Managing Director, Marina, and Fellows, Gunnar and Adam, welcome Athanasios to the office at the H4C.
Two weeks ago PPI-CY hired Athanasios Souflias to be its new Greek-Cypriot Coordinator. Athanasios was born in Greece, but he has moved to Cyprus to work for PPI-CY full time. His role as Coordinator will be to assist the International Fellows in overseeing all of the Greek-Cypriot teams, as well as coaching two teams himself. In this week’s blog, International Fellow Adam Hirsch sits down with Athanasios to learn a little bit more about him.
Athanasios putting one down during a match in Crete.
Adam Hirsch (AH): First of all, you are a big guy, how tall are you?
Athanasios Souflias (AS): 208 cm, or 6 feet 9 inches.
AH: So I guess you play basketball?
AS: I do. I played in Larissa, my hometown where I grew up. Larissa is in the center of Greece about 3 hours north of Athens. Then I got a scholarship to play basketball at Southern New Hampshire University. I played D2 ball there for 4 years as I got my Sports Management degree.
AH: What was it like living in America for 4 years?
AS: It was a great experience for me. I developed my basketball skills, I worked on my English, and I learned a lot from other cultures. I made friends with people from a lot of different places and I loved eating at subway. On the road trips, my African-American teammates would teach me how to rap. Mostly 50 cent and G-Unit.
AH: Did you have a nickname?
AS: Yeah, T-Bone, my assistant coach in college called me that as soon as he met me because I was tall and thin, like a string bean.
AH: Ok T-Bone, what did you do after graduating?
AS: After college I went back to Greece to play professional basketball. I started with a team called Xanthi in northern Greece. I spent 3 years there before playing for Komotini and serving 1 year of mandatory military service. Then I moved to Thesoloniki and played for Aias, which was the most fun because Thesoloniki is a wonderful city where basketball was started in Greece. While playing for Aias, I averaged 15 points and 9 rebounds a game. After just one year there, I moved to the island of Crete to play for Ofi for 2 years. It was also a great time, and in my second year we won the championship.
AH: How did you end up with PeacePlayers in Cyprus?
AS: I saw the advertisement for a PeacePlayers coordinator in the newspaper. I thought it was a really interesting opportunity it involves both basketball and my sport management degree. Plus I really enjoy work with kids and the idea of bring kids together for a good cause was really inspiring to me.
Athanasios celebrating with a teammate last year after his team defeated their rival.
AH: Had you heard about Cyprus before?
AS: Yes. I have been to Cyprus like 5 times before to visit friends. I love Cyprus, the slow pace of life is great, but it’s too hot.
AH: Now that you have been here for a week, what do you think so far of PPI-CY, and more importantly, the 2 International Fellows, Gunnar and myself?
AS: I think PPI-CY is a great organization, I am impressed by the work they are doing. Bringing kids together from different communities is not an easy thing, but it is really important. I think the Fellows are great, they have been showing me around and I can see all of the effort they put into the organization. But they gotta hit the weights, because Adam is too skinny and Gunnar is too fat.
AH: Haha ok man thanks for the interview, Ill see you on the basketball court…
