Advice for Athletes Starting or Continuing Their Overseas Journey

Your Mid-Season Guide: Adjusting, Thriving, and Preparing

Happy New Year! As we step into 2025, it’s the perfect time to focus on new opportunities and explore what lies ahead. For many athletes, the midpoint of the season brings big changes. Some are starting fresh with new teams, while others are continuing their overseas journey. Whether you’re just landing in a new country or finding your groove mid-season, this guide is here to help you navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with playing overseas.

Things to Keep in Mind

1. Practical Tips for Adjusting to a New Culture
2. Managing Finances
3. Building Connections

The Mindset You Need

• Stay Flexible: Things won’t always go as planned. Be ready to adapt and find solutions.
• Focus on the Court: Basketball remains the same, no matter where you play. Use the familiarity of the game to ground yourself.
• Embrace the Journey: Every challenge is a chance to grow, both as an athlete and a person.

A Personal Story: My First Overseas Trip

My first trip overseas was to Poland, and I was not at all prepared. I packed most of what I owned and ended up paying for extra bags…a financial mistake I’d soon regret. Managing my money was a whole new skill I had to learn on the fly, along with adjusting to the cultural changes.

This excerpt is from my book Overseas Famous, where I dive into the raw and unfiltered experiences of being an overseas athlete. The transition to a professional career abroad isn’t always glamorous, and moments like this shaped not just my journey as an athlete but as a person navigating unfamiliar territory.

“I’ll never forget arriving at the large concrete building that would be my training facility for the next nine months. It was tagged with absurd amounts of graffiti. It wasn’t a mural of the team or some sort of street art, but random illicit blue and black scribblings covering the wall to the player’s entrance. I am not sure why this stuck out in my mind, or why it was all I could notice, but this was a professional basketball team offering more money than I had ever seen, and the building looked like an absolute shithole.

At that time, I assumed the internet was a giant collection of factual data, and that it would never lie to me. I usually Asked Jeeves information about the city I would be living in. The images never showed the dilapidation caused by war, neglect, or random people being dicks, instead focused on the beautiful European structures that lined the center of the city. The beautiful structures I remembered from my search a few days before, were replaced by the grey concrete building that stood before me.

The crazy thing about basketball is that no matter where you go, it remains the same. The rules are the same, the rims are the same, the court is the same, everything within the lines of the wooden territory is familiar. Outside those lines, that is a different story. This Polish gym was no different than the gyms I had spent countless hours in before that day. It had wood floors, a three-point line, and an orange rim. I unpacked my shoes and hopped into my first practice, just twenty minutes after I arrived in W?oc?awek.”

What You Need to Think About

• Packing Smartly: Bring essentials but don’t overpack. Save room for local purchases and avoid unnecessary fees.
• Research Beyond the Surface: Look for realistic reviews or reach out to current and former players in your city.
• Prepare Mentally: Overseas life is a mix of exciting opportunities and tough adjustments. Stay open-minded and focus on your goals.

Final Thoughts

Starting or continuing your overseas career is a huge step, and it’s okay to feel overwhelmed. Lean on your teammates and take everything one day at a time. This is your journey, and every experience, good or bad, adds to your story.

Here’s to thriving on and off the court, wherever your journey takes you.

Cheers,

Kevin Owens

Founder,

Overseas Famous