The University of Akron Athletics
Akron Zips Basketball Foreign Tour Blog: Bahamas Trip 2016 Day Three
August 17 | Men's Basketball
2016 Foreign Tour: Atlantis Bahamas Photo Gallery: Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four | Day Five | Day Six
Akron Zips Basketball Foreign Tour Blog: Bahamas Trip 2016
Sunday, August 14 – Blue Lagoon Excursion – Mark Noble, Josh Williams
Nassau, Bahamas – The day after a convincing win over the CTG Knights, the UA basketball team set off for an excursion to the Blue Lagoon Island. The Zips gathered for breakfast and departed for Jimmy Buffet's Margaretville restaurant and Paradise Island Ferry Terminal to catch a boat to take them to the private island.
Once at the island, the Zips were mesmerized by the white sand and crystal-clear turquoise colored water and majestic atmosphere. The group gathered for a photo and dispersed throughout the island, enjoying a variety of unforgettable experiences, including dolphin encounters, water inflatables, and relaxing on the beach.
After a full day in the sun at Blue Lagoon Island, the UA group returned for a team dinner at Seafire Steakhouse at Atlantis' Marina Village. After dinner, the squad started preparing for Monday's, Aug. 15, exhibition game at 7 p.m. ET against PJ Stingers at Sir Kendal Isaacs Arena in Nassau, Bahamas.
Thoughts from Mark Noble
From vacations to basketball to the military, I have been blessed with the opportunity of traveling to a lot of different places and experiencing a lot of different things. My experience in the Bahamas this week with the team had been by far one of the greatest experiences in my life.
There is so much to do here at Atlantis. The whole resort is like a giant aquarium with sharks stingrays dolphins and much more. There's a casino, waterslides, and the greatest lazy river in the world. I've been able to bond with my team a lot and make some great memories.
Coming from being a manager my freshman year to going on a trip to the Bahamas is truly a dream come true, and this being my last summer on the team there's no better way to go out. I'll be excited to see my family but it's going to be hard to leave this paradise.
Thoughts from Josh Williams
This Bahamas trip has been a true blessing and wonderful experience. Some of the most beautiful weather, landscape and people I have ever been around. Since we started this trip, from the plane ride to the full day of relaxation, I truly feel like the team has grown closer in this short amount of time. Most of the activities at the resort, pool, ocean and waterpark, we have done as a team. It has been a great to hang out with the team and focus on being closer, and of course, basketball.
The basketball experience was also great. The arena has an island feel and the players in the Bahamas play the game similar to the way we do it in the states.
Just as people in the U.S. have struggles, the residents of Nassau do as well. My eyes were opened when we left the resort and went through the city.
Life as we know it turns into a humbling experience. The streets, homes, parks, cars, etc. are not of what we are used to seeing, however, all of the people we encountered seem to be nice and are always happy. It really opened my eyes about how truly blessed we are. This has been an opportunity of a lifetime.
