As many football teams across the state are gearing up for training camp, the UWL Eagles men’s basketball team is preparing for an exciting international venture.
Fresh off one of the best seasons in program history, highlighted by a memorable Elite Eight run, the Eagles are packing their passports for a 10-day trip to Spain.
The team will visit Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona, where they will compete against select professional teams. This experience is designed to sharpen their skills and foster team chemistry that will be vital throughout the upcoming season.
Coach Gritzmacher emphasized the importance of the trip beyond basketball: “Ten days with our group, spending time with each other and the families, kind of building that bond. I don’t think those are things you can take away. As we go through the ups and downs of the year, knowing we can be as tight as we want to be coming off this trip can be great for us,” said UWL head coach, JT Gritzmacher.
While the basketball season won’t officially start for a few more months, Coach Gritzmacher is already hard at work preparing. Drawing inspiration from football coaches, he noted, “I think football coaches are some of the ones I study the most because you have a group of 53 to 100 guys, and getting those guys on the same page takes a lot of culture-building. So, I love football,” said Gritzmacher.
The Eagles are set to fly out this weekend and will return on the 19th, ready to carry their European experience into the new season.
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