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.
2008
Colonials Spirit team in England with their Sheffield
hosts, the Sheffield Junior Sharks, one of the UK's
top programs. Two Sheffield players - Nigel van Oostrum
and Will Hall - played for the 2008 International
Colonials.
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2008:
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Denmark,
England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Latvia,
Northern Ireland, Scotland and Serbia - Our Most
Exciting Year Ever!
Our
2008 Ambassadors team celebrated our 28th year
with a demanding ten-day tour that included games
in Helsinki and Naantali in Finland and Rapla and Tallinn
in Estonia. As on all Colonials' tours, our players
resided with host families at each stop on their itinerary.
While
our Ambassadors were in the Baltic last April,
our younger Colonials Rovers team enjoyed a terrific
ten days of basketball in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
In late June our International Colonials began arriving
in Boston - 11 players from 11 countries. This unique
team went 18-4 on a demanding three-week New England
tour and captured the Franklin Pierce University Team
Camp Championship with a perfect 8-0 record over the
final weekend of their tour.
In July, our new Starting Five Program made its debut
in Sutton, Massachusetts and it was a great success
- five talented young international players and wonderful
hosting by our Sutton families. In mid-August, our
Colonials Spirit team - traveled to
Sheffield and Gloucester in England and then on
to Ghent in Belgium. An unforgettable 2008
Colonials' season will conclude this October when we
welcome the St. Malachy's College of Belfast team
- our Rovers hosts in April - 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 2009, please
visit the Our Tours section of our
website.
2008 International Colonials
on Battle Road in Concord, Massachusetts
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.
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 Enewsletters 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.
To
learn how you can host an International Colonials player
next summer or help arrange a visit and games for the
International Colonials in your community, please call
us at 508-668-1935, or send us an email at necolonials@aol.com.
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CONTACT
US
Contact the New England Colonials
at:
necolonials@aol.com or
P: 508-668-1935 Fax: 508-668-2017
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