2016 High School Trip

Trip Overview:

• Travel dates: June 28 - July 10, 2016.

• Countries visited: Spain, France, Holland and Germany.

• Cities visited: Barcelona (Spain), Leucate, Toulouse, Carcassonne and Bordeaux (France), Amsterdam and Leiden (Holland) and Mainz and Heidelberg (Germany)

• Opponents: French Junior National Team, Dutch Junior National Team and German Junior National Team. 10 games played.

• Group size: 21 players, 4 staff members.

Basic Trip Itinerary:

• • June 28 - Gather at JFK Airport / Group flight to Barcelona

  • June 29 - Team practice and sightseeing in Barcelona

  • June 30 - July 3 - Games and sightseeing in France / Group flight to Amsterdam

  • July 3 - 6 - Games and sightseeing in Holland.

  • July 7 - 9 - Games and sightseeing in Germany.

  • July 10 - Group flight from Frankfurt to JFK.

Trip Staff:

• • Tom Gillespie - Tour Leader (see Founder - Career Highlights page)

  • Stephan Rapaglia - Tour Leader and Pitching Coach (see Founder - Career Highlights page)

  • Justin Cronk (http://diamondcollegeadvisory.com/who-are-we.php) (Founder of Diamond College Advisory Team, LLC and former Head Coach at Shenandoah University) - Head Coach

  • Stan Exeter (http://www.ursinusathletics.com/sports/bsb/coaches/index) (Head Coach, Ursinus College) - Assistant Coach

Each of the staff members listed above has had significant experience coaching and/or teaching HS and college student-athletes, 2 of the staff members have significant national team coaching experience, and 2 of the staff members have significant professional coaching experience.

Trip Cost: $5,395 (included all basic intra-European travel expenses [i.e., ground transport, lodging and meals] and all training and competition-related expenses, but excluded airfare to/from Europe and health insurance).

Important Notes:

• • Staff members were available via cellphone and email at all times during the trip to respond to emergencies.

  • Although the legal drinking age in most parts of Europe is 18 (or even less), OWB has a strict policy against alcohol consumption by HS trip participants. Violations of this policy or other rules of personal conduct would have resulted in the violator being sent home immediately (at his family's expense).

  • As OWB's trip participants serve as de facto ambassadors of US baseball, excellent sportsmanship was promoted and expected, and all OWB 2016 trip participants did a superb job in this regard.

  • Parents and other family members of HS trip participants were welcome to participate in this trip at their own expense. In 2016, several families traveled along with the OWB team.