We had an early Polish breakfast, including tomatoes and kiwi, assorted meats and cheeses. Then it was off to the gym to start day two of the tour. After practice a team of girls went to play in Cherzov, Poland and the rest went to Auschwitz, Poland to visit the Concentration Camp.
Auschwitz was about an hour bus ride from Krakow. When we arrived we all put on headphones and were guided by a Polish tour guide, Pieter, through Auschwitz 1. Due to time constraints we were only able to tour Auschwitz 1, and unable to see Auschwitz 2 (Berkanauer), which was the main site for cremating the victims of the camp. It is to be noted that Pieter did an amazing job narrating the events that took place in Auschwitz and answered every question with great detail. He shared stories about meeting several of the survivors of the camp and explained how each victim was deceived by the Nazis during their entire stay, and for some up until their death.
When the victims entered the walked through a gate that said in German "Work Will Set You Free". Upon their arrival they were sized up by Nazi officers and demanded either to step right or step left, which determined their immediate fate. Women with small children, the elderly, and anyone seemingly unfit to work were sent directly to execution. Several ways of execution that Pieter mentioned were gas filled chambers with Cyclone B, shooting walls, gallows, etc. After execution the majority of the 1.3 million that were killed were cremated. Also many women were used as experimental sterilization projects; others were murdered so that autopsies could be constructed. Those that survived were permanently injured. Other experiments involved studies with twins. In addition, if bad behavior was detected by Nazi officers some residents were to stand in an enclosed cell about a square meter with four people total all night after an 11 hour workday, then another 11 hour work day to follow. People in these standing cells often didn't make it through the night because of starvation, suffocation, and exhaustion.
One of the Blocks displayed physical evidence of the happenings at that "work camp". Displayed in cases we saw 2 tons of hair from the scalped victims, mounds of adult shoes, as well as a pile of children's shoes, eye-glasses, artificial limbs and crutches, rooms filled with pots, pans, plates and other cooking utensils, Jewish prayer blankets, and tobacco cans. There was also a room filled with luggage, with each bag marked with the victims name, address, and birth date. This was to ensure the visitors that they were entitled to their belongings after their stay ended. In this display case we saw suitcases owned by anyone from the age of 1 to 70.
The overall experience walking in and out of the different dormitories where thousands were murdered was a surreal experience. Knowing that we were walking in the same blocks that millions of prisoners were struggling to survive daily life was a life changing experience.
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Today started off with a great breakfast at the hotel in Krakow. From there it was on to practice at the University in Krakow. We split into positional training groups and competed in some three on three drills for the morning workout session. Tim and Cory introduced us to two "trainers" (coaches) from the team TV-Villingen in Germany. They were going to be watching our practice for the day. Halfway through practice, Tim and Cory pulled me aside and asked if I would like to drive 8 hours back to Germany with the coaches for the chance to meet with their team, see the town, and even play in two matches with the team. I immediately thought it would be a fantastic opportunity for me to see what playing in Europe was all about! I said yes to the coaches and was ready for my long journey to Germany. |
When practice was over I went back to the hotel and packed up my bags. I met Robert and Mikel in the lobby and we left by Krakow by car for Villigen, Germany. The drive was supposed to take 8 hours, but instead it took a long 12 hours due to snowy winter weather conditions! We had to stop in a small town and stay in a hotel 2 hours outside of our destination to get some sleep. The next day we woke up, ate a great breakfast at the hotel, and then we were on the road again. We all were glad that the snow had stopped and that the roads would be clear. We finally arrived in the cute little town of Villingen (population 30,000) and went directly to the gym to play the matches. I quickly suited up and started going through warm ups with the team. The team was very friendly and welcoming. After the first match we had a lunch break and ate some amazing pasta, then played another match. The matches were exhibition matches and did not count towards league.
After the matches were complete, the coaches and manager pulled me aside and offered me a position on the team. I was flattered and thanked them for the offer. I went back to the house I was staying at for the night and thought long and hard about the offer. I decided to pass on the offer to play in Germany and rejoin the players on the BIP tour. This meant I had to hit the travel circuit once more...and catch a train to Munich, then another train to Melk, Austria to meet up with everyone. It was an amazing experience and I feel fortunate that I had the opportunity to try out with the team in Villingen and see the beautiful country of Germany. |
