SUNY- New Paltz Story on Coach Nelson and 2 New Paltz players that attended the 2010 Giro de Espana basketball tour.
From New Paltz Athletic Website:
http://www.nphawks.com/news/2010/6/28/MBB_06_28_10_Spain.aspx?path=general
Brian Savard, Sports Information Director
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Dagan Nelson, the head coach of the men’s basketball team at the State University of New York at New Paltz, helped mentor an eight-man USA Athletes International (USAAI) squad from May 28 through June 6 in three Spanish cities.
Nelson, who coached for the USAAI for the second straight year, took his group through Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia over an eight-day span.
“In 2009, we went to Croatia, Bosnia and Italy,” Nelson said. “It was great to be able to tour around Spain this summer and have the student-athletes experience all of the wonders of the Spanish culture.”
Nelson spearheaded the recruiting effort for the team and wound up piecing together an eight-man roster that included undergraduate college players from NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and the NAIA. Two of the eight student-athletes, sophomore guard Harris Wichard (Merrick, NY) and freshman guard Nick Taldi (Merrick, NY), represented New Paltz, and Nelson said that the experience they had will pay dividends down the road.
“I know that Harris and Nick definitely strengthened their understanding and appreciation of teamwork and selflessness,” Nelson said. “This experience will help them down the road as well, as they really gained an appreciation for different types of people and cultures.”
Taldi, participating in the program for the first time, said that he drew inspiration from the Spanish players’ attitudes.
“It was a great experience seeing how they approached the game of basketball,” Taldi said. “They treated the game with respect and had a lot of fun playing it.”
For the second straight year, Wichard accompanied Nelson overseas to play on the USAAI team. He said that experiencing the Spanish culture and their approach to basketball was a refreshing affair.
“The people were really nice in Spain,” Wichard said. “They treated us like we were a really big deal and appreciated us coming to play. They have the right approach in going about the game.”
A typical day would start with breakfast at the hotel. Both the men’s and women’s teams representing the United States through USAAI would then go out and partake in sightseeing excursions. Later on in the afternoon, the student-athletes would lace up and take to the court, competing against Spanish teams.
His contingent fared well on the hardwood, as it assembled a perfect 5-0 record and received medals after capturing its final victory of the trip.
“The European players were great,” Nelson said. “They were so enamored with American basketball; our guys wound up signing autographs after our game against Emba, a club team from L’Alcudia.”
Taldi noted that the Spanish players as a whole had admiration for American basketball.
“They treated American basketball like royalty,” Taldi said. “The respect they had for us was great.”
Those involved took home a more intimate appreciation for the Spanish culture.
“It was incredible seeing what it was like to be around different cultures,” Taldi said. “We were walking around all of these markets in Barcelona, and you realize how they do things there as opposed to here in America. You hear about all of these different Spanish attractions, and to see them in person was great.”
Wichard said that the Spaniards fostered a “family atmosphere.”
“It definitely felt like you were a part of a family,” Wichard said. “They had so much respect for us and our culture. It’s all about embracing other cultures and not necessarily thinking about the way you would do things in America.”
Both Nelson and Wichard recommend similar programs to student-athletes.
“The experience of traveling abroad with others who share a similar passion for basketball is unbelievable,” Nelson said. “If you can be a part of it as a student-athlete, it truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Wichard reiterated Nelson’s expression of the value of international competition.
“It’s really a great experience meeting new people,” Wichard said. “Every athlete should take the opportunity to play their sport overseas at least once.”
Originally called the Midwest All-Stars, USAAI has been providing overseas playing opportunities to athletes in all sports since 1992. In 1998, the organization incorporated and received its 501 (c)(3) non-profit status, changing its name to USA Athletes International. USAAI now supports a total of 15 different sports that compete in 25 different countries throughout the world.
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Emily Joseph talks about her basketball and cultural experiences at the USAAI Greek Islands tour.
From Source Newspapers at:
http://www.sourcenewspapers.com/articles/2010/07/14/sports/doc4c3e2234e6...
By KEVIN LOZON
Emily Joseph may never play for the USA in the Olympics, but she recently had a taste of what that feeling may be like.
Joseph, a 2007 Ford II graduate and soon to be senior women's basketball player at Lake Superior State University, was recently selected to play for the USA in the United States of America Athletes International Greek Island Tour 2010.
The 10-day tour consisted of a men's and women's team of invited college basketball players playing five friendship games against club teams from Greece and Italy.
Joseph said her journey began when her head coach at LSSU, Jamie Pewinski, received an e-mail from Quinton Kearney, the USAAI recruiting director, asking her if she would in interested in playing.
As with any trip, it comes with a cost. In Joseph's case, the trip was $4,200, which included everything except lunch and spending money. She talked to her parents, Ford II varsity girls basketball coach Matt Joseph and her mother, Darlene, and they decided they would do several fund-raisers to help off-set the cost. Some friends and relatives even donated money.
"I told my parents I was invited and they were excited for me," Joseph said. "However, we had to figure out the cost and what we were going to do. My dad does a ton of fundraising for his team."
The trip didn't start out the way Joseph wished it would have as a flight delay forced her and the men's coach to miss a connecting flight in New York that was supposed to take them to Athens, Greece.
"I was pretty upset the first day," Joseph said.
However, all was well when she finally did arrive. After waiting an hour in the hotel for her teammates to return from a sight-seeing tour of the Panathenian Stadium, Zeus House and Presidential Palace, she finally met everyone and they had a one-hour practice to prepare for their first game.
"We played pretty well together," Joseph said. "We were all scoring in double figures in every game. I had a couple good games in the middle of the trip. I probably averaged about 13 points a game over there."
Joseph's team won all five of its games on the trip and most of the contests weren't close.
"Some of the teams we played against were high school teams, but most were college," Joseph said. "It's definitely a lower level of basketball. Basketball's big over there, though. They have a lot of club teams and pro teams."
She added that the teams they played were respectful of the Americans and even looked up to them.
"I thought it was sweet because the other teams were so honored to play us," Joseph said. "We blasted a couple teams and after the game they came up to us and thanked us for playing them. They said they were honored to play us. That was really cool. They looked at us like we were role models and they wanted to play basketball like American girls do."
Following their games, Joseph said they would eat dinner with the team they had just played and had great conversations with them.
"We talked about life and what they were learning in school and stuff," Joseph said. "They speak Greek in Greece but learn English in the first grade. We also talked to them about what they do for fun and what their traditions are."
Joseph's trip wasn't all about basketball, though, as she and her teammates had guided tours around Greece and Italy.
"Once I was there and saw all the tours I was going on I knew then that this trip was going to be much more than just playing basketball," Joseph said.
In Greece, Joseph said, they toured the Acropolis and a couple if the Greek Islands. In Italy, the team went to several great cities, including Venice and Bologna.
"In Greece, we took a ferry to an island and they had all day to shop and go to the beach," Joseph said. "We went to Acropolis, before taking an overnight cruise ship to Italy, before going to the beach there. We went to Venice and had a Gondola ride and went to the Murano Glass Factory."
She said touring the two countries taught her a lot about life outside of the United States.
"The people over there treated us fine," Joseph said. "In Greece it was easy because most of the people spoke English. Their cities are very busy, though, and everyone seems to rush.
"Italians didn't speak as much English as Greeks did," Joseph added. "No one was rude to us."
Joseph is entering her final season at LSSU, where she has been captain the last two seasons. Last year as a junior, she started all 28 games, averaging 12.7 points per game, 4.4 assist and 2.9 rebounds per game. She had 52 steals, four blocked shots and shot 83 percent from the free-throw line.
When asked if she would ever consider going on a trip similar to the one she just took, she didn't waste any time answering.
"I would go back, but I'd like to go on a different trip to a different place," Joseph said. "The best day was Venice. I liked Venice a lot. It was pretty and we won all our games there."
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Player Comments from the 2010 Greek Islands Basketball Tour- FEMALE
2010 Greek Islands Basketball Tour- FEMALE
• "My USAAI trip gave me the opportunity to see the sport of basketball through a different countries perspective, experience a new culture, and meet great people and friends in the process." Emily Joseph
• My name is Kim Lewis and I participated in the Greek Islands Tour. My experience was amazing. The tours was very interesting. There was never a dull moment. We visited many beautiful sites and structures. We also ate at wonderful restaurants that we will never get to experience in America. The competetion was intense. Even though we won all of our games, it took a lot of hard work to complete our goal. I bonded with all of my teammates and now we are practically familly. I would love to go on another tour to experience different cultures and meet new people.
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Player Comments from the 2010 UWG-Italian Challenge Basketball Tour- MALE
2010 ITALIAN CHALLENGE and the UNITED WORLD GAMES
• Participating in the 2010 USAAI Italian Challenge was an indescribable experience. Not only being able to play basketball, but to really experience the culture at each of the locations we went to. I was so lucky to have two terrific coaches and great teammates. I have been home now for about two weeks, and we are all staying in close touch. I think this will be a lasting memory and experience, plus I have now have new friends for life. I would recommend this trip for anyone wanting a life changing experience. Tony Johnson
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Player Comments from the 2010 Giro de Espana Basketball Tour- MALE
2010 GIRO de ESPANA BASKETBALL
• This trip is something I will never forget. Having the opportunity to play basketball and travel the world is a once in a lifetime experience. Jeff Weberg
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Player Comments from the 2010 Continental Cup Basketball Tour- FEMALE
2010 Continental Cup Basketball Tour
• This is the second time I have traveled with this organization and it was better than the first time. You never expect to make what it seems to be lifelong friends only after ten days. I am looking to play proffesionally and this was a great way to play and sightsee all at once. I hope to be able to travel atleast one more time with USAAI because you'll never again get to play your sport and see these places, along with the friends you make, ever again. Enjoy it because you'll never forget it. -tara Flaherty
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Player Comments from the 2010 European Slam Basketball Tour
2010 EUROPEAN SLAM BASKETBALL & VOLLEYBALL TOUR
• Great experience. I couldn't have planned it any better. The trip was fun, but the people you travel with make it all the better. Some of us are actually planning another trip to meet up together! If presented with this opportunity, take it without even thinking! I have already told all my friends and teammates to take this opportunity! -KC Wiser
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Player Comments from the Women's 2010 Giro de Espana Tour
2010 GIRO de ESPANA BASKETBALL FEMALE
• I loved this trip to Spain and would love to go again. I wanted to have a good tour or the cities but also try and meet some coaches from over there. There were plenty of opportunities to meet coaches and were willing to help you get back to Europe to play basketball after college. Rachel Baker
• “The opportunity to represent myself, my school, and the USA through competition was undoubtly one of the best memories I will ever have. The experience was truly a once in a lifetime chance and I am honored to have been among those selected.” Nikki Aden
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Player Comments from the 2010 Irish Roots Tour
2010 IRISH ROOTS BASKETBALL TOUR
• The cost-trip value ratio was very good. I don't know if you could ever get a deal like that and I also like the fact that meals are pre-paid for us. It made the trip more enjoyable because you didn't have to worry about where to eat or paying for everything.
I also liked that we got our own free time. It was the independence that made the trip enjoyable as well. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I wish I had words to explain to you what it meant to me as a person. Thank you
• This was an experience of a life-time! I made so many unforgettable memories and met some people that will stay in my heart forever. I may never get to see them again but I will definetely remember them and all the memories I made with them. It felt great to wear the "red, white, and blue" and represent my country, the USA, while doing what I love most-play basketball- at the same time.
• Traveling with USAAI Athletes was an amazing experience. Never in my life did I imagine getting an opportunity such as playing in Ireland. The trip opened my eyes to a different culture; a different view on life. The players and coach were all phenomenal people as well as being very good at what they came their to do; coach and play basketball. Ireland was a beautiful country and anyone that is even tempted a little to go on a trip with USAAI, trust me, that temptation will be fulfilled completely. I went with the sole intention to play basketball and I came home with seven new friends from around the country and a story that I will continue to tell for the rest of my life! Life-changing experience.
--Lyndsey Seewald, Irish Roots Tour 2010
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Hoops in a foreign land: Midland's Tony Johnson writes about wearing 'USA,' playing ball in Europe
By the Midland Daily News
http://www.ourmidland.com/sports/article_34983c5e-56bd-505c-a748-6479b29...
Arriving home after 10 days traveling around Europe, I have to admit that I had mixed emotions as I was getting ready to go through customs to enter back into the United States at Detroit Metro Airport.
Yes, I was happy to be home, to be able to unpack and get back to the start my summer going into my senior year at Midland High School. But I also felt a bit sad to see an end to what I know was the experience of a life-time.
This experience was wearing "USA" proudly across my chest on a red, white and blue jersey; doing the thing I love to do the most -- play basketball. This was an indescribable feeling, all while getting the chance to travel around Europe and meet people I can now fondly call my friends.
United States of America Athletes International (USAAI) is an organization that selects players to compete in several events overseas each year in the United World Games. As someone selected for this year's "Italian Challenge", I not only got to compete with teams from all around Europe, I got to see and tour cities such as Milan and Venice in Italy and Munich, Germany. We also got to see and experience Klagenfurt, Austria, the actual location of the United World Games 2010. Klagenfurt is also the home of the Euro Cup for soccer, so the stadium was nothing like I have ever seen before.
United World Games is very popular in Europe, drawing about 5,000 athletes from countries all over Europe and selected players from the United States who come together in many different sporting contests, such as basketball, soccer, volleyball and team handball. Team handball was by far the biggest hit at the games and something I never really knew about. All the games were set up in a round-robin style where you get to play every team once, and the top two team played in the final game for the gold medal.
Our USA basketball team played six official games, including a local club game while in Italy. It was helpful to play the club game because there were a few different rules in Europe than here in the United States and it gave us time to practice as a newly formed team, with new coaches. One big rule change is that you cannot take a step before dribbling; you have to dribble first, then take a step. Also, you are allowed an extra step (or two) when driving to the basket. And trust me, it did trip me up a bit in the beginning.
Our team won all five games at the United World Games in Klagenfurt to capture the gold medal. There were a lot of good teams there. They were better than us at ball handling and fundamentals, but we just outsized them and were more athletic.
As I think back to the trip, a few key things will stay fresh in my mind for a long time. The first was playing for two college coaches and learning about the style of coaching at the next level. I was lucky that the head coach, Dave Hammer (from Aquinas College), was from Michigan and I really respected his leadership on and off the court. His assistant, Rod Hathaway, is an AAU coach who has worked with Olivet College. They both really helped us maneuver around Europe and knew how to bring a group of players with different skills, personalities and talents together to really be a team.
Second, playing with teammates that I didn't know gave me some concerns. But the guys on the team were very talented. All of them but me recently graduated and will be attending colleges all over the United States playing college athletics. Together, we learned quickly how to work together, how to live together and how to make the most of this experience. We worked hard, but laughed and had a ton of fun, such as ordering from pictures of the food because we could not read the menus, flipping a coin because we were a bed short in the hotel, and to trying to understand who the foul was on because the ref didn't speak English.
Also, as I had thought (and heard), the culture in Europe was completely different from American culture. We traveled from location to location with the USA girls' basketball team and USA girls' soccer team, both of which were also with USAAI, and we learned together what was socially acceptable and what was not in Europe. There were several times on the trip that the girls weren't allowed to go in certain places if they were wearing shorts. In many European countries, girls are not allowed to show their legs in places like formal restaurants and churches.
Although it rained every day, we were able to enjoy the sightseeing and get a sense of what each of the European cities was like. There were a lot of mountains, and many old and historic buildings, and activities that you just don't find around Midland. For instance, we took a gondola ride in Italy, went to a disco in Austria, and ate authentic Italian pizza.
But to really wrap things up and to share with you the biggest highlight of the entire trip, it was standing on the court the last day of the United World Games listening to the American National Anthem as we received our gold medals for winning the competition. We were honored by taking home the gold.
I know it was not the Olympics, but to me it could have been. At that very moment, I knew what it was to be a proud American and how lucky I am to live in Midland, Michigan in the United States of America.
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