Yale University men’s basketball team takes trip of a lifetime across Greece

Α Decrease font Enlarge font
Yale University men’s basketball team takes trip of a lifetime across GreeceYale’s 10-day excursion, which began on Aug. 6 in Thessaloniki and culminated on Aug. 16 in Athens and a couple of days on the water, was a life-altering experience

CTInsider.com covers Connecticut, the postcard-sized state that boasts an impressive history and some big institutions – including the renowned Yale University. Harvard University boasts the most Supreme Court justices – but Yale is right next to it in those standings.

Most of those alums care about the other kinds of standings, the ranking of their alma mater’s sports teams, the Yale Men’s Basketball team not least among them. Anything that is good for the team, is worth reading about, and CTInsider Staff Writer David Borges, focused on the squad’s recent visit to Greece, which in addition to being a fun trip was also billed as a team-building exercise – complete with games against the Thessaloniki All-Stars as well as the University of Calgary.

“Yale’s 10-day excursion, which began on Aug. 6 in Thessaloniki and culminated on Aug. 16 in Athens and a couple of days on the water, was a life-altering experience for everyone who made the trip,” Borges writes.

“It was phenomenal,” senior captain August Mahoney said. “It blew us away, way more than anyone expected. Seeing a different culture than most of us hadn’t seen in our lives, was eye-opening and a great time to bond with the coaches and teammates.”

Borges tracked down a Hellene on the team. ”It should come as no surprise that John Poulakidas, a junior on the Yale men’s basketball team and a second-generation Greek-American, thoroughly enjoyed the Bulldogs’ recent trip to Greece. He even brought his parents along.”

The article noted that “the team visited landmarks like the Parthenon and the Acropolis. They had dinner on Krabo Beach and at a restaurant owned by Yale hoops alum Steve Leondis, and took a ferry out to the island of Aegina, where they rented paddle boats and enjoyed their final day of the trip.”

It is a pleasant surprise to read that, “the highlight seemed to be a visit to the Meteora Monasteries, a precipitous rock formation in Thessaly on which Eastern Orthodox monasteries were built.”

senior captain August Mahoney said,

“To see the rocks, and how they were built so long ago, it was a beautiful thing to see.”

Head coach James Jones, a history buff and big fan of the movie ‘300’, concurred.

“The history of the country is tremendous, just how things have been built, how long it took them to build it… The architecture and science that had to go into it … these places still standing today, they’re just incredible structures.”

“It was great to bond with the guys,” Mahoney said, adding that, “we got practices in, and to hang out with the guys for 16 days in the summer was amazing.”

After being so immersed in history, they are ready to make some of their own – as basketball players as well as outstanding individuals.

Read more at thenationalherald.com

RELATED TOPICS: GreeceGreek tourism newsTourism in GreeceGreek islandsHotels in GreeceTravel to GreeceGreek destinationsGreek travel marketGreek tourism statisticsGreek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Gunnar Klack

Tornos
  1. 03/12 22:06

    Meetings with Greek parties will seek to maximise political consensus on postal vote

  2. 03/12 19:59

    Greek President Sakellaropoulou to officially visit Austria on December 4-6

  3. 03/12 18:56

    Hellenic Initiative 11th Annual New York Gala offers over $2.65 million for Greece

  4. 03/12 18:53

    Greek Development ministry to launch 'Christmas Basket' on December 13

  5. 01/12 21:58

    Greek PM to Bloomberg: I want to preserve the good relations with the UK

  6. 01/12 19:55

    Greece re-elected to the top of International Maritime Organization's Council Category A

  7. 01/12 16:47

    High maximum temperatures in Greece during November

  8. 01/12 15:51

    Festive Christmas tree lighting in Astoria’s Athens Square Park of New York

  9. 01/12 14:46

    President of Hellenic Republic on anniversary of Crete island union with Greece

  10. 01/12 14:38

    British Museum head says talks about a deal on Parthenon Sculptures continue

  11. 01/12 01:42

    Volos and Mount Pelion ready to receive winter tourists in Central Greece

  12. 30/11 22:50

    Google event: Greece aims to become an international hub for AI's code of ethics

  13. 30/11 18:34

    Greek police carry out intensive checks for offences including traffic violations

  14. 30/11 17:42

    Prime Minister announces Greeks abroad can vote by mail in Greek elections

  15. 30/11 01:54

    US Ambassador to Athens: Greece is a rising energy provider in SE Europe

  16. 29/11 19:47

    Greek deputy migration minister meets with visiting China counterpart in Athens

  17. 29/11 18:40

    OECD survey: Greek economy to grow by 2.4% this year and 2.0% during 2025

  18. 29/11 18:29

    HALC launches petition for return of Stolen Parthenon Marbles to Athens

  19. 29/11 12:24

    Minister: Request for Parthenon Marbles arises from law, history, global cultural values

  20. 29/11 11:43

    Kalymnian Society ‘Prodromos’ of Campbell in Ohio marks its 100th anniversary

  21. 28/11 16:06

    Greek PM's greeting on Seferis Office and Roderick Beaton Reading Room event in London

  22. 28/11 11:58

    Christmas holidays opening hours of Athens stores announced

  23. 28/11 09:02

    British government spokesperson assures the UK-Greece relationship is hugely important

  24. 28/11 08:16

    Greek Deputy FinMin: Government trying to close VAT gap with European average

  25. 28/11 07:10

    Unboxing Callas exhibition opens to the public through January 10

  26. 27/11 18:30

    UN World Tourism Organization endorses growing presence on the ground

  27. 27/11 14:51

    Greek merchant shipping fleet rose in numbers during September

  28. 27/11 14:44

    Teatro Grattacielo & Thessaloniki Concert Hall hold La Vestale for Callas Centenary

  29. 27/11 13:33

    Greek budget recorded a primary surplus of 6.08 billion euros in January-October

  30. 27/11 10:29

    Greek PM meeting with investors in London

  31. 27/11 08:55

    Top livestock facilities and animals to be provided to Greece's Thessaly farmers for free

  32. 26/11 12:58

    NBG: Fires, floods, disasters, inflation, costs cutting into Greece’s tourism sector

  33. 26/11 11:05

    Greek PM to BBC: Parthenon Sculptures case is like cutting up ‘Mona Lisa’

  34. 26/11 10:52

    Transport Minister: Thessaloniki Metro project will be fully operational by end 2024

  35. 26/11 09:02

    Boat schedules cancelled due to high winds on Sunday

  36. 26/11 07:08

    Greek government spox: 71% of freelancers declare lower income than minimum wage

  37. 25/11 14:08

    Chinese, Turks and Russians top Greece Golden Visa list getting passports

  38. 25/11 14:05

    Greece-Turkey High-level Cooperation Council 'one more step' in improving relations

  39. 25/11 13:54

    Weather service upgrades warning for 'Bettina' front in Greece

  40. 25/11 10:01

    Event in Chicago about Greek bureaucracy and Greek-American matters

  41. 24/11 14:40

    10th International Summer University Greek Language, Culture, and Mass Media in Boston

  42. 24/11 14:11

    European Union Commission offers €43.1 million in support for Greek farmers

  43. 24/11 12:48

    IPTO has secured enough power to boost launching offshore wind parks in Greece

  44. 24/11 11:43

    Land-use and Green Fund bill passes in Greek Parliament with ruling party votes

  45. 24/11 10:32

    Prime Minister: Port infrastructure in Greece undergoing major revamp

  46. 24/11 07:36

    Energy Minister: Greece could become global protagonist in offshore park industry

  47. 23/11 21:31

    Apartment prices rise 11.9% in Greece during Q3

  48. 23/11 21:09

    Athens Christmas tree lighting ceremony organized on Thursday

  49. 23/11 20:28

    Greek Foreign Minister meets with visiting Indonesian Vice President in Athens

  50. 23/11 15:11

    World-class distinctions bring Athina Luxury Suites at the top once again

  51. 23/11 11:15

    14th Ethnofest - Athens Ethnographic Film Festival opens on November 29

  52. 22/11 16:03

    Greek Cultural Center in Astoria of NYC will soon celebrate its 50th anniversary

  53. 22/11 13:07

    Greek state borrowing program from markets amounts to €9 billion during 2024

  54. 22/11 11:17

    International conference on social dialogue and inequalities in Athens on November 23-24

  55. 22/11 09:59

    Travel receipts rose by 15.2% to 18 billion euros in Greece during January-September

  56. 21/11 14:59

    Minister: Greece and India relations upgraded with the memorandum of cooperation

  57. 21/11 14:08

    National Economy and Finance Minister: Greek economy will rise even higher in 2024

  58. 21/11 13:19

    Greek Foreign Minister travels to Madrid for Euro-Med Group Med-9

  59. 20/11 22:59

    Transport Minister: Greece's entire railway network fully restored by 2025

  60. 20/11 21:39

    Greek airports see record hike in passenger traffic during January-October 2023

  61. 20/11 21:24

    AHEPA Supreme President visits New Haven Chapter 98 and presents Heroes Medals

  62. 20/11 19:13

    Embassy: Energy is the principal pillar of the US-Greece strategic relationship

  63. 20/11 16:10

    Tilda Swinton-Olivier Saillard show 'Embodying Pasolini' at Onassis Stegi in Athens

  64. 20/11 09:03

    Media guide: Get to know Greece’s diverse wines

  65. 19/11 14:29

    Archdiocesan Cathedral Philoptochos organizes the Chrysanthemum Ball in NYC

  66. 19/11 13:21

    Economic good news from EC dominates Greek PM's review of the past week

  67. 19/11 11:24

    Greek Consulate General & Teatro Grattacielo presented Callas tribute in New York

  68. 19/11 09:16

    Media report: Revealing the rich tapestry of Greek wines

  69. 18/11 16:12

    World Tourism Organization launches San Marino action for accessible tourism

  70. 18/11 16:11

    Telefonica and UNWTO to boost digital, sustainable and inclusive tourism

  71. 18/11 14:27

    Greek budget recorded primary surplus of 5.8 billion euros in January-October

  72. 18/11 14:04

    HFSF successfully concludes public offer of 22% of National Bank's share capital

  73. 18/11 13:46

    Ships docked in Greece on Saturday due to strong winds

  74. 18/11 12:59

    Greek PM visits supermarket and is briefed on 'permanent price reduction' initiative

  75. 18/11 10:50

    Event in Seoul marks 70th anniversary of Greece's participation in the Korean War

  76. 17/11 16:04

    UNWTO workshop promotes modern tourism communications for Africa

  77. 17/11 13:20

    Hellenic Professional Women organized Health and Wellness Event in New York

  78. 17/11 11:28

    FAITH Endowment offers 168 scholarships to top Greek American University Students

  79. 17/11 09:37

    Cyprus’ untapped business potential highlighted at event in New York City

  80. 16/11 18:57

    Toronto celebrates the twenty-fifth anniversary of its Theological Academy

  81. 16/11 17:09

    Greek FinMin presents 352-million-euro support package for 2.3 million citizens

  82. 16/11 15:00

    Gale force winds and temperature drop in Greece this weekend

  83. 16/11 14:04

    Prime Minister forecasts Gaza conflict will not greatly impact Greek tourism sector

  84. 16/11 13:53

    Changes in public transport of Athens on Friday

  85. 16/11 10:43

    Front Runners in Sports Management 5.0 comes with world-class sports names on December 7-9, 2023

  86. 15/11 20:02

    Saint Demetrios Cathedral of Astoria marks 96th Annual Gala in New York

  87. 15/11 19:06

    Greek budget recorded primary surplus of 6.084 billion euros in January-October

  88. 15/11 18:57

    Study in Greece conference: Higher education 'at crossroads of transformative journey'

  89. 15/11 11:14

    Energy Minister announces new measures to protect electricity consumers in Greece

  90. 14/11 20:58

    Greece to reopen 10-year bond issue for 200 million euros on Wednesday

  91. 14/11 19:46

    Road traffic restrictions to come into effect in downtown on Wednesday

  92. 14/11 18:54

    Council of Bars & Law Societies of Europe to organize two-day conference in Athens

  93. 14/11 16:40

    PM: New record in tourist arrivals this year, with German visitors preferring Greece

  94. 13/11 22:01

    Greece and Turkey agree to implement or reactivate CBM activity in 2024

  95. 13/11 18:07

    Greek Infrastructure & Transport Minister attends 2023 IBTTA Tolling Summit in Athens

  96. 13/11 10:46

    GNTO's General Secretary: Greek tourism season's extension strategy is bearing fruit

  97. 11/11 23:57

    UNWTO marks Qatar Tourism Awards to recognize excellence in sector

  98. 11/11 21:37

    25th Annual Capital Link Invest in Greece Forum on December 11 in NYC

  99. 11/11 15:40

    Greek PM: Government will use all available tools to keep food prices down

  100. 11/11 14:33

    Over 500,000 smart electricity meters installed in Greece by end of 2023