2017 Travel Season Concludes
With the completion of our trip to Hawaii last week, #SaWUSA has wrapped up our 2017 travel season. We took 17 teams on 6 trips this summer that visited 9 countries. Our teams were made up of athletes from 32 States and combined to go 46-39-2 in International play. You can view our All-Time Results here.
It was a great summer of travel and we are very much looking forward to 2018. We have already started filling our teams. You can view our different trips and sport offerings here.
Only 308 days until we travel again… Get your application in ASAP and don’t miss out!
Barbados Blog #3 – Catamaran Cruise and Farewell
Wednesday – Our #SaWUSA Teams have arrived at Barbados Airport and will soon board their plane for Miami. It was a great week for the 31 travelers, but time to say farewell to each other and Barbados.
Tuesday – The group took a Catamaran Cruise. They set sail for the open ocean and were able to swim and snorkel and enjoy the day at sea.
NOTE- The following blog is written by Austin Barton, a #SaWUSA Men’s Basketball Athlete from Missouri
Monday – Today was the last day of competition here in Barbados, but one of the easier days. We had he entire morning free. Most of us got breakfast and then Richie got most of us together on the beach. The beach was beautiful, and the water felt amazing. Then we played jackpot for about 2 hours. Then we took some team photos. After the photos we headed to the gym. The teams went 2-1 today. The girls finished 4-0. Stars went 2-2 and the Stripes 1-3. It was a good day. Excited for the snorkeling tomorrow!
SaWUSA Finishes 7-5 in Barbados Friendly Series
On Monday SaWUSA finished our Friendly Series with Barbados. SaWUSA Men’s Stripes got their first win of the series and the SaWUSA Women won a 6 point game to finish 4-0 for the week. The three teams combined to go 7-5 in the 12 game series. It was a great Friendly Series between the two Nations. Congrats to the #SaWUSA squads on representing the USA. Tomorrow the teams will enjoy a Catamaran Cruise and one last night on the island.
SaWUSA Women (4-0)
Friday – Won 57-55 vs Barbados National Team
Saturday – Won 55-12 vs Barbados
Sunday – Won 64-14 vs PIB Pinelands
Monday – Won 61-55 vs Combined Team
SaWUSA Men’s STARS (2-2)
Friday – Won 88-70 vs KOLIJ LIONS
Saturday – Lost 82-72 to Pinelands
Sunday – Won 88-70 vs Wildcats
Monday– Lost 100-86 to Warren Sports Club
SaWUSA Men’s STRIPES (1-3)
Friday – Lost 79-68 to STATION HILL CAVALIERS
Saturday – Lost 82-72 to Barbados Hawks
Sunday – Lost 86-77 to Tridents
Monday – Won 106-64 vs Pinelands 2
Barbados Blog #2 – Basketball and Jeep Safari
The #SaWUSA Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams are having a great time in Barbados. Through the first couple days the teams have each played three games. SaWUSA holds a 5-4 lead with 9 of the 12 games played. In addition to the games they have led a Youth Basketball Camp with the Barbados Basketball Federation, toured some Cricket facilities, checked out a local Fish Fry party, and went on a Jeep Safari where they got to explore the “off the beaten path” parts of the beautiful island. They’ve been able to share folklore, culture, and Barbados history and explore gullies, coastal views great for photos and hidden secrets of the magnificent island.
Here are the results of the first 3 games for each team…
SaWUSA Women (3-0)
Friday – Won 57-55 vs Barbados National Team
Saturday – Won 55-12 vs Barbados
Sunday – Won 64-14 vs PIB Pinelands
SaWUSA Men’s STARS (2-1)
Friday – Won 88-70 vs KOLIJ LIONS
Saturday – Lost 82-72 to Pinelands
Sunday – Won 88-70 vs Wildcats
SaWUSA Men’s STRIPES (0-3)
Friday – Lost 79-68 to STATION HILL CAVALIERS
Saturday – Lost 82-72 to Barbados Hawks
Sunday – Lost 86-77 to Tridents
Barbados Blog #1 – Arrival in Barbados
Day 1: Got to the airport & met my teammates & coach! I arrived very early so I walked around & people watched for a while. My teammates are very nice & I’m excited to start this fun journey & even more excited to start playing! The plane ride was smooth & very interesting! When we got to the airport it took a little over an hour for all of us to go through immigration & customs. But we all got through & hoped on a bus that took us to the hotel! Our tour guides seemed really nice. Exited for practice tomorrow & the first game! NOTE- This blog is written by Amira Jones, a #SaWUSA Women’s Basketball Athlete from Massachusetts
Dat 1: Today was the first full day in Barbados. Breakfast was at 7:30 am and then we headed straight to practice at 8. Practice was on a outside court with a view of the ocean. Each team was learning what each coach wanted and teammates were getting to know each other. We then headed back to the hotel for some about 3 hours of down time. After the three hours we headed to the gym for all three games. Where we play is the only gym on the island. The teams went 2-1 on the day. The Stars won. And the girls on a buzzer beater. The Stripes played hard but lost. After the games, we headed to the fish fry that is held every Friday night. They had dancing and some really good food. I can’t wait to play again tomorrow. NOTE- This blog is written by Austin Barton, a #SaWUSA Men’s Basketball Athlete from Missouri
Apeldoorn Blog #4 – Arrival in Paris!
On Monday morning in Apeldoorn the #SaWUSA Softball team packed up their suitcases (including their newly acquired 2nd place trophy!) and headed via bus for a short drive to Amsterdam. In Amsterdam they boarded a train for Paris to do a little sightseeing.
First stop in Paris was the Notre Dame Catherdral. The cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, and it is among the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world.
They also visited the Arc de Triomphe. The Arc de Triomphe honours those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, with the names of all French victories and generals inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. Beneath its vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I.
Of course, no trip to Paris is complete without a visit to the Eiffel Tower. The attached pic is our team in front of the global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. I’ve heard the group was able to watch fireworks Monday night at the Eiffel Tower. What a great experience!
Tomorrow (Tuesday) will be some more exploring of Paris and a farewell dinner before they fly home early Wednesday morning.
Apeldoorn Blog #3 – Softball Series Concludes
Sunday came the conclusion of the 29th edition of the Apeldoorn Softball Series.
SaWUSA had an amazing experience at the tournament, finishing in 2nd place. They narrowly lost the Championship Game 12-9 to ABSA, a team of college players from the USA that previously beat them 11-1 in pool play. The team showed awesome improvement throughout the trip under the direction of University of Wisconsin-River Falls head softball coach Amber Dohlman and Asst. Coach Sara Fern.
In additon to playing Softball over the last few days, the team also did some sightseeing around the games. The visited the Royal Palace Het Loo, the Apenhaul Monkey Zoo, and took a trip to Volendam. Volendam is a fishing village on the coast near Amsterdam that is a popular tourist destination and a glimpse into what life was like thousands of years ago. It’s known for its colorful wooden houses and the old fishing boats in its harbor, which is lined with seafood vendors. They also visited a Cheese Farm and Wooden Shoe Factory near Volendam to learn more about Dutch history and culture.
Tomorrow (Monday) morning, the team will head to Paris for a couple more days of sightseeing before returning back to the USA.
Here are the results of the Apeldoorn Series. Stay tuned for more trip highlights!
Jul 12, 2017 - Lost 10-0 to Talent Team Holland (Netherlands) Jul 13, 2017 - Lost 11-1 to ABSA (USA) Jul 14, 2017 - Tied 9-9 vs AIST (USA) Jul 14, 2017 - Won 12-7 vs Robur '58 (Netherlands) Jul 15, 2017 - Won 7-5 vs AIST (USA) Jul 16, 2017 - Lost 12-9 to ABSA (USA)
Apeldoorn Blog #2 – Softball Play Begins
The #SaWUSA Softball team arrived in Apeldoorn yesterday. Apeldoorn is a quaint village of 150,000 that dates back to the 700s! The team arrived and checked in and was able to have a practice and some down time.
Last night were the opening ceremonies of the Apeldoorn Series, a series that has been running for 29 years! After the opening festivities, SaWUSA Softball opened with a U19 Dutch Team (Team Talent Holland). Our girls lost 10-0 to a really talented team.
Today (Thursday) in Europe the team visited the Royal Palace Het Loo, a palace built in 1684 for William III and Mary II of England. Then they faced ABSA (Texas, USA) in Pool Play. Our girls lost 11-1. Following the game was the Players Party at the ballpark.
Tomorrow (Friday) we face AIST (USA) at 1:30 and then the Dutch hosts Robur ’58 at 5:30. Go #SaWUSA Softball!
Apeldoorn Blog #1 – Arrival in the Netherlands
Day One > We made it to Amsterdam! After a six hour red eye flight to the Netherlands we officially made it to our first stop – Amsterdam! First things first we had to get our passports stamped and exchange our money. We also met up with our delegation manager Patryk. As soon as everyone was settled we met our bus driver for the week Gary and boarded the bus for our tour of the city and Anne Frank House. Our first stop was a photo opportunity at the IAmsterdam sign located in the museum district. Once everyone got their pictures taken we walked to our next stop the Anne Frank House. The Anne Frank House is the most visited museum in Amsterdam. The tour is a self-guided audio tour of the house that Anne Frank hid in from the Nazis during WWII. You get a glimpse into the life of Anne and what it was like for her and her family during that time. After the tour the group made their way to the city center – Dam Square. We got some free time to do some shopping and exploring of the area. We got checked into the hotel and enjoyed a nice hot meal. It was an early night for the group as many of us were exhausted from the first day of travel and the time change.
Day Two >In the morning we did a boat tour of the Amsterdam canals. The city is under the sea level, so it has 60 miles of canals, 90 islands, and 1,500 bridges! It was a little cold and rainy in Amsterdam today, but should be clear for tonight. After the canal tour we took a bus to Apeldoorn, a city about 90 minutes east of Amsterdam. We arrived at our hotel that we will stay at throughout the tournament for check in and some down time. Soon we will head to the park for practice, opening ceremonies and our first game an exhibition against Talent Team Holland.
Stay tuned for more updates!
NOTE: Blog contribution by head coach Amber Dohlman
Barcelona Blog – Tournament, Water Park, City Tour
Our Barcelona trip is winding down. Our teams did great in our first ever trip to the Euro Basketball Cup. Our U18 took the Silver Medal. They went 3-1 in the Tournament falling to a Spanish team in the final game 82-74. Our U14s took home the GOLD. They went 5-0 beating three Spanish teams, a team from Switzerland, and a team from the United Kingdom.
The day after the tournament (Monday), the teams enjoyed a relaxation day at the Illa Fantasia water park and some beach time.
Today (Tuesday) they are out touring the Barcelona city center. Pictured is the group on the famous Las Ramblas street. They also visited the Centro Comercial Maremagnum, a really cool mall out on the water and Sagrada Família, a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí.
Tomorrow (Wednesday), the teams will say goodbye and depart back for the USA. Great job #SaWUSA!
Broos Family Blog – United World Games – Italy + Salt Mines
NOTE: This blog is written by Emily Broos (U19 WBB), Ashley Broos (U16 WBB), and Ruth Broos (their mom) from Chandler, Arizona. They are traveling in the Schwarzenegger Group. –
TUESDAY – We want to thank STUDENTathleteWorld for a wonderful experience. We arrived in Boston not knowing anyone. We are departing Europe with friends from across the country. Our last day in Austria and Germany was a blast. The Salt Mine is incredible. We won’t stop talking about the wooden slides. Then Salzburg gave us more opportunity to learn about each other. Although it was free time, we seemed to find each other and traveled the streets together. And we all craved Starbucks! An opportunity of a lifetime for many to enjoy. Tomorrow we fly home as a group and then depart our own ways from Boston. Safe travels to all!
MONDAY – Awesome day in Italy! It started of early. 0600 departure and a boat ride into Venice. The Glass Blowing factory has great history with sadness. The man that showed us he can create a standing hits in 2:50 is the last glass blower in his family. A traditional craft for 3 generations. Some tourist shopping then to French Fries and Pizza. Sightseeing was the best as you dream of a Gondola ride after watching Tom Cruz or George Clooney. Or Lady and the Tramp sharing a spaghetti kiss. On the Gondola ride, history has been made. The last built Church: Santa Maria della Salute consecrated in 1681. I wish I had more time to tour the beautiful artistry of St Mark’s Basilica. Our final night in Austria. Made short by a beautify day in Italy. What an amazing experience. Thanks to #SaWUSA. -Ashley, Emily and Ruth
Broos Family Blog – United World Games
NOTE: This blog is written by Emily Broos (U19 WBB), Ashley Broos (U16 WBB), and Ruth Broos (their mom) from Chandler, Arizona. They are traveling in the Schwarzenegger Group. – Today is the day! Last day of tournament play: U16 for the first time in history playing for Gold and U19 holding on to 5th place. Austria has beautiful weather with overcast skies and temps back into normal ranges. And 7th day of rest for the country with the majority of the stores and restaurants closed while public transportation is on reduced schedules. Meaning, we have to plan properly to ensure bus schedules make us to games throughout Klagenfurt. 1st stop, Ballspielhalle St Ruprecht for U19 vs Hungary for 5th place. The girls played well and won the game. On departure of Ballspiehalle, we knew it was raining outside. But it wasn’t just raining. It was pouring rain with thunder and lightning. Being from Chandler, AZ the rain is a welcome sight meaning we don’t own a jacket or an umbrella. But who brings an umbrella on vacation. Well, only one person was parent was kinda prepared for the rain, she had a shower cap to protect her hair. The short distance to the bus stop meant we showered with our clothes on. Then we realized that we needed the bus stop around the corner across the street. Oh but wait, leaving bus stop shelter for walkway shelter. Not a bad idea as we would fit better. Wind blowing and we were all freezing so we moved to another location and now we were more exposed to thunder and lightning. Hurry bus please! Yes, it was t long before it showed it showed up and we are on our way. 2nd stop, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee for U16 Championship game vs Serbia. The girls know it’s going to be a tough game. Although there are 5 players, they knew that there are really 7 members on the court they need to beat so scoring and baskets will be the only way to win. And that’s exactly what they completed. 38-22 with a player fouling out and technicals being called for unknown, not obvious reasons. But the girls prevailed in a champion manner. A successful Sunday for everyone. Both teams split up with some going to the stadium for the Farewell BBQ and others checking out Lake Wörthersee, the clearest lake ever. Followed by celebration ice cream. We are having a great time. Early morning rise for travels to Italy. -Ashley, Emily and Ruth
Broos Family Blog – United World Games
NOTE: This blog is written by Emily Broos (U19 WBB), Ashley Broos (U16 WBB), and Ruth Broos (their mom) from Chandler, Arizona. They are traveling in the Schwarzenegger Group. –
SATURDAY – Saturday in Austria started of beautifully. 19U is to play outside in the Fan Zone hoping to pull a win and stay in contention for a medal. It’s was sunny with a slight breeze as the girls played. Unfortunately the day didn’t turn out so well. In the meantime, 16U was playing 30 minutes later at St Ruprecht. I missed the game as I was watching 19U. But no worries, I would get an update text, “We won”. With 2 games complete, it’s time to meet up with the girls for game 2. Win or lose, a seed was secure to make it to the semi-final round. But the girls never let their guard down and won. Now the 3rd game, the semi-final game. Must win to play for championship and that’s where they are focused: GOLD! At night, some players went to the Players Party while others stayed with their chaperone for the evening of enjoyment. Everyone playing on Sunday was to return to the hotel early for a good nights rest. Big games on Sunday so you’ll have to wait for the next update…
FRIDAY – Today was exciting as we started girls basketball tournament play. Both teams played at St Ruprecht, Klagenfurt Austria. 19U is 1-1 and they struggled during game 2. 16U is 2-0, looking good. We Americans are spoiled with air conditioning as we felt like we were playing ball with the girls. As we realize that the Austrians would survive a natural or man-made disaster long than us. They don’t rely on air conditioning and their skills as farmers and hard labor workers, not necessarily Info Tech, have taught them or prepared them as better survivalists. You know we are Americans as we got lost on the public transit system. We took the right bus but no one knew the actual stop we needed and therefore ended up at the Erin location. Half of us jumped off the bus knowing we made an error. While the other half had no clue we departed but found themselves closer to home than we ever thought if we’d just stayed on the bus. Eventually, we made it back to the hotel. Tonight was Opening Ceremony. 36 countries were presented during the events. How awesome it is that our children don’t have to be super athletes to compete and make friends with other countries. A lifetime of friendships and wonderful memories are being made.
Barcelona Blog – Salting Activity, Rubio, and Practice
Update from Barcelona – Today the boys enjoyed a Costa Brava staple, called Salting. They also dined at the restaurant owned by NBA star and local hero Ricky Rubio. The teams also practiced in preparation for Friday’s opening games of the Euro Basketball Cup. I also heard they spent some time in the Mediterranean Sea. The tourney starts tomorrow. Stay tuned…
UWG Blog – Guten Morgen Osterrich and Oktoberfest
NOTE: This blog is written by Parris Rawls (U19 WBB) from Killeen, TX. She is traveling in the Schwarzenegger Group. – As we took on another beautiful day, after enjoying Germany we headed to Austria. After arriving in Austria we made a few stops to enjoy the scenery. Our first stop was a few stores and shops where we gathered items of our liking. We then headed about an hour down the road to a medieval castle. There, we enjoyed a show and a great lunch. We then headed to practice for about an hour then headed back to explore the city of Klagenfurt. Today as athletes we had a wonderful and amazing practice. After working so hard we went back to our hotel and rested for an hour and freshened up. We then ventured out to shop and explore to see new things. We also went to the Oktoberfest where fun events are held. They have many games, food, and things to buy. What a wonderful experience this has been!
NOTE: This blog is written by Emily Broos (U19 WBB), Ashley Broos (U16 WBB), and Ruth Broos (their mom) from Chandler, Arizona. They are traveling in the Schwarzenegger Group. – Today was awesome. We got up at 0500 to trek with Achill (UWG Host) and Richie to a live news broadcast for Guten Morgen Osterrich being filmed at Stauseearena Lavamund on the Drau River which is close to the Slovenia borderline. Cars in Austria are not like cars in the USA. They are 90% small and manual driven. So I got the best seat in the house, between two basketball players in the back seat for about an hour or so. Such beautiful country and great history learning about Austria. I LOVED the journey that Richie was so willing to take us. On arrival, you can see TV set in full motion. All of us are familiar with such surrounding! 1st up, make up for the girls and the boys then we are on! https://youtu.be/TbZ4vHTm0AA. After the shoot, we had traditional snacks. This is usually served after a long hard day of work or late snack in between lunch and dinner…liverwurst, ham, salami, prosciutto and cheese each a top a thin slice of rye bread. Dark bread is customary to Austria. White bread is customary to France and Italy. All made farm fresh with no preservatives. There was vanilla milk, cacow (chocolate milk, Richie’s favorite) and apple juice. History has it, that Napoléon did not like the wine the region was making and banned the making while farmers were demanded to switch over to apple crops. The best Apple Juice ever! BTW…the apple farmer took pictures of us holding his product. “WC um die Ecke” – Wash closet is around the corner…OMG around the corner and it was a brick wall. But, I did pronounce it correctly and was guided to the right location. Wish I had learned more Dutch from my ex-husband or that the kids could speak it better. We returned to Klagenfurt just in time to catch the bus with the team to practice at St. Peter. The rest of the day last free day before all activities begin for United World Games I took a nap and the kids went off with their respective teammates and gallivanted the city. 1630 we trekked onto the city bus to United World Games host center to enjoy Oktoberfest activities. Food, Drink, Music, laughing and lots more roaming. Unfortunately, having Dutch last names didn’t help as our souvenir shirts were mis-spelled “Bross”. Back to the drawing board after the games tomorrow! Tonight is an early evening for the girls as 19U begins at 0900 and 16U at 1000. Back with more tomorrow. Good luck to all the teams as we begin pool play!
NOTE: This blog is written by Peyton McDaniel (U16 WBB) from Birdsboro, PA. She is traveling in the Schwarzenegger Group.
UWG BLOG – Transfer to Austria, First Practice
NOTE: This blog is written by Peyton McDaniel (U16 WBB) from Birdsboro, PA. She is traveling in the Schwarzenegger Group. – Day 2: This morning we woke up at 7, ate breakfast, and started heading towards Austria. We were on the bus for about two hours and stopped for a medieval lunch. We ate and watched them act and pretended we lived in that time period. After that we got back on the bus and headed to our hotel. It took us about two hours and once we got there we got changed and headed to practice. Next, since we had a little time since the bus came, we explored the one of the United World Games stadiums. When the bus came, we headed to the hotel where we got the choice of what we wanted to do for dinner. Some of us stayed at the hotel and some walked around the city and found some food. Finally, everyone went back to the hotel for the rest of the night.
NOTE: This blog is written by Emily Broos (U19 WBB), Ashley Broos (U16 WBB), and Ruth Broos (their mom) from Chandler, Arizona. They are traveling in the Schwarzenegger Group. – Today was an easy travel day with a bus ride to Klagenfurt Austria. We stopped for a traditional medieval lunch and show. (Hope the video transferred!). Arrived in Klagenfurt into a quaint hotel near Alter Platz and Pfarrplatz plazas. Both have quaint shopping and restaurants. Visited Wörthersee Stadium where the 2008 World Soccer Championship was played and all the activities will take place. (19u and 16u). Tomorrow will be a new adventure as we continue preparing for United World Games.
Barcelona Blog #1 – Arrival in Spain!
The #SaWUSA U14 and U18 Men’s Basketball teams that will compete in the Euro Basketball Cup have arrived safely in Spain. They met in Boston on Tuesday where U14 Coach Jeremy Otkin checked them all in and took an overnight flight to Madrid where they had a layover and then connected to their final city, Barcelona.
In Barcelona they met U18 Coach Bob Hutchings and also their tour guide, Tamir, a resident of Barcelona.
The group of 39 was of course tired after the long trip. However, it was morning in Spain… so not the time to sleep! The teams loaded the buses and headed out for a guided tour of Camp Nou. If you don’t follow Soccer (it’s kinds big in Spain)… and this is the home of FC Barcelona / Barca and is one of the most famous Soccer sites in the World. Then the teams enjoyed a picnic lunch on the grounds of Mont Juic. Mont Juic is a hill overlooking the city with awesome views, parks, museums, etc.
Now they are off to their hotel which is on the beach in Malgrat de Mar. The boys (and their families) are tired, so it’s some food and rest!
Stay tuned for more updates as the trip progresses!
Broos Family Blog #1 – United World Games
NOTE: This blog is written by Emily Broos (U19 WBB), Ashley Broos (U16 WBB), and Ruth Broos (their mom) from Chandler, Arizona. They are traveling in the Schwarzenegger Group.
Our journey began 2 and a half years ago with Richie Schueler reaching out to us. Emily is being invited to play in United World Games on a nomination by Brad Estes, “You need her on your team.” We met Bad many years prior with his organization holding a camp in Scottsdale, Az. Who would have thought that a small camp that Emily attended brought us all the way to Europe.
Today feels like 72 hours of no sleep. Escaping 120 degree weather in Phoenix, AZ we finally made it to the hotel for the night in Munich, Germany. Sun started with a red eye flight that was delayed. But that was okay as we had a 12 hour layover in Boston. Landing in Boston and nothing to do for 12 hours allowed us to buy a deck of cards and play some games.
Then the fun began, Richie showed up, Jody followed and we started meeting teammates. Our first encounter was with Amanda from Brazil playing soccer. We would loose her company after landing in Munich. Now with 2 more flights, little sleep and more airport food.
Everyone is tired but the day goes on! After all that sitting on airplanes, 11,500 steps or 5.2 miles or movement. Touring Dachau Concentration Camp from 1933-1944. Sad to feel the emotions of torture and fear and helplessness. History in the making but it sure has an impact on who we are or should be today.
More history, The Kirche St. Peter (“Church of St. Peter”) is one of Munich’s landmark and oldest Parishes. Checking out local vendors at Marienplazt and hungry for some real food – Brauhaus Schmidtz!
We are now on our way to a first nights rest. Wednesday morning we depart on a bus trip to Austria to begin the United World Games.
-Ashley, Emily and Ruth Broos
Update #1 – United World Games
Whew- that was a busy day! All 104 travelers have made it to Germany (well technically, one is still in the air). Weather delays around much of the East Coast had 31 travelers delayed at one point. Luckily 101 of our 104 made the flight, and we rebooked the other 3.
The good news is this morning in Munchen (Munich) our two flight groups landed safely! After meeting the tour guides and packing the bus, both groups headed out to Dachau, a former concentration camp and memorial, to soak in some WWII history. Then the groups spent some time in the city center doing a city walk and tonight will dine at the famous Schneider Bräuhaus, where they will have an authentic German meal. Then it’s off to the hotel to rest ofter the long flights.
We will continue to update you as the trip progresses. Hopefully our STUDENT Bloggers will send us some blogs they write through the journey as well. But I wanted to let everyone know that everyone is safe and happy and enjoying getting to know each other and Germany! Stay tuned…
Women’s Lacrosse Finishes 10th in Berlin Open
Our #SaWUSA Women’s Lacrosse athletes had a great experience in the Berlin Open. Our athletes split some time with a few different teams and ended up pairing with BLAX, the Berlin Lacrosse Club. Our coaches tell us BLAX were great hosts to our girls and the opportunity to play alongside athletes from other countries was a great learning experience for all!
The team finished 1-5 to take 10th place. The beat BL South 14-5 on Saturday.
The team enjoyed the Saturday nights “Players Party” in Berlin and also a great dinner at Maximilian’s, an authentic German restaurant.
It’s Sunday night in Berlin and the teams will leave in the morning for some more sightseeing as they will take a train to Prague, Czech Republic and visit one of Europe’s more unique cities.
Men’s Lacrosse to Play Sunday for 11th Place
Our #SaWUSA Men’s Lacrosse Team has played some great close games at the Berlin Open. They are 2-3 so far and will play Sunday for 11th place in the 16 team field. Player/Coach Jonny Namer’s squad suffered a couple early setbacks, losing 2 players to injury on the first day. But they’ve stuck together and look to finish off the tournament with a win. The boys are currently enjoying the Saturday night “Players Party” in Berlin and will take the field tomorrow at 10:00 local time. Good luck #SaWUSA !
- Game 1 – Lost 6-5 vs GERMAN OAKS
- Game 2 – Won 6-4 vs BL WEST
- Game 3 – Lost 6-2 vs DOMSTAD DINOSOURS
- Game 4 – Won 6-5 vs BL NORTH
- Game 5 – Lost 7-6 vs MILANO LACROSSE
- Game 6 – ???? vs BLAX
Update #2 from Berlin
Our Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse athletes are now fully adjusted to Europe. Thursday they enjoyed a guided city tour of Berlin seeing some great historical sites like the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie.
Friday came the start of the Lacrosse portion of the trip. The Men’s team has played two really close games. They lost the opener 6-5 to German Oaks and we just got word they won 6-4 over BL West.
The Women’s teams are currently playing and have 3 games for today… so it should be lots of lacrosse and lots of tired athletes. We will try to keep you updated on the scores as we get them.
After the tournament concludes on Sunday, the teams will take a train to Prague and do some more sightseeing. More to come, stay tuned!
Day 1 in Berlin
Whew, the first real day of our summer travel season is coming to a close. One thing about International Travel is that it’s never easy and the bumps are part of the journey. Our teams met in New York and took the short non-stop flight to Berlin. The problem with flying TO Europe is your lose 5-6 hours. So you arrive and it’s morning… but you usually never sleep all that much on the plane, so you are tired. To avoid jet lag we keep our group really busy until night so they can’t nap and mess up their internal clock.
The good news is, everyone (barely) made the flight! Unfortunately the bag of lacrosse sticks didn’t quite make it. Hopefully they are getting delivered to the hotel soon. The teams met Niko, their Austrian tour guide, at the airport and took a bus into Berlin. They did a boat tour of the Spree River and then got dinner and some practice time. Pictured above is the teams with Germany Black. This is really what our tours are all about; meeting people from other parts of the world, getting to know them, finding out how they are different and how they are the same as us, and making the world a better place by knowing each other. Sure we love the games too, and winning can be fun. But seeing our athletes arm in arm with German athletes brings a smile to our face after a long day. Rest up everyone, day 2 is going to be busy!