Bradley, Kubel Visit Vietnam with 'Coach for College' Program

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Over the summer, two University of Louisville student-athletes had a chance of a lifetime. Through the 'Coach for College' program, they joined fellow student-athletes from across the country on a month long trip to Vietnam. Tim Kubel, a sophomore defender on the men's soccer team, and Taylor Bradley, a junior sprinter on the track and field team, represented the Cardinals on the other side of the world.

In 2007, Duke University students started `Coach for College' in attempts to promote higher education globally through sports. 'Coach for College' seeks to capitalize on the popularity of sports to connect disadvantaged youth in rural parts of developing countries who have difficulties accessing higher education with student-athletes at American universities. The coaching groups consist of student-athletes whose year-round commitment to sports prohibits them from having the same civic engagement opportunities as other college students. 'Coach for College' allows these athletes to bond with these kids over their shared love of sports and giving them the opportunity to give these children the gift of education.

135984

Kubel was the first of the two Cardinals to make the trip to Vietnam. He left his native country of Germany in early June and spent close to four weeks in the developing country of Vietnam at the camp of Hoa An. Having the opportunity to spend time with children and other student-athletes, Kubel described the experience as a "really humbling experience. It helped me appreciate things so much more. Even the small stuff…they really touched me a lot. It is definitely one of the best experiences I have ever had in my life."

Taylor Bradley traveled to Vietnam in late July and spent most of August overseas at the camp of Pham Van Dong. "It was a real eye opener and a very humbling experience," said Bradley. "It showed us how spoiled we are over here at the States. It was a culture shock but we adjusted. They really treat you with respect and I enjoyed every single minute of it."

The goal of this program is to provide youth with new sports infrastructure and equipment. These must be in place before the youth are able to derive the many benefits that can come from playing sports. A multi-function "all-sports court" was built on the grounds of partnering middle schools by a local construction company and financed by funds raised for the program. The court contains court surfaces and lines painted to allow for the play of the five "court" sports: basketball, indoor soccer, tennis, volleyball and badminton. A roof, a fence surrounding the perimeter, a storage shed for equipment and a covered area for spectators were also included in the building process. The equipment used in the program is donated to the school at the end of the camps by the program.

For the student-athletes involved in the program, each served as a member of a "coaching group" while in Vietnam. The program consisted of three different activities: sports classes, academic classes and life skills sessions. Each athlete served as a coach teaching one sport, as a teacher focusing on an academic subject and as a mentor during the life skills sessions.

The organization for the program was 16 coaches split into two camps located 30 minutes apart. Each coach was part of a four-coach group who taught the children a variety of sports. Each coach then turned into a teacher and taught one of the following subjects: English, Biology, Physics or Mathematics. These classes gave the children a well-balanced education in various subjects. The 2014 ACC Freshman of the Year and All-ACC Academic Team Selection, Kubel was able to put his skills on display as he taught soccer and biology. Bradley was able to teach English and displayed her skills on the court while teaching the kids basketball.

135986

As mentors in the program, Bradley and Kubel not only educated their students academically and athletically but, taught them important life skills. These life skills such as teamwork, accountability, sportsmanship, commitment, integrity and respect are all easily taught through sports and can be carried through to their academic learning.

A typical day would involve getting up at around 4:30 in the morning as the daylight was approaching. Even though it was the offseason, there was always time to fit in a workout. Kubel liked to get his workouts done in the mornings before he got ready for the day. Breakfast followed and typically was a noodle soup and a vegetable. Since the camp was about a half a mile from the school, the coaches would walk to school. It was common for the kids in this area to bike an hour or more to get to school.

Since there was such a large turnout for the program, it was split into two groups, half coming in the morning and the other half coming in the afternoon. Within these two groups, the children were then divided into four groups. The program would alternate between a sports lesson and an academic lesson. Following the sessions, there was a life skills session to discuss qualities like attitude, leadership, teamwork, sportsmanship, and responsibility.

"I feel really blessed with the life skills sessions being able to speak and teach them how you can change things just based on attitude," explained Kubel on the impact of the life skills sessions. "Just enjoy it and have a good time. They were really thankful for things we had taught them."

Following the sessions, a break for lunch was taken before Bradley and Kubel had a chance to share their knowledge with a whole new group of children. After school was over, the school yard was taken over by children and coaches for some evening fun. After a dinner, which usually consisted of rice, the coaches had a meeting to discuss what topics would be shared the following day.

Sometimes it took two or three hours to prepare for upcoming sessions. The amount of time put into the planning for the sports, classes and sessions showed how crucial preparation was for the upcoming days as well as, how much these student-athletes wanted the kids to learn and enjoy their time at the camps.

135987

Some of the coaches would follow with sleep but the change in time zones caused some unrest and took several days to get used to.

This was how the camp ran from Monday through Thursday. Friday offered a different tempo -- Fridays were competition days. There were quizzes from the material they learned earlier that week and the teams would play games in the afternoons. Every moment there were smiles on the kids' faces. "It was intense and it was fun," said Kubel.

On the weekends, the coaches took a break from sharing their knowledge and teaching as they explored Vietnam. They were able to experience surrounding cities or even take a trip to the beach. "One day we went to the beach and it was really awesome," Kubel said. "It was so cheap. We went to a five-star hotel and spent the night and it was only 10 dollars."

Not really knowing much about Vietnam other than what she was taught about the Vietnam War in history class, Bradley took in some sights of the Asian country.

"Vietnam really had some nice scenery. It was really cool to see all the things they had. Their driving is totally different. They do not have stop lights and in some areas they do not have expressways," explained Bradley. "They do not have signs to merge so you just turn your blinker on and turn. The horn is used all day, every day. They are on the horn at all times. I saw a whole family get carried on a moped. There were six people on a moped; a man carried his family on his moped."

Both Bradley and Kubel admitted to taking things for granted at times and that became more evident through this opportunity.

"Everything is really different. There were a lot of kids who did not really have much. The coaches went a day without shoes so we could be like them," said Bradley. "We could only drink certain bottles of water because their water is not purified. I also found out that some of the kids could not shower unless it rained."

"I think the kids played a huge role because there is no chance to really get out there," Kubel explained. "We're so blessed with what we have and some people don't appreciate what we have."

In his camp, Kubel was the lone non-American coach. Bradley, who is African American, said of the experience, "They treated us with so much respect. They loved seeing African Americans there so they would stop me and take pictures with me. With my hair being red, they wanted to play with it."

Being away from your comfort zone for a month can have a toll on you but at the end of the trip, you take away something bigger. For Kubel, it was independence.

"I worked with kids for four weeks with a little bit of help. It was just me and another Vietnamese coach teaching kids for four weeks. You have to make your own rules and use your own mind. It makes you way more independent. It helped my mindset tremendously," said Kubel.

Before they knew it, the four weeks were up and it was time to say goodbye.

Hugs were exchanged. Laughs were shared.

Everyone went back to their lives but the names and memories of the children they met will never be forgotten. Both Bradley and Kubel want to relive those memories again next summer.

"It's a good summer program. Many of the kids were really passionate about it. I did not want to leave them and I am thinking about coming back next summer," said Bradley.

Kubel added, "I can actually see myself going back. The culture is so different but, it was great. It is one of the best experiences I have ever had in my life."

University of Louisville Athletics

Bradley, Kubel Visit Vietnam with 'Coach for College' Program

Players Mentioned

Taylor Bradley

Tim Kubel

Related Videos