FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Throughout the IPFW men's basketball team's trip to Toronto, Canada, we will be bringing you first-hand experiences from the players themselves.,
Friday the team left the Gates Sports Center at around 9:30 a.m. traveling to Toronto, where the team was able to experience traveling through customs.
Saturday, the team will face off against McMaster University at 7 p.m. ,Crossing the U.S.. / Canada borderIsaiah McCray - senior guard I had never been out of the country, which makes this opportunity very exciting. I can't wait for the sightseeing and hanging out with my teammates off the court. I realize that not too many people have the opportunity to take a trip like this, which is very humbling. After working hard all summer at IPFW, it will be a lot of fun hanging out around Toronto. ,Driving up to customsAs far as basketball, I am hoping this trip allows us to come together as a team. I plan on building a good relationship with all of the newcomers in order to help them get comfortable with basketball at the NCAA Division I level, just like former teammates helped me. I am also looking forward to learning the different style of basketball they play in Canada, and to learn about this sport in a different way.
I'm excited that the game I love is taking me outside of the country. This is something I have thought about since I was a teenager. I feel blessed sitting here and thinking about heading into Canada.
I plan to get to know the freshman a lot better, but I also want to interact with someone who I haven't had the real chance to sit down and actually know like Max (Landis) and Jure (Gunjina). I want to learn everyone's different personalities over the entire trip and gain relationships to turn us into a brotherhood. ,Going through the customs process was new and very interesting.
Once we arrived in Toronto, we had our first practice, and it went extremely well. There was a really good energy throughout the practice. ,Going through customsJoe Reed - junior forward The most exciting part of this trip for me is going to be my interactions with people in Toronto. I am very open to meeting new and interesting people and I hope to find conversation with people that show me a different cultural view on many things in life, and to learn many new things. Being a "tour guide" on this trip I've learned a lot about Canada and Toronto in general, but there are some things that you don't learn about just by using Google. ,Team at DinnerI have never traveled to a country outside the United States, so I'm excited to get a real-life experience of a different culture. I also think this will be a great bonding experience for our team. We are year-round athletes and it gets difficult staying in the same place all year and doing most of the same stuff everyday. I think it can easily make people get comfortable and stagnant with workouts and academics.,My goal is that this trip is to recharge our batteries and bring us closer together as a team.
This week I want to make an extra effort to get to know John (Konchar), Mike (Calder), and Jure (Gunjina). This can be a great time to learn more about them as individuals because we are all going to be in an environment we are not used to.
I think one thing that really makes a team great is by how well they get along. When good teams get beat by teams they shouldn't, it's because they get down and fight with each other. This week will bring us closer together as a family which will help prepare us for the many challenges we will have, not only on the court, but in life. It is much easier to go through life when you surround yourself with close people you can trust.
