• Submitted by: admin
• International
• North America
• Sports
• 12 / 22 / 2006

"I've never been to Cuba, but how do I say this? There's not a lot of embellishments," said Matt's dad, Tom Kieswetter, the Warriors' head coach. "There are a lot of hardships there for the people."

To wit: The Warriors will be paired with a local club team with whom they will practise and scrimmage in a gymnasium without lights. So that means the teams can only play while the sun shines.

The Cubans might be modest people with humble surroundings, but that doesn't mean they don't take their basketball seriously.

"It's an opportunity for us to learn some stuff, too," said the elder Kieswetter, whose team spent a year raising funds for the trip which will cost each player close to $1,800.

"We could steal some basketball knowledge. The Cubans are very sports- oriented. One of their biggest exports is their coaches. Their coaches go all over the world."

Along with their used footwear, the Warriors will also take some old basketballs and new T-shirts to give to their Cuban hosts.

Tom Kieswetter toyed with the notion of exploring a Cuban basketball exchange for years. Women's teams from the University of British Columbia and Toronto's Ryerson University have already gone and their reports were glowing.

"I kept saying one of these years, we are going to go," said the coach.

"We usually go someplace every year. Last year, it was Winnipeg and there were some complaints about the cold."

The Warriors also plan to do some sightseeing. They even have salsa lessons scheduled.

Cuba is, after all, a tourist destination and since they will be unable to shoot hoops after dark . . .

"We (the team) have talked about Cuban cigars and six-dollar bottles of rum," said Tom Kieswetter. "We've had our conversations about why we are going down there. It's to train and to experience the culture.

"The players are pretty well focused on why they want to go down there. This is the coach talking, of course."

The Warriors depart on Boxing Day and will return Jan. 2.

In a three-way tie with Laurier and McMaster for fifth place in their eight-team conference, the Warriors (3-5, won-lost) play their first game after their Cuban vacation on Jan. 5 when Lakehead visits UW's gym. It's an 8 p.m. start.

Source: The Record.com