On Friday November 14th, twelve students and two coaches from Sri Lanka visited Paint Branch and spent the school day with members of the Paint Branch Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball Teams. The Sri Lankan students, who play basketball themselves, traveled as part of the SportsUnited Sports Visitor program, whose mission is to expose foreign student-athletes and their coaches to the structure of sports in the United States, as well as American culture in general.

One of the visitors, Sharoon, described the U.S. educational system as “far less strict” than that of the system in Sri Lanka, and noted that it was surprising how much freedom the students have in their classrooms in America. These experiences highlight the main goals of the trip, to show people from around the world American lifestyles both in the classroom and during games. A basketball player for four years himself, Sharoon said that his trip will hopefully provide a better opportunity to advance his sports career.

The program also benefits the hosts by showing a part of the visiting culture and the challenges some young athletes face in other cultures. Paint Branch senior Stephen Adebesin added that he would definitely take advantage of the same opportunity had he been in the opposite situation. “I love going to new places and seeing new faces,” he said.