Pursuit of Happiness - Fairfield Ledger

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Featured in Fairfield Ledger this week.  The article isn't free online so I thought I would post it...enjoy.

Thanks, Michael for a great article!

HIGHLIGHTS HERE

The pursuit of happiness: Silverman fulfilling hoops dream overseas

By MICHAEL LEACH, Ledger sports editor | Jul 24, 2012

Although Zach Silverman’s current league is a far cry from the Southeast Iowa Superconference, the Fairfield native and Maharishi School graduate is putting up numbers reminiscent of the good, old days.

The former Pioneer standout is playing 9,000 miles from home in the Queensland Basketball League, a professional league in Australia. With 21.5 points per game through 11 contests, Silverman leads the Gladstone Port City Power and ranks fifth in the entire 13-team league in scoring.

From the Pioneers to Power, the 6-foot, 5-inch Fairfield product’s journey to the pros has been far from ordinary, however.

It was just last June that Silverman, who was a first-team all-state selection at MSAE 10 years ago after averaging 25 points, 12 boards, and six assists, decided he wanted to play basketball for a living.

“In my working career I wasn’t as happy, and I thought back to when I was happiest and it’s when I played basketball,” Silverman said. “When I took a couple of years off it kind of refreshed my love for it. I missed being part of a team.”

After Silverman left Fairfield for college, he played at Indian Hills Community College for two years and was a First Team Region VIII selection, setting the team’s career record for free throw percentage. He then played at Division I school Youngstown State in Ohio his junior season before transferring to Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant as a senior. At IWC, he helped lead the Tigers to a 25-6 record and a trip to the NAIA National Tournament, where he scored 28 points in the Tigers’ final game.

Silverman traded in his sneakers for a clipboard right out of college and found his way to Mason City, where he served as an assistant coach at North Iowa Area Community College. Following the two-year coaching stint, he decided a break from the game was necessary and moved to Philadelphia to live a normal corporate life.

But boredom, and an empty feeling that his desk job couldn’t fulfill, would lead him back to the court. Last June, he tried out for the Kiryat Tivon squad of the Israeli National League and landed a roster spot for the 2011-12 season, becoming the only 27-year-old rookie in the league. When the season was complete, he landed his current job in Australia.

Silverman said the style of play overseas took time to adjust, whether in Israel or Australia, but he’s quickly discovered his game might be better suited for international basketball after all. In the QBL, Silverman has shot 35.8 percent from beyond the arc and made 83.6 percent of his free throws — third-best in the league.

“There’s definitely a different style of play. It’s much smarter basketball, which is kind of what I prefer,” Silverman said. “The players are typically older and more mature, and they might not be as athletic [as American basketball players], but they know the game well.”

Of course, it wasn’t a seamless transition from dominating small school Iowa basketball to starring in the pros, but Silverman credits his late-20s resurgence on hard work in the gym and greater knowledge of his own game.

“I think my confidence on the court is the best it’s been,” said Silverman. “I’m at the point where I’m really not intimidated by anybody, and I think a lot of that is just from experience.

“Knowing my limitations has been one of the best things for me. I don’t try to be anybody else and do the things I do well.”

Silverman still makes return trips to Fairfield whenever possible and hopes his story can help others who are unsure about following their dreams. His advice to anyone is to take that leap of faith.

“A lot of people are just afraid to fail,” he said. “I think it’s important to do things just because you enjoy doing them. You really have to love what you do to be happy.”

The QBL wraps up in four weeks, and by then the recently engaged 28-year-old will have to decide his next step. A return to Fairfield for his 10-year class reunion is in the immediate future, but he doesn’t yet know the next jersey he’ll wear if he so chooses to continue playing.

“If I decide to hang up the shoes, then I’m definitely satisfied with the adventure and have no regrets,” said Silverman, who mentioned writing and coaching children as a few of his favorite pastimes. “It’s been a great experience.”

Regardless of what Silverman decides, chances are good it’ll be something he loves.

To follow Silverman’s unfolding story and get a glimpse at life as an international basketball player, visit his blog at zachsilvermanbasketball.blogspot.com/.