With passports and pre-trip meeting knowledge in tow, the group of 16 selected Gators were ready to take on Italy and experience three of its famed cities: Milan, Florence and Rome. The almost 5,000-mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean created new, valuable opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience of another country’s culture, cuisine and communities. Performing over 300+ collective service hours, the group volunteered with local youth sports organization and distribution services for people experiencing homeless and food insecurity. The group also visited a crocodile leather workshop, historic art galleries, ancient structures such as the Collosum, and even a pasta making class in Tuscany while in country.

GatorMade’s 2024 trip changed its primary focus from service to professional development, as they navigated the renowned international business hub of Tokyo, Japan. With 15 football scholar-athletes making the 7,175 mile cross-pacific trip, each young leaders’ worldview grew, with 80% of travelers having never left the continental United States prior. The appreciation for what is ancient and what is modern was readily apparent in the hustle of Shinjuku and Shibuya with the pairings of sacred spaces such as  Senso-ji and Meiji Jingu. Navigating the cities also meant navigating business through means of a Japanese Etiquette course - where our young professionals learned proper greetings and business card exchanges. These skills were put to the test at our corporate headquarter visit to EPSON and to QWS, a entrepreneurship collective. The group also tried their hand at Sumo, learning the traditions of ceremony and match rules before stepping into the ring themselves. From sushi making classes to ropeway trams up Mt. Fuji, the 15 Gators appreciated the cultural richness of the sights, sounds, tastes, and expertise of Japan.

In May of 2023, GatorMade took 13 football scholar-athletes to Cape Town, South Africa for a week of service and cultural immersion. Working with multiple nonprofit partners, the group served over 550 hours collectively in the Lavender Hill and Gugulethu communities. The group constructed tanks and irrigation lines to provide water to classrooms and gardens alongside the help of Rise Above Development and For the Love of Water. The group also began construction for safe areas to play through Project Playground, all while enjoying quality time with local children.

In addition to the work performed, each participant had the ability to experience South African culture from cuisine, to cabling up to the top of Table Mountain, to seeing the Big 5 animals while on Safari – exploration, brotherhood, and worldwide positive impacts were front and center throughout the trip.

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Kicking off the first international travel by athletics in twenty years, GatorMade’s annual Abroad Service Trip featured a 10-day experience of servant leadership and cultural learning. Making the 5,774 mile trek to Athens, Greece, our scholar-athletes served over 500 collective hours with partner organization, “The Smile of the Child”. From foster care facilities to soup kitchens, the young leaders worked daily to connect with those in need. Authentic meals, practicing another language, and navigating a foreign city helped make skilled travelers and citizens of the world. The trip was capped with a weekend in the picturesque Santorini, where the group enjoyed historic villages, a walk around a caldera, and time to reflect on their experience.

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