The Big Apple

It seems like a long time ago, that me and my tour group were busriding down a long and lonesome road. All of a sudden, there shined a shiny city... in the middle... of the road.

Only a handful of #BoysOnTour had ever been to New York City and after checking in to our hotel we made a beeline for one of the most famous landmarks in the world. The photos and videos we sometimes see of Times Square really don't do the place justice. For some, the hustle and bustle can be overwhelming. If you don't do well with bright lights and neon signs, then it probably isn't for you. Nonetheless, it was truly rewarding to see faces light up.

Friday was our first taste of what it truly means to be cold. The morning kicked off on a hop-on, hop-off bus tour downtown towards the financial district. The upper deck provided the best views of the city, but meant that we were exposed to all of the elements. Rain, wind, and what felt like below freezing temperatures made it difficult to make the most of the tour guides' rapturous narration of the city around us. By the time we got off the bus at Wall Street the boys had all tucked their necks in to beat the cold, so that their coats had swallowed their heads like a turtle.

The Financial District gave us a glimpse of City Hall, the Supreme Court, the New York Stock Exchange and the Wall Street Bull. A tour of the One World Observatory served two purposes - it allowed us to reflect on the site of the original World Trade Center, at the same time providing an uninhibited view of the five boroughs of New York.

The return leg of the bus took us through Chinatown, under the Brooklyn Bridge, past the United Nations and towards the Plaza Hotel, the Upper East Side and Central Park. From there, the group embarked on a river cruise down the Hudson, into New York Bay and then up the East River towards Queens. The views of Manhattan and Brooklyn gave a surreal perspective of one of the most visited cities in the world. The boat circled round Lady Liberty and sailed past Ellis Island, the site that all migrants to New York were processed through until 1954. The rest of the evening was spent exploring other famous NYC destinations, highlighted by the Rockefeller Center and Grand Central Terminal.

We played our final games on Saturday, capped off by the most thrilling game of the tour - a one possession loss by the JV boys. All three teams displayed signs of strong improvement from some of the tougher games on tour, rising to meet what was once again a strong local program. Our final scheduled activity in the USA would prove to be the highlight for many. The Bulls were playing the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, one of the most famous arenas in the world (self proclaimed). Fans were split within the group, and whilst the Bulls did get rolled by @carmeloanthony and @scorezingis, Old Boy Cameron Bairstow saw court action in the fourth quarter. The whole stadium could reportedly hear our chants demanding Cam in a late timeout, and though we were rewarded with his presence, we did not ease up until he had scored.

Sunday morning saw some of our group part ways, off on more adventures with their families. The rest of the group hit the NBA store on 5th Avenue for some final gifts (#TreatYoSelf) before we packed the bus for JFK International Airport and the most anticipated 22 hours of travel any of us had ever seen.

The 2015 USA Tour has shown us all the opportunities available around the world if you work hard, hone your craft, and commit to being a well rounded student. Watch this space for a final tour review by 2016 Basketball Captain Oliver Anderson, and some more post-tour insights!

Wicked Smaht

Boston was a whirlwind experience. Despite parting ways before truly getting to know one another, our brief relationship with the city was nevertheless meaningful and full of memories to hold on to.

The first thing we did after arriving at Logan International was head straight to Harvard University, one of the finest educational institutions in the world. We were dressed to the nines, and were shown around Harvard Yard and the most significant buildings on campus by a senior who also happened to be a Varsity Football player. Jordan the Tight End seemed particular impressed by one of our tour member’s knowledge of the statue of three lies, made famous in ‘The Social Network’. The tour afforded the boys a chance to learn about the history of the college, and the idea of following in the footsteps of other old boys before them was enticing to some. For others, the main attraction was the campus bookstore, with The Coop affording boys the chance to tell other people through the medium of fashion that they in fact went to visit Harvard once.

Whilst in Boston, the boys were able to visit Boston Common and toss the pigskin, dine at one of Faneuil Hall’s finest establishments and wander the streets of the Freedom Trail. We shopped and dined in Back Bay, one of the city’s oldest yet trendiest neighbourhoods. The sporting experiences continued with a number of boys taking an insider tour of Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox and arguably the mecca of America’s favourite pastime.

The likely highlight for many on the tour came on Tuesday night, when we boarded the T and rode to TD Garden. We were there to watch Lebron James and his merry band of Cavaliers take on the second coming of Isaiah and the Celtics. Being home town bandwagoners, most of us donned some new Celtics merchandise and were disappointed to see the Wine & Gold roll home in the second half. It was however, a once in a lifetime spectacle to see one of the greatest athletes and basketball players of our generation play at another level.

When Thursday morning arrived, we left our hotel in Fenway and departed towards New York. Not to be outdone by its Ivy League brother, Yale demanded a stop on the way south and we were lucky enough to be shown around the athletic facilities and campus by coaching staff. By chance, our group bumped in to Old Boy and current Yale Crew athlete Rob Hurn. Our driver dropped us into Manhattan that evening, thanking us for the trip though leaving us with a memorable signoff; “you know what the best part of my day is? For about ten seconds, from when I pull up to the curb and when I get to your door, 'cause I think, maybe I'll get up there and I'll knock on the door and you won't be there. No goodbye. No see you later. No nothing. You just left. I don't know much, but I know that.”

The Back Nine

Our next activity in the great lake state of Illinois was an expedition to Geneva High School about 90 minutes west of Chicago. Geneva, a public school located in a small town of only 20,000 is consistently one of the highest performing teams in the state and a perennial feature in the national rankings.

The trip out there however was marred by a few setbacks. Firstly, in a moment of Christopher Columbian brilliance, our driver took us the wrong direction out of Chicago. He was taking us to a different Geneva. Upon realising his mistake (since this Geneva was about 5 hours away), we turned back West and started towards the appropriate school. At that time, we were set upon by what has been recognised by a number of agencies around the country as the worst traffic bottleneck in America. This 12 mile stretch of expressways and interchanges is known affectionately by locals as the Hillside Strangler.

The Strangler meant that we were a little later to Geneva than anticipated, but our gracious hosts were happy to delay the start of our games being totally understanding of our plight.

Unfortunately, all three of our teams went down to another strong program of athletic kids who can shoot the lights out. The games did give us a chance to experience a quintessential American high school sporting fixture – cheerleaders, a brass band in the stands, local families, young kids screaming and older graduates screaming.

The boys once again were able to be billeted out and experienced the typical weekend for a Varsity athlete, many of whom gathered at one player’s house for a Saturday night cookie bake. We picked the boys up on Sunday morning and headed to St Patrick’s High School, the oldest all boy’s high school in the nation. Despite losing our games to #ShamrockNation, our Churchie teams remained competitive and were able to show the (fairly decent considering the Bears game was on) crowd the up-tempo style of basketball we play. That night after another session of post-game host pizza, we went back to our hotel before our 4am wake up to fly out to Bean Town.

Yoga in the Home of the Bears

On Friday morning all of our force was awoken. The entire tour group as well as a couple of Chicago's finest citizens participated in a yoga class at a studio across the road from our hotel. Besides being a fun and unique experience, the session afforded the boys a chance to stretch, relax and prepare mentally and physically for the basketball and touring that was yet to come. Most of the boys really took the lessons to heart and after a phase of triangle work, ended up focusing on grounding a lot of their energy into the floor. 

We thanked each other for sharing our chakras and then went back across to the hotel to shower after what was for most, a tough workout. I say most, because a couple of our more robust coaches and Josh Wiltshire were able to breeze through many of the tougher positions and systems, most notably the crow.

The afternoon and evening were spent visiting some iconic Chicago landmarks; Wrigley Tower, the Bean and the Michael Jordan store. Boys got to spend time talking shop with Old Boy and current NBA player Cameron Bairstow before heading to bed relatively early as we were off to Geneva in the morning.

Our First Full Day in Chicago

The morning was a great wake up to the smell of waffles and muffins. The small, yet needed sleep in ensured that we would have enough energy for the long day ahead.

The day started almost instantly, with the first item being a trip to the 360 Tower Chicago. I think it's safe to say that all the boys enjoyed the incredible view from the 49th floor of the tower. From there we were able to view the entire city, as well as out into Lake Michigan (one of the five Great Lakes of America).

From there, we travelled to Soldier Field. Although the home of the Chicago Bears NFL team was not as gargantuan as the Dallas Cowboys' Stadium, the history of the place was incredible to hear!

Last but certainly not least, we travelled to what most would say was the highlight of Chicago. With our Chicago gear on, we entered the United Centre to watch the Chicago Bulls play the Los Angeles Clippers. The game went back and forth, and was exciting from start to finish. Some boys chose to support the Clippers, however most were barracking for the Bulls (I still don't know if we were cheering more for the Bulls or for Cameron Bairstow). In the end it was the home team, the Chicago Bulls, that pulled through with the win. The almost surreal experience was the best way to end an eventful day!

Mitaru McGaughey

Dallas in a Nutshell

In Dallas, the teams generally toured before their games, and then went back to Lake Worth High to spectate or play. The games were very competitive, as both teams really desired the win in every game. The varsity games were well worth the watch, with some teams even getting the better of our own Churchie First V squad. It was interesting to observe the nature of US high school basketball at the highest level, particularly the different chants and atmosphere provided by our opponents. It was also visibly entertaining for the Lake Worth students to see how we deal with sports at Churchie. Several ‘Churchie Roar’s rung out through Lake Worth, in a Sparta vs Persia manner with a 20 strong blue and grey crowd in the stands against several hundred American spectators.

The tournament was reasonably successful from a statistical standpoint, with the Varsity team winning the bronze division, and the sophomore and fresh sophomore teams both getting a win from three games. However, I thought that the main significance of these games for the sophomore team was in improving our team chemistry in all aspects. 

After a few days at the beloved La Quinta Inn, we headed for St Mark’s School of Texas, and the boys billeted for two nights with host families. St Mark’s was in many ways similar to Churchie: an all-boys school with an impressive campus and impressive sports teams to match. Although St Mark’s also has a Hogwarts-style dining hall and a senior’s lounge, with a selection of branded apparel that burnt further into the boy’s pockets. On that note, it was at this point that many of us had to phone home to have, or at least request that some more money be wired through to our bank accounts. Personally, I have now spent upward of $350 on T-shirts, socks, and other not-all-that-useful, but really cool stuff. 

Homestay was awesome. Mitchell Goldburg and I were fortunate enough to stay with a loving, and classically Texan family for the two days. Whilst our billet, Jackson, studied for exams, Mitch and I were able to chill, and play Xbox or watch Netflix. On the last night our Billet’s dad, Jeff, was delighted to show us his impressive civil war musket and sword collection. This was all topped off with a ‘Tex-mex’ dinner at a local restaurant, with all Churchie tourers in attendance.

Gus van der Nagel

Caged Animals and College Beasts

On Monday morning, the boys packed their gear ready to leave the La Quinta Inn and head to St Mark's. On the way, we stopped off at the Dallas Aquarium, where we saw a range of animals, from panthers to sharks. Gus Van Der Nagel dropped his new impressions mixtape, featuring a Jon Snow monologue to inspire some penguins that was straight fire. Next we went to the 6th floor museum, where the boys took an enthralling audio tour of the book depository which President JFK was allegedly assassinated from. We got to stand metres away from the window that the shots were allegedly fired from, and see a range of historical information. 

After this, we headed to Southern Methodist University, ranked number 19 in the country for basketball, to see their facilities and watch them practice. They boys were in awe of the school, which was great from the classrooms to the offices, and, of course, the recently built basketball stadium. Everyone saw the level of hard work and dedication that it takes to play college basketball, in particular from current red-shirt Semi Ojeleye. The team was put through a gruelling half-hour warmup which included a range of stretching, ball-handling and shooting drills. Unfortunately, we had to leave after only 30 minutes, so we headed to St Mark's to watch the team train and meet the boys that we would be living with for the next two days. 

When we saw the St Mark's Varsity team train, we were once again amazed by the execution and professionalism that these boys showed. After training, we met our billets and headed to their houses for what was an enjoyable night for all the boys, mixing with people from a variety of different backgrounds and making new friends.

Lachlan Marchant

Sophomore's Win!

After the team warmup and exchange of gifts, the team was yet again in full competitive mode, looking for our first win of the tournament at Lake Worth High School in Arlington, Dallas. Our opponents proved extremely tough throughout the entire game, demanding much from each member of the Junior Varsity team. Several lead changes ultimately left both teams locked in at 42 points apiece coming into the fourth quarter. But helped by intense effort and effective communication, the boys of Churchie came out on top this time. The final period of the game had us complete an amazing 15 to 2 run against our opponents. This fourth quarter explosion was made possible by strong leadership by Alex Gianarakis and Mitch Goldburg in the backcourt, a clutch block by Jack ‘Boris’ Edmondson (which was accompanied by an equally vigorous ‘defibrillator’ celebration by Gus van der Nagel, Lachlan Fleming and Matt Kaluschke) and a strong scoring output between Sam Kneipp, Tyson Finnis and Gus van der Nagel.

After this win, the team was incredibly pleased and headed off for a well-deserved ‘Maccas run’, requesting a preposterous 12 Bic Mac meal order. This invoked a sarcastic reaction from McDonalds, and a “We don’t have any fries left” reaction by KFC who were initially consulted for the team lunch. We then headed to the ‘Six Flags Over Texas’ theme park which was awesome to say the least. Definite highlights were the nearly vertical drops of two of the roller coasters, and coach Matthew ‘Chewy’ Bemi-Morrison’s successful run in the theme park’s three point shot contest.

Gus van der Nagel

Day 4 - Grapevine Mills and Baylor Basketball

Sunday morning was a chance to get some much needed rest for the boys - a late start followed by a strong dose of retail therapy. The boys had heard legends of the deals to be had at the Grapevine Mills Outlet Mall and couldn't wait to spend grab some new kicks and Christmas presents for loved ones back home. A quick drive north from the hotel and we were able to spend hours browsing shelves and racks of discounted Nike, Adidas and Texan team gear.

The evening saw us embark on a somewhat longer ride. Baylor was playing Vanderbilt at home in Waco and the tour group wasn't going to miss out on a chance to catch two Top 25 ranked basketball teams go head to head. We hopped in the vans and travelled from Grapevine, through Dallas, down the highway south to Waco - arriving almost two hours later just in time to grab some fan gear and catch the tip off. The trip was well worth it, as both teams shared the lead throughout the game and a few key NBA prospects went on strong scoring runs. The boys were pumped for a Baylor win, being the local team, and we all got out of our seats as Ishmail Wainright threw down a reverse dunk off a baseline drive late in the game. Vandy bounced back and it was a one possession lead before Baylor PG Lester Medford hit a go ahead three despite being fouled.

Emotions ran high on the ride home, with Baylor holding on to that small lead and getting it done. Keep an eye out next year at Barclays come draft time for Baylor's Taurean Prince, who dropped 30 points on Vanderbilt including a run of 11 straight points and a deeeep three to beat the shot clock.

Alex Webb

Freshman/Sophomore Game 2

After a long day watching other teams play and sightseeing in Arlington it was our turn to get the van back to the court. The first quarter saw us get a small lead of 8, though smart fast play and finishing most attempts. However in the second quarter we started to struggle with the change of rules, this resulted in us conceding several fouls. The small change in the rules made it hard for us to get to that basket and get points. This allowed the opposition to claw back the lead and at the end of the quarter we ended equal. In the third the struggle in the second quarter came back to haunt us, as we were fouled multiple times. This meant the opposition began to take the lead. In the fourth although everyone was tired and sore we began to stage a come back. However this effort was simply too late and we just missed out on the win, 45-38

Ned Cook

Junior Varsity vs Lake Worth

Friday morning saw the Varsity boys face their toughest contest yet, coming up against tournament host the Lake Worth Bullfrogs. In a stadium packed with Lake Worth students, the atmosphere was unlike anything most of the boys had faced before. The Churchie boys got off to a slow start, and, feeding off the momentum of the crowd, our opposition was able to hold a comfortable advantage at the end of the first quarter. However, we kept fighting, and by halftime the lead had been trimmed to only 4 through strong offensive play from Mitaru and Tom and great defensive effort from Ben and Ollie. The boys came out of halftime ready to take the lead but were stifled by great pressure defense by the Bullfrogs and collapsed, surrendering a double digit advantage heading into the 4th. Despite a late barrage of threes from Dylan and Sean and a great effort on the boards from Aidan and Hamish the Bullfrogs were able to come out on top by 16 points. Unfortunately, despite having the same win-loss record as both the other teams on our pool, this scoreline meant we finished a mere 4 points out of first place on points differential. Our disappointment had to be short lived, however, as we had to prepare for our next game in just two hours.

Lachlan Marchant

Dallas Cowboys Stadium

It was a fairly cold morning on the Churchie USA basketball tour as we pulled up into the car park of the famous AT&T Stadium. We were all amazed by the enormous dome-like structure that stood before us at 320 feet tall. We walked through the doors and were warmly greeted by Barbara who provided us with a tour of the 1.2 billion dollar stadium. Barbara intrigued us with countless information regarding the construction and current status of ‘Jerry’s World’. The construction of this successful stadium was mainly due to Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, who envisioned this world record-breaking stadium.

 Just to name a few mind-blowing facts, if the two arches supporting the stadium were straightened and placed directly upwards they would be 10 metres taller than the Empire State Building. Personally, I was amazed by the fact that the television hanging from the roof of the stadium was approximately 40 metres long and 17 metres wide, costing 40 million dollars to be built by Mistubishi on the premises.

Barbara began by leading us through the multi-purpose function/bar rooms located on opposite sides of the stadium. These rooms are not only used for the Dallas Cowboy’s home games but also several other events. We then experienced amazing views of the field from different seating sections of the stadium including the private suites, the media room, and the standing area on the top level. The ‘Dr Pepper’ standing area boasts ticket prices at the lowest price where tickets are only $30. We were also guided into the ground-level locker room of the Cowboys Cheerleaders (and also the Cowboys team). Located nearby was the post-game press conference room where Barbara informed us about various famous moments from this room.

Finally we had reached the tunnel leading onto the field, where two bars surround both sides of the tunnel. Here, fans have the ultimate experience of watching the players run onto the field. Fortunately, we were able to walk through the tunnel and onto the field. This was the pinnacle of our experience as we all enjoyed running on the field whilst playing ‘red rover’. We were privileged to receive such insight into a world renowned stadium and I am sure we will all treasure this unique experience forever.

Alex Gianarakis

Freshman/Sophomore Game 1 - Day 1

On December the 3rd the Freshman team played their first game in America against the Lake Worth Bullfrogs. The boys were also the first tour team to play our hosts of the tournament, and we were treated to a team lunch with the Bullfrogs after the game to get to know the players a bit better. After a quick warm up we listened to some words of wisdom from coaches Bateson and Tom and the starting 5 took the court. We came out strong in the first quarter, swiftly (or in Max's case, Speedily) establishing our dominance with an early lead, up 16 to 2. However in the next quarter we had a slump in performance, allowing the opposition to get some quick points on the board, and our lead was cut to only 5. After some stern words from coach Bateson and some time to rest our legs during half time, the team was feeling confident and ready to continue play. Stoney led the way at both ends of the court with intensity and although in the third quarter no one played their best, we were beginning to get back into the rhythm of things. The team picked the up the pace in the end of the third quarter to extend our lead significantly. In the fourth quarter we came on confident because of a strong lead, and the promise of great gifts from Cooper 'Christmas' Brown, and this really helped our play. We began to make more strategic passes and even began to run some of the plays we had practiced in training. In classic Churchie fashion we came home hard with a strong win, 56 to 39.

Ned Cook

Travelling Through Time and Space

Despite a few delays on the tarmac the 2015 Churchie Basketball Tour got underway at about midday on Wednesday. A few hours into the trip, we crossed the International Date Line and eventually landed at LAX at about 6am on Wednesday.

After passing through customs, we had a couple of hours to check out one of the world's most famous airports before catching our connecting flight to Dallas. A number of boys seemed confused by the time and date change, with one remarking how long it felt since he had seen his parents despite it technically only being a few hours on the clock.

We finally got checked in to our hotel on Wednesday afternoon in Arlington, just outside of Dallas Texas. To the boys delight, the Six Flags theme park is just beyond our hotel fence and after tournament play this week we are sure the boys will be looking forward to a casual flume ride or seven! Tomorrow morning we are up and ready to check out AT&T Stadium before heading to our first games.