March Madness in Budapest!

Wow! What a few days! Our kids’ school (ICSB; International Christian School of Budapest) hosted a basketball tournament where we invited International High Schools from across Central and Eastern Europe. Friday and Saturday had around the clock high school basketball games for both girls and boys as the tournament progressed.

The teams came from Salzburg, Austria; Vienna, Austria; Kiev, Ukraine, Bucharest, Romania and our cross-town rival, the American International School of Budapest (AISB), where embassy families and business executives send their kids. While most of the high school athletes were American, the rosters from these schools contained kids from places such as Belgium, China and Iran.

While the high school boys from our school took second in the tournament to local rival AISB, our ICSB girls went undefeated in the tournament and won the girls division! The crowd was rowdy, school colors were everywhere, the pep band was energetic and the gym was loud! This tournament is certainly the highlight of the athletic year and generates the most school spirit! EB and I haven’t had this much fun as sports fans since college days at Ahearn Fieldhouse.

Our Elizabeth, AS A SOPHOMORE, brought home a whole shelf-full of awards, including: From 100+ athletes, the coaches voted her: 1) Most Valuable Offensive Player, 2) onto the all-tournament team. She was also 3) high scorer and 4) brought home the championship trophy! We are so proud!

The championship ICSB 2007 Lady Bulldogs basketball team!

On a cultural note, we had to adjust to a new way of refereeing. In America, we expect the refs to be objective outside observers of the game. In Europe, where authority is emphasized and individuality is discouraged, the refs make it clear that they are in control of the game and they will favor their calls toward the losing team. This is an attempt to make the contests fairer. Frustrating to our American minds but a fact of life here in Europe all the same.

Rebekah and her friend won an award for the best poster. Here it is!