Schoening coaches NBC travel team in England

SANDPOINT — Madi Schoening is no stranger to the Sandpoint sports community.

A former Sandpoint High School basketball standout and University of Montana four-year starter, she is now a fifth-grade teacher and assistant coach of the SHS girls basketball and soccer teams — and continues to give back on the local level.

Recently, Schoening had the opportunity to step outside the local spotlight and onto the international stage. As part of Nothing Beats Commitment sports camps, also known as NBC, Schoening coached a high school-aged girls basketball team in the United Kingdom June 27 through July 8. NBC, which is headquartered in Spokane, hosts different sports camps all over the Pacific Northwest and regularly sends athletes to compete on the national and international level.

Schoening wasn’t exactly planning to be the head coach of a basketball team in the United Kingdom this summer, but once she was invited by NBC to head the team, she said she could not refuse the offer. As someone who grew up attending NBC camps religiously, and even helped to coach camps at Whitworth University in 2018-2019, Schoening said the whole experience seemed surreal.

Setting out on her new journey, Schoening packed her bags and headed to meet her players for a two-day training camp in Auburn, Wash., just outside Seattle at the beautiful Black Diamond Campground.

“I didn’t know any of the players before our trip,” Schoening said. “We had seven players from Washington, one from Canada, one from Alaska, and one from Idaho (St. Maries). We camped in cabins at Black Diamond, played, practiced, and scrimmaged on outdoor courts; it was a lot of fun.”

After the mini camp concluded, it was time to head overseas. The team would travel to Liverpool, Blackpool and London during their adventure, all while playing different basketball teams, of course.

Schoening would lead her team to a perfect 4-0 record, blowing out multiple teams in the process. The team’s biggest win was a 64-point margin, 85-21. The NBC travel team also had to play under FIBA (International Basketball Federation) rules, but the team adapted quickly.

“The game is way less physical,” Schoening said in regards to the FIBA rules. “You cannot call a timeout during a live play or have as many players line up during a free throw. From a coaching standpoint it was a challenge for me.” Schoening added that being able to coach alongside friend, and fellow Sandpoint girls basketball assistant coach, Audra Driggs, was memorable as well.

After the games, the teams would hang out and converse with each other. The girls exchanged different trinkets and gifts that related to their home country’s culture. Schoening said the girls even friended each other on social media to stay in touch.

In between all of the basketball games, the trip would not have been complete without doing some sightseeing. The team toured the Tower of London, where the crown jewels are held along with the current crown of the king; as well as Buckingham Palace, where the king resides. Schoening said the flag was down, which meant he was inside during their visit.

“The sightseeing and architecture was beautiful,” Schoening said. “We rode the ‘tube’, the English name for the subway, everywhere which added to the experience… Oh, and I also tried black pudding.”

Schoening said she would not try black pudding, a type of blood sausage which originates from the United Kingdom, again. However, she did say she would love to coach on the international level again if given the opportunity.

“I would do something like this again; it was such a great experience,” Schoening said. “Maybe in the future I’ll be coaching an NBC travel team in Germany or Italy.”