Moravian College in London

Final Days

2009-09-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

After 2 days of early wake ups and long bus trips we finally got a wake up call at a reasonable hour. Saturday was a day to relax and see some things we missed or wanted to visit again. Some of us went to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, some visited Greenwich, some strolled the west end of London and many of us did some last minute shopping for gifts and for ourselves. In the evening we went to Kingston on the Thames and played a friendly and fun blue white pickup game by mixing in our opponents with our own team. Afterwards we spent some time working with some of their younger players. Later on everyone went out in the area around our hotel. On Sunday we had our last English breakfast which everyone had gotten to like. We then loaded up our bus and headed of to the airport with Alec our tour manager. Alec did a great job of guiding us through our tour. He was very informative and helpful and he had a great sense of British humor. Our Continental flight took off on time and before we knew it (4 movies and 8 hours) we were landing in Newark. It was an experience we will never forget.

6th Day in London

2009-08-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

We rose from a deep slumber this morning ready for an exciting trip to Warwick Castle and Oxford University. After a scenic bus ride through England's countryside that lasted almost two-and-a-half hours, we arrived at the castle. It was wonderfully preserved with many of its structures showing little to no signs of wear. We observed the launching of a trebuchet (a medieval catapult) as well a show about various birds of prey, including our own North American bald eagle. After departing the castle, we took a detour and traveled to Stratford-on-Avon instead of our original plan of going to Oxford. We had the chance to view William Shakespeare's birthplace as well as the cottage of his wife, Anne Hathaway, along the trip. We then returned from to the hotel at 5:45 to get ready for our trip to our 7:00 game against the London Select team. We played a tough and hard-fought game against an extremely tenacious and athletic team; unfortunately, we suffered a 75-69 defeat. We returned to the hotel excited for one final day to explore London before our departure Sunday afternoon.

WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY

2009-08-27T13:02:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday morning we were able to sleep in and have a free day for some sightseeing and exploring London. At breakfast we learned that Jeremy Walker one of our coaches became engaged to former Moravian student, Kasey Lund at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. on Tuesday. They had taken the train there on Tuesday. There was lots of shopping on Wednesday and many of our group were able to spend more time in places that they had seen earlier in their travels. In the evening we traveled to south London for a game with the CIA Select team. This team was a group of players who had grown up in the club's program which works hard to help the disadvantaged youth of south London. It is much like our Boys and Girls Clubs in the USA. Although the team had several current and former DI players and was very strong around the basket, the Hounds were more disciplined on offense and forced numerous turnovers with our defense. We built a 7 point lead at halftime and with a strong 3rd quarter went on to win by a 79-62 score.
After arriving back late on Wednesday we still ate an early breakfast and headed out for Stonehenge and Bath and a full day of sightseeing and bus riding. Stonehenge, which appears t0 be just a pile of big stones was very impressive. It is a mystery how the stones were moved such a long distance and why and how they were erected. The site was explained and organized very well. We then drove on to the City of Bath and the Roman Baths. It is the best preserved warm water baths in the world and was very interesting. Much of it is underground and is still being excavated. The town which is mostly Georgian architecture is quiet beautiful. After a long drive back we had a good dinner and an early night to bed since wakeup is at 6:30am and we play another game tomorrow.

Day 2 and 3 in London

2009-08-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

On Monday the team had a tour in the Tower of London, and after a hour there we were able to tour London on our own. While touring some of us made the decision to go to the London Zoo, and for many of us we haven't seen a zoo since we were 6 of 7 years old so it was a great time. Then on Tuesday we woke up early to go tour the British museum with our tour guide. After that we were allowed to tour London on our own and see the sites. Some of us went to the Imperial Museum, which was all about the different wars in England. From there we parted ways again, and some of us went to Buckingham Palace while others toured the city. Over all in the last two days we probably averaged about 20 miles of walking it seemed like, so we all came in early to get a good night sleep for our first basketball game tomorrow.

Overnight Flight/First Day in London

2009-08-23T14:28:00.001-07:00

After the conclusion of our final practice Saturday afternoon, the members of the team returned to their residences to finish last-minute packing for the 10:10 flight to London out of Newark. With everyone meeting at Johnston Hall, we boarded our bus and departed for the airport. A 1-hour delay could not dampen our players' spirits and, after the delay and a long 7-hour flight, we arrived in London at approximately 11:00 a.m. local time. We were then picked up by our friendly and knowledgeable tour guide who took us through Central London; our stops included such historic locations as the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and Big Ben. After the tour, we retired back to the hotel but convened for a 6:30 dinner in the hotel restaurant. With a good night's rest in order and a big day ahead of us tomorrow at the Tower of London, it is apparent that the best portions of our trip are yet to come!!

DAYS 2 & 3

2009-08-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

Friday was a long day-An early morning run on the canal path; 2 practices; a trip meeting; 3 squares (good for the skinny guys) and some bad bowling. All in a days fun! We finally got moved completely into our rooms and have begun packing for London. Thank goodness there was only one practice on Saturday and some final packing. The bus leaves for Newark Airport at 6pm and we take off at 10. Everyone is excited about being in London on Sunday. We hope to get our next blog out to everyone on Monday.

First Day of Practice

2009-08-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

Everyone arrived back on campus excited about the trip and ready to practice. The team moved into their rooms as classes will start the day after we return. We had a late night practice followed by a pizza party. We have a big day tomorrow starting with an early morning 2 mile run so everyone hit the sack early. Our team looks great in their practice gear-even our manager Tony.

About the Adventure

2009-08-19T10:08:00.001-07:00

For 9 Days in August coach Jim Walker, 9 players and 18 other coaches, family, and friends will travel to London for sightseeing and basketball. In London the team will have a panoramic tour of the city and will have guided ½ day tours of the London Tower and the British Museum. The group will spend 2 full days outside the city visiting Stonehenge and Bath and then Oxford and Warwick Castle. Games are planned every other day with British club teams in London including Crystal Palace Select, CIA Select, Kingston Wildcats, and London Leopards.