Just over a month ago, the Michigan football team traveled to South Africa to kick off the summer.
Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel went on the trip with the team and on the “In The Trenches” podcast with Jon Jansen, he discussed how much traveling to South Africa meant to him.
“It was special for me, I had never been there,” Manuel said on the podcast. “As I was there, I was also interacting with the student-athletes. I don’t think their eyes were closed, meaning their eyes were wide open at every part of the journey we went for those eight days. They were engaged. Besides the flights, everything was optional for the most part. Not one student-athlete decided on their own, I’m tired of this, I don’t want to go to another event.”
Manuel said he was very impressed with how engaged all of Michigan’s football players were on the trip. This was a chance for the team to grow together because they were experiencing something unique as a group.
“Together was a key word that many of them used in a sense of this is something that I won’t forget because I’m with my teammates and doing something I’d never thought I would have the opportunity to do,” Manuel said. “It was so great to see them engaging in seeing this is their time to be together in a different way. It should pull them closer together.”
Beyond getting closer, the trip to South Africa was an opportunity for the Wolverines to see Manuel along with Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and the two coordinators, Josh Gattis and Don Brown, away from the football field.
In addition to this, in South Africa, Manuel and the players were able to talk in a low-key setting, which allowed for open discussion.
“I think it’s always good for them to see us engaging with us in a different way other than just being AD and head coach or position coach,” Manuel said. “Just as people. To have the time to just sit down and talk about anything … In those discussions and conversations that occur, are special moments to be have them be able to talk to you.”
Michigan was well behaved on its trip to South Africa and had zero incidents while overseas. This was the third trip aboard for the football program and on each trip, there have been no issues. Manuel said this is because of the character of the players that go on the trips.
“It speaks actually more to the young men that were on the trip,” Manuel said. “We haven’t had any of our trips with any of sports, male or female, any issue abroad. They are great men and women.”
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