Coming off the excitement of the World Cup, Brazil opened its doors to host another United States team - this time in the great sport of basketball. On July 21-30, United States Tours & Events, coached by Bryan Martin, took a team consisting of talented NCAA Division III athletes across the Samba Nation. The group spent time in Sao Paulo, Santos, Jundiai, and Rio de Janerio, competing against four of Brazil's top Premiere League teams: Soracaba, Rio Soul, Piracicaba, and Santos.
Trinity Basketball's Robert Kitzinger '14 was one of the ten athletes invited to participate. When asked of the experience, Kitzinger described it as "a once in a lifetime experience that was extremely competitive." While the team finished the tour 1-3, the USA group competed well with no game above a ten point difference. Some teams even had former NCAA Division I All-Americans participating. Kitzinger described the Brazilian style of basketball as "very physical, with defenders being allowed to be much more aggressive on the ball than in the US."
The trip wasn't all about basketball, as the group also toured each city, experiencing the culture. Kitzinger particularly enjoyed mingling with the locals. Whether it was traveling to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain to enjoy the view, standing at the foot of the Christ The Redeemer statue, or just taking in Copacabana Beach, there was always something new each day.
This was a special way to end a spectacular career for Kitzinger, a four-time All-SCAC selection and three-time SCAC Champion, who now heads to the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. We will miss Kitz here in San Antonio, but are excited to see what lies ahead in his extraordinarily bright future.
