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Having a ball with a ball
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They’ve
travelled to foreign lands to pose a question, or
rather a challenge.
“Shoot the ball.”
The response to such a statement has led Angelina and Noel
Andreoni on an interesting journey.
The couple, married over 10 years ago, decided in May of
2001 to quit their jobs in
The couple are taking a break in
He said the couple hopes the Spalding basketball they’ve
taken with them to 28 countries, 50 states and
nearly every province and territory, will eventually end up in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in
By then the couple also hopes to have corporate sponsorship
to pay for its travelling and to generate money for charities.
The couple decided to start Shoot
the Ball because it involved elements both enjoyed — travelling,
photography, writing and basketball.
Initially, they started taking the basketball and wanted to
see how people would react to them asking them to shoot the ball.
They discovered their request was a great gateway to talking
to people from other cultures.
“We took one year off (of work) and showed up in places
unannounced and told them what we were starting,” said Noel. “Every single place
let us in. It’s didn’t matter if it was major arenas or high schools. ”
“Or kids playing in their yards,” added Angelina.
Some of those venues included places many Western couples
might skip over.
“In
“When we do classroom presentations, the basketball is
definitely part of that but beyond that, it’s 2
1/2 hours of photographs, information about other countries and other cultures
and the way they think about us and the way we think about them,” said
Angelina.
The couple has already visited a few classrooms during its
stay in
Over a six-year period, the couple stopped in
“It’s just so simple. The hands-on connection, that’s’ what
the kids really love,” said Noel.
What the couple has learned so far through the travels is
also simple.
“The basic thing is people are good,” said Noel. “I think
the majority of people are trusting and kind-hearted. You couldn’t just walk up
to somebody and speak to someone about this if they were going to be negative
about it,” said Angelina.
Alison Sebastian can be reached at 691-1265.
Noel,
left, and Angelina Andreoni have travelled to 28
countries getting people to shoot this basketball, named ‘The Ball.’ The couple
is in
