Hotel Highlights

Hotels are selected on the basis of quality of environment and service, proximity to practice venues, tournament venues and the friendship village and ability to accommodate large groups. This area of Holland is particularly rich with appealing options.

Trainers are able to offer both morning and evening treatments for athletes at the hotel. 

In the evenings, Athletes typically have free-time at the hotel after dinner. This is time for catching up on e-mail, calling home, downloading with team mates and making new friends.

Athletes enjoy breakfast each day at their hotel, typically served in a private banquet room.
Mealtime is time for team bonding and building camaraderie with other athletes. 

In addition to plenty of familiar fare, local specialties are offered as regular options.

Program staff works with hotel chefs to ensure a regular variety of meal choices that appeal to today's healthy young American palate.

Friendship Village

The Friendship Village is the heart of each Sports Ambassador's international cultural exchange experience. Between team-building exercises, practices, clinics, tournament play and sight-seeing, downtime is spent in the Village. Here, athletes enjoy meals, music, shopping, games, internet and phone access and just hanging out with other American athletes as well as young athletes from around the world. Each day has a new theme and there is always something new happening in the Village. This is also the location for Opening Ceremonies, Disco Night, the Friendship Dinner and the Awards Presentation Ceremonies. 

Family Reunion

Baseball player Eric Vanhaneha had not seen his uncle Mark for more than a year and a half. Army officer Mark Vanhaneha, the 7th signal brigade HHC Company Commander stationed in Mannheim, Germany, left the states in December, 2006. Mark, his wife Lucia and son Sam (age 3) traveled to Holland to visit Eric on July 23rd. 

Dutch Summer Arrives

Sunshine and warm breezes have finally replaced the wet, gray weather from our first two days in Holland - and just in time for clinics and competitions to begin! 

Everyone wants to be outside in weather like this, so the Friendship Village is busy and bustling between practices and excursions. 

Whether bike-riding in breathtaking Volendaam, 

canal-boat cruising in Amsterdam, 

site-seeing and shopping in Haarlem, 

or strolling the beaches of Noordwijk Aan Zee, 

athletes are soaking up sunshine, interacting with peers from around the world and gearing up for their upcoming games!

Korfball Madness

A particularly favorite activity for Sports Ambassadors at the World Friendship Games is the team-building activity called "Korfball." Reminiscent of Basketball and Soccer, the fast-paced games are fantastically fun and athletes always drag their feet when it's time to load the motor coaches for their next scheduled event. Follow this link to view some excellent YouTube footage of our athletes enjoying their introductory Korfball experience!

http://www.aurorafeestteam.nl/index.php

Summer In Holland Brings Wild Weather

Just as each season seems increasingly unpredictable in many parts of North America, European weather has been equally uncertain. 

Monday's intermittent downpours had our dutch hosts scratching their heads, wondering when their tardy Summer weather would finally arrive. For two weeks prior to team arrival, rain showers and sunshine shared the Dutch sky each day, but weather experts are encouraging us to put away our umbrellas as a dry warming trend comes across  The Netherlands on Tuesday. 

Although all practices and clinic sessions were held as scheduled, everyone is looking forward to enjoying some warm, beautifully sunny days in picturesque Holland!

Whenever possible, practices moved inside while it rained, such as this baseball practice that took place in an unreserved Tennis Hall. 

People Helping People

Team USA Trainer Extends Helping Hand to Canadians In NeedPictured with Canadian athletes is Athletic Trainer Angela Farine, MS, ATL/L from the University of Rhode Island

While the wind whipped rain across the soccer fields on Monday Afternoon, People To People Operations Staff Leaders Erin Rogers and Sharon Yelverton spotted two rain-soaked and injured Canadian Ladies Soccer athletes limping toward a first-aid station. During their team's practice, one had taken a ball to the nose and the other had been badly kicked in the shin. Erin and Sharon gathered them onto their golf cart and sped them to Sports Ambassadors' HQ to be seen and attended by one the twelve highly qualified athletic trainers on staff this year. After icing, wrapping and bandaging, the grateful Canadians were looking forward to cheering extra-loudly for the American teams at this week's Opening Ceremonies. No matter where we go, People To People forges friendships and establishes bonds with our fellow humans!

WELCOME, SPORTS AMBASSADORS!

"WELCOME TO HOLLAND!"

Saturday and Sunday were Arrival Days for more than 1,300 proud American athletes. 

The modern, bustling arrival halls of Schiphol International Airport were particularly vibrant as groups of athletes organized and made their way onto motor coaches.

 

Whether sleepy-headed or buzzing with excitement, each athlete was welcomed by enthusiastic People To People staff members after collecting their luggage. 

Soon, as they made their way from Schiphol to check-in and the Friendship Village, travel groups were introduced to Holland's famed canals, windmills and vast expanses of unbelievably lush, green Dutch countryside. 

In the famed Friendship Village, teambuilding exercises, orientation activities and lunch kept athletes active and awake to help them adjust more rapidly to the time change.

After arriving at their hotels later in the day, individuals joined with Coaches and new teammates for their first Team Meetings and dinner before settling in and getting a good night's sleep. 

Welcome sports fans!

Welcome sports fans! Follow your favorite People to People Sports Ambassador program with highlights from the journey, details about the venues, and updates about the awesome athletes we have traveling with us. We have sports correspondents in Brazil for our outstanding soccer program, as well as correspondents at the Youth Friendship Games in Holland and Austria. Stay tuned here for periodic updates about the adventures and experiences of our Sports Ambassadors.