Renaldas Seibutis, the Lithuania men’s national basketball team player, has decided to join other elite athletes and coaches in pursuance of an academic degree. Together with other students of Lithuanian Sports University (LSU), he started his bachelor’s degree studies of Sports Coaching.
The well-known basketball player had no doubt that he would study at university, but the intensive career and many years spent abroad prevented him from realizing the dream. “I am glad that now I am able to study at university to become a coach. I gained a lot of experience playing for the national basketball team, in Lithuanian and foreign clubs, led by famous specialists. I mostly lack theoretical knowledge of sports physiology and psychology. Although I am now recovering from injury and would like to continue my career as a basketball player, I am starting to think about other challenges in life,” said R. Seibutis. As a lot of other elite athletes, R. Seibutis is going to study according to an individual program.
Ramūnas Butautas, the head of the LSU Centre of Basketball Studies and Research, was pleased with R. Seibutis’s decision. A well-known basketball specialist, who led the Lithuanian men’s basketball team in 2007–2009 European Championship and won bronze medals, has no doubt that the basketball player will not only gain new knowledge, but also share his experience.
“Renaldas Seibutis is a professional, wise basketball player who does not spare his strength on the court. It is a pity that some things cannot be implemented due to the pandemic. I have no doubt that in the future he will share his experience with the basketball specialists of the LSU Sports Coaching study program. As many as thirty students have decided to become basketball coaches this year. That is three times more than last year. Ninety percent of the country’s basketball coaches graduated from Lithuanian Sports University, and the achievements of this sport in the world are impressive and inseparable from the knowledge accumulated at our higher education institution,” said R. Butautas.
Together with R. Seibutis, the head coach of the Lithuanian men’s basketball team Darius Maskoliūnas also started his studies at LSU this year. He is studying in master’s degree program Sports Coaching.
It is expected that even more athletes from various sports will decide to study at the University. The recently established National Centre for Dual Career of Athletes at LSU will encourage athletes to combine education and career in sport. In the Centre, athletes of all ages from all over Lithuania will be able to acquire the necessary practical skills and knowledge, learn to plan an individual career and prepare for the labour market after completing their sports careers.
