It wasn’t the jump-start Jakub Dombek envisioned when he traveled half the world to try his hand at major college basketball in the United States.
Dombek had begun learning English back home in the Czech Republic a few years earlier, but practicing in a classroom proved a world of difference from needing a basic mastery of the language to deal with day-to-day life.
On top of that, while Dombek was comfortable with taking a redshirt season in his first year with coach Tad Boyle’s Colorado men’s basketball program, a young player tasked with using the year on the sideline to add bulk to his lanky frame was almost immediately waylaid by a strength-sapping bout of mono.
The inevitable homesickness for the 6-foot-11 Dombek proved more challenging than expected. Months later, however, the raw-but-talented forward is starting to feel a little more settled at his new home.
“At the beginning it was hard. Especially because I couldn’t really speak English when I got here,” Dombek said. “But I’m so happy here. Everybody has been really nice to me on the team. Everybody is helping me as much as they can. I feel like I’m getting better at school because my language is getting better. A lot of times the guys will make fun of me because of my language, but it’s getting better.”
Read the full story at Buffzone.com.
