I would like to begin by thanking Mr. Robertson for the opportunity to stay connected as a team last week, heading up to our playoff -run. The journey was successful in more than just our two victories; particularly in helping us bond on and off the court.

After an extremely disappointing Super Bowl evening, held in the Duxbury common room, the team began its yearly tour down to Portland, Oregon. Our first night was spent in Longview, Washington, where we defeated R.A. Long High School after stepping off an 11 hour bus ride -- recovering from a 17-point deficit at halftime, to win 50-47. The next day was spent preparing for an evening with the NBA's Portland Trailblazers. Many thanks to our Canadian National Team Coach and Trailblazers Assistant, Jay Triano, who helped us with media passes, allowing access to the on-court pre-game warmup. Wednesday was our special training session at Shoot 360; a high tech basketball training facility specializing in dribbling, shooting and vertical training. Despite the hard work involved, we stayed over 2 hours and had a great time with the unique facility. On Thursday, we travelled south for an hour and a half for our last game versus Lebanon High School, which resulted in a 79-38 victory.

Overall, the trip did exactly what it was intended to do: bring the team closer together and create a sense of family within. I would like to thank Mr. Olson for aiding with transportation and stepping up as a second coach, Milan for his intense one-on-one games, and last but not least, Mr. P. for his unique understanding of the game and his willingness to put such immense time and effort into this amazing trip and into the team. Thank you very much.

– Phillipe N.