By Dr. Matt Robinson
Professor of Sport Management, Director of International Sport Institute, University of Delaware

Day One Anatolia Tour 2007 (June 12)
Trip Preview / Day One Blog / Day Two Blog / Day Three Blog / Day Four Blog / Day Five Blog / Day Six Blog / Day Seven Blog / Day Eight Blog - Wrapup
Photos Gallery from Turkey

We left from in front of the Bob Carpenter Center at noon on June 11. We flew from Dulles International to Munich, Germany and Munich Directly in Ankara, Turkey, the capital city. We arrived at 3:30 p.m. Turkish time on June 12.

We were greeted at the airport by Tugba Karagulla, who served as a graduate assistant with the UD Women’s basketball team as part of the United States Department of State grant. She currently works with the Turkish Basketball Federation and along with Dr. Emir Turam, Director of International Relations made all of the on ground programs.. Coach Martin and the players were presented flowers as a welcoming gift from the Federation.  The lone hardship of the trip was traveling with 300 basketballs we will donate over the course of the week.

We traveled through the busy city traffic to reach our hotel and had to do a quick change in order for Coach Martin, Jeanine Radice and the players to lead a 6 p.m. practice/coaching clinic for the Cankaya University Club 14 and under girls team and coaches from the club. Cullen Robinson, my nine year old son, has been assigned the responsibility of inflating the balls before each session. He inflates 15 balls as we travel on our bus for the first session.

Language is not a barrier for Coach Martin’s and Radice to make their points, nor does a day of travel and a seven hour time difference have an effect on the passion and enthusiasm they have for the game. Coach Martin and players are as fresh as if it was Oct 15 and the start of the season. As Tugba translates for the players who are demonstrating and the coaches in the stands, Coach Martin and Radice present a 1 hour and 45 minute session on defending principles. Tina proves again she is not only a great coach but an even better teacher. Several coaches still talk about a session on the match up zone Tina did two years ago at a TBF coaching clinic on the West Coast of Turkey. The coaches in attendance today are equally impressed.  

At session end the coaches corner Coach Martin to ask more about her defensive philosophies, Coach Radice plays pickup with two girls maybe 8 or 9 years old, and I think she was losing when the game stopped, while the Alena, Kyle and Courtney are mobbed by the Turkish Youth players asking them to stay longer and to autograph the basketballs donated by the UD players thorough the UD Alumni Association Alumni Enrichment award they received.

The long two days end over a traditional Turkish dinner in a restaurant in Ankara. University of Delaware and the women’s basketball program are recognized by the leadership of the Turkish Basketball Federation for their efforts in promoting and growing women’s basketball in Turkey over the past three years. Wonderful gifts were presented to the coaches and players and Dr. Dave Barlow and I were recognized by the Federation for our contributions to coaching education with the TBF. It has been over four years since Dave and I started working with the TBF through a US Department of State grant, and I think I can speak for Dave in saying it has been an incredible experience, but it could not have gone anywhere if it was for efforts of people like Tina, Jeanine, Alena, Kyle and Courtney.

I am continually amazed how sport unites and build friendships. UD has great friends in Turkey because of basketball and we are all a little better for the experience.