Sheryl Sousa, Day 1: Getting ready for the trip of a lifetime
Tuesday, August 14, 2013 - departure day
We leave today for Croatia. I can't believe the departure
day is finally here. Our men's basketball coach, Brian
Meehan, and I first talked about this trip years ago and to see it
come to life is truly amazing. Coach Meehan is a firm
believer in the benefits of a foreign trip experience for his teams
and he has seen the positive results. Five years ago, the
Judges traveled to Italy, and that season we reached the NCAA
tournament Elite Eight for the first time in decades. This is
a special group of players, one of our most talented in years, and
they too have the ability to reach national prominence. All
of us are hoping that this trip will be the catalyst for an
exciting and successful season to follow.
At the very least, it will be a once in a lifetime experience.
That is one of the reasons to make the trip. I
couldn’t imagine when else I would have the opportunity to
travel to Croatia. But the deciding factor was because of
this team, and what a truly great group they are.
Before becoming AD eight years ago I had coached women’s
volleyball for 11 seasons. I’m often asked if I miss
coaching. My answer is always the same: “I really
love what I’m doing now, so I don’t miss coaching, but
I do really miss the daily interactions with the
student-athletes.” As an administrator, you just
don’t get the opportunity to know the student-athletes the
way coaches do, and I do miss that part of the job. Traveling with
our Brandeis teams on occasion is one way that I try to maintain
that connection. And what better opportunity than 12 days to
Croatia?
This is also my first time to Europe. I’m guessing
that I won’t be the only one in the travel party and
I’m looking forward to learning who else shares that
distinction.
We have a full itinerary planned – traveling throughout the
country, staying in three different cities, playing three games,
daily tours and excursions – and I’ll be reporting back
each night on the day's adventures. We’re in store for
a cultural and basketball experience like no other. I
can’t wait.
You can also follow me on twitter (@judgesAD) for
regular updates between blog posts.
Sheryl Sousa
Brandeis University
Director of Athletics
