The countdown is on for Lily Ritz.
Having recently downloaded the Duolingo app onto her phone, she has between now and the first part of September to get as much French and German practice in as she can.
Why? Because the Cambridge native and former Division II All-American at Wheeling University and All-Horizon League honoree at Youngstown State signed to play professional basketball in Switzerland.
So how’s that base level of French or German knowledge Lily?
“Terrible,” Ritz said, barely able to contain her excitement for what is ahead. “I know a whole lot of nothing of either of them.
“But I downloaded Duolingo on my phone to start learning.”
No time like the present, but judging by how accommodating her new team, Helios VS Basket of the Switzerland Basketball League has been, the transition should be fairly smooth.
In addition to getting paid to play basketball, Ritz noted Helios provides housing, a shared car, two meals per day, and round-trip flights to and from Switzerland.
Vétroz is located in the Southeastern portion of Switzerland, a predominantly French-speaking part of the country, although German, Italian, and Romansh are also national languages.
It’ll be Ritz’s first time in Switzerland, allowing the Horizon League defensive player of the year a chance to finally cross the country off her bucket list.
“I’ve never been there,” Ritz said. “Switzerland was my top country to go to and I’ve heard it’s beautiful so I am very excited to live there for nine months.”
Process of Playing Professionally
Ritz averaged 17.1 points and 11.5 rebounds in her final collegiate season, her second at YSU after transferring from Wheeling.
A two-time all-Horizon honoree, she led the league with 8.4 defensive rebounds per game and was among the national leaders in double-doubles.
She admitted she wrestled back and forth after graduation about the prospects of playing overseas.
“I changed my mind on whether or not I wanted to play overseas a couple of times, but ended up deciding to do it after I moved back home,” Ritz admitted.
After making that decision, it was a matter of finding an agent and a team. She quickly found an agent and gave him a country list of where she’d like to play.
“He did everything from there and made the process really easy for me,” Ritz said. “And he put me in a great country.
“There was one other team I considered, which was also in Switzerland, but I chose Helios because of a better offer and they seemed to be more competitive.”
Speaking of offers, it’s still sinking in that not only is she going to be playing basketball overseas, but she’ll be getting paid to play basketball.
After hooping for more than a decade, from rec leagues and outdoor courts to the Division I stage, it’s the culmination of a lifetime of hard work.
“It’s such an amazing experience to be able to get paid to do something that I’ve been doing for 15 or so years and to do it in a beautiful country like Switzerland. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I’m so grateful I’m going to be able to experience it.
“Playing will also help my social media revenue, and I plan to capture my experience in Europe for social media.”
