March Madness, 14 club, federation basketball coaches from Serbia will travel to Louisville, Kentucky and Dallas, Texas from March 21 – April 4 to engage with their American counterparts, civil society, the University of Louisville.
This was announced by US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) on Friday, as March Madness, is a annual collegiate basketball tournament that crowns a national champion in the United States.
As part of its broader efforts to empower women and girls through sport, the Serbian club will also engage with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Conference, which is hosted on the margins of the NCAA Women’s Final Four.
These Serbian coaches will participate in trainings, roundtable discussions on Title IX, the landmark U.S. civil rights law that afforded women and girls an equal playing field through education and sport; mental health; disability rights; and inclusivity in sport.
While Sports diplomacy is a public diplomacy tool that provides a gateway for engagement for the United States with audiences and communities beyond the reaches of government-to-government relations.
The Sports Visitor Program brings non-elite youth athletes, coaches, and administrators to the United States and pairs them with their American counterparts, on the court and in the community.
Through these grassroots sports exchange programs, international exchange participants can experience United States culture, engage with the American people.
And explore shared commonalities as well as differences on a variety of issues, including leadership, conflict resolution, democratic values, and public service.
