The women’s basketball team from SUNY New Paltz embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Caribbe
The women’s basketball team from SUNY New Paltz embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Caribbean this past July. The team traveled to Trinidad, July 25-August 1, and while there they played some basketball of course, but also experience the “island life” while sightseeing and even taking part in a community service project. The team played 3 games against local women’s teams in Trinidad and SUNY New Paltz went undefeated on the tour, but the games were closer than the team expected due to the physical nature of the kind of basketball the women’s teams play in Trinidad.
Although basketball was the main purpose of the tour, the team took part in some great cultural activities and sightseeing, including learning how to play the steel drums on the first night they arrived in Trinidad. The team also visited the Avacat Waterfalls, had the opportunity to swim in a bat cave (!) and did a swamp tour to check out Trinidad’s unique wildlife. The team also volunteered at the Brian Chase Basketball Academy, a basketball academy for underprivileged children in Trinidad, where the team did a clinic for the kids and had the chance to interact with them after the clinic, one of the highlights of the trip for the team.
Coach Jamie Seward said of the trip, “Our trip to Trinidad provided our team with so many amazing bonding experiences, some basketball that was much better than we had been led to believe, and allowed us all to greatly broaden our cultural boundaries. Premier International Tours was responsible for putting it all together, and their staff was there to help us at every step along the way. I strongly recommend them to anyone looking for this type of travel experience with their team and cannot wait for our next opportunity to travel with them.”
To see a tour recap from the team’s perspective and some great quotes from the players about the tour, click here.
