Leaders of Unites #97 - Povilas Sirutis
We spoke through basketball
My name is Povilas, and I’m 21 years old. I was born in Kaunas, Lithuania. Seven years ago, I moved to Denmark because my mom got a job opportunity here. I didn’t speak the language, so the first four years were rather difficult. English was always an option, but I knew immediately that it wouldn’t be a sustainable long-term solution. I always looked for ways to meet people and make friends, but without knowing the language that’s challenging to do, so my life got pretty contained. Back in Lithuania I never had trouble making friends. I’ve always been the team builder within a group, already starting in primary school. The sense of team spirit meant a lot to me from an early age, I wanted to make the most out of every friendship.
I started playing at around 7 years old. There was something mesmerizing about a ball, or even a crumpled piece of paper, going through a hoop. I got that obsession early in my life, and I still get it every time. I got into basketball, because just down the street from where I lived, a new basketball club had freshly opened. I went to my parents, who would always encourage me to participate in activities, to help me sign up. I even went around my neighborhood asking other kids to sign up, because the club was new and needed players.
My fourth year in Denmark, I was in tenth grade. The school buildings were opposite each other and in between was a basketball court. I would go out there alone and shoot during the breaks. Luckily for me, I was never bothered by what other people thought of me or cared about looking silly. I thought: if others see me having fun, they’ll be more likely to join. A guy from Lebanon, my now friend Nicolas, who was also into basketball, joined me on the court one day. He was also pretty contained and didn’t speak Danish that well, so at first it was a bit awkward to communicate. We spoke through basketball. We would come out and play during breaks, and that’s how we got through tenth grade. Throughout the years, I have grown more confident, and I would also join local clubs to play there.
“Passing the ball” can be applied to everything in life
During my teenage years, I realized that I’m not going to the NBA, as I wasn’t athletic, I didn’t really want to sweat a lot during practice, but I just love basketball. So, I shifted my focus on the team aspect of basketball, and here I discovered that making other people happy gives me joy too. How can you bring others joy on a basketball court? You pass the ball. “Passing the ball” can be applied to everything in life, involving a team. It displays trust in your teammates and thereby slowly makes one a leader, because people start trusting you. It led me to understand that a leader doesn’t have to be the best at what they’re doing. I truly love that, because I understand that I will never be the best at the game, but I can still be involved and passionate about it. That’s also what attracted me to 3X3 Unites.
Connection is human nature
Because I didn’t speak Danish for the first few years living here, it led me to find more Lithuanian friends. One of them is Mažvydas, the coordinator that teaches the Leader Course. We met through basketball refereeing, and he invited me to the Leader Course. I didn’t know what it was, but after he explained it to me, I immediately fell in love with the concept. I was drawn to it, one: because it’s basketball, and two: it’s a great opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and bring the community together.
Unites is a way to connect people by means of basketball, and that really speaks to me. For as long as I can remember I’ve been building community and organizing groups. I do that because I believe that very few things in life you can do alone. Well… you can make it happen alone, but in a team it’s more fun, easier to distribute roles, and exchange ideas. Ultimately, connection is human nature, and we are made to cooperate.
By learning to take ownership and accountability I’ve grown significantly more confident in my role in life. Two truths I am certain of: I know God has provided all these lessons for me , and everything happens for a reason. Me starting basketball at such a young age led me to develop these life skills and insights, which in turn led me to discover the fact that I don’t have to be perfect, or inside a box which then brought me to 3X3 Unites. He brought those things in my life for a purpose, and now I can share what I’ve learned with others. And since I’m only 21 years old, I do want to keep learning to understand how this is all going to work out, because it’s only the start for me.
