Introducing Liene Priede
10/6/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Oct. 6, 2011
by Liz Renner, Media Relations Student Assistant
For the majority of Liene Priede's life, basketball has been a focal point. The 5-10 guard from Riga, Latvia has gone out of her way to pursue her dream of playing basketball, no matter the obstacle.
Priede began playing basketball at the age of eight, thanks in large part to the influence of her older brother. They both attended the same sports school but that did not come without its challenges.
"Back home, the sports schools aren't connected with academic school, so academic school doesn't really care if you have games or not and that can hurt you. But it also depends on what kind of person you are and how well you do in class and how much effort you show. So if you had bad grades it didn't effect your playing time, but I would get home at 10 at night [from practicing all day] and I would not feel like doing homework".
Despite difficulties between school and practice, Priede has excelled at her sport, playing on he Latvian national women's basketball team and junior national team for a considerable part of her adolescence and young adulthood. She hopes that one day she will be able to play for the Latvian national team in the Olympics.
"One of my dreams is to play for Latvia in the Olympics. That is something that I think would be awesome, like the greatest moment of my life if I could just be there. This summer was my first year when I was actually on the women's national team and it kind of made me realize that it's possible and it's tough but it's a great opportunity for the young players to come in and show what they have to offer."
Priede's career has not been without frustration. There were times when the thought of continuing to play basketball was far from appealing.
"I thought about quitting basketball only once in my life and that was at a time when my friends were doing other things and having fun while I had to go to practice. I wanted to have fun too and I told my mom I wanted to quit. She started crying because she had been the only person in my family who had really supported me and she would always come to my games. She also played basketball growing up and I guess that was her dream and she saw it a little bit in me, that I could do that."
After making her mark in Latvia, coming to America has not been without its share of difficulty. Being away from her family, especially her mother has proved to be particularly difficult. However, her experience in America has been worth the difficulty.
"It's been a great experience for me [to come to America from Latvia] and I've never regretted coming here. Of course I feel homesick and there are times when I think, `why am I doing this?' or `why am I here?' but overall it's been great. I've met so many great people that have really helped me."
Some people in particular have made the transition process smoother, including the University of Missouri coaching staff.
"[I came to Mizzou] because of the coaching staff, there's something about them. I wasn't even thinking about coming over here but I came and visited and just had a feeling that there were good people over here."
Despite facing a difficult journey to get to this point, Priede is ready for the upcoming season. Her ability to adapt to change through difficult situations will surely come to good use in her future endeavors.
"[Change] is hard for me every time it happens. My first year in America, I didn't really talk to anyone for a semester, because I'm shy until I get to know people. It's hard and I'm still trying to figure out everything but all the girls are great and I'm ready to have a good season."
