Volleyball

I started my relationship with volleyball when I was 8 years old in my home town of Belgrade, Serbia, a place with an eminent volleyball tradition. I started learning volleyball fundamentals and developing my passion for the game at the Blok-Aut School of Volleyball (“Blok Aut” is the Serbian spelling of the words Block Out). I went on to play for a competitive club, and by the time I was 14, I was a member of the National Youth Volleyball Team.

At eighteen years old, I received a full athletic scholarship from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA. A new chapter in my journey had begun. Transition to the new country, new language, and all the demands of the student-athlete life was bittersweet. I was torn between nostalgia and adaptation in a new country, and the immediate success as a student-athlete. At the time, it wasn't clear to me if the choice I made was right, but now looking back, I wouldn't do anything different. I am always going to be grateful for the opportunity and education provided to me at UAB. 

My sophomore year, we won the Conference USA championship. We fought hard and match by match we came to the finals of Conference USA and defeated Memphis 3:2 earning our first bid to the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, during the 2007-2008 academic year, we were in C-USA Championship games but fell short. My senior year we went to the second round of NCAA Tournament and were defeated by Nebraska on their home court in front of 5,000+ people. That was the last match I ever played.

Blockout Academy

Even though my career on the court was over, this marked the beginning of my coaching career. I began coaching at the UAB summer camps. There I discovered another dimension of volleyball - the sideline dimension, and I fell in love with it. I felt I needed to learn the sport all over again, this time from a new and exciting angle and in a new role - a role of a coach.

It took me 5 years to build my clientele, to finally cut the cord, and to open Block Out Volleyball Academy. It took me another 6 months to fully commit my life and time to coaching. The name of the Academy is the namesake of my first volleyball team, a homage to my roots - the culture, time and place where I started this journey.

My experiences as a player have taught me how how important a coach is in an athlete's life. During that entire time, both good and bad coaches groomed me to be a better coach myself. I am committed to be the coach that will always inspire a player and be a positive influence in their life. Often, athletes only need somebody to push them and believe in them. Inspiring young girls to train, get better, and dream big is my passion and my calling.

Athletics are not the end-all and be-all. A good coach understands and implements this. For a majority of athletes, sports are merely a stepping stone towards towards other life’s goals. A good coach teaches, through athletics, discipline, sacrifice, dedication, team work, work ethic, working under pressure, communication, leadership, constructive criticism, vulnerability, perseverance, belonging and much more. All those qualities are crucial in life, and that’s why a coach’s impact goes well beyond just athletic skills.