Tampa Tennis Team Enjoys Spring Break Trip to London
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa tennis team took an eight-day trip to London for its spring break. Following is a daily recap of the trip along with insight from some of the players regarding the experience.
Saturday, March 3
Arrived in London after an overnight flight from Tampa
highlighted by a sprint through the Newark airport to their
connecting flight as the airplane doors were closing. Baggage
weight record: 52.5 pounds
Visited with Lauren Hewett's family at their home, enjoyed meals and English tea. Several girls stayed at Lauren's home while others were at a nearby bed and breakfast.
Toured historic town of Hertford and visited markets
Team practice at Legends Tennis UK. Playing on the indoor courts was a new experience for some of the team members
Sunday, March 4
Scheduled match with Imperial College was rained out
Motor coach was hired (and already paid) to take us into Central London for the canceled Imperial College match. The only reasonable solution... go shopping at Harrods! A magnificent experience for all and a great store for handbags and souvenirs. The coach's favorite was the $30 million escalator installed in 1997 with Egyptian-themed columns, statues, and art. The opera singer on the balcony serenaded him as he traveled up and down the escalator.
Shopping, fish and chips lunch, Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum filled the rainy day
Monday, March 5
Motor coach took team to drop their bulging luggage to the
Wembley Plaza Hotel then to the first of many London sights, St.
Paul's Cathedral. Hundreds of pictures were taken as they visited
Trafalgar Square, National Gallery, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and
Buckingham Palace.
More fish and chips at The Albert, a 150 year old English pub near Buckingham Palace.
Used travel cards for the first time to navigate the tube (subway) system and successfully found the hotel.
Tuesday, March 6
Explored Piccadilly Circus and Regent Street stores,
enjoyed watching the crowds of people from around the world.
Talented street performers and musicians entertained at Covent
Garden. Food carts, markets with local vendors, bakeries, and
coffee shops ensured shopping and food quota was met for the
day.
The team wanted to have a meal at a Chinatown restaurant, but the funny memories will be more about the service than the food.
Wednesday, March 7
Wimbledon Tour on a very rainy day. The tour guide kept
the team as dry as possible while showing the courts, stands, media
and interview rooms. They enjoyed hearing history of the venue,
preparation and traditions of The Championships, and plans for the
2012 Olympics. The Museum holds the Wimbledon trophies with photos
of past Championships and documents the history of tennis racquets
and clothing.
Lots of photos and lots of purchases in the Wimbledon shop, including the now famous green rain ponchos, made this day a very memorable one for tennis players and fans.
A short walk to Wimbledon Village ended at a great pub for lunch. Now very adept at reading the tube maps, groups divided to spend the evening at Oxford Circus, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, and Covent Garden.
Thursday, March 8
The team took an early morning tube ride to Paddington
Station then a train across the English countryside took the team
to their destination at Bisham Abbey. The sports training center
for Olympians and top national tennis players is on the grounds of
a 12th century abbey on the banks of the Thames River. Indoor and
outdoor courts held singles, doubles, mixed doubles tennis matches
followed by fitness training and a tour of the abbey and
facilities.
Friday, March 9
The final day to see London sights took groups to museums,
stores, the London Eye, Kensington and Hyde Parks, more trips on
the tube and double-decker buses. The coach watched a crowd of
costumed performers in Trafalgar Square filming a promotion for
"Britain's Got Talent".
UT played an outdoor tennis match against the team from King's College on a chilly evening. UT won all 9 of their matches and also enjoyed spending time with the King's team members.
Saturday, March 10
Motor coach took the weary team and beyond-bulging luggage
to the airport for the long trip back to Tampa. Some girls watched
movies and many caught up on sleep. After a 3 hour layover they
boarded the final flight of a great trip.
The incredible sights and sounds of London have been well documented with hundreds of photos and many stories. These experiences have resulted in lasting memories for all of the 14 members of the UT tennis team...and a new stamp in their passports.
Following are stories from members of the UT tennis team.
Megan Mancini
1. London was absolutely amazing and there was not one
part that I didn't like. My top three though would have to be
Buckingham Palace, Wimbledon, and people watching and site seeing
all throughout London. Buckingham Palace was one of my favorites
because you get the coolest feeling walking up to the gates. The
park around the palace is gorgeous, and just the fact that the
Queen is inside gave me goose bumps. It is a beautiful building,
full of a lot of history and it was something that I will remember
for the rest of my life. Along with Buckingham Palace, I loved our
tour of Wimbledon. The Wimbledon tournament is my favorite to watch
on TV and I have always wanted to go to the arena myself. Now
watching the tournament in July will be that much better because I
have been on the courts that some of my favorite players have
played on. My final lasting memory is the people watching and
walking around London. One night we were walking around Piccadilly
Circus, and suddenly a group of men began chanting a soccer anthem.
Everyone in the square joined in, and we found that the reason they
were doing so was because the England team Arsenal was playing
Milan in a playoff in a playoff game that night. A few of us
watched the game later, and it was a lot of fun to experience the
culture and the people that are so obsessed with the game of
soccer. This was only one day, but every day in London there was
something new to see, you can walk miles in that city and never be
bored.
2. This trip was great because I got a chance to talk to some members on the team that I don't get to see as much as the others. We all became much closer, and it was great to see as much as the others. We all became much closer, and it was great to see some people open up. We are 14 girls with 14 very different personalities, but we all mesh very well together and have a lot of fun together. Two things that stand out when I think about my teammates on this trip are that we all love to eat A LOT (especially when it comes to chocolate croissants and fish & chips) and when we are exhausted we like to laugh a lot. Everyone on this team has a great sense of humor and it was great to be around people who could make me smile even when I was tired at the end of the day.
3. One thing I learned about myself is that I love exploring new places, and if I ever moved to an unfamiliar city, I would be fine. I learned how to use the tube system and pick up on my surroundings to direct everyone where to go, which is something I don't do often. In the past when I have traveled, I relied on other people to read the maps and tell me where to go, but this time I learned that I can take charge and figure out how to get to where I want to go in a new place.
4. Although we had a lot of very funny moments on this trip, one that I enjoyed was when Bri, Kathleen, Amber and I bought green ponchos from the Wimbledon store and walked around the town of Wimbledon in the rain. We looked absolutely ridiculous in those things and definitely had some people eyeing us down as we toured through the town.
Lauren Hewett
1. As an international student from England, it was lovely
to return home with my team for Spring Break 2012. After running
through Newark Airport to catch our connecting flight to Heathrow,
an action scene worthy of an Oscar, excitement was high when we
finally landed on British soil. For many of the girls, it was their
first time travelling to London or even flying outside of the U.S.,
which made the trip even more special.
2. In true British tradition, it was only fitting that our tour of Wimbledon was spent in the pouring rain. Walking around the All England Tennis Club and touring the backstage facilities and interview rooms was incredible and something I will never forget; along with Briana Ryan and Amber Fahrner proudly wlaking through Wimbledon Village in their souvenir ponchos.
3. Walking around London is the best way to see the Capital and with my closest friends, it made the sightseeing even better. For the first time, I was the native and knew what everything was, where the best cafes were and the best routes to take. Showing my team my home was something very special as I feel that they now know a little bit more about me and my life before becoming a UT tennis girl. One of my favorite memories was all 14 of us climbing up the plinths in Trafalgar Square - not particularly elegantly while bundled up in boots and multiple layers.
4. Walking along the Strand and down through Westminster, gave us a great view of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, before stopping for a pub lunch. Crowded around the tables and introducing the girls to 'mushy peas' with their fish and chips was definitely a moment I won't forget.
5. What I love most about my team is that they are up for anything, willing to try anything once and always have a smile on their faces. They encourage me to be the best that I can and are there for me both on and off the court. Especially as an international student, they have become my American surrogate family and without them, my college experience would not be the same.
Kathleen Beckham
1. There were many things on the trip that I saw and
experienced that I will never forget. Firstly, seeing almost all of
the famous landmarks of London is something that will always stick
with me. This is because as he was my age, my father travelled
across Europe with his family. Growing up, I have heard all of
their stories, but the ones that they always spoke most highly of
were the ones of when they visited London. It was so awesome to
stand where my family had stood nearly thirty years before.
Another experience that created a lasting memory for me was seeing the city of London at night. The lights, sounds and atmosphere of the city at night were just amazing. I found that London was one of those places where you're constantly in awe of what you see.
Finally, the experience of travelling overseas to Europe was something that will stay with me. Yes I am an out of country student (being from Canada) and I have been to other countries other than the United States, but being in England made me realize how big the world actually is. For me, it was a very humbling experience.
2. Although I see my teammates on a daily basis, I learned a lot about individual members and the team as a whole that I didn't know before. The first of two main things that I realized is how close we actually are, not only as teammates, but also as friends. It's easy to automatically assume that the members are close because of all the time spent together, but that is not always the case. When taken off of the court and placed into legitimate social setting, I learned that we are all good friends who care about each other. Yes we have our moments of frustration (you're bound to when placing fourteen girls together) but at the end of the day we are always looking out for each other's well-being.
The second thing I learned about my team is that we all work well together not only on the tennis court but also in other life situations.
3. I learned a lot about myself on this trip, but the main thing I learned that really stands out in my mind is how easily I was able to adapt to the lifestyle in London. Granted we were only there for a short while, but I really enjoyed the culture and atmosphere. Staying in London really reminded me of being back home in Canada. There were many similarities between the cities of London and Toronto (I'm from a small town just outside of Toronto), which probably helped with my comfort of being there. I found that I caught on quickly to the ways of the tube and how to navigate my way around in London. I learned how deep of an appreciation I have for the historical aspects of the city, and as a Canadian, what it means to be a part of the Commonwealth. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and London, and hope to return very soon.
4. My funniest memory of this trip was when Bri, Amber, Megan and myself bought official Wimbledon rain ponchos. We all put them on in the gift shop and even though we looked absolutely ridiculous wore them proudly while exiting the Wimbledon grounds. I must say, they worked a lot better than the umbrellas we were up against "gale force" winds and rain (only a slight exaggeration of the weather conditions). We couldn't have looked anymore "tourist-y" wearing those around the town of Wimbledon!
Leslie Raymond
1. A lasting memory for me about traveling to London was
that I got a passport for the first time and was able to use it to
travel there with the team. My first stamp in my passport will
always be the England stamp I got going through customs and will
always remind me of everything we did on the trip.
A memory of mine that will never be forgotten from the trip to England was many interesting conversations and numerous laughs to say the least. I think those tube rides whether they were short or long always brought the best out in each of us. It was a memorable and bonding experience for us all, however the people sitting around us may have begged to differ seeing as how loud and excited we all were.
Another significant memory of mine will be walking into the center of London for the first time. There are no words to really describe the feelings and emotions that rushed over me after seeing the hustle and bustle of the different people, shops, pastries and restaurants, as well as the double decker buses and the architecture of all the buildings. The scenery was something that could be somewhat like a movie. I was taken over by everything and will never forget my first trip traveling internationally and sharing it with my team in London. Everything in London was far more than I ever expected. It was better than I had ever imagined and everything I experienced there I was able to share with my teammates such as tube rides and shopping at stores with more in them than you take in to trying new foods we had never seen before.
2. A new thing I learned that was a bit of a surprise and
shocking was that Thashia had a hidden talent that none of us were
aware of before our trip. Thashia can sing and made a guest
appearance and performed singing a song at a restaurant that we
were at in London.
After spending some time in London I learned that Kathleen had
perfected her British accent and could fit right in with all the
people that lived over there… I guess there might be some
truth to her always claiming she is David Beckham's niece.
3. I learned a lot about myself throughout the time we spent in London, but one of the most prominent things I learned about myself is that I loved the London culture and the way of life over there. At first I was a little bit nervous and scared to travel to another country for the first time and unsure of how it would be. Now I am more confident in my traveling and am excited for the next opportunity I may get to travel to another country. I hate the cold weather and didn't think I would be alright traveling there with the temperatures over there at this time of year, but surprisingly it was a nice change and I did not mind it as much as I thought I would. I didn't think the tube rides and walking everywhere would be something that I would really catch on to, but it turns out that it is something that I loved about London as well as all of the amazing pastries and foods. I learned a lot about myself through my team while on the trip. I learned that they bring out the best in me and that they are all my closest friends. Without them on the trip I don't think any of the experiences I had would have been the same. I don't know what I would do without them and this trip made me realize how close I am to them and how much we work together not only on the court, but outside the court as well.
4. A funny memory that I have of our trip to England is one of many, but one that I must talk about is making our connection flight in Newark. We were delayed because of weather before departing out of Tampa and were held on the runway at Newark airport after landing because there was no gate we could taxi to. Meanwhile we only had 10 minutes to make it to our next gate and on the plane to England before it taxied to the runway. After all fourteen of us girls grabbed our belongings from the plane we sprinted with bags and tennis rackets in hand across the Newark airport and made it to our gate and on the plane to London with three minutes to spare. Looks like that speed isn't just a tennis court kind of thing. I'm sure it must have been quite the sight-seeing fourteen girls sprinting across the airport one after the other tennis rackets and bags yelling at each other with encouraging words to keep going and to run faster to make it to the gate just before the doors closed. Although we were all quite stressed at the time we were happy and excited when we had made it and it is now something we all remember and can laugh about. All in all, after barely making the flight we all made it safely to England to know that it was in the middle of the night our time and the day was just beginning in England.
Chloe Pereira
1. The three things of London that I saw/experienced that
will have a lasting memory: Last summer, my sister went to London
for a week and when she came back she spent at least 2 weeks
telling me about her trip and how beautiful everything was. She had
a lot of pictures and I was watching it with her and realized that
I really wanted to visit this country. The three main things that I
wanted to see were: the Big Ben, the London Bridge and the
Westminster Abbey. The Big Ben was majestic, very beautiful and I
really wasn't expecting it to be that big. I really liked it.
When I was little, I used to watch this movie called "Spice Girls" and it was my favorite. I remembered this bridge from one of the scene and remembered that it was something I wanted to see. It brought back some memories of my childhood.
The third one was the Westminster Abbey. In August I watched the royal wedding and thought it was amazing and I really wanted to see this monument. It was really pretty but I regretted not being able to go inside and see it.
2. The things I didn't know about some of my teammates: Jenny
hates birds; she has a phobia of birds. She can't see them without
being scared and didn't want to walk in the bird section in the
museum. She's been running away from them every day on this
trip.
Megan hates when planes take off and when they land. She freaks out
every time. Kathleen hates when the plane shakes. On our way to
England they were sitting next to each other and were freaking out
together.
3. About Me: I think I got to know everybody a little bit more in this trip and realized that I could never live in a cold and rainy country, I find it depressing. I loved every moment of this trip, saw a lot of things and had a lot of fun.
4. One funny memory: One funny memory would be when we were in a karaoke pub having fun and the host called Thashia's name as the next performer. Megan and Maddie's mouths dropped. We were all chocked and surprised that she would have the guts to go up there and sing. It was the funniest thing. She sang "I kissed a girl" by Katy Perry and had a lot of people rooting for her.