Click here to see IWU Athletics Facebook photos from trip.
Illinois Wesleyan senior captain Andy Stempel´s blog during the Titans´ trip to Spain, August 11-20, 2016.
Saturday, August 20
Goodbye, Spain. We woke up at 8:30 a.m. ... well, almost all of us did. Seniors Bausch, Seibring and I had a slow start and were a bit late. We boarded the bus for the airport where junior Jaylen Beasley left one last present for the bus driver of a liquid variety, though he didn't have time to wrap it. We said adios to our tour guide Sandra before heading through customs. The Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team would like to thank head coach Ron Rose, the coaching staff, the athletic director and the IWU administration for allowing the school to continue to offer this unique experience. Also big shout out to sports information director Stew Salowitz for providing some outstanding coverage of the trip. It was a Titan trip of a lifetime.
Friday, August 19
Last day in Spain. We woke up and had another lavish breakfast before getting on the bus to see a city called Toledo. Again, a city located in the mountains. We took a bit of a tour around the city, where we learned a lot about how much Toledo has evolved over time. One thing that we took away from the tour was how well so many different cultures were able to co-exist in a city of this size. Some people ate at a McDonalds while others found a cool little bar/cafe to spend some time in. We made our way back to the hotel before packing the bus for our fourth and final game of the trip. We played in the same gym against the same team (sort of). This time they brought in a few "reinforcements" to help their cause. One of the players looked like 6'8" MMA fighter, and he killed us all game. We came out firing again, taking a commanding 19-point lead in the first half. The second half didn't go quite as planned, as we blew our lead and actually ending up losing by 21. As a team we decided it wouldn't be right to go on such an amazing trip and not let the host country get at least one win against us. We are nothing, if not a selfless group. After the game we headed back to the hotel and walked to our final dinner of the trip. We devoured one last tapas meal before heading out to explore around Madrid one last time. We ended the night at a six-story club named Kapital.
Thursday, August 18
We woke up for breakfast in Madrid before taking a bus tour through the city. We hopped off the bus for several necessary pictures. Madrid, just like the previous two cities contained so much neat culture and architecture that none of us were accustomed to. The tour was capped off with an exclusive viewing of the Real Madrid soccer stadium. Although I'm not sure any of us played a second of competitive soccer in our days, the tour was nothing short of spectacular. We were able to see the locker room, the trophy cases, and at the end we got to set foot on the pitch. We ate lunch at a restaurant, very similar to Potbelly's. The people in Spain seem to really hate the idea of drinking anything but a beer during a meal. Water isn't much of a thing in Madrid. We then took the bus over to our third game of the trip. We played a much better team in a gym that had large windows, allowing the sun to beam through to the court. After a slow start, we were victorious over The Madrid hosts . The “head of the snake”, young leader Nick Coleman rallied the troops with some inspiring words before the game. I had 14 points due to the massive screens set by 300-pound Isaac Rothemeyer, Brady Rose added 13 and sophomore Colin Bonnett contributed 11 points. The “human zone breaker”, Drew Jones, was given the day off. The opposing coaching staff couldn't quite grasp the physical tools displayed by junior forward John Carroll. They didn't understand how someone so slow and relaxed could be so smooth and do anything he wants on the court. We returned to the hotel before eating a bunch of burgers at a restaurant. The guys explored the night life in Madrid at a place named “Joy”.
Wednesday, August 17
Time to say goodbye to Valencia. We ate breakfast, and began our transit to our final destination, Madrid. We drove about 2 hours to a city named Cuenca. The city was a bit smaller and located in a mountain setting. We ate some excellent burgers at a nearby restaurant. We then encountered one of the trip’s most surprising scenarios as we headed back to the bus. As we approached Puente San Pablo Bridge which was necessary to get back to the bus, our "fearless" leader Coach Rose was a bit uneasy. It turns out Coach is awkwardly afraid of heights. He simply wasn't putting any trust in this bridge. Coach surrounded himself with large bodies including all-conference center Trevor Seibring and outside linebacker/forward Danny Baker, specifically so he wouldn't have to look over the edge. It almost looked like a scene from "Game of Thrones", portraying a King surrounded by a his bodyguards. We then had another 2 hour drive till we arrived in Madrid. We were able to spend some free time in the city before dinner. Junior forward Kevin Connelly was seeking a soccer jersey of the likes of Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo or IWU's Skyler Tomko, I forget which. During his search, the vendor on the street got "pinched" and Connelly was left standing with a free, sketchy jersey. We dined at a beautiful Italian restaurant before heading back to the hotel for a quiet evening
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Tuesday, August 16
Day 2 in Valencia, what another beautiful city. We woke up to an even better breakfast than the one provided in Barcelona. Senior forward Alec Bausch was ecstatic he found the female version of him, but also realized he had been pickpocketed of all his belongings in Barcelona. Even trade for my friend Alec. Around 11 a.m we took a two-hour tour of the city. We were able to see the Cathedral, a very unique food market, and finished off by seeing Valencia University. After some more free time in the city, the gang gathered up to catch a bus to the beach for the afternoon. When we arrived Coach Rose put us through a bit of a beach workout, ending with a group sprint into the Mediterranean. Junior Forward Kevin Connelly is In a fraternity, so he obvIously did a perfect swan dive into the sea. If the fans from Bloomington-Normal were worried junior guard Derrick Streety did in fact find the weight room in Valencia. As you can see in the picture, standing 4th from the right, Streety's stomach looks like he hasn't eaten a carbohydrate since 2004. IWU might need to think about creating a men's Volleyball team as we naturally found our way back on the sand for a 2 vs. 2 tournament. As if he needed anything else to boost his ego, Senior Alec Bausch and partner Jason Gregoire finished first. We made our way back for another wonderful tapas dinner. Midway through the dinner I noticed how unbelievably American our group was. We simply talk 15 times louder than everyone in Spain. We capped the night off by spending some quality time with the parents at an Irish pub called St. Patrick's, very similar to Bloomington's Killarney's, or what every Illinois Wesleyan sorority girl refers to as "Club K." Off to Madrid in the morning.
Monday, August 15
Today we woke up and said our goodbyes to the wonderful city of Barcelona. We boarded the bus around 10 a.m. and headed to our next destination, Valencia. We stopped in the city of Tarragona for lunch. The small city provided a educational walk through Roman Ruins. We then headed back on track to Valencia, to where we arrived just around 4. Some free time was provided, so most of the guys took the opportunity to get to know Valencia a bit. The first impression was how much more calm the city was. The way the infrastructure was aligned was a lot more narrower streets and gave off a much more old time feel to it. We ate dinner at another incredible restaurant that was buffet style again. We had a choice of eating anything we wanted, anywhere from french fries to Valencia’s famous seafood paella. We then concluded the night with Coach Rose telling the team there wouldn´t be a practice the following day unless it rains.
Sunday, August 14
Game number two. We awoke a bit earlier this time for breakfast before arriving at a new gym location. The gymnasium was dark, and had a very interesting feel to it. The gym wasn’t prepared for sophomore Mark Falotico. Not only did he a have an outstanding game, he also managed to sweat more than the other team combined. Mark left his mark in the back left corner of the gym in which during a team meeting, left the single biggest sweat puddle any of us had ever seen. Jason Gregoire came out again firing from long range pouring in 18 points. High school teammates Drew Jones and Derrick Streaty added 14 and 11 points respectively. The competition this time around consisted of guys around 21 years old. Sophomore guard Ben Sestak wasn´t aware of a new traveling rule in Spain, and was called for about five travels. The final score was 87-41. The team showered up and headed to the famous Montserrat mountains where we took a tran ride up to the village. There we were taken on a tour which consisted of the cathedral, monastery, and the Black Madonna along with the most fascinating view of the trip. After several hours there we had a tapas dinner at a local restaurant.
Saturday, August 13
Game day. The Titans woke up early for breakfast before our lovely tour guide Sandra led us to battle one of Barcelona´s finest teams. Well, maybe one of Barcelona´s top 16U AAU teams. We came out with great energy to overcome some sloppy play, while Jason Gregoire led the way with 13 points. Kevin Connelly showcased his somewhat European skill level while also getting four layups swatted against the backboard by smaller players. We were losing 2-0, and after a Brady Rose three pointer, the Titans never looked back. The final score was 86-48 in favor the good guys. After the game we exchanged high fives with our opponent. Each player looked at us as if they had just played the Duke Blue Devils. The gym didn´t provide showers so we went back to the hotel to do so, before heading to the beach for most of the day. We enjoyed a seafood meal for lunch before taking on the Medditeranean Sea. We encountered a few professional like beach volleyball courts and began to play what should have been just a friendly game. It wasn´t. Tempers flared and some guys got exposed (junior forward Drew Jones). Some of the guys lost track of time on the beach and unfortunately missed out on a tour of the Center Plaza in Barcelona. Others seamed to really enjoy the tour and learned a lot about the history of the city. We then gathered to share another delightful dinner meal. The food in Spain is unreal. Around 11 p.m we all took in the fountains in the Center of Barcelona. The lights were incredible, but me describing it doesn´t do much justice, if you want I’m sure Youtube videos could help.
Thursday-Friday August 11-12
Today marked the day 16 of us Illinois Wesleyan men’s basketball players, along with some families, Coach Rose, and our sports information director, were fortunate enough to embark on a journey that will not be forgotten. We were supposed to meet as a team at Chicago O’Hare Airport at 1:30 pm, but our baseball coach Dennis Martel simply wasn´t able to get the job done as the bus driver. Senior forward Alec Bausch arrived in dazzling fashion with John Lennon (Spain ready) sunglasses, and a brand new Go Pro to document the trip. What a power play. After a smooth customs routine we boarded a flight to Charlotte, North Carolina where senior center Trevor Seibring (6-8, 250) and junior forward Isaac Rothemeyer (6-6, 290) shared a row. Yikes. We then hopped on the flight to Barcelona, Spain, in which we arrived at 11 a.m. The group took some time to exchange currency, and a bit after finally arrived at our hotel. After a short turnaround, we practiced at gym in Barcelona for two hours in preparation for two games in the city. Post practice we all enjoyed a buffet dinner.
