Coaches and players from the Colorado College women's basketball team traveled to Brazil this summer to participate in the USA Select event hosted by USA Sports Tours & Events. 
 
The experience provided opportunities for head coach Katherine Auguste and assistant coach Drew Mitchell to coach a Team USA select team consisting of Division III basketball players from around the country. Two of those players chosen to compete were CC rising senior Kayla Mackel and rising junior Isa Nelson. 
 
"Wearing the USA jersey and immersing ourselves in a new culture, all while getting to play basketball, was truly special," Mackel said. "One of my biggest takeaways was the sense of camaraderie that formed not just with the Division III players we played with but also our opponents from across Brazil. It was cool to watch basketball bring us all together despite the language and cultural gaps."
 
The program paired USA teams with club programs from Brazil to promote goodwill, foster cultural understanding, broaden horizons and provide competitive opportunities for all participants. USA Sports Tours & Events has been organizing worldwide events for almost two decades and has yearly trips for sports, including basketball, soccer and volleyball. 
 
"You always hear how sports bring people together and how they create amazing opportunities," Nelson said. "This is a prime and unique example of that statement."
 
Team USA competed against numerous Brazilian teams, including Fasquete Feminino Itatiba, a prominent club team. They played four games in and around Rio De Janeiro and São Paulo. 
 
"It was such a high level of Division III athletes representing respected institutions and basketball programs," Auguste said. "For us as coaches, it was incredible to watch that level of talent come together and create synergy as they got to know one another through the trip."
 
Team USA won all four contests it played during the week, but the most memorable moments came post-game. Players from both teams exchanged jerseys and other basketball gear, sparking lifelong connections and memories.  
 
"We took a lot of CC gear down there and exchanged with them," Mitchell said. "The coaches even exchanged items. Katherine and I both received Brazil uniforms and various other pieces of gear." 
 
The jersey exchange served as a symbol of two cultures coming together over the common element of basketball in a sign of unity and understanding. 
 
"It was so cool how we had never met these athletes, but we still chatted," Nelson added. "I would also say I feel like I made lifelong friends with the girls on the team. It was nerve-wracking to meet them for the first time, but then right away we all got along great. I honestly felt like I had made seven new best friends. It was so much fun to play with new people, and we all clicked so well on the floor and off. It was a huge opportunity to play in a different country and represent the USA. I definitely felt very honored."

The coaches and athletes from Team USA explored the region between games. They visited various landmarks, including Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain, but they also experienced the more intimate parts of Brazil. They visited the beaches and night markets that the Brazilian players and coaches usually went to, offering a unique perspective into what daily life is like for locals. 
 
"Visiting small towns over an hour outside of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo and engaging with local communities was eye-opening," Mackel said. "Basketball truly has a unique way of bringing people together and overcoming language and cultural barriers. It was inspiring to see how the love for the game unites everyone, regardless of their background. This experience gave me a greater appreciation of our sport and the connections it has brought me."
 
Other unique aspects of the basketball side of things were the variety of players Team USA competed against. It offered a fresh outlook on how the collegiate system in the USA compares to the club system in Brazil. The players from Brazil competing ranged from ages 16-36 and all offered unique backgrounds, from competing internationally to the amateur level in their country. 
 
"It was just special," Auguste said. "It was fun to see the passion for the game that the athletes from Brazil possessed. I think it sparked a lot of happiness, fire, and desire for our USA team members. They will now go back to their respective programs with such a readiness to get out there and compete, and they'll do so with an appreciation of how we do things as well as an increased understanding of how the rest of the world does things."
 
The trip was less about the results of the games, but more about the experience of exposure and blending cultures under the banner of sports and competition. 
 
"One of my biggest takeaways was the sense of camaraderie that formed not just with the Division III players we played with but also our opponents from across Brazil," Mackel said "It was cool to watch basketball bring us all together despite the language and cultural gaps. I loved that this trip reminded me of the bigger picture of playing sports. I'm incredibly grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow both on and off the court."