Linguistics of Basketball - Assane Sene
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By: Raj Sagar, Virginia Athletic Media Relations
Just four years ago, Assane Sene’s relationship with the game of basketball could be classified as long distant and detached. The wide-eyed 15-year-old often turned on his television and gawked as he watched the likes of David Robinson and Kevin Garnett clash in NBA arenas more than 4,000 miles away from his hometown of Saint-Louis, Senegal. His interest was simply passing however as he, like the vast majority of young Senegalese boys, was passionately in love with the game of soccer. He is the youngest of five siblings, but you couldn’t tell by looking at him. At the ripe age of 15, Sene had already developed the body structure and length any aspiring basketball player would kill for—he was 6’8”.
“When I became a certain age and everyone realized that I was only going to get taller, my friends and family started urging me to play basketball,” said Sene. “I had played soccer all my life, and had also played handball and volleyball, but didn’t put much time into basketball. I would watch NBA players, and was always in awe of their ability. I felt if I studied the game, and worked hard enough, basketball might be the best game for me.”
As Senegal is a multilingual country, linguistics had always been a strength for the youngster who spoke four languages. Fluent in the national language, French, as well as a regional dialect, Wolof, communication was never a problem for Sene. Additionally by means of his Muslim faith, he can speak and read in Arabic, the language of the Qur’an. Late in grade school, he even began taking classes in Spanish, and had come to have a solid grasp of that language as well. When it was time to commit himself to basketball, Sene knew he had a daunting prospect ahead of him.
“The hardest part about learning basketball was the fact that I had to learn two new languages,” said Sene. “Most of the people connected to the development of my game came from the United States and spoke English. Learning English is hard enough, but because I was late to the game, I also had to learn the terms, ideas and concepts that go along with basketball too. Communication was difficult, but I knew if I was persistent and worked hard I would eventually grasp it.”
Language barriers can often prove insurmountable during the process of teaching, instructing, and coaching something that entails the intricacy and nuance of basketball. Virginia Head Coach Dave Leitao has been pleased with Sene’s enthusiasm for learning as well as the progress he has made in his short time as a Cavalier.
“English is never a problem, but basketball has a language unto itself,” said Leitao. “Assane is still in the process of understanding, not just learning, but understanding exactly what that means. When you put a lot of people together, there’s also an unspoken language that exists within a group and he’s still acquiring that. It puts him a little bit behind in the process, but at the same time he’s very willing to accept that and continues to make progress and move forward.”
The development of Sene’s basketball game was catalyzed by SEEDS Academy (Sports For Education and Economic Development in Senegal). SEEDS is a nonprofit organization “committed to providing educational opportunities for youth, creating social awareness and encouraging economic development through the vehicle of sports.”
Following his time at SEEDS Academy, Hoopland, a documentary film was made chronicling the struggles, sacrifices, and dreams of the student-athletes who trained at the Academy, all with the same hope of getting a scholarship to play basketball in the United States. Sene had been offered a scholarship to play basketball as well as study English at South Kent Prep, in Connecticut.
“It was an incredibly exciting time for me,” recalls Sene. “Not only getting the opportunity to play basketball at South Kent, but the possibility of me getting a chance to play at an American university was an amazing honor.”
Sene later garnered interest from a number of basketball powerhouses including UCLA, Syracuse, Connecticut, and Florida.
“I knew Virginia would be a great fit for me,” said Sene. “I realize that basketball can only occupy a certain time period in your life, but education is something that you will have forever. Education was always something my family stressed, so when I had the chance to come to such a great school, I had to take it.”
Now a member of the surging Cavaliers, Sene uses all seven feet of his height, his seemingly endless wingspan, and raw energy as he defends the paint, and finishes with authority on offense. His positive attitude, unique perspective, and unbridled passion for the game have made him a perfect fit for Virginia basketball.
“My teammates have been incredible,” said Sene. “They have made the adjustment a lot easier on me, and we have really come together around the goal of doing whatever it takes to make the team better.”
It seems they have found a universal language.