OUR
MISSION
The
New England Colonials International Basketball Club
is a non-profit program that has as its central purpose
the encouragement and support of international friendship
between New England student athletes and their peers
from other nations.
While
basketball serves as a focal point and a catalyst for
our programs and tours, we also endeavor to involve
all participants in activities that promote understanding
and appreciation for other societies and cultures. New
England students selected to take part in Colonials'
programs and tours must demonstrate a high level of
commitment to school, community, and our program's mission
and goals.
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2009 Colonials Ambassadors at Loch Ness in Scotland.
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2009:
Austria, Czech Republic, England, Estonia, Finland,
Ireland, Latvia, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Serbia
- a great year for international basketball!
Our
2009 Colonials' Ambassadors team celebrated our 29th
year with ten-day Calendonian Tour that included games
in Edinburgh, Inverness, Aberdeen, Arbroath, Falkirk,
and Glasgow in Scotland. As on all Colonials' tours,
our players resided with host families at each stop
on their itinerary.
In late June, our 2009 International Colonials began
arriving in Boston - ten players from ten countries.
This unique team went 23-3 on a demanding three-week
New England tour and captured the Franklin Pierce University
Team Camp Championship with a perfect 7-0 record over
the final weekend of their tour.
An unforgettable 2008-09 Colonials' season begin last
October when we welcomed the St. Malachy's College of
Belfast team - our Rovers hosts in April 2008 - for
a weekend as part of their USA tour in celebration of
the College's landmark 175th anniversary.
To
learn where our Colonials teams will play in 2010,
please visit the Our
Tours section of our website.
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Jan Moravek of Prague, a member of our 2005 International
Colonials, is coaching several teams with USK Praha,
one of the Czech Republic's top clubs. His U13 club
pictured above is undefeated this season.
ABOUT
THE COLONIALS
Basketball
- born in the USA in 1891 - is now truly an international
game, played in nearly 190 countries worldwide. The
New England Colonials International Basketball Club
is proud to have introduced hundreds of New England
student athletes to the excitement of international
competition and world travel. Additionally, we have
welcomed hundreds of guests from overseas to our country
for camps, summer hosting, team tours and international
festivals.
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2009 International Colonials at Quincy Market in Boston.
Colonials' teams do not hold tryouts and are not all-star
teams. Applicants should be serious players with a strong
desire to improve their game and a real sense of
adventure. We rely on the quality of an applicant's
references and responses to the application questions.
A number of our players are referred by former players
and coaches. Players and families are invited to call
or meet with us before submitting an application. We
will be happy to put applicants in touch with our Colonials'
alumni and their families throughout New England.
Our fundraising program enables all players to raise
the money needed to meet their tour expenses. We urge
all interested players to apply. There are several stipends
available for individuals with financial need. Introductory
team and fundraising planning meetings will be held
in the fall. Regular Newsletters keep parents and players
up to date about all aspects of the tours as our planning
progresses through the winter.
Accepted players are expected to maintain a strong standing
in the school and in the community. Colonials teams
do not begin practicing until the school basketball
seasons for all players have been completed, usually
in March. Practices are held on weekends up to the team's
departure and are mandatory for all players. We attempt
to arrange practices in locations central to the geographic
distribution of the team.
Please Note: All Colonials players
and families are required to participate in the program's
hosting program for visiting players and teams.
This is our way of repaying the exceptional hospitality
we receive when overseas. If you cannot meet this
requirement, please do not submit an application.
Coach
Dennis Dextradeur Quabbin Regional High SchoolColonials'
basketball operations and teams are supervised
and coordinated by outstanding volunteer coaches
throughout New England The program's travel planning
is coordinated by an ITMI certified international tour
planner and manager with 30+ years of international
travel experience. Overall basketball operations are
supervised by Coach Richard Lawless, the programs co-founder
and coach at Cohasset High School in Massachusetts.
To
learn how you can host an International Colonials player
next summer or help arrange a visit for the International
Colonials in your community, send us an e-mail at necolonials@aol.com.
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CONTACT
US
Contact the New England Colonials
at:
necolonials@aol.com
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