The UWO men’s basketball team will be traveling to Italy for an experience of a lifetime. The players, coaches and family members will leave Oshkosh on Tuesday, May 17 and return on Thursday, May 26. While abroad, the team will compete and bond over traveling in a foreign country together.
“It is far more than a basketball trip, it’s going to be a cultured experience. Basketball is our excuse for doing it,” said Pat Juckem, UW-Oshkosh men’s basketball head coach.
These experiences will be shared on an active blog by two student-athletes, Kyle Beyak and Jake Laihinen.
“Getting to travel abroad to play basketball is a dream come true,” Beyak, a freshman radiology major from Mount Prospect, IL, said.
“Basketball for a lot of people is just a sport but for a lot of guys on our team it’s what we love doing. It’s our passion,” Beyak said.
Besides basketball and team bonding, Laihinen, a junior majoring in accounting and finance from Mequon, has other things on his mind.
“I have some friends studying abroad in Italy right now and I heard a lot of good things about pizza,” Laihinen said.
Whether it be the food, the game or the memories, the UWO men’s basketball team is in for an exciting time on their upcoming trip to Italy.
[Edited June 26, 2018: below is an archive of Beyak and Laihinen’s blog posts from the trip.]
Italy, here we come!
Day 1
We departed last night out of the Chicago O’Hare International Airport and headed for Copenhagen, Denmark. The flight time lasted eight hours and was full of restless legs, an exceptional movie selection and a couple of average in-flight meals.
We are currently sitting in the Copenhagen Airport writing this blog post. I would imagine many of you reading are not quite sure what country Copenhagen is even located in—it’s Denmark. Our layover here in Copenhagen lasts four hours and after our layover we have roughly a two hour flight ahead of us on the way to Milan, Italy.
Followed by the flight we have a three hour bus ride to the resort town of Montecatini, which is located in Tuscany.
With the exception of a few of our guys who slept on the first eight hour plane ride, most of us have been awake for more than 24 hours.
An early problem arising for our group has been trying to learn the currency exchange rates and finding one another throughout the airport with limited cell service.
Stay tuned for more!
—Jake & Kyle
Titans are victorious in first game abroad
Day 2
Our first day in Italy was much more eventful than our previous day filled with nothing but flights and bus rides. Some of the guys started the day with a hike to Montecatini Alto, a mountain top village with an incredible view of the rest of the city (Monetcatini Terme). After lunch, the whole group took a trip to the beautiful city of Florence.
We participated in a walking tour through the city led by our insightful tour guide, Carolyn. During the tour, we visited many beautiful sights including the Duomo, which is the main cathedral located in Florence.
Walking through the Duomo we got to see the fascinating architecture and it was quite the experience. When we were leaving, we walked outside to pouring rain. The rain was cold and chilling and saddened our group slightly but we managed to still make the best of it. Due to the rain, many vendors came out and began persistently trying to sell us umbrellas and ponchos. Several of our guys believed they were able to swindle a good price but others were not as successful.
Our first game was played in Prato against the Prato Basketball Club. We were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd prepared for an entertaining match-up between two competitive teams. As we warmed up, young kids in the crowd were very thrilled about our guys throwing down dunks. As a result of the kids passion our guys felt the need to dunk harder and harder which let to the rim being bent at a permanent 45 degree angle. During halftime, some of the younger kids took center court and had a breakdancing battle that entertained both teams and the rest of the packed crowd.
We were victorious with a final score of 92-54 and had contributions from every member of the team. Distinguished basketball alumni, Nick Olson ’16, was heard on the bench saying, “I was dropping dimes out there.” This was in fact true and the rest of the team played unselfishly as well.
All in all, today has been an experience none of us will ever forget. We look forward to the upcoming days filled with new adventures and unforgettable moments.
—Jake & Kyle
Pasta, wine and basketball
Day 3
The third day of our Italian adventure began with our group taking a walking tour through Montecatini Terme. Carolyn, our tour guide, showed us why this city is so special. Famous people from all over the world travel to this part of Italy, so that they can experience the several different cleansing and healing spas.
These spas are not like our ordinary spas back home, however, they offer water from a fountain that is filled with minerals that provide cleansing of different parts of your body.
Next on our agenda was a wine tasting at the Montecarlo winery located in Lucca. We were taken on a tour of the winery and we learned from our guide how the grapes are grown and fermented into wine. We were served a delicious multiple course meal with pasta, cheese, salami and prosciutto with different kinds of bread. After the wine tasting, some of our players were dropped off to climb to the top of Montecatini Alto. At the top, there is a secluded city that has a historical church that was built in 1296. Inside the church, you can quickly tell just how much meaning this church could have to the small community of Montecatini Alto.
Sean Dwyer had the quote of the day when he said, “Our bus driver, Patricio is a wizard.” As we watched him back up a full-sized bus full of 53 passengers into oncoming traffic, he wasn’t phased by anything and seemed to make a statement on how you are supposed to drive.
The second game of the trip was against a very talented club called the Etruscan Select. This club team is ranked in the B-level of Italian professional basketball league. The atmosphere was not quite as energetic as the previous match but this team was more talented, experienced and physical than any team we have seen in the WIAC thus far. As a team, we learned how important it is to get a shot every possession because of the 24-second shot clock. We ended up winning with a final score of 67-66.
Tomorrow we will be leaving Montecatini Terme and traveling to Sienna for our next expedition. After a tour and free time, we will head to Norcia where we will be spending our next few days. Norcia is an ancient city surrounded by 14th century walls.
Until next time,
Jake & Kyle
Touring Siena
Day 4
Our fourth day in Italy involved a little more travelling then our group might have wanted. We started the morning with an hour and a half bus ride to Siena. In spite of our circumstance, we did what we could to make the best of our situation. We pulled out a phone and popped into a game of charades. For some members of our group, the tour of Siena was the best part of the trip so far. Siena is a city surrounded by walls that were built in the 13thcentury. We were led through the city by a local guide who was able to provide a multitude of insightful information.
As we first entered the city, the first piece of architecture we saw was an escalator. Today’s quote of the day came from Ben Boots when he saw the escalator and stated, “there is no way that escalator was built in the 13th century.” The city of Siena is split into 17 districts and the citizens of these districts take a large amount of pride in being from their unique part of the city. The biggest event of the year in Siena is an annual horse race. All of the district’s names are placed into a hat and 10 of the 17 districts are selected to have their own horse represent their district.
The horses are referred to as heroes. On the day of the race, the horses are taken into the church of their district and blessed by the district’s priest. The races occur twice a year, once in June and once in August. Approximately 40,000 people attend the event that is located in the city’s central square.
Several of the guys along with Coach Lewis and Coach Jahnke walked up the tallest tower in Siena, called Torre de Mangia. The view from the top was unforgettable and worth every step to the top. After leaving Siena we drove three hours to the mountainous Umbria Region. We will spend our next three nights staying in the city of Norcia. Dinner tonight was an exceptional four course meal at Granara Del Monte in the downtown area of Norcia. After roaming the streets of Norcia it was a quiet night for the players because of an early morning practice.
Signing off,
Jake & Kyle
Titans defeat Terni Select and remain undefeated in Italy
Day 5
Our fifth day in Italy started with a 9 a.m. practice followed by some free time to explore the downtown area of Norcia. We then enjoyed a three-course-meal at the Granara Del Monte (the same restaurant we ate at the night before). Many people in our group only enjoyed two courses because the third course of the meal was a cooked head of lamb. Yes, you heard me correctly—an actual head of lamb was cooked and served to us. A few brave souls had the courage to try to eat the lamb brain. Freshman David Vlotho said, “I’m going to eat the lamb brain first—I could definitely use the extra IQ points.”
After lunch we boarded our bus for a 45-minute ride to the ancient city of Spoleto that was founded by the Romans in the 3rd century. We participated in a walking tour and took in the the most beautiful views that our trip has offered thus far. We also saw an exceptional piece of architecture—an aqueduct (an artificial channel for conveying water). It was located in a valley between two mountains and had a fantastic view.
Our third game of the trip took place in Terni against Terni Select. The gym we played in was very unique—it was a concrete dome. Once again, the gym was packed with fans eager to watch their local team play our team of “international superstars.” Senior Sean Dwyer had an above average night of shooting and was 6-6 from the floor with five three-pointers. However, Dwyer’s last shot of the night was a free-throw and he missed it—come on Sean, be better. The Titans did win the game with a final score of 87-63 and remain undefeated.
Tomorrow we travel to Perugia for a tour of the city and later will play our fourth and final game against the Perugia Basketball Club.
Ciao,
Jake & Kyle
Titans finish up games in Italy with an undefeated record
Day 6
The sixth day of our Italian adventure began with a morning practice at the gym next to our hotel. We ate lunch once more at Granaro Del Monte and it did not disappoint. Our group enjoyed more exotic food which included baked ziti pasta, roasted rabbit and grilled trout. Following lunch, we departed for Perugia. During our two-hour bus ride, the team decided to pass the time by playing a highly competitive game of trivia. The categories included chocolate, geography and useless knowledge. Taylor Jansen and Nick Olson emerged victorious in the trivial battle.
To enter the city of Perugia our group had to take a 20-minute tram (trolley car) ride. This was because the streets of Perugia were too small for our bus to navigate up and through the city. The tram ride was an interesting experience because we shared it with citizens of Perugia that use it daily to travel to work, school or home. In the city, we saw one of the two universities in the whole country of Italy. Our tour guide informed us about the controversial case of Amanda Knox that took place at the university. American citizen, Knox, was studying in Perugia and was accused of murdering her roommate. The case drew media attention due to the deliberation between the United States and Italy attempting to decide how to handle the tricky situation. Ultimately, Knox was set free to return to the United States for her trial.
Throughout the trip we have noticed many differences between the dining in America and the dining in Italy. One example is that depending on the weather situation we have noticed that the restaurants add an extra charge for eating either indoors or outdoors. We played our fourth and final game of the trip against the Perugia Basketball Club. It was a tight game in the first half, however we pulled away in the second half and won the game with a final score of 66-44. We finished the trip 4-0 and our team improved due to being exposed to a new style of basketball.
Arrivederci,
Jake & Kyle
Adventures in Rome
Day 7
On our seventh day in Italy we started off with a three-hour ride to Rome. Once we made it to Rome our bus did a panoramic tour of the city. During the bus tour, we viewed several exceptional sites. We saw the Colosseum from the outside and it did not disappoint. Tomorrow we will be walking around the city and we are anticipating the view up close will be even more breathtaking. In addition, we got to view the oldest shopping mall in all of Rome.
Next, we got off the bus to talk to the Vatican so that we could view the Basilica. Did you know that the Vatican is actually its own country? It is the smallest country in the world with 800 people. St. Peters Square is the entrance to the Basilica and it was very impressive. There is a large tower located in the middle of the square and this was the last thing that St. Peter saw before he was crucified upside down. St. Peter chose to be crucified upside down because he did not want to be crucified in the same way as Jesus Christ.
The Basilica was so impressive that it is actually tough to come up with just one word to describe it. Some of the words the guys came up with were overwhelming, phenomenal, unreal, breathtaking, astonishing, pure beauty and life-changing. The Basilica is also the largest Catholic Church in the world. Once our group returned to the hotel we were served a delicious four-course-meal.
After dinner some of our group sat in the lobby and went in a circle sharing their favorites from the trip so far. We shared our favorite photo, favorite food and also what about Italy seems the most different from the United States. Most people said their favorite food involved pizza and that the major difference between Italy and the United States is that in Italy people cannot be persecuted for drawing graffiti on city buildings and walls. The reasoning behind this (that we were told) is because that graffiti artist may turn out to be the next Michelangelo.
Ciao,
Jake & Kyle
Last day in Italy
Day 8
Our eighth day of your trip was the busiest by far. We took a short bus ride from our hotel to the Colosseum in Rome. On the bus, some of the group participated in another trivia game. This time the game was led by our youngest member of the group, Gavin Juckem. A local tour guide named Ennio led us through the city of Rome on a four-hour tour. During the tour we viewed the essential sites of Rome. We saw the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the forum, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and the location of the assassination of Julius Caesar. When you see the Colosseum in person it’s easy to understand why it is one of the wonders of the world. It seats 55,000 people and the process of building this amazing stadium involved 30 percent of the Roman population at the time. Our tour guide had a plethora of knowledge on all of the sites that he led our group to, however it seemed that he was most passionate and knowledgeable about the Colosseum. We learned that there was always a reasoning behind holding the games in the Colosseum. Many times it was in celebration of something. For example, this could be the celebration of victory in a war or the announcement of a new emperor. Believe it or not, the gladiator battles were actually not all fights to the death.
In some cases, the gladiators were able to yield after being injured. This was beneficial not just for the gladiators but also for the owners of the gladiators because of how expensive it was to purchase new gladiators in slaving. The games were free for the citizens, but to seat the spectators, they were given a small wooden plank with a Roman numeral on it that indicated the section they were to sit in. Most of the group did not go inside the Colosseum, however Alex Olson, Kyle Bolger, Brandon Glandt and Brett Wittchow waiting in line so they could experience the historical monument from the inside.
Moving forward, we were taken to see the Forum, which in ancient times was the center of the city and was used for political meetings, speeches and the main market place. When a battle was won the Forum was the spot for the citizens of of Rome to flock to so they could celebrate the victory. Next, we walked to the Pantheon. The Pantheon is a temple dedicated to all of the gods of Pagan Rome and it is the most preserved and influential building in all of Rome. Continuing on, we walked to the stunning Trevi Fountain. The area around the fountain was very crowded, so keeping the group together was a challenge. Our final stop on the tour was the Spanish Steps. One unique reason why the steps are famous is because in the past, it was a popular place for artists, painters and poets to come to be inspired by their works. This in turn led to many beautiful women, rich Romans and travelers to come to this area. Also, in Rome, near the Spanish Steps, is the first McDonalds in Italy. This seemed to be a hot spot for the family’s and players to relax at after the long walking tour.
The quote of the day came from the hundreds of street vendors in Rome. They persistently came up to us and said, “Selfie? Good price!” They really wanted us to buy selfie sticks from them.
Ciao Bella,
Jake & Kyle
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