Hope College’s women’s basketball team didn’t head to Disney World After winning the 2022 NCAA Division III National Championship March.
However, Flying Dutch has some pretty sweet trips planned this month. Hope she leaves for Italy on August 8th for a 10-day trip abroad. Flying Dutch gives you the opportunity to face international competition and immerse yourself in Italian culture.
Don’t look at this trip as a reward for Hope’s third title in show history. In fact, this is the first step in a long journey to defend their crown.
“Our season started with practice on Monday,” Flying Dutch coach Brian Morehouse said. “It starts with developing good work habits and being the best teammate, building our culture and building a good flow within the team, both offensively and defensively.
“This trip, these training sessions and next week’s game are all in my head for the 2022-23 season.”
Hope will take part in three games during the trip, starting in Rome and visiting Florence, Cinque Terre, Lake Como and Venice before returning home on August 18. 2 years in the making. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Flying Dutch to cancel his 2020 and his 2021 plans.
In total, 11 student-athletes and two student assistants will join Morehouse on the trip, including all returning players on the 32-1 team.
“As we built our program, we wanted to stay true to what we thought was important as part of the basketball experience at Hope,” Morehouse said. “One of those things is to give our players an innovative experience. No need to participate.
“International travel is important. It helps us better understand the world we live in and how the United States functions within it. Not just how we look, but how other countries and cultures view us as Americans.
The national title last season was the second for Morehouse, who led the Flying Dutch to the 2006 Championship. Hope defeated his Wisconsin Whitewater team 71-58 in his March 19 national title match in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Flying his Dutch winning streak reached 61 games this season.
Flying Dutch wants to turn the page and start focusing on the next set of challenges. The trip allowed Flying Dutch to participate in a series of practices this week in preparation for international competition.
“Our goal is the same every year: to be the best version of the team that year,” Morehouse said.
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