By: Matt Florjancic '07
BEREA, Ohio – From multiple NCAA Division III Tournament runs to fun holiday-break trips to warmer-weather climates, the Baldwin Wallace University men's and women's basketball athletes have done their fair share of travelling. However, the Yellow Jackets are about to embark on a one-of-a-kind journey that has been more than a year in the making.
On August 7, the Yellow Jacket basketball teams will leave the familiar confines of Ursprung Gymnasium to travel across the Atlantic Ocean for a 12-day experience in Ireland and Northern Ireland, where each team will play two exhibitions and be immersed in the cultures of the two countries.
"It's really more about the experience and the educational piece than the basketball," women's basketball coach Cheri Harrer said. "Basketball's just the avenue to get it done. That's the minor piece."
Men's basketball coach Tom Heil added, "It's going to be an awesome experience. To grow the relationships between players and coaches and girls' players and guys players, it's a unique opportunity that I think is an exceptional experience.
"Anytime all these guys are together, there's not a lack of fun. They're a fun-loving group. We have a lot of fun. We're excited to hang for 12 days. We are going to miss our families. It's going to be hard for me to be away from my wife and kids, but I'm really looking forward to just hanging out with these guys."
Months of Work
The trip the Yellow Jackets are taking is the result of months of work, both from the Baldwin Wallace community and with key figures in the Northeast Ohio area.
Wanting to enhance the experience for current Yellow Jackets,BW Athletics Hall of Famer Dan Andrews arranged a meeting between Athletic Director Steve Thompson and Terry Joyce, the Business Manager of the Building Laborers' Union Local 310, and Shane Donnelly, Founder of The Cleveland Project.
The object of The Cleveland Project is to "promote, organize, and supervise athletic competition, primarily basketball, while focusing on education, mentorship, and coaching for youths in Northern Ireland."
After the initial correspondence, many fundraising efforts were undertaken. Those combined efforts, and a travel-abroad summer class with Dr. Amy Jo Sutterluety, allowed the Yellow Jackets to book the trip.
"As student-athletes, taking a semester abroad or even a two-week study trip isn't easy," Thompson said. "Their dedication to academic and athletic excellence keeps them constantly busy. This makes it hard to participate in opportunities like those offered by our faculty and Global Explorations at BW, led by Christie Shrefler.
"However, these team trips uniquely blend the academic benefits of studying abroad with their passion for sports, making them invaluable. I had this opportunity during my playing days, and it profoundly impacted my life. I am confident it will do the same for our student-athletes."
Different Type of Practices
With the summer trip to Ireland came the opportunity to have up to 10 practices leading up to the excursion.
While neither Yellow Jackets basketball team used all 10 of their on-court sessions, they did so in a unique way. Rather than having intense work sessions, the Yellow Jackets embraced the chance to try new things on both sides of the ball.
"I've been more focused on how can we keep it different, so the season doesn't seem like it goes from end of July through March," Harrer said. "The kids had some quality time hanging out together. They've done some meals together where they've cooked for each other and those types of things, so I think they've enjoyed that.
"From a basketball standpoint, I've enjoyed it. Coach Cody Hartzler, we've enjoyed it because we're actually experimenting with some things. We're trying some things that on October 15th, we probably never would have the guts to do because if it doesn't work, you're in trouble going into your first game."
Much like Harrer, Heil has embraced the opportunity to try different things.
"It's not like the season, and I don't want them to be," Heil said. "They're not as intense. Not everybody is here. They're more a lot of skill stuff, skill workouts, experimenting. We're experimenting with some different things offensively, essentially putting in a new offense, which is really fun.
"The benefit is the time around each other, like the chance to train with your buddies. It's less about what we are going to do during practice and more that they get to train in an environment that is much more conducive to actually getting better. When you're with your teammates, the intensity is significantly higher. We just get to be around each other in an environment where we're trying to get better. We can actually work on some stuff. We're not breaking a ton of stuff down. We're not practicing like we would with the same intensity if it was November or October, but I think it's still really valuable to be in the gym and get to train with your buddies in the summer. It's way more competitive. It's a much better environment to actually improve."
New Experiences
This trip to Ireland is a first for both the men's and women's basketball teams, and for some of the players as well.
Many of the current Yellow Jackets have never been out of the country, and definitely not to a new continent. That adds an element of excitement for the players.
"I've never been out of country, so I'm really excited just to get over there, and I think it's even better that I'm going to do it with some of my best friends in a team like this,"senior point guard Emily Irwin said. "We're going to have a great time together, learning so much about Ireland and the culture."
Junior forward Ray Ellington added, "I've been looking forward to this for a while, ever since we found out around last year that we were going. It's nice to be able to go with the team, and we get to play down there, so it's just a nice experience overall. I've never been out the country before, so it's a newer thing, and I like trying new things, so it'll be fun."
Benefits of the Journey
With young players, Heil understands any type of competitive environment his team can experience is a blessing.
Rather than focusing strictly on the games, of which the Yellow Jackets will play two during the nearly two-week long trip, Heil wants his players to continue developing camaraderie and chemistry that will serve them well during the 2024-2025 season.
"Playing two games is great," Heil said. "Getting to practice is great, but the best part of the experience is growing the relationships. You get to spend 12 days on a pretty unbelievable trip, learning about two new countries and cultures and seeing all kinds of things that we would never have the opportunity to see and we get to do it together, which that bonding and the brotherhood is really what it's all about. That's the most, to me, beneficial part of doing this."
National Team Matchup
While the exhibition schedule has not yet been finalized, there is a chance the BW men's basketball team will play against the Irish National Team.
Ellington and his teammates are ready for anything, but they would very much like to play the Irish team.
"We need it as a team, especially coming off of last year and just a little adversity that we had," Ellington said. "It'll definitely be good to go down, play somebody else, especially in a different country, and obviously, they're going to be good too.
"That's their team. We're going to go down there and compete and play as hard as we can and live with the result."
True Mission
At the end of the day, wins and losses do not matter in these exhibitions.
What does count, especially for Thompson, is that everyone embraces the opportunity to experience new cultures and recognize the chances they have to take lessons learned at Baldwin Wallace and apply them to make the world better.
"One of the best aspects of this experience is the diverse backgrounds of the participants, all united by basketball at Baldwin Wallace," Thompson said. "Over 12 days, they'll share this incredible experience, learning about a different culture, bonding as teammates and friends, and spreading the message of Baldwin Wallace. This wonderful place in Berea, Ohio has the power to change lives—not only for our student-athletes, but also, for the students and people in Ireland and Northern Ireland."
