Lynsey Prosser, a senior guard on the Augustana women's basketball team, has been selected to play for the USA D-2 women's basketball team in Brazil, and below she shares her experience

After two long days of traveling, I have finally arrived home from Brazil. Spending several hours on planes and in airports, I've had a lot of time to reflect on my entire trip. Going to Brazil to play basketball really was one of the coolest things I've ever had the opportunity to do. In my last update I focused on the first part of our trip, our time spent around the area of Sao Paulo. In this one, I'll talk about what we did in Rio.

We arrived into Rio last Friday. As we flew in, we caught our first glimpse of the Christ the Redeemer Statue and we were all very excited by the beauty Rio had from the sky. Once we got settled, we were given the day to explore the area we were in. Our hotel was located right on Copacabana Beach and the first thing most of us wanted to do was get into the ocean. However, a lot of us were a little nervous. We had heard from many different people how dangerous Rio could be, and being tourists, we knew we were a target. Every time we went to the beach we were sure not to bring any important belongings and we knew we had to be aware of our surroundings. Even though we had our guard up, there's no way that could have taken away from how beautiful Copacabana Beach was. We spent some time splashing around in the water, admiring the massive waves (the biggest I've ever seen), and goofing around on the beach. It was rainy that afternoon, but we were all so happy to be there.

The next morning, we ventured up to the famous Sugarloaf Mountain in Brazil. We took a tram vehicle that was hung by cables up to the first mountain where we were greeted with beautiful views of Rio. The sky was blue and the sun was shining. We took a second tram ride up to Sugarloaf where we got to see even more views of Rio and take a walk on a little nature trail. On the nature trail, we met a few new friends. These friends are called Marmosets. They are basically little monkeys. They got very close to us and it was really cool to see these animals in their natural habitat. We were so lucky to have such beautiful weather that day as we experienced one of the icons of Rio.

Later that day, we (the women's team) had our first game in Rio. We played at a University against a city league team. One thing I noticed about every facility we played in is that there was never really a clear entrance or front door. We always parked our bus somewhere near the facility and had to navigate through mazelike paths, in and around buildings, to reach the gyms. This gym in particular was quite the sight. Universities in Brazil don't really have the money to invest into their athletic facilities, so this gym was small and very run down. When we arrived, there was actually a little pick-up indoor soccer game going on, so we had to wait to start our game. Brazilian time is a real thing. People in Brazil don't seem to be as terribly concerned with timeliness as Americans are, and that was an interesting thing to experience. I really enjoyed watching the soccer game. It seems like everywhere you look in Brazil, you'll see something that has to do with soccer. Whether it's vendors selling jerseys, kids playing with soccer balls in parks, or people playing soccer-volleyball on the beach, you really are surrounded by it.

Soon the soccer game finished and we began warming up. Everything about this game felt a little more laid back. We knew the competition level of this game wouldn't't be quite as high as the first two games and we all just wanted to have fun with it. As we did in our other games, we gave each player on the team a gift before we started. These women, ages ranging through their twenties, were so kind. They seemed happy to be there and treated us all so nicely. Many of us received hugs when we gave them their gifts. Then we tipped off. We were all so much more comfortable with each other for this game and we were playing well right away. We were hitting shots, making good plays, and playing tough defense. We focused on playing smart and sharp basketball and we came out on top, 83-38. After the game we exchanged shirts and took pictures with the team and I again was so surprised at their kindness and graciousness.

The next day (Sunday) both the men's and women's team had games in the morning. We played at a high-end sports club. This club was rented out during the Olympics as a practice facility. There was a historic soccer stadium, clay tennis courts, a beautiful pool and diving area, and the gym where we got to play. This sports club could be compared to a country club back in the states. Apparently, this facility has the deepest diving well in Rio. It was a neat place to see. This gym was definitely old, but it was open air and had a lot of natural light. It was a unique place to play. As always, we gave gifts to the team before the game and then we tipped off. This team was actually a college team. They were quicker and stronger than the team we had played the day before and they posed more of a battle at the beginning of the game. However, this being our last game together, we'd finally gotten a grasp on all the differences of the international game as well as each other and we came out hot. The shooters on our team couldn't't miss and we were clicking so well. We focused on pressure defense and were able to run the floor for easy layups. We treated this game, our last game together, as a celebration of our team. We capitalized on each others' strengths and ended up winning 89-40. This day was our last day of sunshine. It was a beautiful morning to play basketball and we spent the rest of the day shopping at a local market and enjoying time on the beach.

The next morning, Monday morning, we had planned to venture up to the Christ the Redeemer statue. When we got to the base of the mountain, it was cloudy, but the statue was visible from down below. We all gathered onto a train car that would take us up to the top and as we were moving up the mountain, we became engulfed in clouds and rain. When we finally reached the statue, we could barely even see it, despite standing right next to it. The view was nothing but a wall of gray clouds and we were being completely soaked in rain. This was a bummer. Our coordinator, Ron Smith, who has been taking teams on these tours for several years said he had only experienced a low visibility day like this once before. It was still really cool to see the statue and be there, but we definitely missed out on this neat experience. This was just one of those things. When it comes to traveling, it doesn't't always go as planned. We were all in it together and it'll always be one of those quirky things that we got to share together. The rest of the day was pretty rainy and gloomy, so it ended up being a rest and relaxation day until the men's final game that evening. They played a really good professional team in called Botofogo. This game was really fun to watch, and we got to experience yet another facility.

Tuesday was our final day in Brazil. We went to a huge market to shop for souvenirs and spent more time on the beach. Many of us had wanted to revisit the Christ statue again, but weather wasn't cooperating. We made the best of our final day and that evening we were in for quite the treat. Ron had arranged for us to put on a small, one-hour clinic for a group of children in one of the poorer neighborhoods in Rio. None of us really knew what to expect but from the minute we walked in and saw the number of kids in the gym, I was overwhelmed with emotion and excitement. There were several boys and girls whose ages ranged from about five or six to about eighteen years old. They were all so energetic and excited to be there, in this old run-down gym, to spend time practicing the game of basketball with us. We split into four different stations to go through ball-handling, shooting, passing, and layup drills. We got to interact with each kid and I think the impact was mutual. All of us were really moved by this experience. To finish out the clinic, we played a huge game of knock-out with all of us joining in. The final two contestants were Morgan Fleming of Central Missouri and one of the older Brazilian kids. When he swished his three pointer to win the game, the gym went crazy. It was such a special thing to be a part of. We also got to give some of the kids a few t-shirts and take pictures. These kids were so sweet and I received a few heart-warming hugs. This was truly one of my favorite parts of the trip. Connecting with others so different from ourselves through the game of basketball is amazing. Basketball is a great game that I love so much, but what it enables us to do, is so much more than basketball. I'll never forget that night.  

We finished out the evening with a delicious meal and soaked in the last little bit of time we all had together in the country of Brazil. There were thirty-eight of us in our group. Nineteen of us were players and the rest were coaches and family members. We had all become one big family in Brazil. Spending time together, experiencing the culture together, and becoming friends was such a special part of the tour. The thirty-eight of us will always be connected through this experience and I look forward to following along with what's ahead for the other players and families I was able to meet and connect with.

I am eager to share more with my family, friends, and teammates from back home. This trip took me out of my comfort zone, opened my eyes, and challenged me in more ways than I expected. I am so grateful to have been included among this talented group of players and to have experienced all that I did. I wouldn't't have been able to go to Brazil without the support of my parents, friends, and coaches. I'll always be thankful for the support system I have at home as well as the support system I have gained as an athlete at Augustana University.

Thank you to everyone for following along on this adventure and I couldn't't be more excited to let this experience lead me into my senior year at Augustana.