Buddy Teams find their experiences richly rewarding. Here are just a few comments from coaches and team members after previous World Finals experiences.

Mike, a coach, wrote, “It was an amazing experience. While the team was from half way around the world and a culture that might be considered very different, we could not have been drawn closer thanks to Odyssey. I asked my kids what they enjoyed most about their trip to World Finals and every single one of them said “Buddy Team”. Not one said pin trading or finishing in fourth place. I know as a parent and coach that this provides an experience for my child and our team that will forever change their lives and perceptions of people and cultures.”

Marci, also a coach, wrote, “Having a Buddy Team was one of the highlights of our World Finals experience. What we enjoyed the most was that it gave us the opportunity to meet kids from a totally different background with whom we share this common interest. I don’t know that my kids would have gone outside their “comfort zone” otherwise, to meet another team, if it hadn’t been assigned to us.”

When asked if he would recommend the buddy program, Trey, a team member, responded “We had an absolute blast with our Buddy Team from Berlin. Would I recommend this program to other teams attending World Finals in the future? With 100% of my being! It just made the whole trip even BETTER! Thank you so much for the opportunity to meet such an awesome group and share something so wonderful like Odyssey with a team from another country…all I can say is WOW!”