 Little Giants at the Summit |
After a sleepless trans-Atlantic flight, we arrived in Munich, Germany at dawn. Although we all needed to rest, we made good use of our first day by exploring Munich. We walked through the old but picturesque town center, ate sausage and bratwurst, toured famous palaces and historically significant squares, churches and buildings. We were all amazed by the beauty of the city, especially after being destroyed in so many places during the second World War.
On our second day after a light practice on an unlined soccer field, we drove to the town on Dachau outside of Munich. On the quick bus ride we looked and sounded like a typical bus full of American football players. There was lots of laughing, card playing, and the constant pointing out of BMW’s, Mercedes, and the ever-popular Smart Car. A few hours later, however, we left Dachau on an eerily somber bus.
At the concentration camp in Dachau we read about the atrocities that occurred, we watched video and saw pictures that made us sick to our stomachs, and we walked on the very ground that had been a place of horror for so many for so long. We walked through the gas chamber, went into the crematorium building and stood where the executions took place every day. We saw things at Dachau that many of us would like to soon forget, however we realized the importance of always remembering what happened at this horrific concentration camp.
The following day we traveled south toward Austria and stopped to experience the famous Neuschwanstein Castle. The castle, nestled up in the foothills of the Alps, looked surreal. I am told that the Disneyland castle was modeled after Neuschwanstein and I do not doubt it. We hiked up to the castle, had a tour of the inside, and then climbed all over the mountainside above it to take incredible pictures. That evening we headed to Innsbruck where we stayed at a ski lodge at the base of the Austrian Alps.
The next morning we began our ascent of an 8,000-foot peak overlooking Innsbruck and much of Austria. With backpacks, lots of water, some good Austrian bread, cheese and ham we began our six-hour trek. The scenery was breathtaking; the mountains were steep with jagged cliffs. After a few fours of climbing we rose above the tree line and encountered areas still covered by snow. Every player made it to the summit and when we did it was like winning the Monon Bell. We sang “Old Wabash” together on the summit, took pictures forever, and some guys played in the snow. When we finally made it back to the lodge we all felt as though we had really accomplished something special.
The next day was a travel day en route to Vienna. The game on Saturday was a blast. When we arrived at the stadium two hours before kickoff, there were already people in the stands, long lines of fans waiting to get in, tailgating galore, and all ages of autograph seekers. The environment was awesome. We were introduced with pyrotechnics and a thunderous ovation from the host crowd.
We ended up losing the game to a very good Vienna Vikings team. Our immediate feelings of frustration and sadness were quickly wiped away after shaking hands with their players. As we gathered in the middle of the field to talk about the game, we heard their 5,000 fans chanting “Wabash, Wabash.” They were going crazy for us. There was no gloating, no finger pointing, no anti-American sentiment, just a sincere appreciation for our team and for our willingness to come all the way to Vienna to play a game.
Our team responded by walking over to their crowd and singing “Old Wabash.” At first the crowd had no idea what we were doing because they were so loud and in such a frenzy. By the time of the final chorus they realized that we were singing to them and they began to clap in unison with us. It was an amazing moment.
Our greatest ovation after a game came from an opposing crowd after a loss because they genuinely appreciated us. We all learned a lesson in sportsmanship that day. Our guys then signed autographs, swapped t-shirts and hats, and ate and socialized with their players and loyal fans on the field for three hours.
Upon our return most people have asked us about the game itself. This trip was not about the game. The game was incredible but it was only one incredible day of eight. Our team realizes that opportunities like this only come once in a lifetime. We experienced so much and we experienced it together as a team—we all are forever grateful for this experience of a lifetime.