International Athletic Showcase 2006, Miami

Fri 15 Sep 2006

John Peers from Mentone Grammar School in VIC recently returned from the International Athletic Showcase in the Miami. Here is his news:

"The International Athletic Showcase for 2006 was held in Miami, Florida. The Showcase was run by an organization named IDEA. The program offered a great opportunity for tennis, soccer, basketball and golf players looking to go to college in the USA. The Showcase is a great pathway for athletes who need to organize a college in a short period of time as coaches come to you and you don’t need to go searching for coaches. The different schools that come to the showcase are looking for athletes to join their teams and therefore the opportunities open up for the students.

In Miami all the staff and athletes were very friendly
and supportive. The staff organizing the program from IDEA were always willing to help the athletes who needed extra help or to answer any questions which we may have had.

I didn’t know anyone when I first arrived in Miami but by the end of the showcase I came away with a lot of friends from the experience. The friends I met were not only from Australia but from all over the world such as Germany, Sweden and South America.

The main experiences that stand out for me are speaking to and meeting with different coaches. Meeting the coaches gave me a real insight into what the different Colleges are all about and whether I would suit their teams. I not only learnt about US Colleges but also came away from the experience with a real idea of where I want to go and study.

There is only so much you can learn from the other side of the world; actually going to the USA gives you a real feeling for what the Colleges are like. No amount of research can amount to actually going and meeting the coaches in person.

I am very thankful for being given the opportunity to go to College and to the Showcase in Miami. I would love to thank everyone involved in making this possible.

The Asics gear I received was a great bonus and it really set me up for the whole trip. I would like to also take this chance to thank Asics for their help and support as well as all the staff at Student Placement Australia and IDEA who ran the Showcase.

I really enjoyed the 2006 International Athletic Showcase as it gave me a chance not only to visit Colleges but also to visit Universal Studios and come out of the trip with friends from different parts of the world. I would highly recommend this trip for anyone interested in going to College in the USA."

You can view a video outline of the showcase here.