TRAVEL LOG

Thinking about taking your volleyball team on a foreign tour? You'll definitely want to read these stories. We've got articles and video from foreign volleyball tours of some of the nation's best teams such Stanford, the University of Texas, and the University of Tennessee.

Our aim in this section is to get you to the heart of each tour destination and prepare your team for travel to the region by providing insider advice from local volleyball players and experienced guides. We want your team to return home after each tour with life-changing experiences, wonderful memories and a new global perspective on volleyball. To get the most out of your foreign tour and international playing experience, you've got to be prepared.

An experienced international volleyball player and coach is a well informed traveler, so read this section for travel tips, lessons learned, mistakes to avoid, and advice from experts on the ground in each region.

July 6, 2016 By Brooke Rundle

What do President Obama and Mick Jagger have in common?

USA vs Nicaragua Match in Havana's Ciudad Deportiva — USA vs Nicaragua Match in Havana’s Ciudad Deportiva

They both traveled to Cuba within days of one another in March of 2016. President Obama and his family stayed in a grand embassy mansion in Havana while the Rolling Stones performed a free concert in front of hundreds of thousands of people at the Ciudad Deportiva just miles apart. The same Ciudad Deportiva that hosted the U19 Boys NORCECA Continential Championship on June 22-30, 2016.

It’s not like BIP to miss out on an opportunity that combines world class competitive volleyball, breathtaking Caribbean beaches and a peak into the fascinating history of a socialist state…. so we scouted out the scene.

Here’s 5 things you’ll want to know about taking a foreign volleyball tour to Cuba. [Read more…] about What do President Obama and Mick Jagger have in common?

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.

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.

December 11, 2015 By Brooke Rundle

Nicaragua Loves Volleyball

Did you know that we’ve hosted over 30 college and club volleyball indoor and beach volleyball teams in Nicaragua?

That’s right, since 2007 teams from all over the US have traveled south of the border to play volleyball against the Nicaragua national and junior national team, while enjoying a week of team building and eco-adventure activities in one of the most beautiful natural landscapes on the planet.

We’ve hosted top collegiate Division 1 teams like Creighton and Missouri State, as well as under 17 club teams such as Absolute Volleyball Academy of Texas (AVA), Fusion and Premier Academy.

Many coaches and players will tell you that BIP’s Nicaragua tour is different than any team travel experience they’ve ever had before. It’s unforgettably unique and it’s special. Why’s that? It’s a matter of the heart. [Read more…] about Nicaragua Loves Volleyball