Conference Call #3

I want spend time going over some aspects of travel you should begin thinking about now with your parents. First off, you should start considering what type and how much spending money you will bring with you to Europe. I strongly recommended that you bring more than one form of currency during the program, whether it is a credit card, debit card or cash. You should bring enough money with you to last the duration of the program. You should not expect to be able to receive a wire transfer except in emergency situations as your program event schedule may make it difficult to get away during bank hours.

A good amount to figure is $15 – 20 dollars per day for snacks, extra food and drinks etc. You all will have different needs for how many souvenirs and extra items you purchase to bring home, so make sure you discuss spending money amounts with your parents. You will have 3 meals a day provided but it is still a good idea to have some pocket money available if you get hungry in between meals. If you have a favorite snack item for before or after practice like a power bar or cliff bar, you can bring some along as long as they are sealed.

There a few options I recommend for different forms of currency to take. Athlete’s can be issued a credit card linked to a parent’s card and given a lower spending limit. This is a good option that allows athletes an addition measure of security during travel. If you are going to be getting a credit card for the trip, make sure you apply with enough time for the card to be issued and sent to your home.

Traveler checks are another form of currency. I typically don’t recommend traveler checks since they are not widely accepted by stores. An athlete might have to go to a bank or currency exchange kiosk and present his or her passport as identification to cash the check. This is problematic because athletes do not have access to their passports since leaders hold on to them for safekeeping.

I strongly recommend that all athletes carry a small amount of cash in dollars and local currency at all times. Obviously, if lost or stolen it cannot be cancelled and replaced. For this reason, I do not suggest that athletes carry their entire quantity of spending money in cash. Athletes should exchange some money prior to travel.

Debit or ATM cards are a good option and athletes can travel with a card that is linked to a bank checking account, not savings accounts. Many European ATMS do not offer withdrawal of funds from savings accounts so if you plan on travelling with a debit card, make sure it is linked to a checking account. Athletes should have the PIN number to their debit cards in case they need more spending cash.

Leaders will assist athletes in exchanging currency as needed. Athletes should not expect to be able to exchange money at the airport upon arrival but they will have a change to do so shortly after arrival. There is also typically a small fee for exchanging currency. The value of the U.S. dollar differs worldwide, so consider the exchange rate when planning your budget.

Remember athletes, you have been accepted as Sports Ambassadors because others believe you are mature enough to handle these responsibilities. Learning to be responsible for your own money is a great opportunity to build independence and maturity. We expect that you will have no problem representing your country and communities in an appropriate Ambassadorial manner.

As some of you will have parents, family or friends travelling to Vienna to watch the games, I want to spend a little time talking about our expectations any of you who will have visitors.
Any athletes with guests or parents travelling nearby are expected to abide by the same rules as all other athletes. Any of your guests will need to arrange their own travel, transportation, and hotel accommodations. Parent Information will be coming soon to the Locker Room website and this will include suggested hotels, points of interest in Vienna and other tips for travel in the area for them.

While on the program, no athlete is to be removed from any part of the scheduled program by the accompanying visitor without pre-arrangement with both the program office and guardian by filling out a Land Deviation Waiver. You can find this form in the Locker Room under Documents, then Downloads or in your Game Plan. Visitors must also properly sign out athletes with their coach. If your parents are travelling, please remind them about this policy and about the Land Deviation Form.

Visitors will be welcome to all tournaments and ceremonies, but we ask that they do not attend training camps since those are closed to allow the teams and athletes to focus. When attending the tournament, we ask that guests remain positive about the coaching, the officiating and the manner of play of all athletes. Coaches will handle any disagreements regarding the manner of play. Visitors who do not abide by these behavioral expectations may be removed from the play area. We hope that doesn’t happen so please keep in mind Ambassadorial behavior is expected from both athletes and any guests you bring.

Another thing to consider is how you plan on staying in touch with home. Athletes should not plan on calling home every night. International collect calls are very expensive and in some cases, the international connections can cost up to $15 per minute. Calling from your hotel room will not be an option as most hotels charge a fee for calling out of a room even when doing so with a calling card. Any phone or incidental charges to the hotel room will need to be paid before check out.

Calling cards can be used on the phones in the hotel lobby so having a card is still a good way to stay in touch with home. A calling card can sometimes be linked to your home phone number so that the charges will appear on your monthly home phone bill. If you plan to follow this method, you should make sure that there is an international plan linked to the card, or the charges will be unusually high.

Another option we highly recommend is renting an international cell phone. People to People partners with Cellhire for international phone rental, so if you think this might be a good choice for your please write down and visit their website at www.cellhire.com/ambassador.

Internet access may be limited while on Program so please do not count on communication via e-mail.

For the last two years the Program Office staff, who travels to Austria updated a daily blog with pictures and information for parents back home. If you want to take a look at this I will post the link to the blog which is www.ptpaustria.blogspot.com. There are some great tournament pictures there from 2008 and 2009 and pictures of the opening ceremonies. One of the most popular events for athletes are the opening ceremonies.

At 60 days prior to us leaving, a day by day itinerary will be posted for you to follow. At 30 days prior to departing the Program Office will confirm and post the list of accommodations you will be in each day. Our program is going to be a really interesting blend of training camp, international tournament play and cultural activities. In this call I want to highlight an activity we will be doing which is very unique and ties in to some of the reading you have been doing. After we first arrive and spend time training in a lovely little town call Hollabrunn about an hour outside Vienna, we will leave by motor coach for some cultural activities in Austria and Germany. One of these will be in the region of Carinthia, Austria, in the historic town of Friesach (Freez-ahk). The first records of the city date to the Middle Ages and the time of the Crusades. While we are in Friesach we will be learning from our Delegation Manager and the town residents about life in the Middle Ages. You are going to get to try your hand at medieval sports like archery and in the evening, we will be having a medieval banquet for dinner. We will actually get to spend the night in large pavilion style tents in the shadow of the castle walls. The tents are very thick and sturdy, and athletes will all have their own separate field beds or bunk beds with heavy wool blankets. It will be a huge adventure and a very unique experience.

I hope you all have been reading your Explore Before You Go guides for Austria and Germany. Reading these and learning about the history of both countries before we arrive can enrich your time spent on the program. Make sure you take the quizzes for both Austria and Germany too.