Day 21 - Sunday 16 January

Hi all - no day 20 as we lost that one in flight!
We boarded the plane and departed LAX at midnight headed for home, and many of the group were sound asleep before the 747 struggled to lift off the ground (maybe Robyn and Lynne did do too much shopping), but once we were airborne and settled we enjoyed a lovely dinner and then hit the sack. I'm struggling to mention much more about the way the flight went - it was my longest and best night's sleep for the whole tour! I am told there was quite some vigorous turbulence at some time during the night. We had a wonderful Flight Attendant named Anthony who took a liking to our group and really looked after us - making the flight much more enjoyable.
A tail wind meant we landed at Brisbane airport at 7am, and after what seemed a long wait, our luggage appeared on the carousel and we headed out through customs and quarantine to meet all those waiting.
Overall, the trip was an incredible 21 days - we fitted in so much, saw so many things and met so many wonderful people. Those who say we went on a basketball trip miss the point of it - the basketball gave us many opportunities and opened many doors - but it was the people, the history, the learning, the great things we saw, and above all the fun we had, which was why I put the trip together. My highlights are very simple - seeing boys become young men, watching leaders develop, seeing these young men achieve some of their life goals, and the strong friendships, not only within the group but with our overseas hosts - these are the things which give me energy to do such a trip.
My personal thanks to all the tour participants - many said I was crazy to have so many touring - 50 is a very big group - but we had no issues, no problems and very little sickness - the boys behaviour was exemplary and they represented Nudgee so well it made us all very proud. Thanks for giving me such respect. Thanks to the parents who paid for the trip - I trust this blog has helped you to see what value you have given your sons. Lastly, thanks to Nudgee for letting me take on such a trip - and yes, the next one is already bubbling away in my mind!
Over and out on the blog - there will be plenty of photos uploaded to Flickr over the next day or two so check out our sets at http://www.flickr.com/photos/nc_usatour/ as they will grow for the next week.

Day 19 - Friday 14 January

Well, here we are sitting at gate 41 of Terminal 4 at Los Angeles Airport, preparing for our departure. The boys are wandering around, buying the last of their junk food and talking excitedly about getting home.
Today we got ourselves organised and packed early, and with Jeff's expertise we fitted the 90 bags in under the coach. At 9am we met together at the hotel to give out some awards (I'll post these here once I get home) and a few of our future leaders got up to say thanks to our staff.
We boarded our coach heading for Universal Studios and had a wonderful fun day in the sun of LA. First stop in the park (I made it compulsory) was the studio tour which we all enjoyed and then we all headed for the rides! The Simpsons Simulator, the Mummy Rollercoaster and the Jurassic Park water ride all got a good work out (yes, even by me!) and many of us also enjoyed a couple of the shows. Closing time of 5pm came all too quickly, and after a short bout of shopping at Universal Walk we boarded the bus for the last time and drove toward LAX - avoiding the overcrowded peak hour freeways - arriving around 7pm. Check in went very smoothly except for the messy luggage arrangements but we easily got through security and now we sit, awaiting the boarding call.
One young man I haven't yet mentioned in my thanks is our official photographer - Chris Tippelt. As he finishes working on the photos and we post them onto Flickr you will see the incredible talent and hard work he has put in throughout the trip - thanks so much Chris for all that you did.
One more blog entry to come - on Sunday when we arrive home - just to round it all off!

Day 18 - Thursday 13 January

The happiest place on Earth - no more needs to be said - this could possibly be the shortest blog post yet!
The day started early once again with us having shuttles to Disneyland at 9 and 9.30am, thus an 8.15am wakeup to allow time for breakfast. Once there we obtained our tickets and went for it - under the proviso that they always stayed in groups of 2 or more, and that we would check in at 2pm and 8pm.
Disneyland, for those who've never been lucky enough to go, is a fantastic experience, and here in LA that experience is shared with the California Adventure Park as well. Highlights for the day include the fun many had in groups (I've put a few photos taken and one we bought onto this blog), rides on Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Jungle Cruise (yes, the jokes from the boat driver were worse than mine), the many times we went together on the Hollywood Tower Hotel ride, California Soaring and California Screaming just to name a few. Our men struggling with sickness all braved the day and enjoyed the warmth of the sunshine (quite a contrast to the cold we had experienced on the East Coast) and the fresh air.
We finished the day as a group watching the light and water show at the Adventure Park before boarding the hotel shuttle back for an early night - around 9pm. This gave us all a chance to do the final packing of bags and get an earlier night than many have been - 2 nights in a row in bed on the same day I got up is certainly a record.
With only one more blog post to go at LA Airport tomorrow night, I'm starting to feel a bit sad about the trip ending and not being able to say good morning to so many beautiful young men - they have been absolutely fabulous to travel with.
Our heroes to thank tonight include:
My two sons, Michael and Lachlan, who have been outstanding help in so many ways - Michael coaching the Junior Varsity team and Lachlan the Varsity boys, both in conjunction with me, driving, packing luggage, helping out the boys on the tour and making them feel looked after and welcome, and so many other things including many of the ideas of events we took part in - thanks sons!
Maud and Kenny Georgetown and Stephanie Button - our three other adults who have helped out so much too - washing, ironing, especially helping the younger indigenous boys, so many 'behind the scenes' things - your help has been fabulous, thanks.
And lastly to my good friend and tour manager Scott Stanford - words cannot describe the level of help and support Scott has given not only me but everyone on the tour. He has been a fabulous ear to listen to ideas and thoughts, has born the brunt of some of my frustrations, and keeps on bouncing back and smiling! I could not have asked for a better person to help with this tour - stand tall and proud Scott - all of us on this tour salute and thank you, and I especially thank you from the bottom of my heart!
One more day in the US - another pretty full one - here we come.

Day 17 - Wednesday 12 January

An early start for all as we drove out of our hotel at 6.15am headed for Charlotte Airport. A quick stop to refuel the hired vans and we lined up for what might be described as one of the most inefficient and painful check-ins imaginable. Having arrived at the airport at 6.30am for a 9.20am departure, some of us were paged and had to run for the plane as they were threatening to close the door on us! Many saw 'determinded Richard' in action!
A layover in Dallas/Fort Worth airport of about 2 hours was welcomed after the 2.5 hour flight, and we then boarded the plane heading for LA - one of our staff member was only allocated his seat as he walked to the door, after 'forceful Richard' made it clear none of the group were going if all of the group could not stay together.
We arrived in LA at 3.30pm (Pacific time - 3 hours back from Charlotte time) and headed for the luggage carousel only to find 42 bags had not made it onto our flight in Dallas. 'Frustrated Richard' found a helpful staff member who saw that the bags had been put onto the next flight, which landed in time for us to collect them all before we had to leave the airport by bus.
The bus arrived and we were greeted by a driver who had little personality and not much idea on packing the luggage onto the bus, resorting to just throwing it into the compartments - and guess what - it didn't all fit, so we organised the process to unload and reload to get it all in. 'Pulling hair out Richard' came into action, but at least he was still smiling! We headed from the airport straight to the Staples Center to see the LA Clippers v Miami basketball game. This was quite an experience - the stands were full with over 22,000 people, it was very 'Hollywood' in it's production and was a fantastic experience. The Clippers shocked everyone by winning too!
Back onto the bus and we headed out the freeway toward our hotel, just near Disneyland, arriving at around 11.15pm - a very long day considering in LA time zone we had bee moving since 3am!
My special thanks tonight go to three more of our staff group for their untiring efforts. Jeff Campbell has been our first aid man, our luggage packer extraordinaire, and an untiring helper throughout the whole travel experience - thanks so much for all you've done Jeff.
Wayne O'Brien has been our Freshman Coach, the man who brought up the rear of the group every time (including when driving, which was the most difficult place to be in a chain of 5 vans), the man who found every wifi hotspot in the country and has helped in so many ways I can't mention - a real champion of our team.
Thirdly, thanks to Robyn Mann - our team 'mum'. Robyn has looked after the boys in so many little ways - all the time while also caring for her own family on the tour. The boys have really appreciated her wise words, helpful gestures, washing care and being brave enough to be one of our van drivers as well. Thanks Robyn - a fabulous effort.
Sorry - no photos on the blog tonight as it has got too late and we have a few boys suffering from travellers belly - they are not very well at all and 3 of them spent the whole basketball game in the first aid room asleep, while we had to take one to hospital as he was so ill. We're looking after Jack, Tom, Lachlan and Cambell very well - I promise, and I don't think they'll eat McDonalds again for a little while after the food they had from Dallas airport Maccas.

Day 16 - Tuesday 11 January

On every tour you need a slow day - and today was that one. Scott Minogue and I checked that it was open (with me hitting the deck on the ice in the carpark) and worked out a safe way for us to all walk over the road to get there. Those who were keen (about two thirds of the group) braved the slippery (and I mean slippery!!) walk down and across the road to enjoy one of America's special places for breakfast - IHOP (International House of Pancakes) - where, for $5 you can get two eggs, bacon, sausage, has brown and all the pancakes you can eat!! Mullie took the honours with 8, followed closely by Scott Stanford and myself with 5!
We left the hotel at about 11am bound for Concord Mills, the big outlet shopping center, and arrived to find many shops not yet open, and some never to open, due to the weather. There were very few people out shopping, especially up to about 2pm, so we all enjoyed an uninterrupted shopping spree. It took Karen and me over 3 hours just to walk right around past all the shops!! Many on the tour got some great bargains (I hope you enjoy the presents they bought you all!) and it took until about 4.30pm before we started to gather ready to head back to the hotel.
By 5pm the center was closed - early due to the weather (usual opening hours are 10am to 9pm) - but we had had plenty of time as at times it seemed as if we were the only people there.
Back at the hotel we asked the boys to take of their labels, get rid of the boxes, and pack their bags ready for the early departure tomorrow morning. We packed the luggage van tonight, as we need to drive out of here around 6am tomorrow, bound for Charlotte Airport en-route to Los Angeles.
Had some fun trying to find somewhere open for dinner at 7.30pm - it seems they are not really prepared for the snow and ice here in Charlotte and many people did not brave the roads getting to work. We finally found a fantastic restaurant called 'Cheddars' and had a wonderful meal - quite fitting as our last sit down meal together in the USA.
It is timely to talk about three of the 'heroes' of our staff team tonight - I can't tell you how much patience and understanding they have shown throughout the trip and how much work, much behind the scenes, which has made things run so smoothly. My first thanks go to Lynne Cronan, one of our 'mums' who has been our go-to person for boys not feeling well - she has been superwoman to many of them, handing out cough mixture and treating sore throats - thanks so much Lynne.
Secondly, thanks to Scott Minogue, our accommodation manager. He has been the person checking us all in and out, handing out keys, fixing the problems which occur sometimes with boys not getting organised to share their rooms, and then checking their rooms at the end of each stay (helped by Lynne and Robyn) - thanks for taking this weight off my shoulders Scott - you've been magnificent.
Lastly to my wife Karen who has looked after all our financial dealings, keeping receipts and chasing up who I gave money to and why. She's also been the one to clean up when one of the boys was sick, and been an incredible support - thanks so much Karen.
So off we head in the morning to LA for our next installment.

Day 15 - Monday 10 January

Just when you thought it couldn't get any better - it did!!!!!!!
Our first day of traveling with the mini buses so the first task of the day was the jigsaw of packing the luggage van with all of the bags for the group - plus the back seat of two of our passenger buses as well. Jeff Campbell's packing skills came to bear - he did an awesome job!
We left Raleigh at about 9.15am and headed south along the most awesome network of freeways. The travel time was listed as 2 hours 30 minutes, but we knew that we were heading into some poor weather which might slow us down. One of our group felt ill during the trip (yes, it was a bit of a mess) but otherwise the trip went well, and about an hour out of Charlotte the snow flakes floated down - it was amazing!! Whilst we did have to slow down a little, it was worth it for the beautiful sight of snow in the trees and bushes, all over the ground and all around.
We arrived at our hotel at about 1.30pm (see, it did take longer than we thought) to find that due to the snow fall most things around were closed - even the Burger King in the car park! Many of us ordered pizzas for lunch to fill the gap, and got ourselves ready for a 4pm departure to go to the Charlotte Bobcats. We traveled in to town very slowly due to the sleet falling (about 11 miles) and parked across from the arena in an empty carpark. After a short bout of shopping in the team shop we were escorted courtside to watch the team shootaround - an absolutely awesome experience to get so close to the players and many were able to get their autographs. We enjoyed the chance to be the only people in the arena for nearly an hour, and I got a interviewed by the radio announcer. As the weather had been so bad all day, and was threatening to be worse tonight, they were expecting a very small crowd, so our seats were moved twice - from the top stand to the back of the lower stand, then to 6 rows from the court! AMAZING!!!!! Once people started to filter in it became obvious that the crowd would be very small (they really are a bit soft down here if a little snow keeps them away from a game) and by tipoff only about 1700 people were in the arena which seats nearly 20,000! At quarter time many of us moved - Lachlan, Cambell and I took up front row seats - it was an incredible experience to be so close to the game - we could hear the players, see their faces and really experience the whole thing!! Others moved over closer to the bench, as at the end sat Michael Jordan! You'll see the amazing photo Chris Tippelt took here on the blog. Mullie and Tom got a chance to compete in the quarter time game of tick-tack-toe on the court (well done on winning Mullie) and Christian, Dan and Tom got to sit courtside for the second half. Seriously, an unforgettable experience!!
Following the game we braved the light sleet falling to walk back to the vans, only to find a thick coating of ice on all the windows. Once the heaters were rolling we were able to scrape the ice from the windshields, and wind down the side windows and put our fist through the ice which had set across the window space.
It was a very slow drive home - very few cars on the road but much ice and snow which made conditions treacherous, to say the least - possibly the hardest conditions I have ever driven in. We did all arrive safely and are now settled in to the warmth of our hotel.

Day 14 - Sunday 9 January

Our first relaxed morning for the tour - those who needed to get washing or banking done got help at 10am, whilst others slept in - us meeting only at 11.30am to board the buses and head for the RBC center yet again, this time to watch the Carolina Hurricanes play the Atlanta Thrashers in Ice Hockey. It was great to get the opportunity to go down to 'ice level' to watch the teams warm up before the game began, and a few of our group made the venture down to the front row after the first period to fill some empty seats. The game was fabulous, and we all enjoyed not only the spectacle on the ice but the wonderful entertainment throughout all the breaks. The game ended in a draw - and the sudden death overtime saw Carolina score and take the win. At the end of the game they invited any of the kids in the crowd who wanted to go down to the ice to take a shot at goal, and many of our group took that opportunity!
From there we headed off for our first shot at outlet shopping. Whilst it was a long drive, many people did quite a bit of damage to their cash reserves, buying clothes and shoes, watches and underwear, and much more.
Back to the Golden Corral again for a dinner buffet, a most amazing feed, and then to the hotel just after 9pm to get much needed packing done in preparation for our trip to Charlotte in the morning.

Day 13 - Saturday 8 January

This morning we awoke to seeing snow falling outside our windows - only light but it was so exciting! After breakfast we headed off to visit the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a College with over 35,000 students which was founded in 1792, only 4 years after Australia was first settled. We drove around a little to view parts of the college (and because we got lost!) before we ended up at the Dean E Smith Center - the home of the Tar Heels basketball team. Just as we arrived it started to snow - and we all really enjoyed the experience of walking around whilst it fell upon us. Not a lot of snow fell, but it was enough to make it very exciting! The basketball museum was fascinating - just reading and looking at the wonderful collection of memorabilia was fascinating. For those who don't know, this was the University that Michael Jordan attended, and there was great interest to see his display. From there were headed to the North Carolina Student shop - many people bought lots of clothing and other items here, especially as the NC symbol is the same as ours!
We left there at 1pm and headed for the RBC Center to watch the NCAA game North Carolina State v Wake Forest. During the drive we drove through another quite heavy snowfall - whilst none has yet collected on the ground it has been fabulous to see it. Predictions are that by Monday it will get heavier.
The basketball center was huge - and so much fun! The $5 tshirts were popular and made many feel a real part of the red and white crowd. NC State ran away with an easy win. From there we visited the biggest shopping mall in town - Crabtree Valley, and many bought some clothing and those special shoes they had been planning for. Last stop was another Golden Corral buffet restaurant - all you can eat and drink for around $12 a person. We were even given our own room! We enjoyed this so much that we have booked in for tomorrow.
It was such a pleasant change to be back at the hotel by 9pm - hopefully the boys will get a chance to get some much needed sleep tonight.

Special Blog Post - Basketball on tour

Now that our games are over I thought it timely to talk about how important the role of these games was. During the course of the tour each team played 6 games - and every school experience was completely different.
Our first games in Connecticut v Norwich Free Academy were a real eye opener to all - the whole experience of being in a school for the first time was very exciting and the boys revelled in their new found importance. Norwich is a large school, well known for its strong academic program and is set in a beautiful part of this country. Newspaper interviews, cheer girls, half time entertainment, the differences in rules between their games and ours back home and the fact that people were being charged for entrance just name a few! Whilst we did not hold our own on the court that day due to the intense tiredness of all from our travel we did really enjoy the chance to play in a beautiful school.
Our second set of games was a few days later, back in Connecticut against Nathan Hale Ray School, a lovely small school in a picturesque area. Just having a chance to have the boys practice together first gave us more of an edge, and that each of the older boys had been billeted before the games meant there was more at stake (in their minds at least!). Another big crowd turned up to watch and the atmosphere was fantastic - very different from our first school (less upbeat) - and we played much better and those guys with limited experience playing found it much easier. Our Freshmen drew, our JV side just lost by a point and our Varsity boys held their own for most of the game but struggled at the end to their second loss.
Our Junior Varsity and Varsity guys had their third games in yet another very different style of school, an inner city gym in the basement of the Hunter College High School in central Manhattan, New York. The JV side played really well and took out a strong win, whilst the Varsity side really struggled to play well together early in the game, hitting their straps after half time and just fell short.
Game 3 for our Freshman was against Sidwell Friends - a very wealthy school in Washington DC and the school which Barack Obama's daughters attend. Our boys again played with incredible passion, but fell just short of the win.
Game 4 for all was in Virginia - the Freshman side played Monticello High whilst the JV and Varsity side played Robert E Lee High. By this time we were struggling to believe how you could play in four places which were so different from each other. Our JV boys were fantastic in this game, playing with huge passion and taking out an easy win. The Varsity side played really well in parts, but not well in others, and struggled to gain any sort of foothold - going down easily.
Game 5 was our first in North Carolina in yet again another quite different style of school. This was a Christian School in a little town about an hour out of Raleigh, and the whole group were African American. Trinity were so very athletic, able to jump, play great D and very well disciplined. Our Freshmen just lost, our JV were soundly beaten but this was the best game on tour from our Varsity boys. But for a few minutes where the opposition could not miss from outside the three point line we might have got up, but missed out on the win.
Our last set of games was yet another very different experience as it was at Wake Crossroads Baptist Church, a base for boys who were being home schooled. Each of our teams won, the JV and Varsity teams easily and the Freshmen just getting up.
So all in all the doors that these basketball games opened were fantastic - our three billet experiences were fabulous and enjoyed by all and the friendship and fellowship shown by all our American hosts was something to be believed - so many of us have made friends for life.

Day 12 - Friday 7 January

Another wonderful day in paradise!!

Today saw the start of the self-drive vans - which meant a little preparation was necessary including a practice spin around the car park for some of our drivers! We let the boys stay in bed until 8.45, and aimed to get the group organised by 9.45, getting away not long after, and we headed for Duke University. Our first view of the Uni was the Chapel - a most imposing piece of architecture - and then we headed toward the visitors car park so that we could have a closer look around.
We were privileged to be able to walk into the Chapel and were in awe of the huge interior, magnificent pipe organ and beautiful stained glass windows. From there we walked along a pathway through the arches, past some of the student accommodation toward the student recreation center. One of the friendly staff let us in to look around at the three storey facility which included basketball courts, pools and a great gym. She then took us all through the original basketball stadium into Cameron Indoor Stadium, the home of Duke Basketball. The Duke men were holding a closed practice session but many of us got a sneek peak through the edge of the curtain! We enjoyed looking at the excellent sporting museum and headed over to the student center where many did some damage to their bank accounts in the Duke clothing store. Duke is only a small uni of 6000 undergraduates and about the same number of gradulates studying - they all pay around $50,000 a year for this privilege. 30,000 applications were received for the 1,700 places in the next academic year!
From there we drove to Best Buy, a huge electronics shop, where many purchased cameras, laptops and headphones just to name a few items, and also visited a huge sporting store named Dick's. After this quick shopping stop it was off on a short drive (made just a little longer when Richard missed two turns off the freeway meaning we double backed twice) to Wake Crossroads Baptist Church for our last games of the tour against the Raleigh Hawks.
The Freshman played first, and got off to a strong start before the Hawks adjusted and worked their way back. It was fantastic to watch some of our 'rookies' like Nick Duncan, Ryan Williams and Josh Kieser play really well, and combine with the strong play of Seamus O'Sullivan, Jordan Swepson and Nelson Larkins. The inside presence of Michael Cosh really helped with rebounds as well. Final score was 41 - 37 - a great way for the young men to finish their play on the tour.
The Junior Varsity side matched up well against the Hawks and, at times, showed their strength in defence and offensive skills. It was great to see Nelson Larkins able to step up and play at this level - he showed great poise on the court. Alexa Boardman struggled with some questionable refereeing calls, as did Reid. Micheal Moore continued his excellent play on tour, top scoring with 27, and Matt VonWilpert enjoyed his best game in the US. We ran out winners 68 to 56 after being up be over 20 at times.
The Varsity side were primed, looking for their first win, but struggled to turn this thought into good defence on the court early. A quick time out after only 4 minutes to remind the boys why defence wins games (I love the rule where you can call a time out whenever you have the ball) meant we turned things around and took a slim lead into quarter time. The second quarter belonged to us, and we began to play disciplined offence as well as strong man-to-man defence. However, it was a zone press which made the difference and took away any chance from the opposition - us running away winners 74 to 36. Great rebounding and running of the floor came from Brett Cronan, excellent steals from Dan Affleck and it was great to see both Micheal Moore and Alex Boardman step up to this level and play so well.
Our hosts provided us with a pizza dinner following the game and we mixed with their community for nearly and hour, before heading back to the hotel at around 11pm.

Day 11 - Thursday 6 January

It was hard work dragging ourselves out of bed this morning - another very short night! For those of us in the hotel we had a quick breakfast and boarded the bus to head back to Robert E Lee High School to pick up the boys who had been billeted.
We headed off by 8.30 in the direction of North Carolina, nearly 5 hours away. The boys were happy to talk about the great overnight experience they had, and shared the fun of their last night of billeting whilst on tour. Thankfully we were able to put on a couple of movies to while away the time - Wall Street and Salt! One highlight of the trip was the Golden Corral Buffet we stopped at for lunch - all you can eat and drink for $10! The salad bar, the hot meat and seafood, and the amazing dessert bar were unbelievable.
We arrived at our Hampton Inn in Raleigh at around 3.30pm, and quickly unpacked the bus and moved into our rooms, before we headed off to Trinity Christian School in Fayetteville - about and hour and a half drive. We arrived a little late and the Freshmen played first after a shortened warmup. The game was close throughout, continuing in the same vein as yesterday's, with excellent team play shown by Nelson Larkins, a fantastic rookie effort from James Mann and Nick Duncan shot a game equaling basket, was fouled and hit the extra. Final score was 37 - 40.
The Junior Varsity boys started slowly, not something we are accustomed to. They warmed up as the game progressed, and showed their usual strong defensive play and excellent drives to the basket. Alex 'Dino' Boardman continued his positive intimidating efforts, grabbing many huge rebounds and scoring from under the basket, and Micheal 'Spanky' Moore once again showed his class and leadership on the court. Jack LeRossignol played great D and kept the opposition guessing. We ended up losing 40 - 64.
Watching the Home Varsity team warming up was frightening - most players were taller than Pat Moore and with amazing athletic jumping ability. The two coaches (Lachlan and Richard) were thinking about a massacre occuring, but our boys had other plans. Our zone defence seemed to stifle the Trinity players and allowed our boys to run and score - at many times during the first half we were in the lead, up 19-18 at the quarter time break, and the half time score was 31 - 34. Sadly one of the Trinity boys started to hit his outside shots and they pulled ahead, but our boys continued with their energetic running style and kept the game close and interesting throughout. Final score was 55 - 73, but this did not reflect how well we played - possibly the best Nudgee Firsts game in the last two years. Standout efforts came from Jake and Tom Dunsmore, Pat Moore, Mullie Watson and Aidan Ptasznik, but truly all played really well.
A late night pizza delivery for dinner (12.15am!) with the promise of a later start in the morning ended the day.

Day 10 - Wednesday 5 Jan

The day was a late start for all - you never should underestimate the power of sleeping until 7am!
After we checked out of the hotel at 10am we headed for Arlington Memorial Cemetery and took the guided bus tour to see John F Kennedy's grave and the eternal flame, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the incredible changing of the guards ceremony and the historic home of George Washington's adopted son. The sense of dignity and deep respect over the whole place, the understanding of the Civil War and the role Robert E Lee played was one memory that will stay with me forever.
A quick trip around Georgetown and the university (including a photo shot for the Georgetown family) saw us leaving Washington DC, heading out into country Virginia. A quick stop at Burger King (or as quick as one shop can feed 50 people) satisfied the hungry hordes and we settled in for a good 3 hour drive.
The Freshman team was playing at one school in Monticello, whilst the Junior and Senior Varsity teams played at Robert E Lee High School in Staunton - the two schools a 40 minute drive apart. We dropped the Freshmen off early and they enjoyed the chance to watch the Monticello Varsity team train and walk through the gym whilst the cheerleaders were practicing. The game was a see-sawing affair, with the lead changing several times in the first quarter. Michael Cosh had 8 blocks before half time and was ably assisted by Seamus O'Sullivan who led the team with 16 points. Final score for the game was 39 - 35 - it was great to see Keneen Cole-Zaro's athletic prowess and Ryan Williams' enthusiasm all over the court.
The welcome at Robert E Lee High School was so warm and inviting, even though we were running a little late. Our Junior Varsity team warmed up well and started with huge energy - Micheal Moore played possibly the best game I have ever seen him play and Reid Foran was also outstanding at the point. Awesome contributions off the bench came from Christian Albiez and Samson Page. Our defence as a team, and individually, was just too much for our opposition and we ran away with a strong win 66 to 37.
Our Varsity team then warmed up, but started slowly, and in almost no time we were down 12 to 4, but the exciting thing to watch was that our defence was very strong. Early in the second quarter we called a time out and strong words were spoken - we needed to take more disciplined shots, run more offence and work harder to receive the ball. The good news is that this worked!! We slowly started to peg back the opposition, and went into the half only 11 points down after the split being up to 17 points. We started the second half much more committed, and played some of the best defence I've seen at Nudgee, at one stage gaining a steal after 90 seconds of defence (no shot clocks over here!). We worked hard at pegging them back, getting within 4 at one stage of the quarter. However, this was not to continue, and the eventual result worked out 35 to 66. Great contributions off the bench from Curtis Rudd and Cambell Taylor ably assisted Jake Dunsmore and Pat Moore.
The boys were off to billets for the night - it is interesting to note that a number of the girls here asked for specific players - after a pizza gathering in the school cafeteria. One special point to note is that the Robert E Lee coach Paul Hatcher is now in his 43rd season, with over 850 wins on his record, and his son is his assistant coach - sounds familiar, hey! We played in a wonderful gym with a seating capacity of 1600 - and the crowd would have been around 1000 who all paid $5 to get in!!
The staff and families headed back to dinner and our hotel - another short night as we have a big day on the road ahead tomorrow.

Day 9 - Tuesday 4 January

Another awesome day - it is so hard to believe that we have only been away for 9 days!
We headed off at 8.30am all dressed up - full Nudgee uniforms for the boys, including both Ipswich and Brisbane Grammar representatives and our two Clayfield College girls and suits and formal wear for the adults, ready for our White House Tour. After a visit to the Visitors Center we crossed Pennsylvania Avenue and went through the security checkpoint to then go through another security checkpoint to enter the East Wing of the White House itself. It was fantastic to be able to wander through the building, talk to the Secret Service officers in each room and ask questions about what we were seeing, the purpose of the rooms and where things were. The President's bedroom was directly above us at one stage and at another time one of the officers teased Karen and Lynne about an invitation to go up the stairs, only to hear that he would lose her job it if did happen. The souvenir store outside was fabulous, then we gathered as a group on the sidewalk of Pennsylvania Avenue for a fantastic set of photos - a full group and many individual and small group pictures - all with the White House as the backdrop.
Next stop for the bus was the Capital Building, where we all got off and had a fabulous photo taken on the steps. We enjoyed looking at where Martin Luther King made his famous 'I have a dream' speech, and where President Obama was inaugurated - completely blown away at the space that was filled with people when this occurred. Back on the bus we travelled past the many Smithsonian Museums to the Washington Monument which we looked up to in awe. We all then strolled up The Mall toward the Lincoln Memorial, visiting the National World War II Memorial along the way. The boys were in awe at the marvel and size of Abraham Lincoln within that incredible memorial building.
By 3.30pm we headed for Sidwell Friends School for our Freshman game and we were welcomed to their new $40 million gym which included a football field and running track on the top floor, two basketball courts, a wrestling gym and dance studio inside!! Wow!! Sidwell Friends is the school to which President Obama sends his daughters, and the school Chelsea Clinton attended.
It was a fantastic game, incredibly competitive and our boys played with great passion. Unfortunately it appeared to us that the referee was certainly helping the home team, and many of the calls seemed to go their way every time - even the Sidwell parents agreed with us. Final score for the game was 39 - 42, an incredible effort with our two best players fouled early in the fourth corner.
Our bus trip back to the hotel was through very heavy traffic - it took nearly an hour to get onto the freeway heading back toward Virginia. However, we stopped off at a local restaurant for dinner - a chance for us to all have something not 'fast food' and sit down using real cutlery and crockery. The whole group were thrilled with the meal and the atmosphere - satisfying to have a chance to be grown up!
Back to the hotel before 9pm, and with a later start for the morning, it was one of the most amazing days on tour so far.

Day 8 - Monday 3 January

Would you believe I am sitting on our bus travelling at 75mph down the New Jersey Turnpike heading for Washington DC - still nearly 4 hours away (present time is 9.48pm). The luxury of free wifi on our bus, provided by the awesome Mike the driver, is something I had no idea was even possible.
The day started bright and early with us waking the boys in the hotel and getting them ready for school - yes, you read it right - the had their full winter uniform on and looked fantastic (thanks to Kenny Georgetown for ironing their shirts). We headed off to Nathan Hale Ray High School in time for the boys to attend first class - at 7.30am! Those who had been with their billets got in to school on time as well - some even had the fun of travelling on one of those yellow school buses. The staff and families got a great sleep in and a chance to re-pack their bags (and I had chance to upload some more photos to Flickr).
First class ended at 10.30 and the group gathered in the school auditorium to be greeted by the Principal and then headed in to the cafeteria for lunch - burgers, nuggets, mashed potato and an option on a green salad! Our host students, and a great number of the girls in the school, seemed to have the freedom to be out of class and spent time with us - much to our boys enjoyment!! Stories of the morning circulated, including Mullie Watson reporting the news of the day on the TVs in the clasrooms, followed by the sport report by Seamus O'Sullivan and the weather by Tyrone Turaga. Interesting to note that the boys who stayed up near the school had seen light snow fall during the evening - quite a hit! Most of the boys spent their classes answering questions about Australia and their lives.
11.30am saw us hit the road headed back to New York (for our third visit) and we pulled up in front of Hunter College High School on the corner of Park Avenue and 94th Street right on 3pm. One of 460 High Schools in New York City, it was surrounded by brick, high rise walls and the gym was in the basement - such a contrast to the two previous schools in country Connecticut. Hunter is known as the strongest academic high school in the US, and we had special guests watching us including the academic superintendent for New York City and the Commissioner of Boys Basketball for New York City.
The Junior Varsity team kicked off the afternoon with an intense game, lots of great shooting, tough play under the hoop and much fast breaking, and the half time score was very close. We pulled away late in the third quarter and ended up winning 56 - 37 - a great result for our first win on US soil. Stand out play from Aidan Ptasznik led the way, Alex Boardman got 6 blocks in the first half, and Samson Page hit his straps as well as a sweet jump shot.
The Varsity game was also a very tough game, but our boys turned up to play today, with some excellent early shooting from Jake Dunsmore, a fantastic defensive effort by Mullie Watson and a strong performance in the second half from Curtis Rudd. Unfortunately we just fell short, losing 62 - 70.
Into the bus again and south we headed at 7.30pm, with a stop for dinner at McDonalds, and now I am sitting here writing the blog. We expect to get in to Washington DC at around 2am - and all are very much looking forward to a special day tomorrow.
A range of photos tonight - from Nathan Hale Ray in the cafeteria and corridors, to the outside of Hunter College High School.

Day 7 - Sunday 2 January

The morning was our first slow one - and you wouldn't believe how much we needed it. With breakfast at 8.30am and someone to make the waffles, those of us in the hotel were really spoilt, but I think the boys who were billeted were the real winners - most of them spent the evening at the local skating pond around a bonfire with not only their billets but also almost all of the local teenagers!
We met together at Nathan Hale Ray High School at 12 noon to begin our basketball competitions - the Freshman played first at 1pm and drew the game, 60 all. Highlights came from Seamus O'Sullivan who played an outstanding game in all aspects, but the surprise package was Jordan Swepson who was strong in many ways, scoring over 10 points and grabbing heaps of rebounds. It was great to see Nick Duncan score and Ryan Williams played great defence.
The Junior Varsity game was a cracker - intense defence and structured offence played by both sides. It was one of the best games I've ever seen Reid Foran play, and other great performances came from Micheal Moore and Jack LeRossignol. We finally went down 48 - 47, missing a tough shot just on the buzzer. 3pm saw the Varsity game formalities - after a traditional American basketball introduction one of the girls from the High School sang the National Anthem unaccompanied - a spine tingling rendition which we will remember for a long time. Hale Ray came out firing, hitting three pointers with ease and we struggled all game to catch up. It was fantastic to see Aidan Sassu play awesome defence and Dan Affleck shone all over the court. Both Tom and Jake Dunsmore also had great games. The final score was 45 - 61, but the 16 point split did not reflect the standard of the game or the great teamwork we showed. It was great to see a big crowd turn up to see us play and our special public relations host, Philippa Mann, who interacted with the crowd whilst giving out our tour booklets.
The school hosted our whole group for dinner in the cafeteria with many of the locals and all their players and it was so much fun talking to all the parents who had billeted - they had really enjoyed the experience of having our boys in their homes. We have a new dessert favourite - Dirt Cake - and yes, Karen is getting the recipe.
All headed off at 6pm - the boys with their billets and the others back to the hotel for another quiet night - a chance to put more photos onto Flickr (check out www.flickr.com/photos/nc_usatour) - at this point I have uploaded some of the photos Chris Tippelt has taken plus most of Karen's, Lachlan's and Michael's.
Tomorrow the boys head off to school - they are both excited and tentative - more tomorrow night!

Day 6 - Saturday 1st January

A late start was appreciated by most, and an outstanding buffet breakfast was very welcome.
On the bus by 10.45, we headed out to Connecticut once again along Highway 1. Approaching East Haddam we were in awe of the scenery - the snow covered hillsides, the quaint buildings reminiscent of 'On Golden Pond' with wooden houses just like the little Christmas Village we have at home. Nathan Hale Ray High School is a small school in East Haddam, and we received the warmest welcome you could imagine. The boys got a chance to practice together and enjoyed 90 minutes on the court before the hosts for our boys arrived (might make up for some of the food they have been eating). Unfortunately, as the school is only small, they were only able to billet 19 of our players, so the others headed back to the Hotel whilst the players and their billet families headed with our coaches to the Nathan Hale Ray coach's home for lunch/dinner. The experience was one all the boys will remember forever - an awesome 'cook out', an intense snow ball fight and a chance to get to know the players and their families before they headed home.
Those not billeted enjoyed a quiet night in the hotel and a great home style meal - a chance to catch up with the washing was really appreciated!
This is great time to mention our fantastic bus driver Mike. He has gone above and beyond for us - and is such an awesome help. He provides free wifi on the bus, is an unbelievable driver, is generous and professional, and his knowledge base is exceptional!
PS - did you realise this morning we had 11:11:1:1:11 - we took a photo of the clock on the bus!
Photos today include