The American School of Barcelona succesfully hosted the Atlantic and Mediterranean Activities Conference (A.M.A.C.) high school basketball tournament from February fourth through February sixth. In addition to ASB, the participating schools were: The Carlucci American International School of Lisbon (Portugal); The American School of Rabat (Morocco); The American Cooperative School of Tunis (Tunisia); and The American School of Tripoli (Libya). The over eighty boys and girls from the visiting teams stayed in the homes of ASB families. Matches were held in the beautiful Bonaigua sports complex in nearby Sant Just Desvern.The American School of Rabat Lions won the tournament in both male and female categories. The ASB teams, which fielded extremely young players, finished fourth in both categories. The tournament closed with a dance open to all athletes participating in the tournament and all ASB high school students during the evening of the sixth at ASB.
The tournament organizers and all participants, from the athletes to the host families, have to be commended for this successful event. Though it was an incredible athletic experience, like the AMAC soccer tournament hosted by ASB in the spring of 2008, this tournament was about more than just sports. It represented an incredible opportunity for building cultural understanding and friendships across borders. It will be remembered as a tranformative experience for many of the athletes - and the hosts families as well.
