Lucija Cvitanović

Lucija Cvitanović tells us about her journey getting to Dallas, Texas to continue her playing career and how her connections helped her along the way.

Where are you from and how did you get into track and field?

I am from Zagreb and started with track and field when I was 7 years old. My father and current coach met each other while my dad was a car salesman and my coach was one of his customers. They got to know each other and my dad asked me if I would like to try track and that is how it all began. I started young, stuck with it every year, and I even compete to this day. I am currently focused on throwing javelin, but throughout my career I did heptathlon.

What school did you attend?

I went to Southern Methodist University in Texas from 2012-2016. Going in, I was technically a transfer student because my classes from Zagreb transferred over to SMU. I entered as a sophomore in academics but a freshman in athletics. I majored in psychology at SMU and later finished my masters degree in psychology in Croatia. I am now doing an internship for one year at a school here in Croatia, and then I will take the exam to become a licensed psychologist.

When I came back to Croatia from the U.S. I took a year off to decide where I was going to complete my masters degree and once I started my masters program I decided to only compete in javelin throw because I realized I could not be at the top of my game in heptathlon and I didn’t want to be average or fall way below my personal records.

How did you begin your college recruitment process?

In my second year of high school I started thinking about college and I wasn’t ready to give up track. I met a basketball player who practiced at the same location as me, Maksimir, and learned that he got a scholarship to play and study at a U.S. university. He told me that there was track and field at his school too and up until that point I didn’t know you could study and do track in college. I knew about big team sports like basketball and soccer but I didn’t know any track athletes who played so I didn't know it was an option. I started researching and realized many Croatians ended up going to play in the U.S. so I got in contact with some of them who told me which schools are good, what tests I needed to prepare for, explained the whole application process, etc. At that time my English was really bad and I realized I needed to improve if I wanted to pass the exams and live in the U.S. so I started learning English on my own. The hardest part for me was the SAT. After high school I started college in Zagreb for one year and then knew I wanted to go to the U.S. so I took a year off and during that time studied for the SAT and all the exams I needed to take.

A friend of mine from Austria was at Southern Methodist University at the time and talked to her coach about the possibility of me coming to SMU. I have learned that the easiest path to learning more about American universities is to talk to someone who has experienced it first hand. Researching the American college system and looking at it on the internet can be very confusing and complicated.

How did you decide college in the U.S. was the best decision for you?

The main reason I chose college in the U.S. was the opportunity to play my sport and study at the same time because I was not ready to give up my sport. Everything was convenient and at that time my priority was my sport and to finish school, so I had everything there. While I was in Croatia I travelled almost two hours to and from practice and school everyday, but in the U.S. I lived on campus five minutes away from practice which was a major plus.

My parents were very supportive of my decision. When they saw how much I wanted it and how much happiness it brought me they were 100% on board.

What was the transition like coming to America from Croatia?

I am usually a very open, social person and I don’t mind making mistakes. Regarding the language, my English skills were not that great but I was able to communicate and told everyone to correct me when I said something wrong. If I make a mistake I will laugh about it and learn for next time. A lot of people are shy or uncomfortable and don’t speak because of embarrassment but I was determined to speak no matter what and that is okay because people eventually understand what I am trying to say, will help correct me and I learn this way. A very helpful part of my transition was that I had my friend from Austria already at SMU on the team so she made everything easier. She showed me where everything was on campus and explained how the school system worked once I was there. My SMU team was very small and half of them were from Europe so we were all in the same boat. Through international friends I also met a Croatian who had graduated from a different school and moved to Dallas and we became friends quickly. She also helped me out a lot by showing me around the city that was brand new to me.

Was there a difference in the level of competition in the NCAA compared to in Croatia?

The competition was much harder at SMU than I anticipated. In Croatia I was the best at my event and up until recently held the Croatian national record. Athletes would not put a lot of effort into the events so I was always competing against myself. When I got to college the competitions were closer and more challenging so I was pushed more.

While competing I made it to the NCAA tournament all four years I was there. For the first three years I competed in heptathlon and my last year just javelin. The atmosphere at the NCAA championships was so professional too. It took place in Oregon and we had to do interviews in front of a lot of cameras which made it feel similar to European and world championship atmospheres.

Did you build good relationships with people while in the U.S.?

I have plenty of people that I am still in contact with today from athletes to coaches to sports therapists. A year after I graduated I went to visit over the summer and it was nice to see them all again. I am now waiting to go back again. SMU and Dallas are like my second home. I even get to see friends in Europe when they come home.

How do you think your degree has helped you since graduating from SMU?

One thing I don’t like is that people in Croatia do not appreciate the U.S. degree as much as a Croatian degree in my experience. When I was applying for a masters program here the process was not as easy. They scrutinized the undergraduate program in the U.S. and compared it with the undergraduate program in Croatia including every single specific class. I think that is important to know beforehand because I expected that they would just take the degree as any degree.

What do you plan on doing with your degree and how do you see your future sports career?

I will see how everything unfolds to decide if I will continue competing, just train for myself, or just focus on my psychology career. It is hard to leave sports behind when it has been a huge part of my life for so long. I think being in the U.S. was a great experience for me, but I will definitely stay in Croatia. I don’t see myself living in the U.S. long term. I can do both track and psychology here in Croatia so there is no reason for me to go back.

Do you have any advice for young athletes in Croatia looking to play collegiate sports in the U.S.?

It is important to start looking into everything early in high school as soon as possible. I would also suggest reaching out to someone who has done it before as opposed to researching by yourself because it’s easier to learn from someone who has already experienced this journey. Even if you don’t know the person, don't be afraid to reach out. I have had younger girls I don’t know reach out to me to ask questions and I love sharing information that could help them. Reach out to me and if I can’t help, maybe I know someone who can. Another thing I would suggest is studying for the SAT and all the exams as soon as possible. And if you fail once don’t get discouraged, always try again. When I was planning on coming to the U.S., people at home told me I wouldn’t be able to pass the exams because my English wasn’t very good, but I proved them wrong. Some people may not be so supportive but who cares about them, this is your life.

Thank you Lucija, for speaking with us and sharing your experience. We wish you all the best with your future plans.