The Penn State Women's Basketball Team is in Spain from Aug. 9-18 and each day a different Lady Lion student-athlete or coach has been taking fans behind the scenes of what the team experienced that day. We conclude with head coach Coquese Washington.
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The Lady Lions spent their final morning in Spain touring one of the most famous churches in Europe, La Sagrada Familia. The remainder of the day has been set aside for free time as the team gets the chance to explore the streets and shops of Barcelona before returning home to the United State Saturday.
Lady Lions Travel Blog
Final Day – Aug. 17, 2018
By: Head Coach Coquese Washington
Wow! This trip to Spain has been amazing! It was the first trip to Spain for the entire team and has completely exceeded my expectations.
Spain is a beautiful country. The people are kind, generous and friendly. And the food is delicious, especially that paella dish! I even think Kellynn Wilson, our academic advisor, purchased cookware so she can prepare paella back home in State College!
We have spent a lot of time learning about the history of Spain during our guided tours of Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona. All three cities have some very interesting stories and the history lives on, particularly, in the architecture. Just walking down the street and looking at the character of the buildings is a treat.
The trip has been a wonderful experience in many ways, including the opportunities we've had to compete on the court against our Spanish and Slovenian competitors. It's been really cool to see the team gel and develop a bit of chemistry during our games.
We played a fast and fun brand of basketball, with everyone contributing in a positive way when they were on the floor. Our freshmen are very talented and bring a high level of energy, competitiveness and toughness to the team. Our sophomores and juniors have improved their games as well as their confidence, and our senior class provides a high level of leadership that the team needs.
Our staff also got a chance to gel and work together during a game for the first time. Staff chemistry is critically important and working together with Itoro, Geoff, Tamika, Ethan, Jeanine, Sean, Caren, Miriam, and Chelsea was really cool. The games didn't have a traditional stat crew, so Jeanine rounded up our support staff to take stats during the games and they came through like champs! It was hilarious to watch Kellynn keeping track of assists and Jaida Green tracking our offensive efficiency!
All in all, it has been a trip that has meant a lot to our program. Educational trips like this open up the world to our players, giving them a broader worldview and a healthy respect and tolerance for other cultures. It has been a life-changing experience and Lady Lion basketball will be forever grateful for these nine days in Spain.
We Are Penn State,
Coquese Washington
