It’s already rare enough for a high school basketball player to continue their career in college. That’s only the case for about three to four percent of the over 900,000 high school players in the country. An even smaller number of those college players go on to compete at the professional level. One Ithacan has defied those odds as she’s begun her pro career on a tiny European island.
Georgia Haverlock is just over four months into her time in Malta playing for Starlites Naxxar Basketball Club. From an accolades perspective, it’s already been a fruitful endeavor. In November, she helped Starlites win the John Tabone Women’s Shield, a preseason tournament.
Haverlock has clearly adjusted well to how the game is played in Europe as compared to the United States. The most notable rule change is that the ball must go down before the first step is made, otherwise a travel is called. But when it comes to the style of play, that’s where Haverlock noticed the biggest difference.
“It’s all about team basketball over here,” Haverlock said. “When you look at the NBA, sometimes you can see that a lot of players tend to be very one-on-one centered. But when you get to Europe, it’s all about helping each other capitalize off of individual skills and just finding a way to really play together, play team basketball, everybody really having an established role, and finding your place within that unit.”
Haverlock has had zero issues being a team player. In fact, she currently leads the team with 5.7 assists per game. But she also tops the scoring charts with 18.3 points per game. That has been one of the most visible areas of growth since her high school days. After barely scoring 500 points with the Little Red, her offensive game exploded in college at Roberts Wesleyan University with 1,352 points to her name. But she believes her decision-making has been her biggest improvement.
“All my skills have definitely grown, but I think [it’s] my ability to see the game and be able to kind of react to what the defense gives me,” Haverlock said. “I think that might have been something you lack as being a younger athlete and less experienced. But going up the stream of playing at the higher level and now playing pro, that’s something that you always have to have.”
Haverlock enjoyed a stellar collegiate career with the Red Hawks, earning all-conference honors three times and helping them win the East Coast Conference title her freshman year. But it was during her sophomore year when she really wanted to pursue playing professionally. It was also during this time that basketball and her faith became intertwined.
“It gave me a different perspective on the game in general and what it really meant to me,” Haverlock said. “I think I found a greater love for basketball. I feel like God brought me all the right people in college. It’s where I met all my basketball trainers, and I was able to learn from people who had a lot of experience and people who have played at the professional level. I don’t think I would have been able to grow my game as much as I did without that knowledge and being able to meet those people. Ultimately, my faith has allowed me to see basketball as more than just a game.”
It’s safe to say that most people would be unable to point out Malta on a map. That’s understandable given that it’s a 122-square mile island off the coast of Italy. But Haverlock was already familiar with the country because one of her friends from Rochester played on the Starlites men’s team. That connection and the help of her agent brought her to Malta, and she’s enjoyed the challenges of living overseas.
“It definitely puts me out of my comfort zone,” Haverlock said. “When you’re out in a new country, you’re forced to go do things by yourself and kind of figure out the situation that you’re in. Anytime I have free time, I really do try to go and see something new. Why not? You’re in a new country. It’s probably, maybe the only time that you’re going to be here.”
Haverlock has achieved her dreams of playing basketball both in college and professionally. There are many out there that share those same ambitions. Her advice? Enjoy the journey, even when there are roadblocks in the path.
“I think sometimes we set unrealistic expectations for everything to always go well during our careers,” Haverlock said. “But I think with anything, there’s gonna be a lot of mountains and valleys, and [it’s] just learning to find joy in all of it. In the valleys, you’re going to learn a lot of important lessons, and it’s important that you don’t doubt yourself when things aren’t going well. [It’s] just learning to embrace those mistakes and learn from and grow from it, finding a way to enjoy the whole thing. Yes, getting to the destination is a dream. But you don’t want to waste the journey getting there. You want to be able to enjoy the whole process.”
