Thanks & Reflections

Thanks to All!

What a wonderful journey we've had - from 
training camps to winning the Gold in Uruguay 
at the Tournament of the Americas.

Thanks to:

B J Johnson, USA Team Leader

Caroline Williams, USA Press Officer

Samson Kayode, USA team manager & film

Team doctor, Herb Parris and Team trainer, David Craig

Coaches Flannery, Showalter and Goolsby

The Players who made up TEAM USA U16!

Relections

We are home and time to reflect. WOW!

1) Amazing FIBA Americas Champions! TEAM USA is GOLD!

2) Amazing relationships made!

3) Amazing travel experiences!

4) Amazing life-time experience!

I feel extremely blessed that I had the opportunity to be a part of it all.  Thanks for including me!

Vicky Showalter (Team Mom)

I feel blessed to have been a part of this TEAM USA.
Love ya all!

The Journey Home

Leaving Uruguay with a Gold Medal!

We ate out as a team after the gold medal game and family members were invited
to join us at Sumo's.   Back at the hotel we packed, Sam took some of the boys
out for a walk on the beach, and had some hours to sleep.  

Caroline interviewing Jayson after the game.

Team celebration at Sumo's

Waiting for their food!  Displaying the gold medal.

We met Sunday morning at 9:00 to board the bus back to Montivideo to catch
 our first leg of the long trip.  The flight was delayed until about 1:25 and we
arrived in San Paulo, Brazil.  The 10 hour flight from San Paulo to Houston
was set for 9:00 pm.  We had many hours to hang out in the airport.  

Loading up in Uruguay

Checking in takes a long time.
Love that Devearl is wearing his white jersey and gold medal!

McDonald's in the San Paulo airport!

We said our good-byes in Houston as we all travel home from there.
What a great group!  

Players, coaches and staff!

Game 5: USA 94 vs Argentina 48

GOLD MEDAL GAME at 3:00 vs Argentina.  Both USA and Argentina came out of the same pool so it's a rematch.  GO TEAM USA!
GOLD!

Pre-game meal at La Pasiva

One of the buildings in the arena complex

Warming up

Coaches Showalter, Flannery and Goolsby

The end is near!

Celebration time!

The players douse Coach Show

USA - Gold
Argentina - Silver
Canada - Bronze

MVP - Malik Newman

Presentation of the medals

Way to go, TEAM USA

Locker room after the game
thanks and appreciations given

Way to go Coaches Flannery, Showalter, and Goolsby

Game 4 - USA 93 vs Puerto Rico 64

Puerto Rico finished second in their pool to Canada and USA finished first in our pool so today's match-up for the semifinals is set.  Game time is 7:00.

Championship Standard # 8:  INTELLIGENCE.  We take good shots.  We're aware of team fouls.  We know the scouting report.

The Routine

The USA Team is in a routine now. Breakfast, morning practice, snack, pregame meal, tape/treatments, meeting with the coaches to go over films and scouting reports. Then we load up to head to the Arena, get mobbed at the gym for photos and autographs, and sit through some of the game before us.  We play our game and get mobbed after for photos and autographs.  The players are realizing their status here as USA basketball players!

Team breakfast at our hotel

Harry with crutches cheering on his team!

Player introductions

National Anthem

The end of the hard fought game

Way to go, TEAM USA

USA 93 - Puerto Rico 64
Game 4 in the win column!  On to the GOLD MEDAL game!

Game 3 - USA 121 vs Bahamas 52

Today's game is scheduled at 3:00 so the TEAM did not go to the gym for a shoot around. They watched clips of last night's game and discussed what needs to be done. Thanks Samson for the excellent job with the videos! 

Championship Standard #7: RESPECT. We respect each other and our opponents. We're always on time. We're always prepared.

Coach Showalter in our hotel room looking at stats
and making the game plan.

 The pre-game meal was breakfast at 11:00 at La Pasiva. 

Pre-game breakfast

Diamond enjoying eggs, bacon and toast.

Team trainer David working on Terrance

B J, USA Team Leader on the ride to the game.
B J does everything for everyone so a quick nap on the bus is needed!
Thanks, B J!

GAME TIME!

Crowd pleasing dunks!

Way to go Team USA. Game 3 in the W column.

Game 3:  USA 121 - Bahamas 52!

Championship Standard #5: COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY. We are committed to each other. We win together.

Championship Standard #13: ENTHUSIASM. This is fun.

USA finished up pool play today. Medal rounds will involve games 4 and 5 for USA on Friday and Saturday.

Group A	W-L	Group B	W-L
1. USA	3-0	1. Canada	3-0
2. Argentina	2-1	2. Puerto Rico	2-1
3. Bahamas	1-2	3. Chile	1-2
4. Mexico	0-3	4. Uruguay	0-3

AFTER THE GAME
The players were mobbed after the game for autographs and requests for pictures.  I heard one of the players say, "This is crazy!"
The bus took us back to the hotel so that players could quickly change out of the white uniforms so they could be sent to the laundry.  We need them tomorrow night.  We played in the blue uniforms the first game and the rest of the games have been in white.
After the quick change the bus driver took us to the "famous bridge" about 10 minutes away.  It has 2 big humps and doesn't look all that impressive from the pictures.  However....the driver took it faster on the return trip and the players were howling their approval over the roller-coaster trip ride.

The famous bridge