Former women’s basketball player, Ejay Ofomata, has recently had the privilege to see parts of
the world one could only imagine. Over this past summer, Ejay toured all over Europe with USA Athletes International playing basketball with a group of young women from different universities and colleges in the U.S. The team started out in London, Miss Ofomata hometown, first taking in the culture by seeing such historical landmarks such as The Big Ben Clock Tower, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Queens Guard Exchange. After seeing the sites, the ladies got down to business playing England’s U-21 team coming up short by 7 in a hard fought game.
After the game in London the team traveled to Paris, France seeing the world famous Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysee, and the Cathedral. Afterwards, the team then went right back to work this time winning the game by 20 points. The next stop was Belgium, visiting the Breendonk Concentration Camp, which was one of Hitler’s camps back in the early 1900’s. Although it was a “surreal moment” the team kept focus and beat the Belgium team. The last stop for the team was Amsterdam, the last sights seen were Anne Frank’s house, famous clog shoemaker, Heineken Brewery, and on a Canal cruise. The final two games came against the Holland National Team, which had an appearance in the Beijing Olympics losing by 12, but finished on a strong note by beating the Dutch Club.
I had the privilege to talk to Ejay after the trip and she wanted to give athletic director, Mr. Kellen Winslow and Head Women’s Basketball Coach Sheba Harris, for the opportunity of a lifetime. Ejay also said that “coming to Central State and because of the trip this summer, she has lived her dream. It is not the end but the beginning I will forever be grateful to my alma mater CSU!” The last thing she wanted me to make sure I said was a special shout out to her teammates, because without them, she would not be as good as she is.
“We pushed each other to be better and that is what its about, bringing out the best.”- E. Ofomata