Brooke Rundle

July 6, 2016 By Brooke Rundle

2016 Global Challenge Pre-Tour Matches

Mountain West All Star team & Austin Juniors - Vienna, Austria — Mountain West All Star team & Austin Juniors – Vienna, Austria

Maribor, Prague, Budapest, Milan, Vienna, and Rome.

All of these cities will have a higher population of volleyball athletes as of July 6. Bring It Promotions Pre-tours have hit Europe as they make their way to Pula, Croatia for the 12^th Annual European Global Challenge. Most teams will have friendly matches in their first stop cities. Below is a schedule of matches leading up to the start of the tournament on Monday, July 11^th.

Maribor:

July 7^th: Mountain West Conference All Stars against NKBM Branik

July 7^th: Austin Juniors against Slovenian Youth National Team

July 8^th: Mountain West Conference All Stars plays China (Match will be streamed through Facebook Live on the European Global Challenge Page)

July 8^th: Austin Juniors play Slovenia Youth National Team

July 9^th: BIP MW plays China

July 9^th: Team BIP U22 against NKBM Branik

July 9^th: BIP SE u22 plays Slovenia

July 9^th: Team BIP U17 against NKBM Branik

July 9^th: BIP SE U17 plays Slovenia Youth National team

Prague:

July 8^th: Team BIP U22 vs. OLMP Praha Sr.

July 8^th: Team BIP U17 plays OLMP Praha Jr.

Budapest:

July 8^th: BIP MW U22 against Hungarian National team

July 8^th: Team BIP SE U22 against Hungarian National team

July 8^th: Team BIP SE U17 plays Hungarian Junior National team

Milan: No LiveStream feed, but formal Stats will be taken.

July 8^th: USA Volleyball College National Team plays Italian Junior National Team

July 9^th: USA Volleyball College National Team against Italian Junior National Team

Rome:

July 8^th: AAU U22 plays Falconara

July 8^th: AAU U17 against Falconara

July 9^th: AAU U22 faces Falconara

July 9^th: AAU U17 plays CHINOS

Results of friendly matches will be posted to the Global Challenge Twitter account: @12thGC. Stay tuned for live streaming of the 2016 Global Challenge.

June 29, 2016 By Brooke Rundle

2016 Global Challenge Update

It’s that time of year again and we’re officially counting down to the 12th Annual 2016 Global Challenge in Pula, Croatia to take place on July 5th – 16th, 2016. Volleyball teams from all over the world are packing their bags to compete in an international tournament on the edge of the Adriatic Sea where 3,000 year old Roman ruins highlight Croatia’s dramatic history. The tournament will kick off with an opening ceremony for all international teams at one of the last remaining fully intact Roman Colosseums in the world dating back to 68 AD.

Here’s a breakdown of the teams competing in this year’s tournament. You’ll find complete team rosters for the USA teams by clicking on the team name below. You can also catch hourly tournament results on the Global Challenge tournament website here: http://bringitusa.com/gc2016.

U22 Brijuni Division

International Teams

Nova KBM Branik Juniors, Slovenia (U22)
BFTM-Falconara Juniors, Italy (U22)
Hungary Federation (U22 team)
Russian Federation (U19)
Croatian Federation (U22)
England Federation (U22)
Chinese National Team (U19)

USA teams

U17 Istria Division

International Teams

Ok Pula, Youth, Croatia (U17)
Hungary Youth A National Team, Hungary (U17)
Hungary Youth B National Team, Hungary (U17)
NKBM Branik, Maribor, Slovenia Team (U17)
Selezione Modena, Italy Juniors (U17)
Slovenian Federation (U17)

USA Teams

For more information, click here to visit the Global Challenge tournament website. Or follow us on social media.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bringitusaglobalchallenge

Twitter: www.twitter.com/12thGC

May 6, 2016 By Brooke Rundle

Giving Back Beyond the Court

Bring It Promotions (BIP) has been bringing collegiate, club, and high school volleyball teams to Central America since 2007. Our volleyball tours in Nicaragua offer a unique combination of volleyball, community service and outdoor adventure tourism ideal for pre-season team building. What most people don’t realize is that BIP actually runs a non-profit organization based in Nicaragua.

In addition to hosting youth sports clinics and donating sports equipment to schools and programs around the country, BIP’s non-profit arm provides english classes and scholarships to underprivileged children, in addition to running a co-op for people with disabilities.

Since 2007 BIP’s community outreach has evolved from the distribution of school and sports supplies to a multi-front education-centered foundation called the Casa Llanta Fund. We’ve always taken a grass roots approach to problem solving real life issues that exist in our community. We’ve grown with the needs of our neighbors and our mission is committed to education. Through slow but steady volleyball tours over the past 8 years, we’ve established and supported our non-profit organization named the Casa Llanta Fund.

All visiting volleyball teams volunteer hand-in-hand with the programs supported by the Casa Llanta Fund. Check out this video to learn more about our key initiatives.

April 19, 2016 By Brooke Rundle

Stony Brook Volleyball Recaps Spring Break Tour to Panama & Nicaragua

The Stony Brook University women’s volleyball team traveled to Nicaragua and Panama over spring break 2016 to experience international competition, unique team-building opportunities and volunteer abroad.

The nine-day trip to Nicaragua and Panama exceeded the expectations of the student athletes and coaching staff alike. “This trip brought us closer as a team and changed the way we looked at life”, reflected junior outside hitter Melann Amory in a post trip interview.

Head coach Coley Pawlikowski had this to say about her teams experience in Central America, “Our recent trip to Nicaragua and Panama was the best experience that I have ever had with a team. I have been on several foreign trips with various teams and programs which all have been great, however the balance between community service, team building, volleyball, fun and being embedded in and embracing a different culture was really special.

We really were able to invest in the community and participated in the following activities as a group: visited two elementary/start up schools and worked hands on with children, worked with an organization for people with special needs that make tote bags for resale, visited a women’s co-op that produces jam in return providing a portion of the average $100.00 per month family salary locals live on, participated as mobile library delivering books and reading with children in tiny further out villages providing their only means to education, ran two volleyball clinics for local children, and visited an afternoon children’s program where each of us were paired with a student and read. We read to them in Spanish and they taught us, and in return they read to us in English and we helped them.

Seeing our student athletes so invested and gaining a whole new perspective was truly special to witness and something I will always cherish. Our girls personally connected with so many people and the impact on everyone involved resulted in memories that will last a lifetime.

My staff and I are incredibly proud of how our girls represented themselves, our program and Stony Brook University. Breaking down language barriers through kindness and compassion was incredibly fulfilling and we are proud. “

Watch the full interview on the Seawolves YouTube page here.

February 29, 2016 By Brooke Rundle

Spice up your Summer with the Iberian Invitational

Wind through alleyways of medieval cobblestoned streets dotted with tapas bars and gothic cathedrals, or climb elevation to enjoy the mountain top experience of Montjuïc. Barcelona has a language, character and history unique to the rest of Spain. Among the many sights to be seen within the city are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí, most notably the still unfinished cathedral of La Segrada Família, the whimsical outdoor sculpture gallery of Park Güell and the dreamy dragon house of Casa Batlló.

To put it simply, Barcelona is pulsing with art, culture and tradition. And there’s no better time to visit than the summer.

So when BIP received an invitation to bring a volleyball team from the US to compete in Barcelona’s biggest volleyball tournament of the summer, we simply couldn’t say no. We’re excited to announce that Brooke Rundle will be taking a under 19-year-old selection team to compete against international teams from over 11 different countries in the 3rd Annual Barcelona Cup on June 23rd to the 26th, 2016.

After 3 days of tournament play combined with epic sightseeing and ample beach time on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, the team will travel to Portugal’s volleyball capital.

Renowned for its vast, sun-kissed beaches and wonderful selection of seafood restaurants, Espinho is a popular holiday town in Aveiro province that has developed a reputation as a fantastic venue for the SWATCH-FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour over the past 10 years. – The FIVB

Espinho is literally known as Portugal’s volleyball capital. Home to Sporting Clube de Espinho and Associação Académica de Espinho. The city has played host to several FIVB world beach volleyball tournaments in the past decade as well. The beaches are a popular summer destination for Portuguese surfers, volleyball players and nature lovers.

The 5th Annual AMB Volleyball Cup will return to Espinho on June 27 – July 2. During the course of the tournament, the team will be get to experience an opening ceremony hosted by the Municipality of Espinho and All Star Game featuring some of the best volleyball players in Portuguese History. The team will day-trip to Porto a beautifully preserved city filled with historic gems and natural wonders such as the Porto Cathedral, the baroque Torre dos Clérigos bell tower, and our favorite – the enchanting Livraria Lello bookshop which is said to be J.K Rowling’s inspiration to Hogwarts in Harry Potter.

On the Iberian Invitational summer tour, you’ll definitely get your fix of Latin culture, beach time and culinary delights. Check out the trip details below and contact us today if you are interested in attending, or have players that might want to gain international playing experience in Spain and Portugal this summer.

Dates: June 23, 2016 to July 3, 2016
Trip Duration: 10 nights in Europe
Age: Under 19 years-old (born in 1997 or later)

Price: $1950 per person. This price includes daily meals, ground transportation, Vueling flight from Barcelona to Oporto, hotels and tournament entries. Does not include the cost or air-fare from the U.S. to Europe.
Teams: Bring It Promotions will be hosting a under 19yrs invitation only team to compete in two international tournaments; the Barcelona Cup in Spain and the AMB Volleyball Cup in Espinho, Portugal.
Country Destinations: Spain & Portugal
City Destinations: Barcelona, Porto & the beaches of Espinho

February 29, 2016 By Brooke Rundle

11th Annual European New Year’s Bash

When most volleyball players and coaches were still recovering from holiday festivities and pondering their New Year’s resolutions, a select few kicked off 2016 with an international volleyball bash in Portugal and Spain.

Since 2004, BIP veteran and retired University of Montevallo head coach, CJ Sherman has recruited and hand crafted under 16, 18 & 22 year-old teams to play volleyball in an annual tournament on European soil. After spending 9 days in Europe with CJ and her delegation on the 11th annual New Year’s Bash, it’s easy to see why this tour is such a smashing hit each year.

City squares are filled with seasonal markets, twinkling lights and holiday parades. Volleyball competition in unique towns offer otherwise impossible cultural exchanges between players and coaches. And the holiday delicacies served at the dinner table each night are simply irresistible.

Danielle Gotham, assistant volleyball coach at Tennessee Tech and co-coach of the collegiate NYB team, had to this to say about the experience, “Yes this trip was about our passion for volleyball, but you get so much more out of it. Traveling to a foreign country, seeing how other people live, and their day to day activities is something you’ll never fully understand. We get a big taste of it on these trips. Your mind will open from visiting all of these places, and can learn way more than you think. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

While gorgeous cathedrals, stunning natural landscapes and diverse cuisine are expected on all foreign volleyball tours to Europe with Bring It USA, the hospitality and genuine warmth of the local volleyball players, coaches and fans at the New Year’s Tournament in Esmoriz, Portugal exceeded all expectations. As the girls traded jerseys after each match, email addresses and Instagram accounts were also exchanged to ensure continued communication in hopes for future “friendly matches” and meet-ups overseas.

Coach CJ summed up the mutual feelings perfectly after the final match in Madrid, “There’s tears at the end of every tour.”

Every year a mix of individual volleyball players from across the US travel abroad to play together in this holiday tournament. Each year the players return home as a united team, wiser and more experienced from the foreign cultures they embraced.

The 2016-2017 New Year’s Bash will return to Sicily, Reggio, Fondi and Rome. Roll your sleeves up for another amazing adventure.