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/ Women's Basketball
Vanessa Smith Reflects on Women's Hoops' Australia Trip
September 01, 2016 | Women's Basketball
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The Princeton women's basketball team has arrived back in the states after a fabulous trip to Australia. The team will get the 2016-17 season started vs. Rider on November 11th at Jadwin Gymnasium. Senior Vanessa Smith reflects on Australia...
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After hours of traveling and witnessing two sunrises, the team is finally stateside and headed back to Princeton! A little jetlagged and disoriented, my mind is flipping over all of the sights and sounds from Australia and all I can think of is how unforgettable this trip and this group really was.
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Looking back, we did so much in the span of 8 days: from visiting the Sydney Opera House, climbing a famous and treacherously high bridge over the Sydney Harbor, visiting an all-girls schools and aboriginal communities, to snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef. Of course, the opportunity to compete against three Australian teams and play together for the first time this year was invaluable. The Australian game is fast-paced and a little differnet from what we were used to, but we adapted and made huge strides in our growth as a team. We won all three games and really came together so we're starting the season off on a high note, giving us the boost we needed heading into preseason!
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What stuck out to me about this trip was that we were there for far more than shooting hoops or doing the normal tourist beach trips and sightseeing (although the beaches were to die for!).
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Visiting and hearing from the aboriginal communities was the most profound takeaway from this trip and gave us an authentic look at Australia. We humbly learned about the diverse cultures, histories, traditions that date back centuries. The Tjapukai Cultural Experience, for example, allowed us to learn and engage with their traditions as we ate their food, unsuccessfully threw boomerangs, and learned a few new dance moves to bring back to Princeton.
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On the other hand, meeting with the mayor of the Yarrabah community and conducting a youth clinic was easily the highlight of our trip in my eyes. Things like the chance to be welcomed into the community, introduced to the leaders and play with the kids reminded us all of the beauty of humanity and the ability to always bridge any cultural divide with respect, love and compassion. Being there opened our eyes to the many differences that make us who we are and the similarities that bring us all together. When we first arrived, one of the leaders from the community encouraged us to take our shoes off on the beach. He said in their culture that it was a sacred tradition for guests to put their feet into the earth and for that moment become one with the land and a part of their nation. We felt that profound sense of unity and hospitality during our brief time there and that memory will forever be seared on our hearts and minds.
Â
Looking back on this trip, my only regret (aside from not holding a Koala or going into the snake cave) was not being able to stay longer. Despite the brutal flight to and from Aussie, visiting this beautiful and culturally rich country is a MUST! We are so grateful to the many people who made this trip possible! A very warm thank you goes out to the donors that supported this trip, those who helped organize our travels, and the extended Tiger family who has been following along! This trip to Australia expanded our worldview, brought us closer together and allowed us to experience an amazing adventure on the other side of the world!Â
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The Princeton women's basketball team has arrived back in the states after a fabulous trip to Australia. The team will get the 2016-17 season started vs. Rider on November 11th at Jadwin Gymnasium. Senior Vanessa Smith reflects on Australia...
Â
After hours of traveling and witnessing two sunrises, the team is finally stateside and headed back to Princeton! A little jetlagged and disoriented, my mind is flipping over all of the sights and sounds from Australia and all I can think of is how unforgettable this trip and this group really was.
Â
Looking back, we did so much in the span of 8 days: from visiting the Sydney Opera House, climbing a famous and treacherously high bridge over the Sydney Harbor, visiting an all-girls schools and aboriginal communities, to snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef. Of course, the opportunity to compete against three Australian teams and play together for the first time this year was invaluable. The Australian game is fast-paced and a little differnet from what we were used to, but we adapted and made huge strides in our growth as a team. We won all three games and really came together so we're starting the season off on a high note, giving us the boost we needed heading into preseason!
Â
What stuck out to me about this trip was that we were there for far more than shooting hoops or doing the normal tourist beach trips and sightseeing (although the beaches were to die for!).
Â
Visiting and hearing from the aboriginal communities was the most profound takeaway from this trip and gave us an authentic look at Australia. We humbly learned about the diverse cultures, histories, traditions that date back centuries. The Tjapukai Cultural Experience, for example, allowed us to learn and engage with their traditions as we ate their food, unsuccessfully threw boomerangs, and learned a few new dance moves to bring back to Princeton.
Â
On the other hand, meeting with the mayor of the Yarrabah community and conducting a youth clinic was easily the highlight of our trip in my eyes. Things like the chance to be welcomed into the community, introduced to the leaders and play with the kids reminded us all of the beauty of humanity and the ability to always bridge any cultural divide with respect, love and compassion. Being there opened our eyes to the many differences that make us who we are and the similarities that bring us all together. When we first arrived, one of the leaders from the community encouraged us to take our shoes off on the beach. He said in their culture that it was a sacred tradition for guests to put their feet into the earth and for that moment become one with the land and a part of their nation. We felt that profound sense of unity and hospitality during our brief time there and that memory will forever be seared on our hearts and minds.
Â
Looking back on this trip, my only regret (aside from not holding a Koala or going into the snake cave) was not being able to stay longer. Despite the brutal flight to and from Aussie, visiting this beautiful and culturally rich country is a MUST! We are so grateful to the many people who made this trip possible! A very warm thank you goes out to the donors that supported this trip, those who helped organize our travels, and the extended Tiger family who has been following along! This trip to Australia expanded our worldview, brought us closer together and allowed us to experience an amazing adventure on the other side of the world!Â
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