A Trip to Remember
KEENE, N.H. 6/14/11 - Rob Colbert and Keith Boucher, men’s and women’s basketball coaches at Keene State, respectively, are back behind their desks at Spaulding Gym. Owl players have also returned. =Geoff Woodberry (Hyde Park, Mass.) is back home in the Boston area getting ready to play summer ball, while Sara Laudano (North Haven, Conn.) is set to start her waitressing job next week in Keene, and Meghan Farrell (Chester, Vt.) has put down her basketball and picked up a paint brush, whitewashing dorm rooms in Holloway Hall.
It’s hard to believe that just a short few days ago they were in England, watching the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, or climbing the Eiffel Tower in Paris. “I don’t know where to start,” said Laudano, attempting to talk about her trip. “It was an amazing experience. I wish I were still there.”
The two Owl coaches and a group of players, including past and present members of the KSC basketball teams, recently returned from a 10-day trip to Europe. The trip was organized by USA Athletes International Inc. (USAAI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to giving amateur athletes and their coaches the opportunity to participate in international Olympic-style sporting events throughout the world. In addition to playing games in England, France, Belgium, and Holland, the players also had an opportunity to broaden their educational and cultural knowledge by visiting several historical sites.
“It was a great trip. It definitely exceeded all my expectations in terms of the variety of things we did and the people we met,” said Colbert, who was making his second USSAAI trip in the past three years. “It really gave our kids a better understanding of the world.”
“I was hesitant at first, so I’m glad Rob convinced me to go,” said Boucher. “I know the players got a lot out of it. None of the women had been overseas, so they were able to see places they’d only read about or saw on TV.”
“I loved it,” said Woodberry, the lone member of the KSC men’s team on the trip. “I was thinking about playing ball in Europe after graduating, and this trip just reinforced my feelings about doing it.”
In addition to seeing numerous historical sites, including Big Ben in London and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the players visited Anne Frank’s home in Amsterdam and a concentration camp. “Our guide was terrific,” said Boucher. “He made us feel like you were there.”
The group also got to experience each country’s culture. “Don’t go to Europe expecting to have a nice breakfast,” said Boucher, KSC’s accidental tourist. “The scrambled eggs look like oatmeal and they serve them with cold ham and salami.”
Boucher, however, had high praise for the people of Antwerp, Belgium. “Everybody rides a bike,” he said. “It could be that everyone is health conscience or the price of gas is around $10 a gallon.”
Going out for a run in Antwerp, Boucher got more than he bargained for when was coaxed into playing in a practice rugby game. “I got sandwiched on a couple of plays and got all scratched up and covered with dirt,” he said. “I tried to avoid seeing anyone when I got back to the hotel, but of course I ran into a few of my players, who couldn’t stop laughing when they saw me.”
Things were better for Boucher as well as Colbert on the court. Both their teams posted 5-0 records on the trip. “Some of the teams we faced were a little bit hamstrung because their top players were with their national teams,” said Colbert. “Basketball-wise, they are really very talented and well coached. The difference may be in depth and in the speed at which we play the game.”
Boucher said the biggest difference was the officiating. “If you don’t put the ball right down on the floor they call traveling, but there was a play in a men’s game where a guy took five steps before he got to the hoop and nothing was called,” he said. “And there’s no such thing as a charge. I don’t think I’ll complain about an official again.”
In addition to Woodberry, Colbert was impressed with several of the players on his 10-men roster, including Eastern Conn.’s Nick Nedwick (Irvington, N.Y.), Mike Mitchell (Boston, Mass.) of UMass-Boston, and Rhode Island College’s Tahrike Carter (Brooklyn, N.Y.). “A lot of times you only get an opportunity to see these kids on game day,” said Colbert. “The trip gave me a chance to spend a week with the players and get to know them on and off the court. It was a real neat experience.”
Although the women’s team included players from Plymouth State, Connecticut College, the University of New England, and Ithaca, Boucher also had the luxury of having two of his current players (Laudano and Farrell) as well as recent grads Kristin Degou (Newburyport, Mass.), Alyssa Sapp (Hartford, Vt.), and Jen Cleaveland (Newington, Conn.) on his team. “Coach had us all five of us on the floor at one time and we didn’t skip a beat,” said Laudano. “It was real cool.”
“The games were competitive, but we also forged friendships with players on the other teams,” said Laudano. “After the game, we’d go out to eat together and interact with them off the court.”
Laudano said she would be hard-pressed to pick one single memory from the trip. “I learned so much and formed so many friendships,” she said. “I’ve never been out of the country, so it was a real eye-opener.”
