Preparations for basketball season are beginning a little earlier this year for a pair of area programs.
The St. Francis (Pa.) women and Waynesburg men are taking international trips that are a blend of team-bonding, competition and culture.
St. Francis will leave Tuesday for Australia, while Waynesburg will spend more than a week in Ireland.
St. Francis is scheduled to arrive in Melbourne on Thursday, while Waynesburg plans to touch down in Dublin in one week, on Aug. 12. St. Francis plans to spend six days in Melbourne and four in Sydney, taking in the sights and playing four exhibition games against semi-professional teams from the sovereign country. The first game is Saturday against the Southern Peninsula Sharks.
The Red Flash also will take on the Ringwood Hawks, Sunbury Jets and Basketball Australia Center of Excellence, while also taking part in a youth clinic.
Busy morning for SFUWBB as we wrap up things in Loretto! pic.twitter.com/XCX69auAEN
— Saint Francis U WBB (@RedFlashWBB) August 5, 2019
Summer practice for the Australia Foreign Tour is complete. The team has been working hard to prepare for an 11-day excursion in Melbourne and Sydney. Follow along with us as we explore the cities and gain some valuable playing experience! pic.twitter.com/7w7wsbJVTu
— Saint Francis U WBB (@RedFlashWBB) August 5, 2019
Using a different basketball and adapting to the 24-second shot clock will be adjustments for the team from Loretto.
Waynesburg, meantime, has 10 days planned where it can get to know the Irish better.
New coach Tim Fusina and the Yellow Jackets will visit Kinsale for three days, Killarney for three more and Galway for an additional three, with a game at each location.
The final day of the trip, Aug. 20, will be a trip to Dublin.
New head coach Tim Fusina and the Yellow Jackets are back at it earlier than usual as they prepare for their upcoming trip to Ireland. For more information on the journey across the Atlantic Ocean go here: https://t.co/exkdxmnWgZ pic.twitter.com/6G4IxsrEPb
— Waynesburg Sports (@WaynesburgSport) August 5, 2019
