Katy Heger has traveled pretty extensively for such a young girl. She’s gone to the Kansas State 4A basketball tournament three times in as many years with the HHS Lady Eagles, and Amateur Athletic Union Ohlde Elite basketball has taken her all over the United States: from Kansas City to Iowa, to Dallas, Tx. and even Nashville, Tn. this past summer. But now, the sport has taken her further than she dreamed. Katy, along with her mother Stephanie and grandmother Barb, returned from their trip to Italy with “America’s Team” Tuesday, August 2.
Katy is no stranger to turning heads due to her prodigious skills on the court, but when she received an offer to compete against Italian teams, she jumped at it. Salina
Central High School Coach Geoff Andrews contacted eight girls from Kansas, Kentucky and Vermont to form a team. Kansan Geoff and Kentucky coach Dwayne Murray landed with America’s Team in Milan, Italy the morning of July 26.
Katy and the other seven basketball players went to Italy thanks to an incredible program called “America’s Team”. The organization seeks to “change lives through sports”, sending athletes to foreign countries to further their understanding of themselves, the world and other people.
America’s Team has partnered with the American Council for International Studies to bring the experience of international travel, cuisine and culture to countless athletes all over the nation. Other locations where basketball players can travel include the Dominican Republic, Spain, Germany and England.
