An Iraqi girls’ basketball team will take part in the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball camp this week as part of a program promoting peace and cultural understanding through sports.
The team of 10 players and three coaches is being sponsored by Sport 4 Peace/Global Sports Partners and SportsUnited. The team arrived in Washington, D.C., last week and attended the Washington-Atlanta WNBA game on Sunday.
Sport 4 Peace was co-founded in 1994 by Steve DeVoss and UT doctoral student Sarah Hillyer. Another UT doctoral student, Ashleigh Huffman, is part of the organization, working as an assistant researcher and camp director.
Hillyer and Huffman have traveled around the world, conducting camps and researching the impact of sport, specifically in conflict areas.
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Comments » 19
kiffownsfla writes:
Thats nice coachem up pat!
tnmantravel#531151 writes:
great, bjorkland can show the iraqi girls how to dribble behind their back, then do a cross dribble between their legs all the while doing absolutely nothing else with the ball.
Wayfarer writes:
What a great opportunity for the these young ladies. A trip to the US and attending the best basketball camp there is. I hope they forge friendships with some other kids and together the campers make a different in the future.
rockytopron writes:
not funny
bluetick writes:
I think that is awesome they get to come to K-Town and get to see something they have never seen before. Maybe it will rub off on them and also help to change the image perceived by many Iraqi towards Americans.
HollySpringsVOL writes:
Take them all for a visit to Dollyood. That should do it.
HollySpringsVOL writes:
Take them all for a visit to Dollywood. That should do it.
IdahoVol writes:
Hats off to this organization, co-founded by a Vol. It's great to see them help these girls learn about sports - and from the best in the business.
And I guess we couldn't have hoped for even a story like this to go by without a couple of idiotic comments.
ETNTigerFan writes:
pretty cool. good for them/UT.
Stumps writes:
well, I've watched her warm up, she can nail 3 pointers before a game starts...
ULTIMATEVOLUNTEER writes:
That's the problem. Why should we care what Iraq thinks of the U.S.? America is always helping out the world and liberals want to keep apologizing for "bad things" the U.S. has done!
utang1602#204610 writes:
Just out of curiosity, to the man who always feels the need to belittle Angie Bjorklund: would you have the nerve to say those things to her face?
Didn't think so.
ThurmondEppy writes:
And you, Mr. Wannabe, clearly aren't.
baldfan writes:
Signed,
Robert Ellison
MillisaAnn writes:
I think that is awesome that they are coming for the camp and to meet the great Pat Summitt. I hope they all learn alot while they are here.
ThurmondEppy writes:
I've done two tours in Afghanistan. How about you? I thought so.
ladivolfan writes:
Thank you TE. It's Americans like you that keep the US the best place to live.
This is a wonderful thing for these Iraqi girls. The world around them is falling apart. Anyone that would belittle them for wanting a tiny piece of fun without fear doesn't understand what it is to be a proud American.
reachkim00 writes:
I second that ladivolfan.
It makes me proud to know that the BEST womens college basketball organization with the BEST coach in the universe(!) reaches out to all young ladies from all over the world to share a little piece of our world with them. What a wonderful way to say 'Welcome to Knoxville, Tennessee .. Home of the 8 Time National Champions Lady Vols and the great Coach Pat Summitt".
I'm damn proud to be an American, and damn proud to be a Lady Vol fan.
And yes, THANK YOU TE and all soldiers for your sacrifices that make it possible for these young ladies to be able to come here and feel safe and experience the land of the free and the home of the brave. THANK YOU.
GO LADY VOLS!!!!!
ULTIMATEVOLUNTEER writes:
you don't have to stay here. move to france or some other country without a backbone.
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