Radivojevic's game: “My back shot has always been a strength, but I've learned to be versatile”

Jelena Radivojevic (née Despotovic) stepped on the scene in the EHF Champions League Women 2010/11 and has been part of high-level handball ever since. Playing in both Europe's top-flight and second-tier competition gave this seasoned Montenegrin left back rich experience.

For Radivojevic, handball has always been more than just a sport – it is part of her identity. Over the years, it has shaped her, challenged her and allowed her to have a job she loves. However, her perspective changed when she became a mother in 2022 to baby Helena.

“Handball was my childhood love. Up until I became a mother, it was always the main focus of my life and career. I've put everything else aside for it. But after I had my child, it naturally moved to second place. Now, I'm thankful that I've been able to continue doing what I love, while also being a mother. It's a great privilege to live from what you love,” says Radivojevic.

Radivojevic continued her hard work and was back on the court even stronger as the shift in priorities has not dulled her competitive edge.

“The rhythm of life is different now. It took a while for everything to fall into place. There's a lot more to juggle with family matters, so everything needs to be well-balanced to look good on the court. I still put a lot of work to stay physically fit, avoiding injuries and staying ready for the challenges ahead.”

The left back had her ups and downs in her career but was always ready to take one for the team and give her best to help the team achieve desired goals. Radivojevic is a classic back-shooter, but she also shines when it comes to assisting, feints, one-on-one play and defence.

“My back shot has always been a strength, but I've learned to be versatile. In handball, you can't just be good at one thing. The more skills you have, the more complete you are as a player,” she says.

“Wherever I've been, I've had different roles. Now at Buducnost, I'm one of the more experienced players. I have to take on more responsibility because it's not fair to expect the younger girls to handle it yet. It's up to me to be everywhere - defence, offence, passing, shooting. I've learned to adapt to whatever the team needs,” Radivojevic explains.

For many players, scoring goals is the main objective on the court, but Radivojevic finds equal joy in setting up her teammates. The thrill of finding the right moment to pass to a teammate, especially the line players, can be just as rewarding as putting the ball in the net herself.

“I love both scoring and assisting. I just love them. I enjoy playing with the line players, sometimes even excessively, and often people tell me to just leave it and go for the goal instead. But I don't know – it just feels natural. Of course, we all love to score goals and I feel good with both if they are done well,” says the Montenegrin left back.

While the thrill of scoring goals is exciting, there is a special satisfaction she finds while playing in defence, something that has been the core of Montenegrin handball.

“I enjoy playing defence because I feel much more secure and confident. If things don't go well in the attack, I can make up for it through defence. It is physically demanding. All the teams we face are challenging, so I think that when I perform well against strong teams, it truly gives me even more motivation and belief that what I'm doing is the right thing,” adds Radivojevic.

In handball, preparation and instinct must work hand in hand. Years of training can make certain movements and decisions feel automatic, but the split-second decision-making and attractive moves on the court are what differentiate top players. How does Radivojevic decide what move she is going to make?

“That's the automation of certain things that we've been doing for years and years, and sometimes it can be a double-edged sword because we've been repeating the same things for years, the things we're best at, and naturally, every opponent analyses us and tries to prevent exactly what we do best. So, sometimes, that automation leads to technical mistakes. But every player has their style, so it depends on the situation,” explains Radivojevic.

While her period on the court cannot be planned to the last detail, outside of the court things are completely different.

“I've always been a bit of a perfectionist. I like to have everything done in advance, to plan, to organise. That's just my nature. I prepare for the season long before the first match, paying attention to the smallest details. Then when the time comes for the matches, I watch videos and try to analyse their strengths and weaknesses.”

Radivojevic’s personal life also plays a significant role in her career. Being married to Bogdan Radivojevic, a Serbian international handball player, helps her manage the highs and lows of the sport. Their shared experience allows them to understand each other.

“I’d say we go through the same things, so we don’t need to use many words to explain how we feel. When we talk on the video we talk about how was at training, about games. However, during the season, we only get a few days together in certain periods, so we don’t talk much about handball,” she says.

“When we’re home, our focus is on our daughter. She doesn’t know who plays or what the game is, so she’s our main priority. We try to make the most of our time with her, so there’s not much space left for handball talk.”

When Radivojevic summarises all aspects of the game, the goals, defence, her as a player and opponents - she has only one thing in her mind.

“The most important thing for me is to keep playing regularly. That's when I feel most confident. When you're in good form and feeling good on the court, everything just flows,” she concludes.

October 2024

Photos © Dejan Starcevic/WHC Buducnost, Olivier Stephan/Brest Bretagne Handball, Magyar Olimpiai Bizottsag, Aniko Kóvacs