out of Indiana. Unselfish, passing, cutting, rebounding and fundamental...they played a team from Serbia. The game was tight, the crowd was into it and if you didn't know I was 15,000 miles from home, I would have sworn I was "Back home again in Indiana".

But the thing that stood out to me was the poise and intelligence a 12 year old had under a very physical and pressure filled game. Playing against kids 2 years older, Nenad Demitrijevic won the MVP of the game. Numerous times he was able to handle pressure situations and hit big shots and make great passes. In fact, he almost single handedly put the dagger in the visiting team.

I just may have witnessed a star in the making. I believe that there are already NBA teams who have taken notice. I believe that with improvement he is a name that Americans will know along with Vlade Divac, Pau Gasol, Ricky Rubio and others. Who knows, one day when he is in the NBA, I can say I watched him as a kid. A kid who won an MVP in a tough game one moment and later was running around playing with his friends....friends he was leading.

Life changing trip

Today I ran a typical practice for HHS and it seemed to go well. Coaches here are wanting to learn as am I. The kids treat me like a rock star! "Are you from America?" "Can I get a picture with you?" Great, great kids....great, great country.

They took me into Ohrid today to Plaoshnik. It is the church where the Chryllic alphabet and Slavic language began. Also, the Apostle Paul visited. It was overwhelming historically, archaelogically, and spirtually. This trip to the Balkans has been a life changing event. There was the me before and the me after.

The young talent level here is very good and unknown. Many players here will be known worldwide in a few years as I believe that Macedonia will be a country to deal with internationally.

These are a great, proud people who both love Americans, but are bitter about American policies. They are proud of their heritage and history.

I am extremely torn as I feel as if this is a second home, but I am ready to return to my "home"....Kristi, Madison, and Brandon.

Junior Camp; Defense clinic

Today, I spoke about defense for an hour to about 35 coaches at a clinic that is coinciding with the camp. I was not able to get on the court, and trying to show drills and get into it was hard without doing so. Tomorrow, I am going to run a practice for the clinic and show what is a typical one for us.

The people here are the same as Serbia, in Macedonia, they are respectful, helpful, and considerate. Today we were drinking a coke (others were drinking coffee...everyone seems to do that here) and a player asked if it were okay to go to the beach on the Lake with his parents. That was a sign of respect.

Any college coach reading this...there is some serious young talent in Macedonia...I will post on twitter some names that you need to put on your recruiting lists. In 3-7 years, I truly believe that Macedonia will be a force for European basketball.

Every day over here is a learning experience and I treasure each day, each moment, each new friend, but I am ready to be with the greatest 3 people in my life. I can promise I will not leave their sides the rest of the summer.

Make a wrong turn and end up in another country (Kosovo)

Woke up, watched a small presentation, but then got into the car to head to Struga, Macedonia and the Junior camp. A parent of a player at Zlatibor graciously gave us a ride to Skopje, Macedonia. Along the way, we missed a turn and ended up in Kosovo. I will let you google Kosovo to get an idea of what it is like. Definitely an experience I will never forget...someone needs to do something to help those people out. The capital, Pristina, was an experience in itself. No stop lights and many people trying to go somewhere at the same time.

Seven hours later from Zlatibor, we arrived in Struga. My initial reaction is this is a first class organization and well organized. Tomorrow I will get to see first hand. At 12:30, I will present my philosophy on defense to the coaches in attendance.

I won't allow myself to be depressed about not being with the family, but it is definitely close....all the time. Talked to Brandon and Kristi tonight on Skype....not sure if it makes it better or worse.
It is late, and I am tired. I think it is time to go to my wonderful room to sleep.

Serbia is my second home: Zlatibor, day 5

Today the 80 year old "Professor" of basketball asked me a question. He works with the youngest kids at the camp. His question..."what do you think of how I am doing with the kids?" He asked my opinion of his coaching ability! I was speechless. Professor Illiech is one of the oldest, most respected coaches in Serbia and the Balkans. After I told him that I was the one learning from him while he worked, he told me that he respected the fact the US is the best basketball country in the world. I can't understand what he says, as everything is translated, but with what he has said to me and what everyone says about him....he is a great, great man!

The Montenegro women's team came today. There are girls as well as boys at this camp, and the girls were highly excited. There was a girl on the team from the United States, Anna DeForge. She played at the University of Nebraska and is currently in the WNBA. We both were excited to talk to someone from "home".

I have been invited by the women's coach of Partizan, Marina Maljkovic, to go and watch the national women's team of Serbia play Montenegro tonight. The gym is a five minute walk from the camp.

Tomorrow morning, I head with my friend Tane Spasev to Skopje, Macedonia, then to Struga on Lake Ohrid to work the Junior basketball camp.

I had heard that Serbia was known as the "Indiana" of Europe, I believe it. The people I have met here and the area has made me fall in love with Serbia. I now consider it my second home. Next week in Macedonia will probably solidify that the Balkans are my second home.

The worst part of the trip is not being able to see my family....it's horrible....the best part of the trip is everything else.

Zlatibor....Day 4

This morning I showed in about 45 minutes what we do in practice for the first hour or so. The whole camp was there watching and all of the coaches. When I finished, I thought it went well. Immediately, the respect I was getting from all the coaches increased. They were being respectful before, but then it seemed to prove I knew what I was doing. It was great!

The woman's coach from Partizan in Belgrade has spoken to me often about philosophy and the game....we agree on a lot. She has won 3 championships and his highly respected. After my presentation, she had very nice things to say....huge compliment.

The Serbian women's national team's coaching staff and spoke to the children today and posed for pictures.

Serbia is a great country from what I have seen. I leave Saturday morning to head to Skopje, Macedonia before going to Struga and Lake Ohrid for another camp. If I had my family here, it would not be hard to stay for a long period of time. Only impediment is not knowing the language. It would be nice to be in on some of the great stories and jokes being told around me.

I told my wife, I may come home with a small Balkan accent because I am trying to fit in by saying their words and saying their English words the same way. Posting pictures has been hard because I didn't bring my laptop, so I will do it as soon as possible.

Love it here, love the Balkans, but missing the USA and Indiana!!!!