This year’s record number of international students hail from more than 50 different countries. With all that’s involved in getting acclimated to new surroundings, as well as rigorous academic work, very rarely do international students become involved in athletics. But graduate student Rivaldi Hartanto of Surakarta, Indonesia, has established himself as a standout, both on and off the court.
When he was growing up, Hartanto admits basketball was not his first sport.
“Growing up in a country like Indonesia, soccer is the No. 1 sport, and I grew up playing the sport,” he said. “My mom took me to a basketball club when I was 12 years old and I fell in love with the game. Ever since then, it’s been my primary sport.”
Hartanto started his collegiate basketball career at Hannibal-LaGrange University, a Division I school in northeast Missouri. For his final year of basketball, he came to Webster as a graduate transfer.
“Webster – being a different play style and different coaching philosophy – the first few weeks, it was a little bit difficult to adjust,” he said. “The pace of game is much faster than Hannibal-LaGrange. They were a much more set offense; they ran a lot more in the half-court. Guys from Webster are more athletic, faster and they make shots much quicker.”
Hartanto credits Webster Men’s Basketball head coach Chris Bunch and his teammates for making the transition as smooth as possible.
“The guys are amazing. They are very selfless, and they really encourage you to get the ball and get more confident with it,” Hartanto said. “Coach Bunch is an amazing coach. He makes you feel comfortable playing here.”
Bunch has similar praise for Hartanto and his attitude coming into the new environment at Webster.
“He’s a great guy. He’s as good of a guy as there is,” Bunch said. “It’s hard when you are only around for a year. A lot of the time, you build a bond with the team over a longer period.”
It may seem like a difficult task – coming from a country on the other side of the world for collegiate basketball, but that is not the only hardship Hartanto had to overcome playing the game at this level.
Hartanto has had four knee surgeries in his time in college. But even with all these setbacks, he has continued to work hard and come back to play.
“It’s for the love of the game,” Hartanto said. “I realized when playing sports that you can’t play forever. At a certain point, your physical capabilities go downhill.”
Bunch says Hartanto’s positivity is one of the things that has endeared him to the team.
“We all knew everything that he went through just to be here playing and practicing, and everybody respected that,” Bunch said. “We were glad he was able to be here and get to play one more year.”
Hartanto’s time at Webster is coming to an end. However, he’s making the most of it, leaving a lasting impact on his teammates in his single year as a Gorlok.
“By the end of the year our guys absolutely loved him. I mean, what’s not to love?” Bunch said. “He’s a good person, he shows up for everything, he works hard, and he’s very appreciative of everything.”
Hartanto is thankful for the experience, not just with the team but as a Webster student, as well.
“Coming to the United States is one of the best things to ever happen to me,” he said.
“Over my time here, I realized to never take things for granted. Sometimes you have it, and another day it’s not there anymore. I just take it day by day and really appreciate what I have.”