A lucky group of students from Trinity Anglican College are about to embark on the trip of a lifetime.
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The school’s basketball team, is heading to North Carolina, the home of the sport in the US, for a nine-match tour against a range of high schools.
It is the first time the school has been involved in an international sporting tour.
The 15-man of students ranging from Year 9 to Year 12 includes Nash Brady, Jaret O’Neill, Jeremy Smith, Oscar Glanvill, Hamish Jasper, Izac Hutchinson, Hamish Cameron, Zac Rolfe, Huon Howard, Nic Coleshill, Jordan Creek, Jesse Challis, Alex Jacobs, Griffin Sowden, Andrew Bonetti, while student manager Will Buckley will be a non-playing member of the squad.
They have been training for the tour for 18 months, working twice a week with coaches, Luke Bobilak and Will Muir.
Bobilak, Muir and Nash Clark will accompany the team on the journey.
“It was part of the school’s desire to establish a program like this when I started,” Bobilak said.
“I didn’t imagine it would happen so quickly.”
Bobilak said the feelgood story of the squad is Jeremy Smith who suffered a serious injury in the lead-up to the trip, but hopes to be fit for the final game against De Matha High School, who are one of the top 10 school teams in the US.
The trip has been organised by the college through former Australian Opal Natalie Porter’s company Npire Travel.
Whilst in the USA, the students will also attend a college basketball game, NBA game, NFL and NHL games.
In addition to the basketball, the group have each had to research a town or area where they will travel for the final five days in New York, and will also assist disadvantaged people in Charlotte.
A staff versus students match was narrowly won by the students on Thursday, with all proceeds donated to the children’s ward at Albury-Wodonga Health.
The team departs on Sunday before returning to Australia on December 22.
Trinity also aims to qualify for the Australian Schools Championships in 2017.