Four years after making an initial service trip into Thailand, the Carleton College women’s basketball team is returning to the country and the same village, using basketball and sport as a way to instill self respect and personal strength, which hopefully could lead to the girls avoiding the rampant sex trade industry in their country.

In the summer of 2000, the Knights took a their first trip to Thailand. The trip, which received national media coverage after being picked up by the Associated Press, is believed to be the first of its kind. The squad of 12 players spent nearly two weeks in the village of Karen, giving basketball clinics to the young girls in the village and assisting with various other tasks in the village.

Now, the current players on the Carleton roster are making a return trip to Thailand. Ten players and a total of 20 people will make the trek back to the village of Karen, June 13-29. The team will play two games while in Thailand. More importantly, however, they’ll again spend the bulk of their time in the village, giving clinics, assisting with planting/harvesting of the rice crop and lending a hand wherever needed. The group also plans to bring used sports equipment, jerseys and other items that village people may find useful in establishing basketball in the community.

You can follow the group's trip, read journal entries and view photos from their experiences throughout their two-week trip on the Thailand 2004 Website.