August 04, 2006
The 2006-07 season gets off to an early start as the Texas A&M women's basketball team embarks on a 10-day tour of Europe from Aug. 13-23.
For the first time in school history, the Aggies will play a total of five games against foreign competition in France, Switzerland and Monaco.
"Our overseas trip will be a bonding and very rewarding experience for our players," Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair said. "When you have so many returning players on your roster, the early start allows the team to gain big-time playing experience before it counts."
A&M will leave the continental U.S. on Aug. 13 and will spend the first three days of its trip in Paris, France. There, the Aggies will tour the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Palace of Versailles. An open air boat tour on the Seine River will also be included in their sightseeing adventures through the city.
The first of the team's five scheduled games begins on Aug. 16, as the Aggies take on the Reims Basketball Club in Reims, France. The following two days, A&M will face Lyon ALGM on Aug. 17 in Lyon, France, and BBC Troistorrents on Aug. 18 in Montreux, Switzerland. The Aggies will view the historic Ch?teau de Chillon castle, the Alps and Lake Geneva during their time in Switzerland.
"Travel is such a cultural experience with the ability to see so many different parts of the world," Blair said. "Not only do you get better through competition, but you also learn to appreciate what you have back home in the U.S. We will have the opportunity to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Alps in Switzerland and the French countryside - memories our players will be able to share with their families and children for years to come."
The Aggies will wrap up their 10-day European tour with games scheduled against Martigny on Aug. 19 in Martigny, Switzerland, and Roquebrune on Aug. 22 in Nice, France. The team will also travel to the Principality of Monaco where they will visit the Prince's Palace, which was once home to legendary Hollywood actress Grace Kelly.
This will be the third squad that Blair will take overseas during his 22-year coaching career, including a 1999 trip to Australia while the head women's basketball coach at Arkansas and a 1996 trip to Taiwan as an assistant coach with the U.S. Jones Cup Team. Blair looks forward to taking an Aggie team on an overseas trip once every four years, which NCAA rules permit.
A&M will hold its first practice session prior to its European tour beginning on Monday. NCAA rules allow a team to workout 10 days prior to an overseas trip. Incoming freshmen are not allowed to travel. The Aggies' travel party will include a total of 11 players along with coaches and support staff members.
Blair looks to give each player equal playing time and double-digit minutes overseas, while also working on the offensive and defensive parts of the game.
"What we hope to do is gain the many rewards of this overseas trip in the upcoming season," he said. "The kids have worked hard all summer for this and the extra practice time will help us get better and get hungrier to move up that next step on the ladder. Now is the time for the team to mature and prepare for the season ahead of us."
Last year, the Aggies posted a 23-9 overall record and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996. A&M is the only Big 12 Conference school to make an overseas trip this summer.
Fans can follow the Texas A&M women's basketball team on www.AggieAthletics.com, where game recaps, player journals and photo galleries will be made available throughout their 10-day European tour.
TEXAS A&M WOMEN'S BASKETBALL EUROPEAN TOUR SCHEDULE
- Wednesday, Aug. 16 vs. Reims (Reims, France)
- Thursday, Aug. 17 vs. Lyon ALGM (Lyon, France)
- Friday, Aug. 18 vs. BBC Troistorrents (Montreux, Switzerland)
- Saturday, Aug. 19 vs. Martigny (Martigny, Switzerland)
- Tuesday, Aug. 22 vs. Roquebrune (Nice, France)