Trip of a Lifetime

Australia was a very unique place in terms of its sports culture and environment that it had to offer. Melbourne was full of sports enthusiasts with great passion all around. The Australian Football League (AFL) dominated in popularity as we saw memorabilia all over the place. The sport structures that had been built were amazing and overwhelmed us with their size. Going to Sydney we went a whole new direction in sports as we witnessed love for the game of rugby at the State of the Origin game ( the Super Bowl of rugby). I talked to many people that were not a fan of the AFL but instead were die hard rugby supporters. Melbourne and Sydney were clearly two of the biggest sporting cities in Australia. Our next stop was Cairns where we saw the more environmental side to Australia. Here we visited the Great Barrier Reef,  took rainforest tours, and went skydiving. Finally the last stop was Surfers Paradise. This could also be considered a big sporting city but in a different way that Melbourne and Sydney were. To state the obvious Surfers Paradise was big on ...surfing....surprise, surprise. We all got to enjoy surfing for a day and some of us even went a second day. To conclude the trip there was a barbecue at the hotel where we all shared our favorite trip memories while enjoying the lovable animals that we all so adored at the zoo, Kangaroo. The Australian Sport Industry trip was an experience that I know I will never forget. We were lucky to have the opportunity to visit a country so far from us and study a sporting topic which we all loved. What an amazing experience!

I say G'Day!

Sebastian Brogan 

Jet lag, lag, lag

I arrived back in the states at approximately 7:30am in Los Angeles. But the trip all the way back home for me was not over. See, I am one of the few Syracuse locals who has also chosen to attend our beloved Syracuse University. That being said, I was to endure two more flights and their accompanying layovers before finally stumbling through my own front door in New York at 8:30pm later that day. But that was honestly the least of my worries. Even after arriving at LAX, I could not believe that we had actually taken off from Brisbane International Airport earlier (actually later) that same morning! I felt as though I would wake up and be at some new destination back in Australia. As much as I know all good things must come to an end, I wish the ending to this trip had been delayed at least a little bit longer. I was just beginning to look left then right while crossing the street, getting used to ordering a "long black" in place of a black coffee every morning, waking up to the sound of crashing waves and running on the same sands those swells drifted back to the sea from, and thinking that spotting koalas and kangaroos from the bus window was an everyday occurrence and no big deal. Oh, and last but not least replacing "good morning" and "sorry" with "g'day" and "no worries". As I write this I am beginning to feel the effects that waking up one day at 3pm one day and 3am the next has on a person, and words start to come a little slower. What I'll end this post with is a thank you to the faculty and Craig who put up with us kids for almost 3 weeks, the professors and speakers that took time out of their lives to talk to us, and Australia for being simply incredible, and I'll see you again soon, I promise.

Laurin

Already Missing Australia

I've officially been home for a couple days now and when I look back and reflect on my trip to Australia, I truly cannot believe how many good times and fun activities we were able to cram into those three weeks.  Whether it was snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, attending the biggest Rugby League game of the year, skydiving, surfing, or just having a great time with new friends, the activities we did in Australia will make for some of the best memories of my life.  And, believe it or not, I was able to learn a few things about sports and culture in Australia when meeting with some of the most important sporting figures in the country from the National Rugby League, Australian Institute of Sport, National Basketball League, Football Federation Australia, and many more.  The land down under had always been a place that I wanted to visit, and now that I finally got to experience Australia firsthand, I am already looking forward to going back someday (hopefully as soon as humanly possible).  I can't give enough thanks to Craig, Professor Burton and Dr. Masse for organizing and leading this incredible trip.

G'day/Sad'day: Until next time Australia!

G'day (Sad'day)
Now that I have officially been back in the States for one day reality has officially set in. While I can finally find a salad under $20 and coffee for less than $5, I cannot help but miss the nature, excitement, and warmth Australia offered us for the last three weeks.  Although I expected this to be the trip of a lifetime, I in no way was prepared for how well it went.  Despite being in a  group of 30 students, all of whom I did not know prior to meeting at LAX on July 10th, we quickly bonded over sharing this new adventure together and with the help of our amazing professors became a family (Real World Australia).  The entire trip itself was memorable; however, specific days and events I will never forget.  One of those being the State of Origin rugby game we were able to attend in Sydney; which to put into perspective is around the equivalent to the Super Bowl in the U.S. Being a part of such a huge game and crowd was unforgettable and something I truly hope to be able to do again sometime soon! Next we couldn't help but go to the zoo and get to spend a day with the snakes, lizards, crocodiles, but more importantly the koalas and kangaroos.  While there the girls (and boys) got more than enough "selfies" to take home with them and the chance to hangout with animals that before then they had never seen in real life.  Finally, one of the last and most memorable parts of our trip was snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef.  Although, the boat ride out there wasn't as fun, swimming along the coral and seeing fish I had only seen on TV or in movies was truly amazing.  In just 3 weeks Australia has left an impression on me no other place has.  After this experience I can only hope I will have the opportunity to live there after I graduate and see even more of what the country has to offer.  If anyone else is reading these posts, I cannot encourage you enough to either go on this trip or make it to Australia on your own; it is an amazing place, with an amazing culture, and amazing people!


Thats all for me!
#RIP

Basketball Legend

G'Day mates, friends, family, fans, and acquaintances of mine. Today I am going to share with you a day that we had in Melbourne a few weeks back, but also one of the most memorable days on the trip. The day began with a walk through Melbourne as we were able to see the beautiful views of the city. After our walk we took a bus to the Melbourne aquatic center. This was by far the most impressive sports complex that I have ever seen. Inside was a designated room from ping pong, swimming, badminton, dinning, basketball, weight lifting, and classes. They also had a water slide and a wave pool. After touring the building we had a lecture about a program that is trying to get kids more involved in sports that live in more rural areas as well as a few lectures about the marketing and sales involved in Australian sport. The real excitement of the day came when we were introduce to one of the greatest basketball players to ever play the game. He sits above Carmelo Anthony as the all time points leader in the Olympics. He goes by the name of Andrew Gaze and resembles a Larry Bird type figure. He was a very well spoken man as well as very humble. Not once did he talk about his achievements or how many points he scored but instead talked about achieving our own goals. After taking photos with him we had the opportunity to use the facility. We all went separate ways, some of us using the pool and water slide, others running towards the basketball court. It was a fantastic day and one that I will never forget.

Cheers!

Sebastian Brogan

G'Day friends family and fans. Last week I took my talents to Sydney where there was an open gym for some of the best veteran basketball players from all around the country. I was fortunate enough to get to play with some of these Australian veterans of the game. Among the players was also all time great ex Australian Basketball League commissioner, Rick Burton. During the game Burton connected on a 3/4 quarter quart shot which he swished in and casually walked back on defense. This was one of the highlights of the trip for me as I was able to play a different style of basketball and learn how the Australians play hands on. The difference would be that Australians tend to play more of a team game whereas the Americans play a one on one, pick and roll game. It was a great learning experience and a great way to interact with another culture on a more personal level. That is all for now as I am off to play my fellow student is a friendly game of pool followed by a cool down in the hot tube.

Cheers!

Sebastian Brogan

G'Day mates! The trip has been amazing so far and has offered us a insight to a whole different sports culture from the American one that we are all so familiar with. Today I woke up at 9 and cooked myself an egg sandwich in the very accommodating kitchen that we each have in our rooms. Most people did the same, others enjoyed a buffet breakfast in the surf club. After breakfast we all met in the surf club for two lectures about the sport industry in Gold Coast. Through all the lectures we have heard over the past few weeks I have noticed one overall trend in the Australian sport culture that is greatly different form the Unites States sport culture. This is that many athletes in Australia do not attend Universities. Instead, most are funneled through Olympic training programs(which we were able to see) or clubs then right into professional sports. Unlike the States where some of our favorite sports  teams are college teams and many of us spend countless Friday nights screaming at bad calls made in college football games, Australian college sports are almost unheard off. It has been interesting to see the differences in the sport culture of the two countries and what seems to work better. For now that is all, as I am off to the beach!

Sebastian Brogan