SaWUSA 2019 International Tours The Coolest Thing I ve Ever Done A Once-In-A-Lifetime Experience That s our goal for all of our travelers. It s a lofty goal. We hear it a lot in our post trip surveys. In fact, we expect to hear it. Anything less is not acceptable for us. Below is a listing of what we plan to offer in 2019 and more information that will help you better explain what we do. However, it s impossible to really explain what this is all about in a document. The only way you can really understand what SaWUSA is all about is to go on a tour with us. If you do nothing else, please take a look at the hundreds of testimonials on our website. Our past travelers can explain much better what this is all about. If you are interested make sure to apply. Don t let best experience of your life come and go without getting to experience it!
2019 Tour Offerings We have seven tours for 2019. Don t worry, you can apply first and then once accepted our staff can help you with figuring out the trip that is best for you. Explore the seven trips below United World Games It s our signature trip. Pretty much, the coolest youth sports event in the World. Picture a stadium full of 10,000 athletes from 40+ countries in multiple sports competing for Gold. Picture eating at a Beirgarten in Germany one day, then riding a Gondola in Venice the next. Sound awesome? It is. SPORTS/AGES: Basketball (MW) 8-19, Cheer/Dance (MW) 10-19, Hockey (M) 10-19, Softball (W) 10-19, Soccer (M) 7-18, Soccer (W) 11-19, Swimming (MW) 8-18, Tennis (MW) 12-18, Track and Field (MW) 8-18, Volleyball (W) 9-19 WHAT: The United World Games, the largest youth tournament in Europe WHERE: Germany/Austria/Italy (Host City is Klagenfurt, Austria) WHEN: June 17-26, 2019 (10 days, 9 nights) HOW MUCH: $4,200 Euro Basketball Cup Like Hoops? This is for you. See the fabulous city of Barcelona and stay in Costa Brava, a quaint collection of beach villages on the Mediterranean Sea. This trip is best for athletes traveling alone and the Basketball is very good. Test your game vs the World here. SPORTS/AGES: Men s Basketball 14-18 WHAT: Euro Basketball Cup WHERE: Spain (Host city is near Barcelona) WHEN: June 17-25, 2019 (9 days, 8 nights) HOW MUCH: $3,900
Lisboa Lacrosse Cup One of the best LAX tournaments in the World. Help spread the love of LAX to Europe and compete with Europe s best. Explore the Iberian Peninsula including Lisbon and the Western Region of Spain. Picture yourself zip-lining over a river from one country to another, exploring nightlife in Lisbon, and the awesome history of this region. SPORTS/AGES: Lacrosse (MW) 18-25 WHAT: Lisboa Lacrosse Cup WHERE: Portugal and Spain WHEN: June 23 July 1, 2019 (9 days, 8 nights) HOW MUCH: $3,600 Barbados Ya man, the beach! Picture yourself on a catamaran cruise in turquoise ocean paradise you only see on TV. Ride jeeps across the island and learn the island culture. The Bajans love sport. And they are good too. Compete with the locals and experience a vacation like none other! SPORTS/AGES: Basketball (MW) 17-25, Volleyball (W) 14-19 WHAT: 4 Game Exhibition Tour WHERE: Barbados WHEN: July 3rd 9th (7 days, 6 nights) HOW MUCH: $3,200 Europe Lowlands Explore the lowlands of Europe, one of the very few places in Europe where they love Baseball and Softball. Share your love of the game with the locals! Picture yourself at a café in Belgium sipping coffee or riding bicycles through Amsterdam like a local. You want to do Europe? This trip will let you really explore what Europe is all about! SPORTS/AGES: Baseball and Softball 14-25 WHAT: 5+ Game Exhibition Tour WHERE: Netherlands/Belgium WHEN: July 14-23, 2019 (10 days, 9 nights) HOW MUCH: $4,200
Australia Crikey mate! Let s go Down Under. Meet a kangaroo. Learn to surf. I mean the flight is so long you leave on a Monday and arrive on a Wednesday. It takes 12 days to do Australia right, and that s how we do it. SaWUSA s mission is the coolest thing you ve ever done. Well we think this is our coolest thing we ve ever set up. Join us! SPORTS/AGES: Basketball (MW) 14-19, Softball (W) 14-25 WHAT: 5 Game Exhibition Series WHERE: Australia WHEN: July 1-11, 2019 (11 days, 10 nights) HOW MUCH: $5,200 Iberian Basketball Dream of playing pro ball in Europe. This will give you a taste of that. Explore the Iberian Peninsula. Picture yourself zip-lining over a river from one country to another, exploring nightlife in Lisbon, and the awesome history of this region. Compete against pro clubs in a once-in-a-lifetime basketball experience. SPORTS/AGES: Basketball (MW) 18-25 WHAT: 4 Game Exhibition Series WHERE: Portugal and Spain WHEN: July 31 August 8, 2019 (9 days, 8 nights) HOW MUCH: $3,900
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What is SaWUSA? Who are you? What is SaWUSA? We are former college coaches and now take kids around the world to represent the USA on International Sports Tours! Our STAFF is made up of former college coaches. We have decades of experience recruiting athletes, coaching athletes, and taking teams on international tours. You can read more about us and our story on our ABOUT US page. Get started with an application at apply.studentathleteworld.com. Huh? Can you tell me more? I don t get it? Please find more info about different trips, dates, cost etc. on our TOURS page. You can find more info about our company on our main WEBSITE and our ABOUT US page. There is so much info on our website like PICTURES, TESTIMONIALS, and more. Just remember to get started with an application at https://apply.studentathleteworld.com. Do you want to talk to a real live person? Please feel free to call us anytime at 984-225-1040 or use our CONTACT US page. Just remember to leave a voicemail if we don t answer. OK, But why haven t I heard of you? It is very possible that you have never heard of SaWUSA. We are STUDENTathleteWorld Tours and represent the USA in many tournaments around the World. It may seem strange to you, but it is normal for us. In fact, it is the way we chose to operate. We do advertise nationally. Because we select our athletes based on the recommendations of coaches, athletes and athletics professionals, we take the initiative to contact those players. We do not extend an open invitation to just anyone who wants to go. SaWUSA athletes are a select group of elite athletes that represent their team, schools, and country while they are overseas. We choose to take only those we feel will do this with the class, integrity and character. If you are interested, make sure to apply at apply.studentathleteworld.com. Team Selection Process So, like, how did you find me? We get recommendations from coaches and our recruiting partners around the country. It s likely we got your name from a showcase event you did or from your coach. It s a nice honor to be invited to apply. However, it doesn t mean you ve been offered a spot on a team. The invite is simply to apply, which you can get started at apply.studentathleteworld.com. Yeah, but how did I get selected to be invited? SaW takes great pride in selecting the top quality STUDENTathletes that will serve as ambassadors representing themselves, their communities, and the USA. We receive recommendations from youth, high school, club, and college coaches across the country, including the coaches who will coach our teams. We ask them to make their recommendations based not only on athletic ability, but also on depth of character, leadership ability, and scholastic efforts. Our goal is to fill the most competitive team possible and represent the USA with a top team of athletes for each tour or tournament we enter (most of our players have team, regional, and state honors). In the simplest of terms, someone somewhere has recommended you to us as an outstanding athlete and ambassador. We give you the opportunity to apply to travel with us overseas, taking in a new culture and extending those qualities into international competition. We work very hard to make sure we are getting good athletes to represent the USA the best that we can. This is why it is a compliment to you for receiving the invitation. However, an invitation does not mean you have been offered a spot on the team. You will need to be selected after completing our application and interview process. If you think you would be a good ambassador of the USA, please start that process at apply.studentathleteworld.com. So, how do I make the team? Our application process involves the four steps below. The reason we have such a detailed application process is that we want to make sure we are taking athletes that will represent themselves, us, and the United States in a positive way. It s an honor to be selected from such a large pool of applicants! -STEP 1 Create a player profile (biography, stats, honors, awards, etc.) -STEP 2 Upload video to be evaluated by SaWUSA staff. -STEP 3 Upload letters of recommendation from teachers and coaches. -STEP 4 Interview with our trip coordinator.
About Our Tours and Traveling Why should I come on this trip or send my son or daughter? How many times in your life will you ever get to do this? Traveling around the world to compete on an International level is a once-ina-lifetime opportunity. It is our goal to make sure that it is one that you cherish forever! Who takes care of the logistics while in a foreign country? We take care of everything. Having local partners show us around their country is a great way to really get to know new places. All you have to do is show up, enjoy, and compete! What about staff and chaperones? You will travel with SaW professional staff members, local tour guides, and professional coaches that are constantly with our athletes during the trip. Safety is our first priority. We work in cooperation with partners in our various countries to ensure that each tour goes as smoothly as possible. These partners provide our teams with tour leaders that pick up the teams at the airport and remain with them until they re-board the plane to return home. Our staff meets the athletes at the gateway airport and accompanies them over on the international flight. In addition to the touring staff, coaches also take an active role in the group s day-to-day activities. They tour, sightsee and eat with the players as well as stay in the same hotels. We provide our athletes with the opportunity for supporters to travel with them if they choose. These supporters are typically family members or family friends. Though they do not play an active role in the group s leadership, they do provide additional support. Can my family and friends join the tour? Absolutely! You can travel alone and have the time of your life or you can turn your adventure into a family vacation. Either way, your adventure will be one that you will never forget! The cost is the same for family and or friends as the athletes. Do I need travel insurance? We highly recommend that all participants and members of the traveling party obtain travel insurance. SaW has a partnership with TravelGuard and you can purchase travel insurance to protect your trip very easily. It is up to each athlete to provide their own health insurance. In the event that an athlete is injured while on tour, requiring assistance beyond what the staff is able to provide, the group s tour leader(s) will ensure that the athlete is taken to a facility where the appropriate care can be provided. The cost of the services rendered does fall to the athlete. We recommend that athletes contact their primary health insurance provider to learn about how their health coverage operates internationally. Do I need a passport? All participants including athletes, families, coaches, and chaperones need passports. We advise you to begin the process of obtaining a passport as soon as you decide to go on the trip. We need the passport a minimum of 120 days prior to departure. Late ticketing fees can apply if we do not have a passport at time of ticketing. SaW has a partnership with passport agencies and we can help you get an expedited passport if you need it in a hurry. It is up to each traveler to provide a passport. Playing Sports Overseas When do we meet the team and do we practice? Your coach will call you before you leave to get a better idea of what each player can do as far as positions and experience. However you will meet your teammates and coaches in person for the first time at your departure airport on the first day of the trip. You will usually have a practice or two before your first contest when we land at your first destination (or even before we depart). Some might think that is strange. However, this is the best thing about International travel it s unlike anything else you have ever done! It truly is amazing how most of our teams bond and are able to come together and play as a team having met each other only a few days earlier. Have any participants signed professional contracts or received scholarship offers while competing abroad? Yes, this has happened, but it is not really the purpose of our trips. Some players like the country and also decide to return after graduation for pursue professional possibilities. Please ask you respective sport director if you have any questions about playing abroad. Will participating in this competition affect my High School or College Eligibility? SaW works in conjunction with the NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA and other sanctioning bodies to ensure that any guidelines relating to our program and eligibility are met. We also advise all participating athletes to check with their member institutions and local school districts to make sure they are in compliance with any conference- or school-specific regulations. For more information regarding
NCAA eligibility and foreign tours, you can read the NCAA Regulations Governing Foreign Tours for Divisions I, II and III in their manuals at www.ncaa.gov under Legislation & Governance. What is the level of competition like? Almost all of the teams that we play are extremely competitive. Some countries are stronger than others in each respective sport. Our goal of each trip is to win the tournaments that we enter and compete against the most competitive teams we can find. Will I get playing time? YES! We want your child to have a great experience both on the field/court and off. This doesn t this mean that every athlete will play the exact amount of time, but we strive to make sure that each athlete is left with the feeling, That was the coolest thing I have ever done! Cost and Fundraising I can t afford this! International travel is not super cheap. The places are far away and we don t own our own airplane and hotels :). However, International travel is one of the best investments into your future. It will become part of who you are. If you can make it work, you won t regret it! Also, we have many fundraising options (see below). To get started please apply at apply.studentathleteworld.com. How can I raise money for this trip? Please visit our FUNDRAISING page where you can explore some options. Many of our kids go completely free with just a little work put into fundraising campaigns. What is included in the cost of my trip? Entrance fee for the Games/Tournaments Round Trip Airfare from the Team s Departure Airport International Hotel Accommodations (Typically 3 and 4 Star Hotels; Occupancy is based on 2-4 to a room depending on the trip) International Airport and Hotel Taxes and Service Fees All Airport Transfers and Transportation to Scheduled Activities Entertainment as Outlined in the Itinerary (Amazing Sightseeing Excursions, Authentic Cultural Experience, Educational Guided Tours) Meals as Outlined in the Itinerary Uniforms and Equipment International & USA Sport Sanctioning and Approvals An Experienced and Knowledgeable Local Tour Manager An Experienced Coach Outstanding SaW Service and Commitment to your Trip of a Lifetime Teammates and Friendships that you will Remember Forever What is NOT included in the cost of this trip? Travel to your Departure Airport Passport / Visa Fees Individual Medical Insurance (Primary) Travel Insurance (Recommended) Customary Tipping (Bus drivers, etc.) Personal Items: Souvenirs, Telephone Calls and Internet, Snacks, Drinks, etc. Meals: Trips vary but most include all or most of the meals What if we have to cancel? Planning international sports tours is an extremely tedious endeavor. We need to reserve flight prices, ground packages, hotels, destinations, buses, uniforms, games and tournaments, etc. many months in advance. Due to the increased costs of travel and the value of the dollar, the profit margin on our trips is extremely tight. This careful planning means our cancellation policies are very important. You can cancel your trip minus a processing fee only before January 1st. I m Interested. What Now? Great. It s an awesome once-in-a-lifetime experience. You simply need to apply at https://apply.studentathleteworld.com to be considered for a team. The application is completely free and will walk your through all the steps. Just read and follow along. We look forward to seeing your application! If you need to do more research first, check out our WEBSITE and TOURS.