“The Notre Dame basketball tournament will always be my favorite memory about ROTC,” says Cadet Jillian Rokes. “It’s a great way to bond with other cadets and have fun while also playing some basketball.” Leading up to the departure, the team practiced multiple times a week, had team dinners, and scrimmaged Detachment 470.
The team loaded up Thursday morning in a 15-passenger van and set on for our 10-hour road trip. The car ride was filled with singing and laughter, caffeine and candy, and way too many bathroom breaks. For dinner, the team stopped at O’Rourke’s to witness Nebraska’s overtime upset against Wisconsin. “We were hoping we would perform just as our Huskers did against the Badgers.”
Friday morning, the team woke up and performed a make-up LLAB in the driveway of the Airbnb, which included the use of brooms as guidons.
“Our first opponent on Friday evening was the host of the tournament, the AFROTC Notre Dame Flyin’ Irish basketball team, followed by the Flyin’ Illini of Detachment 190 from the University of Illinois. Our morale was high, but sadly our score was not,” adds Rokes.
The next morning, the team faced the joint Navy and Air Force team of Marquette University. “Try as we might, we were unable to overcome our first-half deficit. A highlight from the game was a half-court buzzer-beater that I made that had both benches cheering,” Rokes recites. “In the end, we may not have won our games, but we were able to bond as a team, get to know each other more, meet students from other units, and test SSgt DeWolf’s limits with our constant chattering.”
“This group of individuals has become very special to me. I highly encourage others to participate in this event during their time in AFROTC as it is an amazing experience.”
