I had the pleasure of dealing with the July/August 2007 and March/April 2008 tours by ADU Japan Basketball and their wonderful athletes from Japan.
Having experienced coaching in many countries around the world, I found this group an absolute pleasure to work with and against. What stood out for me was the life experiences my students encountered, the bonding between two nations and the general affection shown to each other. The sadness at school when the Japanese girls left was evident and even this morning (as I write this) one of the girls asked to watch a dance performed by the ADU Japan team which I videoed on my mobile.
On the basketball court both the junior and senior teams were very competitive but the respect for each other and the sportsmanship was outstanding. After the games, the girls feasted on a traditional Aussie barbeque and then danced Japanese and Australian dances together.
In closing I can not recommend highly enough ADU basketball, they were an outstanding group of people.
Regards,
Richard Orlick
(Head Coach, Logan Thunder, WNBL and John Paul College Director of Basketball)
Having coached in both countries (the NBL in Australia, the JBL and WJBL here in Japan) and having been involved in taking teams on countless tours between the two countries in both directions, I cannot rate highly enough the benefits to young athletes in the overall experience. The international competition, cultural exchanges and 'pure' hospitality that these tours provide inevitably leads to personal growth, great memories and strong friendships. Allan Hilzingers ADU Tours embody this spirit.
Tom Wisman
(Head Coach, Tochigi Brex, JBL Japan)
(Former NBL Head Coach and 1995 NBL Coach of the Year)
The First ADU Japan Girls Tour was a privelidge to be part of. The capacity of Allan Hilzinger to ensure things were organised and set out well in advance made the tour an amazing success. The cross cultural experiences from the letters sent by the Japanese girls to their 'host" families prior to arriving to the dances shared at all games and trainings was a spectacular success.
The Basketball - anyone interested in seeing a new brand of basketball should definitely get involved in the ADU program and tours. The Japanese girls played against some of Queenslands strongest teams and won most of their games, indicating that the level of basketball in Japan is quickly improving to true international standard. The style is a very quick, fast break, shoot when you are open style which was enhanced by the number of offensive boards the smaller Japanese players were still able to get.
In summary
and more importantly great friendships.
Steve Currie
(Beenleigh Blitz Mini Basketball Coordinator)
As a basketball player and coach for more than 30 years, I have seen many players, teams, games and tournaments at all levels of competition, so it takes something special and fresh to particularly catch my interest. The ADU Japan girls team did just that! I was thrilled that ADU Japan Head Coach Allan Hilzinger brought a squad and support team to our World famous and beautiful Gold Coast, Australia. Our basketball association had a fantastic time. Not only did we get to play the ADU Japan teams in what turned out to be high standard and exciting games, the ADU Japan tour also created lasting memories and friendships.
Our coaches were particularly impressed with the high standard of ADU Japan team morale, skills and fundamentals; Coach Hilzinger is doing a great job building a strong program and a reputation as a first class coach and basketball director in Japan, carrying on from where he left off in Australia. We will always remember the cultural exchange, fun, laughter and great times on and off the court and look forward to other ADU Japan teams and Japanese basketball teams and players visiting our beautiful country again soon.
Dave Hilleary
(Beenleigh Blitz Coaching Director)
Email: adubasketball@gmail.com
phone: (+61) 0418 882 031 (Australia) or (+81) 080 3310 1309 (Japan)