All Fun and Sun in the Bahamas? NOT!

When we entered the plane on the way back from the Bahamas, a gentleman sitting on the plane asked where we were from. When we responded that we were a basketball team from the University of Charleston, he sarcastically replied, "So that is how the University of Charleston spends its money--sending their teams to the Bahamas." When I informed him that every penny of the money we spent was due to our fundraising efforts, he immediately changed his tune, "Wow. You must have spent a lot of hours doing car washes."

While we didn't do car washes, we did spend many hours "hustling" for the money. Many people have inquired why we want to take the team to the Bahamas or other exotic locales. As educators we want to provide opportunities for our players to learn about the world. We had three players who had never ridden on a plane; four who had never been on a boat; and several who had never been out of the country. They received new experiences and learned that the world is bigger than our gym. They got to put their feet and faces in the ocean and see the wondrous colors of the fish and life beneath the water. Hopefully, we have opened up their minds to new opportunities and ways of thinking.

I personally like to plan a trip every other year because it assists us in recruiting. It may just be the edge we need to convince some great young talent to choose the University of Charleston over another institution. In the challenging world of recruiting, we need every advantage we can get.

Finally, there is a misconception that we simply go to the Bahamas to get a tan. Any person who has spent a few hours with me knows that this is not about to occur. Our first and foremost concern is playing basketball and using the experience to get better.

During our stay there, the players had a basketball quiz, scouted our opponents both on tape and live, dissected our team on tape, played two games, practiced two times, and had a team meeting to dissolve differences. On the days we played games, there was not any time spent on the beach, in the pool, or in the sun. Those days were entirely spent on business.

We did allow ourselves one day after the games were completed to enjoy the sun, the beach, and the ocean. Even though this was a "fun" day; it still served a purpose--team bonding. There is nothing more critical to the success of a team than to have players enjoy being around one another. If players like one another, then they are more apt to play better together. A trip like this one where there are no friends other than teammates, the team has to learn to be together and have fun with one another. I have taken teams on several excursions and on every one of them, we came back with a greater sense of unity.

It is my belief that not only do we become a better team from a trip like this one, but we also become better people. What more could a coach ask for?