Brewster Ward brief interview
We had the opportunity to speak with Brewster Ward about his professional basketball career so far. This past season, Brewster played for the Juvemaia ACDC in Portugal 1st division. Brewster has some great perspectives for any players trying to continue their career at the pro level. Major thanks to Brewster for taking the time to share his most recent journey with us!
1) How do you adapt to different playing styles, coaching strategies, and team dynamics when transitioning to play for teams in different countries?
I think I adapt pretty well to different play styles and coaching strategies. Having transferred twice in college, I had to adjust to different coaching styles a lot. Play styles are different because it depends on what the team is asking of me versus what I feel comfortable doing. So making sure I adjust and find ways to play a game I’m comfortable playing can be challenging, but once it works it works. I personally think I adjust well to team dynamics. Most teams Ive been on have had good people on them so talking and hanging with them wasn’t a challenge. The hardest thing to adjust to is scheduling and practice times. But thats a personal preference.
2) Can you discuss your experience with cultural differences and language barriers while playing overseas, and how do you navigate these challenges?
One difference is the food and how clean it is. Maybe thats not a cultural difference per se, but how different countries take care of their proteins compared to America you can tell the difference right away. The hardest challenge is being able to speak to the grocery store clerks or ask for directions. Since I knew very little of the language, or couldn’t pick up on the pronunciation quick enough Id be left stuck at times. One challenge I had on the floor was that my teammates would call something out in a different language, and I had no idea what they were saying at first. Once they told me, I just looked out for the word. How I navigate these challenges is by just trying to pick up on common words and phrases.
3) Can you share any memorable experiences or lessons learned from playing basketball professionally overseas?
Memorable experiences: My first put back dunk in a game since college. Trying different restaurants and eating really cool dishes. Meeting friends along the way. There are a couple lessons I learned. One being it pays to be selfish. I dislike that because I truly believe the best way to play offense is by sharing the ball and spreading it around. At the same time, you have to know thats not going to work because everyone else can’t do it so you have to. The second lesson I learned was, have something else to do. I struggle with my next move because Im not good at gaining or starting it. So when one chapter closes I try to start another and it just doesn’t work. Yeah, be selfish and have something else to do.
4) How do you maintain your physical and mental well-being during long seasons and frequent travel schedules?
I talk to my friends more when I’m away compared to when I’m home. Thats a whole other problem, but its true. A couple other things I do is stretch and take walks outside. I found that walks help me think, see new areas, and try new things. One of the main things I love to do is workout and lift. One of the hardest parts about a previous job I had was not being able to do any of those things, on my own time, so killing time during the day was hard.