Mike Soucie admits his Croatian language skills are limited.

Occasionally that creates a problem, but other times it works to the Wilton native’s benefit as he coaches a club team of 15- and 16-year-olds based in that nation’s capital, Zagreb.

Such as when parents are griping from the sidelines.

“I think that’s when the language barrier becomes an advantage to me,” he said.

Soucie has brought nine of his players to Maine for two weeks of English and basketball immersion.

Last week the team participated in the Mt. Blue High School summer tournament in Farmington organized by Soucie’s high school coach, Jim Bessey.

The Croatian contingent also ventured to Boston for the NBA summer league, and got the chance to see former high school sensation LeBron James play.

They also made a pilgrimage to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., where they visited the displays featuring Croatian basketball legends Drazen Petrovic and Kresimir Cosic.

And they went shopping. Lots of shopping.

This week the team is at Colby College in Waterville for the Tree Basketball Clinic, co-owned by Soucie’s college coach, Dick Meader of the University of Maine at Farmington.

“They’ve had a good time, said Soucie, whose grandmothers, Sylvia Pearson and Alice Soucie, both live in Old Town. “The basketball is more physical here, but the kids are OK with it. They’re also going up against a lot of kids two years older than they are, so there’s an adjustment there, too.

“But basketball is basketball, it just takes a while to figure some things out.”

Soucie’s route to his current Croatian career was a family affair. Soucie met his wife Tanja, a native Croatian, at UMF. After the couple graduated in 1998 they first settled in Maine. Soucie started his coaching career as an assistant to Meader at UMF for a yearand then for two years as an assistant at Jay High School.

Last year, the couple decided to move to Croatia to see if they might want to raise their young daughter there. Soucie landed a teaching job at the Croatian-American Society, a private school for children and adults in Zagreb, and a coaching job at Gornje Vrapce, a small club in the city of 1 million.

“The basketball is different,” said Soucie. The rules are one big difference. There’s a 24-second shot clock in Croatia, and there’s no one-and-ones. It’s also not nearly as physical in Croatia.”

One other difference involves the length of the basketball season.

“There’s no rules there like there is here with the[Maine Principals’ Association],” said Soucie, who plans to live in Croatia for at least three years before deciding whether to make the move more permanent. “In Croatia you can practice with the kids all year, and you really see the improvement. The kids there get at least four more months of basketball a year than the kids in Maine.”

Rollins receives wrestling honor

Levi Rollins of West Rockport has been named state winner of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award.

The award is based on athletic, scholastic and community achievements.

Rollins was a three-time state champion during his wrestling career at Camden Hills Regional High School. He also is one of the top mountain bikers in Maine.

Simonds goes back to high school

Former St. Joseph’s College athletic director and men’s basketball coach Rick Simonds will return to the sidelines next winter, this time on the high school level.

Simonds who was relieved of his duties as St. Joseph’s athletic director late last year and resigned as the Monks’ basketball coach in April after 23 seasons, has been hired as boys varsity basketball coach at Bonny Eagle High School in Standish.

He replaces T.J. Hesler, who resigned after guiding the Scots to a 5-13 record in Western Maine Class A last season.

Simonds also will teach at Bonny Eagle, marking the first time he has taught and coached at the high school level since a stint at Ellsworth High School from 1974 to 1979.

Ernie Clark may be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or eclark@bangordailynews.net