2023 USA Basketball Tour
Teagan H | Student Voice | 3 February 2024
In this Student Voice blog, Teagan H (Year 11) reflects on her amazing experiences on the 2023 St Luke's Grammar School USA Basketball Tour.
These summer holidays, a group of 23 students and 5 teachers were lucky enough to travel all the way to America for the basketball trip of a lifetime! Before the trip we had many meetings and information nights all in preparation for our trip, but only as we stepped off the plane onto American soil did it start to feel real. After a long 24 hours and 3 flights we made it to our first destination, Boston.
In Boston we quickly realised that it was no longer summer, we had to all scurry to the bus in our shorts and t-shirts as quickly as possible in the -1 degree weather! The first day in Boston was so amazing. First thing in the morning it began to snow, for many of us it was the first time seeing snow, it was so incredible to be able to walk through Boston in the snow with our friends and teammates. We did lots of sightseeing in Boston such as visiting Harvard, Fenway park and the NFL hall of fame. In Boston we also played a few games of basketball, our girls team had 3 very close games and won our varsity game at Greenwave by 1 point! The boys team also had 3 games in Boston and had very good competition.
After a few days in Boston we headed to the famous concrete jungle, New York City! New York was the favourite destination of many people on our trip. Although we didn't play in New York we had lots of exciting activities planned. On NYC night one we saw a college basketball game, it was really cool to see the excitement and environment created around basketball in colleges and schools in America. Over the next few days we were able to see lots of famous destinations like Rockefeller centre, 5th Avenue, Central Park and Times Square. Although New York presented a few challenges, it was a highly memorable experience. In New York we were also able to watch Kitty and Fliss Henderson (St Luke's alumni) play in their Columbia college match.
After New York we headed to Washington D.C for a short time to do some sightseeing, play a few games and learn about American history like the famous Liberty Bell. After Washington D.C we headed to the sunny Los Angeles which was warmer than it was back at home! The last few days of the trip spent in LA were so much fun. We were able to go to Disneyland for 16 hours on the first day where everybody was able to go on every single ride, and without a doubt many took up that opportunity. The next day we headed straight to Universal Studios for 10 hours, although tired from the day before we spent the whole day exploring and going on rides and making the most of our trip.
Looking back at our 2 and ½ weeks together it was not hard to see that this trip was such an opportunity for all of us. We were able to come together closer as friends and get to know each other better, including our teachers who made the whole trip possible and so enjoyable for all of us. Despite the accidental sleep-ins and broken buses, every single moment in America was the best ever. Every single bus ride, late nights spent together, basketball games (both cheering and playing) has shaped every one of our lives and has created memories none of us will ever forget. Hopefully the following tours are able to live up to ours because if anyone is able to experience what we did, they should! Everyone is so grateful to our fabulous teachers who made this possible and were excited and present the whole trip. Heading back on the plane, our hearts were full of memories and our hands heavy with many basketball experiences, we were ready to share the joys of our tour with our families and friends at home.