Participants of the Cruzin Classic gather for a photo op in front of a cruise ship

For years, basketball teams have taken in-season trips all over the United States. Trips to destinations like Hawaii, California, Florida, and Las Vegas have become very popular. The reason is simple. Nothing energizes your team and followers like a trip to an exciting location.

A long distance trip also offers other benefits to your program. Telling recruits that your team is scheduled to take a nice trip, or even better, that you regularly take such trips, can surely help you get the commitment. Taking it a step further, some coaches use their travel philosophy to attract players from long distances. For example, legendary coach Dean Smith was known to tell recruits that they would play in their hometown at least once during their four years at North Carolina.

In addition to the pre-season excitement generated by a trip, the trip itself can be very rewarding for your program. Spending four, five, six, or even seven days together can greatly impact team chemistry and camaraderie. While you surely make several overnight trips during the course of your season, these trips are usually shorter distances to places your players are already familiar with.

By taking a long distance trip, your players are traveling with a sense of excitement. This generally leads to positive attitudes and a general state of happiness among your players. Combine this with being mostly with teammates for an extended period of time, your team is likely to grow together and form a stronger bond off the court. The reality is that these stronger bonds often translate to more enjoyment and trust on the court.

This increased team chemistry often leads to success throughout the remainder of a season. Many coaches have commented to Trip Sports that their team ran off a long win-streak, including a conference championship, following their travels with us. The common thread was they felt that the Trip Sports' event gave them the confidence and momentum needed to take the next step as a team.

Long distance trips also offer memories. Upsetting top-ranked teams or winning a tournament are obvious memories. However, never underestimate the effect of memories created off the court. From teammates bonding together, to experiencing new things and seeing new sights, a long distance trip creates memories that will increase the history, tradition, and stature of your program.