Enjoy blogs from the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team as it travels to Senegal and Paris during the last week of July and into August. The Spartans were scheduled to play two games in Senegal and one in France. UNCG will also do some sight-seeing while in both countries, including what all expect to be an impactful stop at Gorée Island, Senegal which is home to the “House of Slaves.” While in Paris, the Spartans plan to see all that it has to offer including: the Eiffel Tower, the Lourve, Arc de Triomphe, and more. 

Graduate student Kobe Langley writes about the experience during the first few days of the trip

Dakar, Senegal

With the anticipation of this trip and to jump start my final year of eligibility especially with this team was definitely an opportunity like no other.

Travel did start off a little messy, but with the help of our coaches and Sports Ventures we were able to make it safely to Dakar, Senegal.

A small group of the team did get the chance to go on safari while the other group flew to meet up in Senegal. They saw giraffes, gazelles, rhinos, and a few others. It was unfortunate that most of us didn’t get to go, but we were all happy to see each other the next day.

Once we were all together, we had a large buffet for breakfast at the hotel. We then hopped on a bus and went through the city to get to a ferry landing. In Senegal alone, most of the population lives below the poverty line. A storm had hit the coast that night so the waves were huge, as we sailed to Gorée Island. I want to say it was a blessing to be on this trip. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to see what Gorée Island has to offer and learn about the culture. I’ve learned many things starting with how the island was uninhabited and then was settled by Europeans in the 15th century. Also, I learned that Gorée Island was the furthest west slave trading center on the African coast from the 15th to the 19th century. It is also one of the most well-known and well-preserved slave trade outposts for the Atlantic Slave Trade. Being a person of color and stepping foot in the House of Slaves really hit home for me and a lot of my teammates. 

I was talking to coach after the tour, and I told him that learning about the pain and suffering of our ancestors gave me some appreciation and purpose for my life. I also learned that there are 24 different sands in Africa, including Saly beaches, termite mounds, the Sahara Desert, mangroves, Sudan, Chad, Cap Skirring, and Lac Rose (The Pink Lake). On our tour we visited a Senegalese artist who creates his work with the sand. The glue used in the method is made from a combination of baobab sap and Arabic gum. We went on a tour of St. Charles Eglise Church. The irony is that the church was constructed while people were being mistreated. European missionaries used Christianity to demonize native African faiths like Voodoo.

Later that day, we walked around the NBA Academy Africa campus in Saly, Senegal before playing and met some of the faculty and staff. We made our way to the court and had a great opportunity to play against an international team. They were made up of players from all over the world, including some that formerly went through the NBA Academy. The team gave us a chance to compete while we also toured the country. As a team this is the first time we played against an opponent this year and we get work on us (UNCG) so we can build on to progress this coming season. The synthetic surface we played on was very unique and unlike our normal courts in the U.S.  On behalf of my teammates, I can say we had fun and it definitely showed.

Paris, France

After taking a red eye flight to Paris and stepping off the plane for the first time was exactly what I thought it would be. It is a great place with amazing views and a lot of people, almost reminding me of NYC. We rode the bus to Sacré-Coeur and walked around the area to get breakfast. During our free time, some teammates and I went to Starbucks for some coffee but then I got really hungry and saw something unique. I ate crepes with Nutella and now that’s my favorite thing to eat from the country. The Basilica of the Sacred Heart is also up this hill and the views were just as amazing outside as they were inside. Later that day we took a boat tour down la Seine. The views were jaw dropping with all the architecture. It also gave the team and the staff a time to relax and bond. As a program we preach that relationships and connections matter.

Stay tuned for more from the rest of our trip to Paris!