These six teams are far from the only ones that traveled abroad this summer, but their stories show the range of experiences teams can have and why athletic departments and coaches value foreign tours. The main benefits lie in players’ growth off the court, from seeing sights they have read about in history books or travel guides to experiencing a foreign culture firsthand to sometimes even traveling in an airplane or out of the country for the first time. The trips can also help teams embrace new players, new staff, or even a new mindset before fall practices start. With the NCAA season just around the corner, any on-court effects from the trips will be the easiest for fans to see. But keep in mind that, however the teams perform on the court, the trips paid off in unseen ways for the players, coaches, staff, and fans who took part.
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