NCAA student-athletes selected to participate in international competition
XENIA, Ohio --- Athletes in Action (AIA) has assembled the roster for its 2009 New Zealand tour. The roster is comprised of eleven players from ten different colleges and professional teams. These players will have their work cut out for them with six games scheduled against two very strong teams: the New Zealand Breakers (4 games) and New Zealand’s 20 and Under National Team (2 games). The Breakers are arguably the best professional team in all of Oceania and New Zealand’s National Team finished fourth in the 2004 Summer Olympics. New Zealand currently is hosting the 19 and Under World Championships this July, clearly showing its continued emergence onto the basketball world scene.
The team will report to Athletes in Action’s World Headquarters (Xenia, OH) on July 31 for a five day training camp. After training camp the team will fly to Auckland, New Zealand’s capital. Then AIA will barnstorm country-wide, playing games in various cities and conducting basketball clinics for a projected 1000 young people. The tour concludes August 19.
Among the team are three current professional players: Westchester Community College’s Daniel Artest (Indianapolis, IN), Columbia University’s Jeremiah Boswell (Jasper, GA), and UNC-Wilmington’s Todd Hendley (Boone, NC). Others accepting invitations are: Oklahoma University teammates Orlando Allen (Cincinnati, OH) and Cade Davis (Elk City, OK), Lehigh University’s Dave Buchberger (Cincinnati, OH), Cleveland State University’s Norris Cole (Dayton, OH), University of Pennsylvania’s Jack Eggleston (Noblesville, IN), Winthrop University’s Gideon Gamble (Atlanta, GA), Texas A&M University’s BJ Holmes (Houston, TX), and University of Dayton’s Devin Searcy (Detroit, MI).
Leading the Athletes in Action team is AIA’s veteran coach Morris Michalski (Coach Mo). Coach Mo brings 30 plus years of coaching to the tour, with his longest tenure being with Bryan College (TN) where he coach for 13 years. The New Zealand tour marks the tenth country in which Michalski has coached. He also has served as basketball chaplain for our USA Senior National Team the last three summers.
Joining Coach Mo on the tour leadership staff are five others. These include two AIA staff members: Tour Discipler/Assistant Coach John Jakus (Lebanon, OH) and Tour Administrator Aaron Neff (Xenia, OH). Associate Head Coach Reggie Peace (Lee Co. HS/Sanford, NC) and Assistant Coach Mark Lovellette (AIA Intern/Loveland, OH) round out the coaching staff. AIA also brings Vice President of Operations Jim Brown (Business Executive/Greensboro, NC)
Athletes in Action is the sports division of Campus Crusade for Christ International. Dave Hannah, who desired to capitalize on society's great love of sports and utilize the platform given to athletes to reach the world for Jesus Christ, founded AIA in 1966. AIA's outreach range includes ministry to college and professional athletes and coaches globally across a great number of sports. International competing teams partner with in-country staff and other mission organizations to resource Christian ministry around the world. Over 900 U.S. athletes are being sent worldwide this summer.
The Tour Blog is http://www.athletesinaction.org/teamblogs/author/Basketball-NewZealand.aspx
by teresa young
16. July 2009 10:07
News | Sports Teams