BLOOMFIELD, NJ - Bloomfield College Women's Basketball coach Jerry Wimberly, junior center
Tiffany McDaniel and sophomore guard
Vanessa Lamison were part of an extraordinary trip to Spain as part of USA Athletes International, an organization whose mission is to showcase the most talented athletes in the nation in other parts of the globe.
The eight-day trip lasted from May 28 to June 6, and saw McDaniel and Lamison play five games against local Spanish teams, helping to bring the American style of play to Europe and showcase some of the best college basketball talent the USA has to offer.
The girls were placed on a team with other USAAI athletes, and quickly jelled with their new teammates, something the talented duo can certainly bring back to their squad at Bloomfield.
"Everyone (on the team) was really on the same page in terms of working hard and hustling, and we'd never even played together before," McDaniel said. "That's definitely something we can bring back to Bloomfield. We know we can win if everyone is on the same page and working together."
It wasn't the only lesson the Lady Deacons were able to take with them from their journey to Europe. On the court they saw the passion both their counterparts, and their teammates played the game they love with, and learned how to adapt to new roles as part of a new basketball team.
"There was one player who was injured, and he would have done anything to play even if it meant hurting himself again," Lamison said. "It showed us that you can never take anything for granted, especially basketball, and seeing how much they loved the game was awesome."
"The girls understood their roles on the team extremely well, and played really well with the talent surrounding them," Wimberly said. "It was a great experience to be part of a winning team in another part of the world."
The eight-day excursion saw the trio visit Barcelona for three days, Madrid for three days, and Valencia for two days. The lessons the group learned on the hardwood paled in comparison to the experiences they enjoyed visiting a new part of the globe.
"It was definitely different," McDaniel said of the culture. "The way they lived, the way they ate, even their style of basketball. Some of the rules on the court are different, so it was interesting to see how they played in another part of the world."
"It was a great experience for our girls," Wimberly said. "It gave them the opportunity to experience a new and exciting culture, and also give them a window into their future as to what it would be like to play basketball overseas after they graduate from Bloomfield. Bloomfield College should be very proud of the way our girls represented the institution, and the USA. They were great embassadors for our country, and our school."
Originally called the Midwest All-Stars, USAAI has been providing overseas playing opportunities to athletes in all sports since 1992. In 1998 the organization incorporated and received its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status changing its name to USA Athletes International. USAAI now supports a total of 15 different sports that compete in 25 different countries throughout the world.