The Complete Guide to WorldStrides Sports Basketball Tours
“We couldn’t have been happier with the assistance that WorldStrides provided our basketball team on our recent foreign tour. The company were totally committed to providing our student-athletes a great experience on the trip. They had great communication with us and were attentive and to our requests. We look forward to continuing a partnership with WorldStrides for our next foreign tour.”
- Travis Ford, Head Coach, Saint Louis University Men’s Basketball
It takes experience to create the experience of a lifetime.
WorldStrides Sports delivers a level of quality defined by expert service, top-class support, and industry-leading global reach. Planning these world-class basketball experiences begins with finding the right people—those who bring extensive experience and unique perspectives to share with coaches and student-athletes. That’s why we’ve welcomed basketball legends Grey Giovanine and Ray Giacoletti to our team.
Meet Grey Giovanine
With his retirement as Head Coach of Men’s Basketball at Augustana College, Grey Giovanine bookended an enviable NCAA career. Grey was an NCAA basketball coach for 39 years with 514 career wins as Head Coach, 20 consecutive winning seasons, and the most tournament wins in the last five seasons of any NCAA basketball coach at any level.
Meet Ray Giacoletti
Ray Giacoletti has been an NCAA basketball coach for 38 years, including stints at Utah and Eastern Washington, where he helped lead both teams to impressive finishes in the NCAA tournament. During his 14 years as a Division I Head Coach, he logged 203 career wins and earned the title of 2004 Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year.
Of course, Ray and Grey are no strangers to the impact of seeing more of the world through the eyes of sports. Both have led their team on numerous international tours to Europe, Asia, and South America. They attribute much of their programs’ success to the global travel and competition experience, citing it as key to recruiting, retention, and player and team development. Team alumni often share that it was a highlight of their athletic careers! Ray and Grey are excited to help other teams and players have that same formative experience.
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What we bring to the court
Since 1998, WorldStrides Sports has customized travel programs for North American sports teams to play all over the world.
We unite athletes in the spirit of camaraderie and competition for experiences that showcase new cultures, spark new friendships, and cultivate a passion for sports that transcends borders.
Our contacts and networking skills put your team on the right court, with the right facilities, against the right competition—and we arrange it in the country of your choice. We know how to translate your level of play to the international stage, aligning your club with opponents who put your skills to the test and raise the profile of your entire basketball program.
The power of international travel
Italy. Spain. Australia. Costa Rica. Greece. Wherever you want to go, whatever style of play you want to experience, we make it happen.
Our team of travel experts is at your service. Logistics, lodging, visas, athlete-friendly team meals, group transportation, practice facilities, cultural tours—you name it, and we’ve got you covered. We’re delighted to manage every detail of your overall experience so that it’s nothing short of world-class.
As part of WorldStrides, the nation’s largest student experiential learning company, we’ll also help with your time off the field. Sightseeing, service-learning, or volunteering: We can set you up with activities and events that bond your players with everlasting memories.
Support
every step of the way
Peace of mind for parents, players, and coaches is our number-one priority and has been since day one. We’re specialists in both domestic and international travel, and we’ve managed student programs for over 50 years. We’ve got the staff and partnerships that allow us to make any necessary, real-time program adjustments so you can feel confident and covered during every moment of your trip.
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Greece Athens
DAY 1
Flight to Greece
DAY 2
Welcome Meeting Begin with a welcome meeting and orientation. Afterwards, enjoy free time to explore the area around the hotel.
Practice Session Participate in a practice session at a local gym led by your own coaching staff.
Dinner at Hotel Restaurant
DAY 3
Breakfast at Hotel
Athens City Tour Take a private bus and walking tour with your personal guide. Highlights may include the Plaka, Temple of Olympian Zeus, and Hadrian’s Arch.
Acropolis Visit Experience an up-close look at the history, art, and culture of ancient Greece from the foot of the Acropolis. Walk through this magnificent museum to see examples of Greek art and culture from the archaic period all the way through the 7th century AD. Learn more about the world-famous Acropolis, the Parthenon, and the history that surrounds them.
Exhibition Game Play an international exhibition game against a local club or university team in the Athens area. The team will meet and compete against athletes of similar ages and skill levels.
Dinner at Hotel Restaurant
DAY 4
Breakfast at Hotel
Global Ambassadors Activity Your team will have a wonderful and rewarding opportunity to provide a coaching clinic for a youth or special needs team. You’ll volunteer your time and expertise to serve as global sports ambassadors and to spread the love of your sport to the youth of another country.
Visit Mycenae and Epidaurus Visit Mycenae and the fortified Palace Complex uncovered by archaeologist Heinrich Schielmann in 1874. Highlights will include the 13th-century Lion Gate, Grave Circle A, the Royal Palace, and the Secret Stairway. You will then visit the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, the most famous and well-preserved in Greece.
Dinner at Hotel Restaurant
DAY 5
Breakfast at Hotel
Athens Free Time Enjoy some free time to explore the city and pick up souvenirs. Highlights may include the Plaka, Temple of Olympian Zeus, and the Hadrian’s Arch.
Exhibition Game
Dinner at Hotel Restaurant
DAY 6
Breakfast at Hotel
Day in Delphi Today you’ll take an excursion to Delphi, an ancient site and modern town located on Mt. Parnassus. Here, you’ll see highlights such as the Sacred Way, Sanctuary of Apollo, Temple of Apollo, and the Delphi Archeological Museum. You’ll also have some free time to explore the town!
Dinner at Hotel Restaurant
DAY 7
Breakfast at Hotel
Visit Cape Sounoin One of the most famous and picturesque places in Attica, the cape is located southeast of Athens on the southernmost point of the Attica peninsula.
Temple of Poseidon Visit the Temple of Poseidon, located on the cliffs of Cape Sounion. The present temple ruins, built around 440 BC and dedicated to the Greek god of the sea, include a lonic frieze and many original columns.
Exhibition Game
Dinner DAY 8
Breakfast at Hotel
Day Trip to Hydra Today you’ll travel by boat to visit Hydra, one of the Saronic Islands of Greece. Here you’ll have a guided city tour on foot as motor vehicles are not allowed on the island. Some famous landmarks you’ll see include the Captains’ Mansion and the island’s cathedral.
Free Time in Hydra
Dinner at Hotel Restaurant
DAY 9
Breakfast at Hotel Your rewarding and enjoyable tour comes to an end as your Tour Director accompanies us to the airport on your final day.
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Italy Milan, Florence, Rome
DAY 1
Flight to Italy
DAY 2
Welcome Meeting Begin with a welcome meeting and orientation. Afterwards, enjoy free time to explore the area around the hotel.
Milan Walking Tour Discover Milan on foot as you view some of the most important landmarks in the historic heart of the city. After, take a tour of the enormous and magnificent Piazza del Duomo, flanked by the Duomo, La Scala Opera House, and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuel II.
Practice Session Participate in a practice session at a local gym led by your own coaching staff.
Dinner DAY 3
Breakfast at Hotel
Venice Guided Walking Sightseeing Tour
Bubbling up on more than 100 islands in a lagoon off the Adriatic, Venice is an absolutely unique and unquestionably beautiful city. The weight of its opulent architecture—bulbous domes, Gothic spires, and lacy marble—may be sinking the city by 10 inches a century, but your local guide will make sure you don’t disappear from as you tour the intricate labyrinth of streets and bridges.
Venice Free Time
Exhibition Game You’ll play an exhibition game against a local club or university team. The team will meet and compete against athletes of similar ages and skill levels.
Dinner
DAY 4
Breakfast at Hotel
Travel to Florence
Pisa Guided Excursion Stop in Pisa to see the leaning bell tower. Famous as it is, the leaning tower is just one component of Pisa’s Camp dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles).
Dinner
DAY 5
Breakfast at Hotel
Florence City Tour Take a Florence Walking Tour and view the Piazza del Duomo, the Piazza della Signoria, the Piazza Santa Corce, and the Ponte Vecchio. You will then have some free time to shop or explore Florence at your leisure.
Exhibition Game
Cooking Class & Dinner
DAY 6
Breakfast at Hotel
Practice Session
Siena City Tour Proud Siena is a glimpse into Italy’s medieval past when Florence, Pisa, and Siena were all fierce rivals for European trade, money, and glory.
Dinner DAY 7
Breakfast at Hotel
Colosseum & Roman Fort See ruins and excavations of the Roman Forum with remains of magnificent temples, basilicas, and triumphal arches.
Pantheon The Pantheon is a masterpiece of architecture with its huge hemispherical dome. It also contains the tombs of the Italian kings of Italy and that of the artist, Raphael.
Piazza Navona The lively plaza is highlighted by one of Rome’s most spectacular fountains, the Four Rivers designed by Bernini.
Exhibition Game
Dinner
DAY 8
Breakfast at Hotel
Vatican City & St. Peter’s Basilica Tour the map tapestry rooms, Raphael Rooms, and Sistine Chapel, highlighted by Michelangelo’s ceiling. Continue into St. Peter’s Square to visit St. Peter’s Basilica.
Rome Free Time
Dinner DAY 9
Breakfast at Hotel Your rewarding and enjoyable tour comes to an end as your Tour Director accompanies us to the airport on your final day.
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Spain Barcelona
DAY 1
Flight to Spain
DAY 2
Welcome Meeting Begin with a welcome meeting and orientation. Afterwards, enjoy free time to explore the area around the hotel.
Practice Session Participate in a practice session at a local gym led by your own coaching staff.
Dinner at Hotel Restaurant
DAY 3
Breakfast at Hotel
Barcelona City Tour Take a private bus and walking tour with your personal tour guide. Highlights may include Las Ramblas, the Gothic Quarter, La Sagrada Familia, Motjuic, and the Quadrat d’Or.
Basilica De La Sagrada Familia Visit La Sagrada Familia, a symbol of Barcelona. The grand church of the Holy Family, based on stories from the New Testament, is a strange and wonderful building that represents the intersection of the imaginative style of Modernism with the medieval faith that drove construction of the great Gothic cathedrals.
Exhibition Game Play an international exhibition game against a local club or university team in the Athens area. The team will meet and compete against athletes of similar ages and skill levels.
Dinner at Hotel Restaurant
DAY 4
Breakfast at Hotel
Global Ambassadors Activity Your team will have a wonderful and rewarding opportunity to provide a coaching clinic for a youth or special needs team. You’ll volunteer your time and expertise to serve as global sports ambassadors and to spread the love of your sport to the youth of another country.
Camp Nou Stadium Tour Take a visit to Camp Nou, the home ground for Barcelona’s most popular team and one of Europe’s greatest footballing ‘cathedrals.’
Parc Güell Spend time in Parc Güell. Designed primarily by Gaudi, particularly interesting areas of the park include a mosaic pagoda, a lizard fountain spitting water, and an array of unique Doric columns, which are hollow and serve as part of Gaudi’s drainage system.
Dinner at Hotel Restaurant
DAY 5
Breakfast at Hotel
Travel to Girona Girona is a beautiful medieval city that stands out from the local landscape. Populated at one point by Romans, Arabs, and Jews, the city has a unique archaeological heritage that is well worth a visit.
Girona City Tour Begin this tour walking along the Riu Onyar, admiring Girona’s best-known view, before exploring the Rambla de la Libertat and El Call, the medieval Jewish Quarter where the first Hanukkah celebration since the Jewish expulsion of 1482 was commemorated in 1998.
Exhibition Game
Dinner at Hotel Restaurant
DAY 6
Breakfast at Hotel
Practice Session
Barcelona Free Time
Dinner at Hotel Restaurant
DAY 7
Breakfast at Hotel
Montjuïc Hill Visit Take a funicular ride from the Parallel Metro Stop to Miramar Avenue. Explore Barcelona’s mountain of Montjuïc, the focal point of two of the city’s key international events: the World’s Fair of 1929, of which many structures still remain, and the 1992 Olympic Games.
Free Time at the Beach
Dinner at Hotel Restaurant
DAY 8
Breakfast at Hotel
Montserrat Guided Excursion Montserat is famous for monastery, caves, weirdly shaped crags of rocks, and its amazing mountain. The town lies just 40km northwest of Barcelona and is a summer escape for many.
Exhibition Game
Dinner at Hotel Restaurant
DAY 9
Breakfast at Hotel Your rewarding and enjoyable tour comes to an end as your Tour Director accompanies us to the airport on your final day.
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How about away games on another continent?
The international stage for the American-born sport of basketball grows every year. The NBA’s wingspan reaches across the world, and more and more international clubs long to compete against North American teams at every age and level.
On a WorldStrides trip, your team will benefit from training sessions at local facilities, friendly matches against local competition, a professional arena tour, and the opportunity to attend a professional game.
All of our inclusive experiences include:
• Round-trip airfare
• Hotel accommodations
• Ground transportation to and from all activities
• Admissions and fees for scheduled activities
• Expertly trained Tour Directors
• Two athlete-friendly meals a day
• 24-hour emergency support Last
Augustana College Men’s & Women’s Basketball | Greece Illinois Wesleyan Women’s Basketball | Italy Illinois Wesleyan Men’s Basketball | Greece Saint Louis University Men’s Basketball | Spain & Italy University of Wisconsin La Crosse Men’s Basketball | Italy Vanderbilt University Men’s Basketball | France & Italy
summer, we had these teams travel with us:
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Ready to take your team to the next level with an international sports tour? Contact us today to get started! 410-489-2287 worldstrides.com/sports sports@worldstrides.com Follow us Educational Travel Study Abroad Language Immersion Service-Learning
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