BRADENTON, FLA. - Carson-Newman football placekicker Carson Wise has been selected to attend the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace's (UNOSP) International Sport and Social Impact Summit from June 6-18 in Bradenton, Fla. Below is the fourth blog update about his experiences.

Day 10:

Today was another very practical day. We had representatives from the Badminton World Federation come and speak with us. In the morning we began much like we usually do with an educational classroom presentation on the rules of badminton since many of us had never played the sport before, as well as how it can be used as a developmental tool. In the afternoon we then moved to the basketball courts to actually experience badminton and the lessons it can be used to teach. The approach was very similar to the approach taken by the English Football Association. We were introduced to games and then asked to deliver these games to our fellow participants to engage our coaching and facilitation skills. The cool thing about badminton is that it can be played at very different skill levels, allowing for almost anyone of any skill or age to participate in it. This is a very important because one of the most powerful things sport has to offer is the ability to bring people together, and so a sport like badminton can be used to bring people together who may not originally be "athletes".

This evening we went out to the bowling alley as a group for one of our participant's birthdays. With only one more full day left before we all part ways it was great to be able to celebrate in this way. The most interesting thing of the night was how fast Kago, one of my new friends from Botswana, was able to pick up bowling. Kago, who never had bowled before, had a total score of 12 pins in the fourth frame with quite a few gutter balls. By the end of that same game though he had rolled multiple strikes in a row to bring his score up over 100 and into third place for our lane. I think if he matched his first half of the game with his second half he would have had well over 150 points. Things like this are entertaining to see how some people succeed (and fail) when being introduced to new things that may or may not be part of their cultures back home.

Day 11:

Today was our last full day at the IMG Academy. Because of this we spent much of the day going through reflection of the whole week as well as evaluations of the different facilitators. We wanted to really quantify all the things we had learned and been exposed to the past two weeks, as well as give valuable feedback so the program can continue to improve every year.

In the evening we had a final celebration. We had a cultural exchange where everyone wore their country's traditional clothes and had the opportunity to share a piece of their culture with everyone else. The United States doesn't necessarily have any "traditional clothes" to wear, so some of us locals had a bit of trouble with that. Many of the other participants however had very impressive hand-crafted dresses and other pieces of clothing that are important in their culture so it was fun to see all the diversity there. We had Columbian chocolate and Guatemalan coffee, we watched videos showcasing other people's countries, some people handed out small flags, and we learned many different dances that are popular in different areas around the world. In the end, it was a great way to celebrate everything we've learned, all the friendships we've made, and the diversity of our cultures before we head back home.

Day 12 (back home):

At this point I've been back home for a little over 24 hours and I'm still trying to process everything that I've experienced during the past two weeks. I've learned so much new information on a topic that I am passionate about. I've met people from all over the world and now have close friends on every continent except for Australia and Antarctica that I plan on staying in close contact with. I've learned new leadership skills and really feel that I have developed myself in that area as well. I could go on forever about these things and others but rather than doing that I'll summarize what I think the most important thing I've learned these past two weeks was.

The most important thing I learned while attending the social impact summit hosted by the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace is that you can learn so much from meeting new people from different cultures and so if you ever have the chance to do so, take it. I met a 20-year-old girl from Ukraine who can speak 5 different languages and has already visited over 35 different countries. I met two girls from northern India who help run a program with around 500 young girls that gets them into sports and helps them become important parts of their societies. I played (and lost) to a national champion table tennis player from Botswana. I was able to meet two different people from the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace, as well as other individuals from organizations all over the globe who are doing amazing work in their communities and throughout the world. Those are just a few of the 35 participants coming from 13 different countries, and each of them have just as remarkable of stories to share. Each person I have met over the past two weeks has changed my perspective in one way or another. So if you ever have the chance to travel somewhere new, or meet someone different than yourself, take it, you'll learn more than you ever imagined.

            I'd like to think the United Nations, Global Action Initiative, Youth Sports Trust, and everyone else involved in putting on the program for all their hard work. I'd also like to thank the NCAA and everyone at Carson-Newman who played a roll in my nomination process. Without you guys I wouldn't have been able to take part in this awesome experience.