2007 Ohio Northern Football Trip to Germany
May 21-29, 2007
Bad Mergentheim / Rothenberg / Munich / Heidelberg, Germany
Ohio Northern
vs.
Bavarian All-Stars
| Game Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery |
Schedule
Monday, May 21 - Team flies overnight from Cincinnati to Frankfurt, then to Bad Mergentheim, Germany
Tuesday, May 22 - Upon arrival to Germany, bus to Bad Mergentheim
"We arrived to a perfectly clear, 75-degree day at approximately 10 a.m., and a very foreign world. Every sign was in German with a small American equivalent written at the bottom. Even with only a few hours sleep on the plane ride over, everyone was very excited to get the day started and to see as many new sites as possible. After a short bus ride over, we arrived to the hotel for the first night here in Germany. The land was very clean and hilly, and houses filled most of the valleys. The houses were much different than those in the U.S. There was not much of a yard to most, but they were very well maintained and had lots of flowers and greens decorating the house. Our first day was in a smaller city, but still very different and exciting to see. All of the cars are Mercedes and BMW’s, which is thrilling to some of the players. The town had a many different shops and estaurants and not many spoke English but all were very kind." - Austin Netzley, DB, Piqua, Ohio
Wednesday, May 23 - Travel to Rothenburg ob der Tauber
"The tour was great. We learned a lot about the history on Rothenburg, which has been preserved as a 14th-century walled-midevil community. We ate at an authentic German restaurant that was really interesting, the way the present the food. The coolest thing that we did all day was practiced with a semi-professional team (Franklin Knights). We ran drills together and taught them things to make themselves better." - Eric Shaffer, OL, Maria Stein, Ohio
Thursday, May 24 - Travel to Munich via Dachau
"We started the day with a 4-hour bus ride to Dachau and a tour one of the most famous Nazi concentration camps from WWII. It was a very emotional afternoon, touring a place where more than 40,000 people were killed and tourured from 1933-1945. The Americans liberated the camp on April 29, 1945. We then traveled 45 minutes into Munich, where we will be based for the next four days."
Friday, May 25 - Sightseeing in Munich, then practice in Furstenfeldbruck
"On our tours we saw the Marienplatz (the square), the two towers of the Frauenkirche, the Olympia Park and the sights of Hitler’s offices, which are now museums. Other spots that we saw were the BMW museum, Alte Pinakothek and the Deutsches Museum of science technology. After our tours, we walked around the city and enjoyed the sights. Our practice was the next object on the list and was supposed to start at four, but we actually didn’t get started until five. We went through practice and then were joined by German High School football players. Approximately 100 of these players showed up to learn more techniques and the trades of the game." - Josh Lokai-Owens, DL, Marysville, Ohio
Saturday, May 26 - Day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle
"The castle sat on a mountain in the Alps, so we had to take a half an hour hike up a winding road. Once we got up to the castle we had time to kill and most of us took pictures of the amazing views and structures of the castle. Then we had a guided tour of the castle. The Neushwanstein Castle is definitely the most unique stop we have made. We all walked around this castle in amazement. To see some of the rooms, the paintings, all the woodwork, and size was something none of us will probably get to see again in our lifetime. After the tour we then went on another ten minute walk to a bridge between two mountains. The bridge served has a picture opportunity for all the tourist, and it was well worth the walk. After the visit to the castle we got back on the bus to travel back to Munich for a huge dinner of pasta and schnitzel." - Mike McKenna, WR, Springfield, Ohio
Sunday, May 27 - Game Day v Italian All-Stars in Furstenfeldbruck | Recap | Box Score |
"We arrived at the field after about an hour drive to Furstenfeldbruck where our game was to be played. It was now game time. We returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and went on to a 77-0 victory in just three quarters. It was an eye-opening experience of the level of game play we are able to take part in every season. The German team was very appreciative of us coming to their country to spread the game of football. After the game there was a cookout with some German food. As a team we stayed and watched the second game of the Bavarian Classi, featuring the Fursty Razorbacks and Luther College of Iowa. Another thing we did as a team was trade clothing, decals and various other ONU gear with the German players in exchange for their team gear.This trip as a whole has been a great experience and learned a lot about other cultures and the direction of the game of American football." - Lenny Trusnik, LB, Macedonia, Ohio
Monday, May 28 - Travel to Heidelberg
"Our day started out with the longest bus ride of the trip, about six hours. This was probably good because it gave a lot of people a chance to get some well needed rest. Our long journey landed us in Heidelberg, where we got to check out another castle and wander around town on our own for a little bit. A few players, probably homesick, managed to find a Subway restaurant and get a small taste of home. The town of Heidelberg was one of the prettier places we’ve seen on the trip. The houses which were built up the sides of the mountains overlooking the river were quite a site. After all the sightseeing was done for the day we had our last team dinner in Germany. It was a great way to end our trip with coaches, players, and our trip managers sharing their thoughts and some highlights from the trip. I think that everyone would agree with me when I say that I have had a blast in Germany, but I’m ready to head home and relax." - Adam Bogner, RB, Wooster, Ohio
Tuesday, May 29 - Staff & Players return home via Frankfurt