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Women's Basketball

Germany-bound: Coming to an end

Hoping to get on the train in Berlin before the rail strike
Hoping to get on the train in Berlin before the rail strike
Posted: Sep 08, 2014

After a full week of training, competing and experiencing the culture, the Tigers are back on Canadian soil with memories that will last a lifetime!

Final Blog Post

by Diedre Alexander

As our week in Germany came to a close, it was time to begin our long trip home. The day started at 4am Saturday morning when we took a taxi to the train station in Berlin. From there, it was a planned five hour train ride to the Frankfurt Airport. But we left early that morning because we knew there would be a delay in our travels; the German Train Drivers were planning to strike from 6am-9am. For the Tigers, this meant two and a half hours sitting motionless in train cars. Making the best of the situation, many team members chose to use the time to catch up on sleep. The train soon started running again, and we caught our eight hour flight without any issues. We arrived in Halifax around 5:30pm – all exhausted, but having had an excellent trip. It had been an amazing educational opportunity, a time to bond with the team, and a chance to play basketball against strong competition. Overall, the trip was a fun learning experience, and all the Tigers are extremely grateful to those who made it possible. We cannot say a big enough thank you. Or as they say in Germany, Danke!

Friday, September 5

by Ainsley MacIntyre

We rose bright and early to a clear blue sky on our last day in Berlin. The plan was to visit a concentration camp approximately an hour outside Berlin known as Sachsenhausen. It was truly an indescribable feeling getting off of the bus at the concentration camp. You could feel the warmth of the sun beating down onto the pavement when we exited the bus. The walk from the Information Center to the entrance of the camp was silent and eerie. It was an experience unlike any other, walking on the very grounds where thousands of people were imprisoned and treated unjustly.

Each building was equipped with pictures, records, letters, personal stories and much more. You could have spent more than an entire day reading up on the history of the camp, stories of victims and medical experimentation. A few hours could not do justice for the events that unfolded on the grounds of Sachsenhausen in the past. I cannot speak for all of my teammates but it was a visit that will stick with me for the rest of our lives. Being able to walk through the Barracks and the medical examination rooms, which still housed the medical examination tables was surreal. The basement contained large and spacious chambers where bodies of the deceased were kept. It was chilling to visualize what these rooms would have looked like when in use. It was an indescribable experience, one that I will never forget.

We had the rest of the day to shop and explore the beautiful city of Berlin. Birkenstocks were our top priority, and most of us came home with a brand new pair… Some of us with new pairs for our entire family! Coach suggested we visit Hofbrauhaus Biergarten in Berlin for our last dinner in Germany. We were all very content that we chose this restaurant, as we were able to experience a true German atmosphere! It was a large beer garden consisting of multiple long wooden tables with long benches for seating. There was live music, and the musicians were dressed in brown shorts complete with suspenders and a white blouse. The musicians were playing accordions while they sang in German. We decided to join in on the fun and headed to the dance floor! It was a loud and lively atmosphere. Unfortunately, in order to make curfew we were forced to leave early without receiving all of our meals… We had some difficulty planning our route back to our Hostel because we were in such a rush. Carissa managed to map out the best route and we were on our way!

Coach greeted us in the lobby when we returned, and we were notified that there would be a meeting immediately. She explained that they had received word that the Train Drivers were going on strike from 6:00-9:00 a.m. Saturday morning. It would throw a wrench in our plans because our train was scheduled to leave at 7:00 a.m. and we would be unable to depart Berlin. If this were the case, we would miss our flight! Coach suggested taking a Stagecoach to Frankfurt, waking up earlier Saturday morning or catch the same flight on Sunday instead of Saturday. We went to bed unsure of what the morning may bring!​ 

Thursday, September 4

by Diedre Alexander

It was an early day for the Tigers. We headed into Berlin city and started our day by seeing Check Point Charlie - the American check point to pass from the American sector to the Russian sector along where the Berlin Wall once stood. After a walk along the Berlin Wall Exhibition, the team visited the Topography of Terror, a museum located on the exact site where the Gestapo (Nazi secret police) and SS secret police (Nazi Terror Unit) were located. Following this, the team visited the Holocaust Memorial dedicated to the Murdered Jews of Europe. It stood the size of a football field with 2711 concrete slabs of equal size but various heights giving a metaphorical sense of disorientation, confusion, and claustrophobia. The morning was a time for the team to learn, but more importantly, to remember. We were remembering the events of the past. The events that would have been much easier forgotten, but too important to ever forget.

After a quick stop to see the Brandenburger Tour (Gate to the city), and the Reichstag (the Parliament building), the team began game time preparation. It was a rematch against Tusli-Lichterfelde. After a slow start, the team came out in the second half ready to play. The final score was 68-56. Courtney Thompson scored 22 points, and Tessa Stammberger added 19. The Tigers finished in Germany with a record of 2-2.

We returned to the youth hostel that night, which was proving itself to be an interesting experience. The team was divided into two rooms of six people; it was a space not much bigger than a university dorm room. In order to get in and out, we had to manoeuvre around bags and suitcases which lined the floor. Although it was not always the most convenient, it was certainly helping with team bonding!