University of Richmond Athletics
A Letter From Elise From Overseas
02/13/2001 | Women's Basketball
In mid-August, Richmond Coach Bob Foley, nine members of the Spiders women's basketball team and a host of the team's staff traveled overseas for a 10-day journey through England and France. The benefits of the trip - both in team development and otherwise - were immeasurable. "One of the best experiences of my life," was how many players described it.
On the trip, sophomore point guard Elise Ryder kept a journal, chronicling the team's activities. The following is a portion of an experience she called "indescribable."
From the minute we left the Robins Center to today, August 25, 2000 at 3:30 p.m., our trip has been nothing short of amazing. I loved the London atmosphere and all of its historic sights. We toured Windsor Castle, the home of the royal family, and went through some of the 300-plus rooms. Each space has its own personality. Royalty sure does live the great life.
And the cars in London! They are unique from what we are used to in the United States. Some are the size of toasters and others have six doors. Overall, London was beautiful and I think we were all awed by walking around Kensington Palace at night and seemingly looking out to a new world.
I remember the first tour day in Paris, when the team took pictures of the Eiffel Tower from a distance. The very next day, we were at the top of the Tower, seeing the place where that picture was taken and looking at the city from a different - and breathtaking - perspective. Attending mass at Notre Dame Cathedral and seeing Paris' beautiful structures were amazing. The choir at mass was wonderful and the carefully composed music was like nothing I had ever heard before.
Seeing the Papal Palace and cathedrals made Avignon very fun. Everywhere you looked, there was a lot of plush, open land as well as beautiful trees and flowers. Nice deserves a section of its own because of its shear beauty. It was a contrast to Paris' structural feel. Nice's beach, water and coastline were full of people, life and culture. It is amazing to see that people actually live in a place this gorgeous for their entire lives. Emerald green water, palm trees, small stores, hotels, resorts and harbors...Nice was nice. Nice gave me piece of mind. I was able to reflect and had time to enjoy the moment. En route to a game, I took a nap, woke up to the Mediterranean Sea, bordered by beautiful stone architecture, houses, beaches and mountains.
Going to Europe was a special experience in my life. It was not entirely the sites or cities that I will remember, but sharing it with the people with whom I care about. Twenty years from now, I can open the pages of my scrap book of Europe 2000 and remember the unique people I was lucky enough to enjoy the trip with. That is something more special than the sunrise in Nice or the city of Paris. The great moments were spending time together with my teammates. That is the most special thing I will take home with me.
