While spending 12 days of his summer traveling through Europe, senior Mason Stern was not only able to immerse himself in different cultures but also play elite basketball for the Greater Boston All-Stars.

History teacher Michael Normant, who is the boys basketball head coach at Ashland High, helped organize the team by recruiting players from several Massachusetts schools. In August, Normant accompanied Stern, along with the rest of the 11-player team, on a trip to Germany and other parts of Europe, competing against top-level teams while experiencing new languages and traditions along the way.

Normant has now gone on six of these trips. This time, the team began in Berlin and traveled to Dresden, making a day trip to Prague and a final stop in Dublin. Normant said the opportunity to sightsee and travel while coaching competitive basketball is what makes the trips so rewarding.

“It’s the combination of my two favorite things, which is getting to see other places in the world and the history of it and also getting to coach basketball, which is one of my other loves,” Normant said. “Getting a chance to help introduce the kids that come on the trip to other cultures and other parts of the world is really meaningful to me.”

Having played on the boys basketball team since his freshman year, Stern said he was hesitant to join the team because he didn’t know anyone on it and it would be his first time in years leaving the country. However, he said the experience brought the players together more than he had expected.

“The most memorable parts were long bus rides, train rides and flights that we took together because we grew such tight relationships with each other,” Stern said. “When we’re spending two, three hours traveling, the only way to make the most of it is to talk to each other and embrace it.”

Matthew Cloonan, a senior at Needham High, said Normant was really helpful to their game mindset and brought the trip to life.

“I enjoyed Mr. Normant’s coaching because even though we were traveling and he wasn’t our high school coach, he still made sure that we got better,” Cloonan said. “While he did keep us in check, he also let us play without too much instruction, so we had a lot of fun being able to play freely.”

According to Normant, the spirit of playing with and against such selective players, especially with a physical style of game, makes the trip even more valuable for the students..

“These are players that are handpicked, that are talented players,” Normant said.
“So playing on a team like that forces you to immediately communicate effectively, to adapt to other players’ skill sets that you don’t know.”

Stern said basketball is played differently overseas, with less shooting and a larger focus on defensive intensity.

“We had to adjust to the fact that they played harder defense, and they actually couldn’t shoot as well as people here,” Stern said. “So I’d say we backed off the three-point line more so than we would here. We switched our defensive concepts because they were also bigger and taller than the people here.”

According to Normant, when they weren’t shooting hoops, players were immersing themselves in a whole new culture and learning to navigate a foreign country.

“They spend a lot of time on their own through the entire trip,” Normant said. “At the end of the night, I say ‘You guys are headed off to your families,’ and sometimes they have to take the train themselves. So from a maturity standpoint, I think it’s so valuable for these boys.”

With excursions like a day trip to play in Chemnitz and exploring through tours and museums, Stern said he learned on and off the court.

“It helped me grow to see new perspectives, families and cultures,” Stern said. “But as a player, it helped me realize that there’s different ways that the game is played, that our way isn’t necessarily the correct way. But you have to adapt to anyone else’s games, whether it’s on your team in Brookline or out of the country.”

As a senior looking to continue his basketball career in college, Cloonan said the trip was valuable in reinforcing his love for the sport.

“Most likely it will just be club or intramural basketball at whatever college I end up at, but the trip reignited my passion for basketball,” Cloonan said. “I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone who loves traveling and basketball. This was the highlight of my summer, and it was a great experience that I won’t ever forget.”

Opportunities like the Greater Boston All-Stars are available for almost every sport or activity. Stern said he hopes players look for or accept experiences like these when they arise.

“I was lucky enough to have Mr. Normant reach out to me, but if you know a program, reach out to them because they’re all super special and they’ll all give you positive experiences,” Stern said. “And if you are lucky enough to be asked, take the opportunity.”