Members of the Benedictine College football team traveled to France recently to compete against the Tournai Phoenix team from Belgium. The game was played in Amiens, France about 90 miles north of Paris. The group totaling 100 players coaches, staff and parents returned home on May 28.
"The whole experience was awesome," said Kautz. "It was a great bonding experience and we all had a lot of fun. The game was great and the guys we played were really cool, but the game was just a small part of the entire trip."    

The team arrived on Tuesday morning and took a bus tour of Paris. In addition to the sights, the group was amazed by the hustle and bustle of the city with a population of almost 10 million. The following day, the team traveled to the Palace of Versailles for a guided tour of the palatial estate of Louis XIV. Thursday and Friday provided an opportunity to see many of the historical sights of Paris, such as the Cathedral of Notre Dame, St. Chapelle, the Rodin Museum and Sculpture Garden, Sacre Couer, the Orsay Museum, and a tour of the Louvre Museum. 

Friday evening was highlighted by a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower followed by a cruise down the Seine River, returning to the Eiffel Tower just as it was lit for the night.     On Saturday, many in the group took a bus trip to northern France and the region of Normandy. The players visited a noted World War II museum, several of the D-Day landing beaches and the American Cemetery; a very moving experience for all.    

On Sunday, the team traveled to Amiens to play their game against Phoenix of Tournai, Belgium. It was an excellent opportunity to make new friends with the Ravens doing a clinic for the Belgium players that morning. The Ravens played very well and culminated an exciting week with a sound victory. That evening, the entire group of players, coaches, and parents celebrated with a farewell dinner and many stories of their week's travel.    

"The opportunity for these young men to experience a trip of this nature together should further add to the chemistry necessary for a very successful season this coming fall," said head coach Larry Wilcox. "However, football was only a small part of the reason for the team to take such a trip. The chance to experience another culture, the people and the history of the city of Paris and the country of France is a memory that will never be forgotten."