July 9, 2009
Florida State's men's and women's basketball teams will play overseas this summer in trips financed in total by Nike as part of its contract with Florida State Athletics. The men's team will head to Spain on August 11 for games stretching from August 13-22nd and the women's team will depart for South Africa on August 10 for games from the 12th to the 19th.
"The overseas trips are excellent opportunities to develop both as a team and as an individual player," said FSU head men's coach Leonard Hamilton. "We get additional practice days and we will be competing against some semi-pro teams so you get to know a lot more about your players than you normally would. There is a pretty strong correlation between getting these international experiences and the development of your program down the road."
As part of Florida State's contract, the entire trip for both teams are funded by Nike which sponsors international tours for universities every four years.
"We consider this a great opportunity for our players education both as basketball players and as students," said head women's basketball coach Sue Semrau. "I know our players are excited and it will be a great opportunity to see parts of the world they might not ever get the chance to visit. We appreciate Nike selecting Florida State to take the trips this year."
FSU's men's team advanced to the ACC Championship game for the first time in school history last season and played in the NCAA Tournament. The men will return three starters from last year's 25-10 squad. The women's team tied for first in the ACC regular season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive season after finishing with their most ACC wins (12) in school history.
"We are happy our teams are getting this opportunity to play internationally," said Randy Spetman, Director of Athletics at Florida State. "The international basketball market is very important to Nike and they have a strong commitment to making it possible for partner schools to play overseas. It should be a great experience for our teams."
Q & A: Angel Gray (WBB)
Q: What do you think this trip will do for the Women’s Basketball Program at Florida State?
A: I think this tournament will be a great eye-opener for this program. Not just leaving the country and participating in a tournament, but learning about each other as players and individuals. This will be a great opportunity for a team that is coming together after graduating two starters and leading scorers. This allows us the time to put things together and work out any kinks that we might have. This will be a great learning experience for us.
Q: How does it make you feel to know that Nike is helping fund this trip?
A: Nike has always been a great sponsor and has always given us only the elite of everything. I am honored and happy that they are willing to fund this. Not many girls leave the country and have the opportunity to compete. This allows us to have lifelong memories and we are very grateful for it.
Q: What are you looking forward to most about going overseas?
A: I am looking forward to two things: experiencing a different culture and surrounding while experiencing it with my team and support staff as well as playing together for the first time this season with a very hungry and talented group of girls.
Q: How is this experience going to help you improve as a student-athlete?
A: I believe this will help me improve as a student-athlete because when we go out of town, state, or country we are focused on ball when we need to focuso n ball and we also make time to experience the life and atmosphere of the area we are in. We always leave learning something new and leaving with an even more grateful and humbled heart.
Q: Do you think this will serve as a good bonding experience for your team and will that carry over into the upcoming season?
A: Of course this is a great bonding experience for this team. As girls, we feel more comfortable when we know who we are around. We love being around each other and this is an opportunity to experience something that we will remember for years to come. I am certain that this will bring us even closer together -- not only on the court but off the court as well.
Question and Answer with Luke Loucks
How do you feel Seminole players will benefit from this trip to Spain?
“I think we will benefit from our trip to Spain this summer in a variety of ways. First, I think that the extra 10 days of practice we will be able to participate in before we leave will give us a jump start of sorts for the 2009-2010 season. While other teams are enjoying their summer vacations, we will be competing against each other in practice for over a week, and then be able to compete against some of the top international teams in Spain. This extra time will certainly allow our players and coaches to improve and get a better idea of areas we need to focus on before the upcoming season. Also, the time our players will be able to spend together in a foreign country will certainly help our already strong team unity. I feel that our team will only come closer, on and off the court, during our trip to Spain.”
What are your thoughts on Nike helping fund the trip for the Seminoles?
“Nike has supplied our Florida State team with only the best and highest quality gear and continues to support our program in a variety of ways. My appreciation of Nike has been long standing and continues today with their efforts to assist athletes of all ages in order to help us fully reach our potential. I am grateful for companies such as Nike to help us travel to Europe and further our athletic endeavors.”
What are you personally looking forward to about the Seminoles’ trip to Spain?
Personally, I am very excited about our trip to Spain. I feel like our team is meshing very well and I think we are all excited to take on our new roles now that Toney (Douglas) and Uche (Echefu), two of our top players from last year, have departed. I have only traveled to Europe one other time in high school for a basketball tournament. In that tournament, we lost in the championship game by two points, so I hope for better results on this trip! I am also looking forward to seeing the basketball environment and the lifestyle that Spain has to offer.”
“How is the experience of traveling overseas going to help you become a better student-athlete?
“I think that our team as a whole and me personally will benefit greatly from playing against some very competitive Spanish teams. The Europeans style of play differs from that of Americans. Hopefully, we will be able to pick up a few new tricks and skills as we compete against these teams. Off the court, the opportunity to further our knowledge of a foreign land is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Not every day are we blessed with a financially supported trip to one of the most beautiful countries on Earth, so I think we will all take advantage of this trip and learn a lot on and off the court.”
What will a trip like this do for you and your teammates as you begin preparations for the upcoming season?
“Obviously a trip like this excites young athletes and I think it will only bring us closer as a team. We are already a very close knit team and a trip like this really brings out a competitive nature in our team that hopefully will flow over to the upcoming season. Last year, we had to work out our kinks and maturing through the first half of the season, but with a trip like this we will only get a head start to the 2009-2010 season.”
What is the main thing you want to take away from the trip?
“I want to enjoy my time in Spain with my teammate and obviously be competitive on the court. Hopefully I will be able to learn a thing or two from the European style of basketball and lifestyle.”
How you traveled overseas before? What did you take from that experience?
“Yes, in high school I competed in a tournament in Germany. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. It really helped our high school team bond. We had an amazing time competing against some of the top young players in Europe while learning the way people live on opposite sides of the world. I am still in contact with a few of the European players that I met over there during that trip.”
