Bon Voyage! (or should I say arrivederci?)

Welcome to my first blog entry for the Ursinus Mens’s Basketball Italy trip. My name is Scott Niewiadomski and I am a forward on the team and heading into my senior year at UC. Please be advised that I am not an English major nor have I ever blogged before, so be sure to expect very little in the way of impeccable grammar or captivating flowery prose. What I can promise is to keep you up to date on what the UC Hoops Family is getting into overseas.

I think I speak for all of my teammates in that we cannot wait get on the plane. For the past two weeks we have traded long days by the pool and at the beach for long days of practice. Some people may look at two weeks in a gym in the midst of the summer heat as torturous. We looked at it as not only a way to prepare ourselves for the competition overseas but also as a way to jumpstart our season. In addition to our basketball instruction led by our coaches (shout out to our two new coaches Pat Price and Kevin McGarvey), every Tuesday and Thursday after morning practices the team gathered in a classroom for “Italy 101” taught by none other than Kirsten Small, Coach Small’s wife. These lessons will surely come in handy with everything from examining early renaissance art to ordering gelato.

Unfortunately some of the members of our Hoops Family will not be making the trip with us. Some of our assistant coaches and the four incoming freshmen will not be in attendance. Although you fellas wills be missed, I will try to enjoy myself as I tour the watery streets of Venice, explore the Coliseum in Rome, bargain for Italian Leather in Florence, and bask in the clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea despite your absence.

Since it is dangerously close to the time of departure from my house to the airport (2 hours), I must end this entry and finish packing. Be sure to check back regularly as I will be updating the blog with scores, events, and any embarrassing happenings of my teammates throughout the trip.