Air Force MBB Canada Tour Diary Entry #4: Tour Wrap-Up
8/9/2024 10:39:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Air Force Men's Basketball played five games over 10 days against several Universities across Canada from July 28-Aug. 6. On behalf of their teammates, team co-captains, seniors Jeffrey Mills and Ethan Taylor, in addition to sophomore Kolby Gilles, wrote about their journey across Canada, which began in Toronto, went to Montreal and ended in Quebec City. In the final diary installment, the group recounts their overall experience in Canada.
Ethan Taylor
Overall, this trip was a really cool experience for us all. We were able to experience so many fun things--such as the jet boat ride on the St. Lawrence River, getting to view St. Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal, which was founded by Saint Brother Andre in Montreal, and a tour of Montmorency Falls near Quebec City. I was really surprised about the cultural differences between America and Canada even though we are bordering neighbors. However, I'm sure that all of the guys who took the year of French language classes were happy to have this chance to refresh their speaking abilities. This trip helped us bond more as a team, both on and off the court and was a great experience overall. From the various foods to different city designs, Canada had a lot of different things to offer our team in making lasting new memories together.
Kolby Gilles
This trip was a great experience for me to develop even more chemistry with my teammates. It was a unique experience playing so many games in a row without being able to game-plan for each individual team and practice like we normally do during the season. Each game we were faced with unique challenges to overcome and doing so on the fly. Especially with Coach not calling any time outs, that allowed us to develop as players and as a team together on our own. As a player who is still trying to figure out my role within our team and how I can help us win games, this experience was definitely invaluable and it was invaluable for the other sophomores in a similar position as me. We definitely were able to discover new ways to overcome obstacles to achieve the ultimate goal as a team: to win. I know that we will only continue to build upon the experiences we had against the teams we faced in Canada. The coaches main goal for this trip was for us as a team to find our identity as competitors and I feel that we are headed in the right direction as we prepare for this upcoming season.
On this trip I enjoyed all of the sightseeing we were able to do thanks to our amazing travel support staff, Anthony travel and JD Sports, and all of the friends of Air Force basketball that supported our journey. I also liked that I was able to see my family on this trip as well. I have a lot of family from Montreal and I don't know when I would have gotten an opportunity to see them in the near future, had it not been for the USAFA athletic administration making this possible. So I am so thankful for that opportunity. The basketball staff also made this trip very enjoyable for us players and I feel that everyone made the most of this amazing and rare experience.
Jeffrey Mills
Lastly, we'd like to thank everyone who had a role in this trip. We'd like to thank the USAFA athletic administration for signing off on this trip and making this possible. We'd like to thank the tireless work by the travel support staff at Anthony Travel and our tour guides from JD Sports. Their knowledge and travel expertise made things run so smoothly. We would also like to thank all the friends, alumni, supporters and fans of Falcon Basketball who helped with the financial means to make this trip a reality. Thank you so much for all you do for Air Force men's basketball! In addition, thank you to Coach Scott and the entire staff for making the trip such an enjoyable and great experience.
Ethan Taylor
Overall, this trip was a really cool experience for us all. We were able to experience so many fun things--such as the jet boat ride on the St. Lawrence River, getting to view St. Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal, which was founded by Saint Brother Andre in Montreal, and a tour of Montmorency Falls near Quebec City. I was really surprised about the cultural differences between America and Canada even though we are bordering neighbors. However, I'm sure that all of the guys who took the year of French language classes were happy to have this chance to refresh their speaking abilities. This trip helped us bond more as a team, both on and off the court and was a great experience overall. From the various foods to different city designs, Canada had a lot of different things to offer our team in making lasting new memories together.
Kolby Gilles
This trip was a great experience for me to develop even more chemistry with my teammates. It was a unique experience playing so many games in a row without being able to game-plan for each individual team and practice like we normally do during the season. Each game we were faced with unique challenges to overcome and doing so on the fly. Especially with Coach not calling any time outs, that allowed us to develop as players and as a team together on our own. As a player who is still trying to figure out my role within our team and how I can help us win games, this experience was definitely invaluable and it was invaluable for the other sophomores in a similar position as me. We definitely were able to discover new ways to overcome obstacles to achieve the ultimate goal as a team: to win. I know that we will only continue to build upon the experiences we had against the teams we faced in Canada. The coaches main goal for this trip was for us as a team to find our identity as competitors and I feel that we are headed in the right direction as we prepare for this upcoming season.
On this trip I enjoyed all of the sightseeing we were able to do thanks to our amazing travel support staff, Anthony travel and JD Sports, and all of the friends of Air Force basketball that supported our journey. I also liked that I was able to see my family on this trip as well. I have a lot of family from Montreal and I don't know when I would have gotten an opportunity to see them in the near future, had it not been for the USAFA athletic administration making this possible. So I am so thankful for that opportunity. The basketball staff also made this trip very enjoyable for us players and I feel that everyone made the most of this amazing and rare experience.
Jeffrey Mills
Lastly, we'd like to thank everyone who had a role in this trip. We'd like to thank the USAFA athletic administration for signing off on this trip and making this possible. We'd like to thank the tireless work by the travel support staff at Anthony Travel and our tour guides from JD Sports. Their knowledge and travel expertise made things run so smoothly. We would also like to thank all the friends, alumni, supporters and fans of Falcon Basketball who helped with the financial means to make this trip a reality. Thank you so much for all you do for Air Force men's basketball! In addition, thank you to Coach Scott and the entire staff for making the trip such an enjoyable and great experience.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
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