Courtney Banghart's 10 on 10: Overseas Trips

PRINCETON, N.J. - Recently finishing her 10th season, Princeton head coach Courtney Banghart sits with 208 career victories, 113 of which have come in the Ivy League. She is fourth all-time in the Ivy League in career and conference wins.

Banghart's 10 on 10: The Coaching Staff
Banghart's 10 on 10: The Class of 2013
Banghart's 10 on 10: The Alumni Weekend
Banghart's 10 on 10: Addie Micir '11

To celebrate her 10 years at Princeton, the Ivy's all-time leader in overall winning percentage and conference winning percentage, laid out her 10 favorite memories. In a weekly article, Banghart's memories will continue with a look back on her team's two overseas trips.

"I am so grateful to have taken two different teams on a foreign tour in my time at Princeton," said Banghart. "It's hard to even put into words the value of the opportunity from a team building, service, and learning perspective. The timing of our trips allows us to get a jump start on our season and along the way, it opens our eyes to other places and ourselves in a way that the traditional season cannot. A Princeton foreign tour will always focus on three key elements: the highest level of basketball, an opportunity to provide service to others, and learning experiences that further enrich the lives of our players and staff. We ask them to fully experience each foreign tour by being present and grateful, a theme that has become a big part of who we want our team to be each year, as we tackle a new season."

In 2011, the women's basketball team went on a 11-day excursion to France and Paris. The Tigers spent three days in Paris, visiting local landmarks including the Louvre Museum, the Eiffel Tower, and a boat ride down the Seine River. During their stay, the Tigers played two games against Lyon, a Pro A team in the French league.

After departing Paris, the basketball team went on to Senegal. In the west African country, the team visited sites such as Goree Island, Lake Retka, Joal Fadiouth and a take a mini-safari in Mbour during its stay. The Tigers performed a clinic in Mbour a day before a service project at a local orphanage. Princeton also played two games against Senegal's National Team B.

France and Senegal was a trip I will never forget," mentioned the Princeton head coach. "The trip and its pictures still leave me speechless, as I reflect on our afternoon at the orphanage or our time on Goree Island. The visit to our guides' home village, where we were greeted by the community (and their traditional dance) stills ranks among the most authentic experiences I've ever had. It was one of those trips of a lifetime and I'll never forget it, as I know they won't either."

Associate Director of Athletic Communications Kristy McNeil made a book documenting the team's trip which can be found here.

Last year, Princeton made the trip down under to Australia. The squad spend the first four days of the trip in Sydney and the final four days in Cairns, Queensland.

In Sydney, Banghart's squad explored the Queen Victoria Building, Sydney Opera House and did the Sydney Bridge Climb. On the court, Princeton battled the Norths Bears and the Waratah League All-Stars.

While in Cairns, the Tigers checked out the Rainforest Wildlife Park, explored the Aboriginal Cultural and Education Experience before conducting a youth clinch at the Yarrabah PCYC. The team took on the Cairn Dolphins of the Queensland Basketball League. On the last day of the trip, the Tigers enjoyed the Great Barrier Reef and have the opportunity to snorkel and take in the spectacular coral and sea life.

"We were able to come together to start our new season early, after the graduation of such a dominant class, in a place that was new to us all," stated Banghart about the teams' trip last year. "Australia is a special place. We learned so much about Sydney and swam in the Great Barrier Reef. We visited an all-girls school, where our players spoke proudly of their experience as collegiate student-athletes and spoke about leadership. We also spent a day in the largest aboriginal community in all of Australia, and ran a basketball clinic at the local school. It always inspires me to watch my players dive into a new place together, and to watch them bring their ray of light to wherever they go."

Here's a daily blog of the team's trip to Australia:
Day 1: Welcome to Sydney
Day 2: Sydney Opera House and Basketball
Day 3: Leadership Clinic and Bridge Climb
Day 4: Bondi Beach and Game Day
Day 5: Rainforest Station Wildlife Park
Day 6: Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park
Day 7: Yarrabah Aboriginal Community
Day 8: The Great Barrier Reef
Reflection: Vanessa Smith

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Courtney Banghart's 10 on 10: Overseas Trips

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