Jason Walker, UP Sports Information Director  

Great Falls, Mont. - Early Tuesday morning, under the cover of darkness and stars, the University of Providence women's basketball team began the journey to represent Team USA at the 2022 FISU Games in Merida, Mexico. The Argos will play five games in five days against teams from North, South and Central America. The FISU America Games are a multi-sport event sanctioned by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). Alternating with the Summer and Winter World University Games, which invite all the countries of the world for the biennial events, the FISU America Games are a regional event like the Pan-American Games for FISU member-countries of North and South America held in even-numbered years.  

Normally, Team USA is represented by an NCAA Division 1 program, but because of Covid, the games were moved to the fall so an NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) team was chosen. Because of connections in the coaching profession, the Argos were brought up and Head Coach Bill Himmelberg readily jumped at the opportunity, "We are known for upsetting teams, national tournament contenders perennially, lot of good kids, we are going to represent well."  

This might not have been possible in previous years, but thanks to the Argos that have played in a UP uniform over the last decade, Himmelberg knows those ladies played a big part, "The reason we got asked was because of the Parkers, the Emilys, the Kerstyns, the people that were here before. It is not just about the people here in the last four or five years, it is the people who have built our program over a long period of time. It is a great accomplishment for everyone who has been in our program, but would I have liked to have Parker and Emily out there? You bet!" 

Ever since announcing to the team that they were heading to Mexico; the Argos staff and players have been busy. They held a summer camp for the first time, playing with the basketballs they will play with, learning different international rules such as a 24 second shot clock and a bigger lane. "There has been a lot of prep work," says Himmelberg. "Making sure our new girls are on the same page as our older girls. This is about getting better for the whole year." 

Representing your high school or hometown or your university is one thing, but representing the United States is another. Great Falls and Montana have long been associated with the Military and that is something special for this team according to Himmelberg, "Proud to be an American. Proud that we are going to get to do this and proud to represent our country and proud that we get to live in such a wonderful country. We are very blessed and fortunate to get to live here and sometimes people get all hooked up on the politics of the day and what is going on and they forget what it really means, how fortunate we are to be living in the country we live in. Being able to do that makes me proud. Both my grandfather and father served in the military, so it means a lot to our family, and it means a lot to all the people in the military who have served. Being from Great Falls I think with the military being here, we have the Air National Guard and we have the base here, I think, not that we are more patriotic than any other city, but here sometimes it resonates a little bit more when people are going off to fight for our country, we have people not coming back here to Great Falls, and people do not come home, sometimes you try to represent your country well in every situation when you go overseas. You think about those things, and those families and the sacrifices people made for us to be in the situation for us to go be able to play the game of basketball."  

In addition to five games in five days, the Argo women will also be able to have some fun. The team will participate in some community involvement, go to the beach, they will tour ruins, go to one of the oldest Catholic cathedrals in North America, and take in different cultures. The team will also get to spend time in the Athlete Village, much like the Olympic villages getting to know other sports, athletes, and foods.  

Providence will start the 2022 FISU Americas Games Friday taking on Team Argentina at 10:30 AM MDT. Saturday, the Argos face Team Brazil also at 10:30 AM MDT and close out pool play Sunday against Team Mexico at 2:30 PM MDT. After those three games, the Argos will be bracketed based on results with further games on Monday and Tuesday at times to be announced. For complete coverage from Mexico, and to watch the games live, visit www.upargos.com.