Cal Tech in Europe!
Premier International Tours had the pleasure of organizing an international trip to Spain for the the California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech) Men’s Basketball team from Pasadena, CA
The team traveled to the Barcelona area of Spain during their spring break March 20-29. In Barcelona the team played against local men’s Spanish basketball clubs Basquet Neus Badalona, Circol Catolic Badalona, Sferic Terrassa and CB Ripollet. The Cal Tech team started off with a loss to Basquet Neus Badalona, but after finding their legs the Cal Tech team ended up winning their remaining 3 games, all which were closely contested games that gave the Cal Tech team a good test aginst Spanish teams playing FIBA international basketball rules. All of the Spanish teams that Cal Tech played compete in the Catalan Basketball Federation leagues in the Barcelona area in Spain. Spain is currently the #2 ranked coutnry in basketball behind the United States accorindg to the FIBA rankings.
The team also enjoyed some great sightseeing and culture while in Barcelona and the area. Some of the highlights included visits to 1992 Olympic Stadium, Castillo de Montjuich, the Torres vineyard, and the seaside town of Sitges which they saw upon arrival. Other sightseeing activities included a visit to Montserrat, the mountain-top monastery just outside of Barcelona and a trip to the city of Girona, famous for its history and medieval churches and castles!
Here is what some of the players had to say about the trip:
"My favorite thing was being able to explore the city and experience the different culture while interacting with others. "The trip was a great bonding experience for the team as a whole." – KC Emezie
"The competition was great because they played a unique style of basketball" - Nick Buoniconti.
And, finally, Cal Tech Men’s Basketball Coach John Eslinger had this to say about the trip:
“Our trip to Spain was absolutely amazing! It exceeded all expectations. From the excursions to the basketball games, days were full of unforgettable experiences and our team bonded like never before. We didn’t want to leave!”
To read more about the trip, please check out this trip blog: http://gocaltech.com/sports/mbkb/2013-14/releases/2014MBBSpainTripRecap
