Final post

Back in my house after 27 days away. 27 days that were inspiring, emotional, and a blast. On our last 2 days of the trip, we spent time at a JCC in Lod helping to restore the center by painting, cleaning, building a greenhouse and meeting the staff. 

The tremendous spirit of these 12 young men was on display to the very end of the trip. From Lod, we traveled back to Jerusalem for the closing ceremonies.  After partying with 9,000 athletes, we returned to Shefayim for one last night of pizza and camaraderie. 

A big thanks to Maccabi USA for the support and direction they gave us on this trip. Also, the parents and chairs of this team were terrific.   Hope this blog was able to share a bit of what we experienced. Please spread the word. 

Shalom,

Jamie

Gold medal game

We picked the right time to have our best effort, focus, and execution in the tournament. 78-62 was the final. Our kids played a fantastic game, shared the ball, played as a fist, and stayed together throughout. As I have stated in this blog a number of times, this is an incredibly impressive group of young men. Not only can they play ball, but they will be attending some of the top academic institutions in the country.  

Spencer Weisz was named tournament MVP after recording a triple double. But our team defenses was the real story. 

We  had tremendous support from our delegation as well as the other basketball teams in the Youth division.  A big thanks to the parents and families of our kids as well. The smiles on their faces and the realization that their kids had accomplished a terrific feat was better than any gold hanging around our necks. 

Win the day,

Jamie

Day before Gold medal game

We have reached the point of our trip where our goal is within reach.  We practiced yesterday at Wingate with a great, public film session in the Maccabiah cyber zone. 

We had a nice crowd for this session but the kids were very focused on learning about our opponent.   

We then traveled to a small IDF base consisting of only 20 soldiers all between the ages of 18-24. This hit home for our guys.  We talked about their missions and their role in the Israeli Army.  We shared stories about what it means to be a part of a team.  The soldiers were big basketball fans and our guys quickly became fans of these soldiers. 

Sunday night we will compete for a Gold Medal. Eventhough our goal entering this trip was to "win everything," we realize, and appreciate, the impact of those who we have met, the places we have visited, and the relationships we have forged. This is a spectacular country that stretches far beyond its physical boarders. We are lucky to have had this opportunity and are all better people for it. 

Win the day,

Jamie

Semi Finals vs Brazil

USA 63 brazil 37. 

Total team effort during a tough, physical game. Loved the poise our guys showed throughout the game as they showed some great mental toughness. We have now earned the right to play Israel for the Gold Medal on Sunday might. Might be on jltv.com at 1pm est. 

- jamie

Preliminary game #3 vs Turkey

Another good effort, final score USA 100 Turkey 11.  Tougher test today in Canada which will be our final preliminary game. 

Preliminary game #2

USA 101 Great Britain 28. Playing Turkey at 8pm tonight. 

- Jamie

Preliminary game one vs South Africa

Needles to say our team was very excited to get on the court and play tonight. We can out very focused and played with great enthusiasm and execution which took us to a 105-15 win.  Everyone had major contributions.  Next up is Great Britain at 6pm.