Admission into Princeton College, one of many “Historical Eight” extra generally referred to as The Ivy League, is extraordinarily troublesome for any particular person to grasp. Which makes the accomplishment of siblings Jovana and Matej Sekulic—at the moment matriculating at Princeton—spectacular, virtually as spectacular as their efforts for the college’s water polo program.
Born in Serbia however raised within the suburbs of Philadelphia, Matej—now a sophomore—and Jovana, a freshman, are recognized for his or her water polo prowess in addition to their educational skill. After sitting out his first season as a consequence of COVID-19, the older Sekulic loved a stable season beneath Princeton head males’s coach Dustin Litvak. After sitting out 2020, Matej’s freshman 12 months, as a consequence of COVID-19, the Tigers superior to the quarterfinals of the 2021 NCAA Males’s Water Polo Match.
[No. 10 Princeton Takes Down No. 16 Fordham, 17-8, In Opening Round Of NCAA Tournament]
Jovana has offered an instantaneous influence for ladies’s Head Coach Derek Ellingston’s squad. When within the water Matej’s sister is nearly unstoppable for the Tigers, now 9-2 after sweeping all 5 matches finally weekend’s Princeton Invitational. Final month Jovana opened her Princeton profession with a bang, notching six targets in a win over Cal Baptist in her very first look. She has racked up multi-goal video games in 5 Princeton matches, together with a quintet in an exciting 17-16 OT win over LIU final Friday evening.
Jovana Sekulic in motion in opposition to LIU. Photograph Courtesy: Sideline Pictures
Following are feedback from Jovana and Matej about their lives in Serbia and America, how they embraced water polo and Princeton, and what it’s prefer to compete for Litvak, head coach for the Tiger males and the highest assistant for Princeton’s ladies.
– You’ve got educated and competed each within the States and in your native Serbia. How is it to expertise two completely different cultures as extraordinary residents and as athletes?
Jovana: Rising up in Serbia, I used to be busy balancing faculty, music faculty and follow. All these actions occupied every single day of the week and I consider educated me for future success.
Once I moved to America, particularly speaking in regards to the East Coast, most of my time was at college. It was laborious discovering a water polo membership, after which it was laborious discovering women that have been in a position to problem me to get higher. I discovered ODP (Olympic Improvement Program), which pushed me out of my consolation zone and opened my eyes [up] to a greater world of water polo.
I used to be amazed on the time and devoted to it, and though these Sunday evening to Monday morning faculty red-eye [flights] weren’t restful, they have been completely value it.
Clearly the 2 cultures are nowhere close to one another, however I believe that Matej, me and our youthful brother Luka did job attempting to get the perfect of all worlds in [the] educational, athletic and social sense.
Matej: The most important distinction between residing and enjoying water polo in Serbia vs. the US is how I used to be handled. In Serbia, the adults in my life handled me as somebody of their age. Regardless if it was a random man on the road or my lecturers, I used to be by no means catered to due to my age. I believe this cultural distinction helped me choose up numerous accountability and fulfill sure expectations because the oldest of three.
Matej Sekulic in motion for Princeton final season. Photograph Courtesy: Princeton Athletics
In my thoughts, I wanted to assist my siblings by setting an instance. I attempted to excel in class and athletics in hopes they’d observe my lead. Jovana was all the time a little bit helper by my facet. We began utilizing public transit by ourselves as younger as 9 years previous and needed to navigate the busy streets of Belgrade to go to highschool, follow, and so on. On these journeys, my sister and I all the time calculated how a lot time it could take us to get someplace to see if we had time to purchase ice cream.
Transferring to the US was a shock. Abruptly we weren’t in a position to transfer freely and wanted a automobile to get wherever. My notion on the time was that we have been handled as infants and have been studying issues we already studied two years prior. Most of my classmates appeared immature for his or her age, or so I believed, so it was troublesome to make associates. Even water polo, the game I like very a lot, had this alteration. Whereas I admire the coaches I encountered and performed for within the States, I missed the competitiveness that existed amongst my teammates in Serbia.
As I grew older, I began to know the protection and privilege I dwell with in the USA and attend the faculties I did. I’d not be who I’m right now with out experiencing each cultures and having fun with their combine.
– You grew up primarily within the suburbs of Philadelphia and appreciated the world since you each stayed native for school! Why was Princeton your alternative?
Jovana: Since I’ve a really shut household, I wished to remain close to them. This manner I wasn’t all the time along with them, however I used to be shut sufficient if we ever wanted each other. And since Matej already went to Princeton, it made the choice simpler.
Sekulic in motion in opposition to LIU. Photograph Courtesy: Sideline Pictures
Sure, Princeton was the one East Coast faculty I used to be taking a look at. The opposite choices would’ve been Cal-Berkley, UCLA and Stanford. I struggled turning them down, since I understand how nice these packages are, and I’ve seen the unimaginable ladies gamers which have come out of them. There was an inner battle of what was the perfect choice for me.
Since Princeton is a smaller program, it was going to be simpler to get that focus one-on-one, and since I’m at the moment the one heart, I’d get numerous publicity.
Matej: The Haverford Faculty outfitted me with the perfect schooling crucial to maneuver onto an Ivy League Faculty similar to Princeton. That may be a place the place “Iron Sharpens Iron” and in my case, I used to be grateful to have graduated with a category stuffed with like-minded, targeted, trustworthy and hard-working gents.
[On Deck with Kevin Van Such, Maverick Water Polo Boys’ and Girls’ Coach]
Our household’s familiarity with the world and the status of an establishment like Princeton, made it an ideal alternative for me.
Princeton is among the many high 10 international universities and as such all the time offered a aim in my thoughts. As a younger highschool scholar, I used to be fortunate sufficient to follow on the DeNunzio Pool with coach Momo Ivetic. That is precisely what made Princeton extra personable to me. Once I first stepped on campus at 14 years previous, Princeton appealed to me tremendously. Nonetheless, I believed it could be numerous effort to enroll into such a college. As somebody excited by economics and politics, Princeton’s big range of Political Financial system programs in addition to world-renowned professors in each topics made the selection even simpler for me.
– East Coast polo shouldn’t be notably prized within the U.S.—however you each play for a coach, Dustin Litvak, who’s on the forefront of adjusting that notion. How is it to be on groups seeking to change the notion of who is sweet in American polo?
Jovana: Dusty coached me for the primary time after I was a youth in ODP. I keep in mind we did drills for facilities, and he introduced such element into the sport that I actually was keen on. To at the present time, he brings that up at follow and every time I speak to him, he all the time factors out a particular problem that I haven’t even observed.
Matej: Taking part in for Coach Litvak is an enriching expertise. I discovered that my general water polo skill elevated with each follow. Our staff spirit revolved round preserving one another accountable and training as if it was the season’s championship sport each follow. Whereas rewarding, it is usually intense.
It’s very important to stay in mind-set and handle your physique to remain at a excessive stage of water polo beneath Coach Litvak. Our staff continues to push the boundaries of what it means to be an east coast water polo staff as we took down some admirable opponents from the west coast this 12 months. Total, I believe coach Litvak can change what it means to be an east coast water polo staff for good.
– Jovana, your squad comprises six athletes from the East, an unusually excessive quantity for NCAA polo. Your ideas about enjoying with locals, and the way this represents change (good!) at Princeton and past.
Sekulic scoring the profitable aim in OT in opposition to LIU. Photograph Courtesy: Sideline Pictures
The remainder of the ladies are from Greenwich, with whom I performed with at JOs, and I’ve recognized via tournaments and ODP camps. Through the summer season I stayed and practiced with them, so I can name a few of them my greatest associates. It’s good to be part of a small household inside a fair larger one, which is how I really feel with the ladies from the East. It actually does assist having previous expertise with present teammates, as a result of you understand how they like their passes, when they’ll shoot so you may return and get better, and so on. Lastly, I believe this actually speaks volumes on the extent and energy that’s been put to interact the East Coast in water polo.
– Matej, your squad has many gamers from overseas, together with from Serbia and Croatia. A world roster shouldn’t be new for Tiger polo however there’s extra gamers from completely different nations enjoying for Princeton than in years previous. What’s your tackle how this helps your staff / program succeed?
Having worldwide gamers on the staff solely broadens and diversifies the angle of what it means to play water polo. Our worldwide gamers additionally broadened the expectations and guidelines our staff ought to try to observe. Combining the worldwide and the US faculties of water polo permits gamers to be taught from one another and enhance the staff’s general high quality which was actually felt this season.
– Chances are you’ll each aspire to proceed in your sport after faculty. Given your ties to Europe, how would possibly that be realized?
Jovana: Water polo is a very huge a part of my life and id. I’m not certain what the longer term holds, however I’d like to proceed enjoying so long as I can.
Matej: I’m not certain what the longer term holds when it comes to water polo, but when there was a solution to proceed enjoying I most positively would.
