The Soccer Team of Distinction: From the Waldorf to the Wall

In the summer of 1975, a group of teenage boys from Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore did the unthinkable: they stepped across the Iron Curtain. One night, they were soaking in the luxury of the Waldorf Astoria in New York; the next, they were staring at armed guards with machine guns in Communist Poland.

This episode tells the extraordinary story of the "Team of Distinction," the first American high school soccer squad to tour Poland during the height of the Cold War. Through raw and candid audio from the players themselves, we explore a world of:

• The Ultimate Vibe Shift: Landing in a landscape of armed guards and men in trench coats.
• Grit and Scarcity: Navigating student hostels, hand-washing jerseys in sinks, and surviving on a diet of warm soda, crackers and potatoes.
• Defying the Odds: Shocking the local older, more experienced teams with a direct, aggressive American style of play that earned them local stardom and even a few autograph requests.
• A Lifelong Bond: Why this team, now school athletic Hall of Famers, still boasts a 90% attendance rate at reunions over fifty years later.

Join us for a story about more than just soccer. It’s about American pride, the courage to face the unknown, and a brotherhood that has refused to fade for half a century. 

#TeamOfDistinction #HighSchoolSoccer #ArchbishopCurley #ArchbishopCurleyAthleticHallofFame

Transcript

Speaker 3 0:00

Episode number four. This is the Good Bit Edit Podcast. Now, here's your host, Lou D'Adamo.

Speaker 0:08

In the summer of 1975, a group of young men from Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore did something unheard of. They became the first American high school soccer team to tour communist Poland. To bring this story to life, we're joined by the men who lived it, stars of the legendary 75 squad. John Bourgeois, Frank Savarese, Denny McGrath, Jerry Wysocki, and Ron Szczybor. The team is referred to by the School Hall of Fame Committee as the Team of Distinction. But before they were local high school legends, they were just kids from Baltimore about to get the shock of a lifetime. Imagine this. One night you're sleeping in the lap of luxury in Manhattan, and the next, you're in a foreign country protected by men with machine guns. To understand the magnitude of this trip, you have to look at where it all started. The team gathered in New York City, staying at the world-famous Waldorf Astoria. It was the pinnacle of the American dream. Flush carpets, room service, and the bright lights of the free world. But several hours later, the scenery changed drastically. Here's Denny remembering the moment the plane touched down, and the team realized they weren't in Maryland anymore.

Speaker 2 1:25

We flew over on Lott Airlines, which was the Russian airline that was used throughout, I guess, the Eastern Bloc. We had a good safe trip and landed there, and the airport in Warsaw was the realization just that, well, we really are in a foreign country. Not necessarily the realization we were behind the Iron Curtain, but that we were in a foreign country as we just found out that a little bit of English was spoken uh around us. But you know, for me, uh, I guess as I look back on that, that was the first realization for me is like, okay, we're in a foreign nation and we are together as this team, as this unit. And it it will be up to us just to uh to carry through and follow through on the trip and on our uh mission.

Speaker 2:09

It's one thing to hear about foreign countries in a classroom, but it's another to see the physical reminders of a regime. For Frank, the transition wasn't just about the scenery, it was the sudden loss of the familiar and their realization that they were being watched from the moment they stepped off the stairs.

Speaker 3 2:29

Overall, the trip was a tremendous experience, but it kind of hit us in the face when we landed. We didn't know what to expect. They tried to tell us a little bit when we spent the night in New York about what to expect, but it wasn't nothing like, you know, the armed guards and the the noticeability of us landing and coming from America, and we wore sweatsuits with uh American flags on our left shoulder. So we were very noticeable. But we just still, even in the airport, it was a one-damn place. It really wasn't anywhere close to uh uh New York's airport that we flew out of. And and for many of the guys, uh this was their first flight ever. Uh leaving the country, it was mine and and uh my brother who also came with us. Uh uh, so it was that type of experience too, to just be in a foreign country. And the communication level was zero. Uh, no one really spoke English very well there, and we had an interpreter accompanying us. So it was the beginning of a lifelong experience that that we will all never forget. So it was it was quite different.

Speaker 3:39

While the team felt the weight of the silence and the language barrier, the visual contrast was jarring. This wasn't the shiny, polished Europe from the travel brochures. Jerry recalls the tension of being an American in a place where the government viewed freedom as a threat and where the welcome mat was held by men with heavy weaponry.

Speaker 6 4:00

Well, we left on my birthday, July 14th. We're staying at the Waldorf Astoria, which is like kind of like one of the premier hotels in the world. It was kind of celebrating early, but yet we didn't know what we were going to get into. And after a long flight and a lot of um haggling, getting into the country, it was a little bit nervous looking at guys with machine guns standing there, which we weren't used to, or people just watching you because you guys are Americans coming over to um their country of Poland, which was under communist rule. It was a long day, a long flight, and we were excited, but yet once we got off the plane, we were a bit a bit nervous and apprehensive.

Speaker 4:51

The vibe shift was total. In New York, they were guests at a gala. In Poland, they were observers of a nation still wearing the scars of history. John reflects on how quickly the luxury of the wall door faded, replaced by the gritty, rundown reality of a country still trying to rebuild itself under the thumb of communism.

Speaker 4 5:11

Twenty-four hours later, we're in Poland. I was probably focused on the uh change in cultures, looking at Polish culture, comparing it to American culture. Some places had been built up, but but the majority of the country was was still recovering.

Speaker 5:37

In 1975, Poland wasn't just a different country. It was a different world. For the boys from Archbishop Curley, the first few hours were a blur of jet lag and gray buildings. But as the fog cleared, they started noticing something, or rather, someone. It wasn't just the armed guards at the airport, it was the quiet figures on the street corners, the men who didn't seem to have anywhere to go, but were always watching.

Speaker 6 6:02

For some reason, I just kind of looked around from time to time and I did see guys watching us. Guys in trench coats, because they were they were communists and they were watching uh the Americans and and how we're going to act, and if we did anything wrong, are we going to be detained? Um, you know, it was something that we weren't used to.

Speaker 6:26

Jerry Wysocki started looking for them, and once you saw one, you saw them everywhere. They were the literal men in trench coats, the classic image of cold world surveillance brought to life. They were there to see how these American teenagers would act, and perhaps to see if they slipped up. But teenagers being teenagers, the initial fear eventually gave way to a sort of daring curiosity. Frank Savarese recalls a moment where the tension broke and the team decided to push back with a bit of Baltimore bravado.

Speaker 3 6:56

One of the players uh saw one of the guys, you know, standing over in front of this building, so he ran over and he sat behind him and he asked us to take pictures of him sitting behind this guy, uh, just so that you know it would be a memory for all of us, but we thought it was kind of a a joke, uh, almost.

Speaker 7:15

That player was Paul Andrzejczuk, and that photo became a badge of honor, a moment of levity in a very heavy atmosphere. Yet the feeling of being under the microscope never truly left them. Even the people they were supposed to trust felt like they might be part of the machinery. Denny McGrath remembers their translator Mark. He was their lifeline to the Polish language, but in a surveillance state, everyone has a role to play.

Speaker 2 7:41

Even our uh our translator Mark, who was with us 24 hours a day. I did feel that, well, Mark was probably also in on that observation of us, and maybe even sending some reports through. Who knew?

Speaker 7:55

So you've made it past the arm guards, you've dodged the guides in trench coats, and now you're finally settling in. Life on the road in communist Poland meant student hostels and zero frills. When your uniform gets dirty, there's no industrial laundry service, just a row of sinks and a lot of patients. Danny McGrath remembers how they turned a chore into a choir practice.

Speaker 2 8:18

A group of us would just go down with a pile of clothes and just wash everything in the sinks. They they turn into kind of fun adventures because one night, again, I don't remember the particular town, we were down there singing. We just started the whole bunch of us just started to sing. And we were just singing whatever songs that came up. And uh that was part of the entertainment, it turns out, for uh some of the other folks in the hospital.

Speaker 8:44

But while you can sing your way through laundry day, it can't exactly harmonize away a growling stomach. For guys who were used to home cooked meals and American portions, the local menu was an adjustment. Frank Savarese submits that while they could handle the suspect bathrooms, the scarcity of familiar food was the real test of their endurance.

Speaker 3 9:06

It was the food that set us all back. We we we had no idea that we were going to be dealing with it. But it was a true education on our part of how spoiled we were in the U.S. Knowing full well that we expected obviously just to be able to eat food, but it was so different, especially in the smaller towns. And it was a good experience for us to be in these smaller towns to really see what the people were like. Uh we played some teams that we're very proud, and but you know, they tried to put on their best front with the accommodations and things like that for us, which we looked at as if, you know, out of a one to ten, they were barely twos and threes. We lived off of chocolate-covered graham crackers and warm Pepsi or Coke. Um, it was it was just what we had to deal with.

Speaker 9:58

The diet wasn't exactly what a world-class athlete looks for. Between the warm soda and the lack of protein, the weight started dropping off the team. Jerry Wysocki still remembers the one dish that seemed to follow them to every single table.

Speaker 6 10:14

I do remember eating and having potatoes with parsley on them almost every meal. Um, there was soup that was cold, it wasn't hot. You know, we didn't we didn't have a lot of snacks with us. So whatever we ate at the table, that's that's it. So we lost quite a bit of weight during that um time that we were over in Poland.

Speaker 10:38

And it wasn't just potatoes. John Bourgeois recalls a halftime refreshment that felt less like a boost and more like a tactical move by the home team to slow them down.

Speaker 4 10:48

No ice was a big adjustment. We were slowly getting used to the warm soda. They served us hot tea at halftime while playing in hot weather in a game. We thought they did that to get an edge on us. The food they served was their food, took getting used to for sure. Marty Wolf, small statured lad, he uh he lost 15 pounds. And we always said he lost 15 pounds, he didn't have to lose.

Speaker 11:10

Despite the cold soup, the hot tea, and the endless parsley, the mission didn't change. For some, the bizarre menu was just part of the scenery. Ron Szczybor had a simpler philosophy. As long as there was a ball and a soccer pitch, the cherry soup didn't matter.

Speaker 5 11:28

Well, I I don't really uh view anything as a negative on that trip. I had a great time. The food was was pretty bad. Uh it was nothing we were used to. I remember one episode where they brought out like a cherry soup to everybody. We just looked at it. But uh, you know, the the the food was was different. And, you know, I was there to play soccer. I mean, I was it, I didn't really care. I just wanted football.

Speaker 11:54

Hungry, tired, and wearing hand washed jerseys, the team was finally ready for what they came for. It was time to start scoring goals. By the time the Archbishop Curley squad stepped into the stadium for the first match, the local Polish teams probably thought they were looking at easy targets. Before they left New York, a representative for the travel company, himself Polish, warned that they wouldn't be able to compete with European kids who had been playing in professional academies since they were toddlers. But this Baltimore team had a secret weapon. They were coming off a successful season and they had a massive chip on their shoulders. Frank remembers the sweet irony of the first game against the team that was actually older than they were.

Speaker 3 12:42

The night we spent in New York, the gentleman that was representing the company we were traveling with was obviously Polish and uh made it clear, actually, on more than one occasion, that you can't expect to go over there and compete against these kids that have been playing soccer since they've been three years old. And then these uh clubs that, you know, recruit these kids when they're seven and eight years old. But, you know, experience it, you know, know that it'll be good training for you all and it'll be fun, and uh they'll be very excited to be able to play you until we won our first game, which was the first game. And it was uh it we we all went over with a chip on our shoulder. There is no doubt about it. And so when we won that very first game against a team that they put us up against that was actually older than we were, it actually made the paper. Man, it was so sweet. It was competitive. Uh we were very proud of ourselves as a team and also of our country and and the town we represented and and obviously our school. It was pretty nice to be able to come home and feel like uh it was a successful trip, uh, not only from the educational side of things, but also from the the player side of things. We were very proud of how we performed over there.

Speaker 14:03

It wasn't just a win, it was a statement. The American style of play was something the Polish team hadn't prepared for. While the locals played a controlled tactical game, the Curley boys were fast, aggressive, and incredibly disciplined. Denny says their direct approach caught the opposition completely off guard.

Speaker 2 14:23

I think where part of the surprise came in that we played a more direct style. Several of the teams that we played did work the ball more than we did. But when we gained possession or stopped them, I think they just weren't quite used to that. We caught them off guard with um how how well we played in in fundamentals and how our discipline was as a team, which provided some obstacles for uh some of the opponents.

Speaker 14:51

Imagine the scene: a stadium full of fans, a cold locker room with even colder showers, and a group of Americans playing with a level of talent that left the home team speechless. John saw the disbelief on the faces of the players across the pitch.

Speaker 4 15:08

I think the the shock to them was in the form of disappointment on their faces that we could see. I think they were a bit surprised at our talent and aggressiveness. They may have taken us lightly. We came to win and we did.

Speaker 15:21

This wasn't just a friendly tour anymore. It was a competitive blitz. By the end of the trip, they had racked up four wins, two losses, and a tie. A record that shocked even the players themselves. Jerry recalls the sheer speed and ball control that left the Polish club teams shaking their heads.

Speaker 6 15:40

I think they were in shock to see that we had speed, we had uh ball control, we had just a different uh it was a different style. They they played more control, but we were on the offense all the time. I don't know. They were shaking their heads. I don't think they believed. And and four wins and two losses and one tie is just well beyond my belief. We were surprised in ourselves, to be honest with you.

Speaker 16:05

For Ron, the logistics of the stadium and the temperature of the water didn't matter as much as the result on the scoreboard.

Speaker 5 16:12

The first game we played, I think, was against a team called Pogoń Szczecin, and they actually had a stadium. Uh, I remember the locker rooms where uh showers were cold. You know, the games were fun, we were competitive. Uh I mean we had a lot of fun playing ball, and that's basically what I was there for.

Speaker 16:33

Winning that first game was a massive adrenaline boost, but the team knew they couldn't just coast on adrenaline. They fell into a relentless rhythm of travel and training. Their days were a nonstop carousel of tours, visiting historic churches and stadiums, followed by matches that tested their resolve. But it was on the practice pitch where the culture exchange got physical.

Speaker 3 16:56

The interesting thing, Lou, was was the way that they worked out. They physically, um, you know, before you even saw a ball and or whatever, you know, that we went through calisthenics and stuff like that, and then we went through these exercises that we'd never even experienced before. You know, we'd have to carry a guy on our back across the field, and then he'd turn around and carry us back across the field. You know, and then there was these types of push-ups and and these exercises that we were doing that we never experienced before. These kids were actually um, you know, pretty well built, and and especially the older ones that we played against, but that was an interesting experience to just see.

Speaker 17:34

While the team was busy carrying each other across the grass, they were also carrying the reputation of American athletes. They trained every chance they got, squeezing sessions between sightseeing and the occasional late night at the college discotheques. As they moved through the country, the vibe began to shift again. This time from being viewed as suspicious outsiders to being treated like rock stars.

Speaker 4 17:57

We trained every chance we got, but only a few places we were asked for autographs by fans in the stands. I guess they thought we were American stars, not just high school boys.

Speaker 6 18:07

Some kid comes up and pulls a piece of paper in a pen, and he goes, Sign. So I sign the piece of paper. All of a sudden I got like 10 or 12 kids looking for my autograph. I'm an 18-year-old kid, I'm a nobody. I'm I'm here in a in a foreign country, but it had a it was actually the biggest thrill that I had was those kids coming up and asking from my autograph. And just because I was Polish, they could, you know, they think, oh, the American went over. He's a he's a he's one of us.

Speaker 18:47

By now the team had found their rhythm on the field and were even embracing their newfound status as local celebrities. But politics has a way of making itself felt, even for a visiting soccer team. The team got a stark reminder of where they were during a bus trip towards a Czechoslovakian border. As they approached the sensitive area, the casual atmosphere on the bus vanished. Frank recalls the moment an official boarded the bus to deliver a set of non-negotiable rules that brought the gravity of their situation into sharp focus. And a guy came on the bus before we got off.

Speaker 3 19:23

And he said, all the cameras have to stay on the bus. No pictures are going to be allowed to be taken in this area. So please honor what we are asking you to do. Get off the bus, play your game, no pictures. Boy, that was that was reality over there.

Speaker 19:40

For the first time, the boys weren't just American stars. They were potential threats in a highly controlled environment. The sight of soldiers and the strict orders left the team genuinely frightened of making even a small mistake.

Speaker 3 19:54

We were almost frightened to, you know, do anything wrong, you know, at that point. So that that was that was pretty unique uh for us to experience, and that brought us to realization as to really where we were and how controlling uh things were over there over the people. And this guy had to make sure that we were uh obeying what the rules were when we went to this uh this one game that we were playing.

Speaker 20:18

In the middle of a world that felt gray and restricted, the boys realized they were carrying something much heavier than the soccer gear. On the left shoulder of every warm-up suit was the American flag. And in 1975, behind the iron curtain, that patch meant everything.

Speaker 4 20:35

We wore the warm-ups with pride, I can tell you that. We were in their country, but we wanted them to be aware Americans were present. Carrying American flags was a huge, prideful moment. We had a lot of those when we would walk out and uh carrying uh the banners and the flags and stuff like that. That was that was pretty special. That was pretty special.

Speaker 20:56

The pride wasn't just for the team. It resonated with the Polish people they met. Whenever the squad walked through a town, they were impossible to miss.

Speaker 3 21:05

We traveled a lot together, obviously, and whatever. And then anybody would say, hey, let's take a walk or let's go into town or something like that, and whatever. Nearly all 20 some of us went. And so we were noticeable wherever we went as a group like that. And and oftentimes people would just want to come up to us. Some spoke some very broken English. One of the things that they always did was that they wanted to touch our flag that was on our left shoulders. And at first we didn't understand it. Uh actually we were a little afraid. We didn't know what they were trying to do, hug us or what. But no, they just wanted to touch the flag. You know, we're 16, 17, and 18 year old kids, spoiled Americans that are over there and have no idea, you know, the respect that that some of these people had with us. And and just being from this country, I guess their dreams are that maybe one day they could come, but they just wanted to touch the flags.

Speaker 22:00

Participated in a pregame ritual that felt more like a diplomatic summit than a sports event. They would walk onto the pitch, exchange pennants and flags with the opponents, and stand tall while the national anthems echoed through the stadium.

Speaker 2 22:13

It was really cool. I mean, we really liked it, and it just showed that we were there as a friendly group and not as any kind of um adversary or anything like that, even though we were from the West in a communist nation. And I feel that for the average citizen that we encountered, I think they saw it also as a friendly gesture and and uh nothing else.

Speaker 22:35

After all these years, one question still lingers. Why Archbishop Curley, out of all the great soccer programs in the area, how was it that Archbishop Curley in Baltimore was selected? When you look back, it wasn't just about one lucky season. It was about a legacy of excellence that stretched back to the 1960s. Jerry notes that the program was always in the hunt for a title, building a reputation on being fiercely competitive year after year. But as Frank explains, being distinct required more than just a high score on the scoreboard. It was about the culture of the entire program, from the freshmen to the varsity starters.

Speaker 3 23:13

It was something that we then realized that there was more to it than just going over and doing a cultural exchange and that it had to do with sportsmanship. That was one of the things that they mentioned. It all had to do with successful records over a long period of time. It had to do with the way that we handled ourselves and the leadership of our coaching staffs. And this was not only at the varsity level, but JV and the freshman level too. So it was that reputation that got us selected.

Speaker 23:42

That reputation for sportsmanship was key. The organizers weren't just looking for athletes. They were looking for ambassadors who could represent the U.S. with dignity both on and off the field.

Speaker 4 23:54

I think Curley was looked upon as a school team that with a good record of sportsmanship and consistent, respectable performances. They probably were looking for a team that could represent the U.S. both on the field and off.

Speaker 24:07

There was also a practical side to the selection. Curley had deep roots in the local community. And as Ron points out, the school's strong Polish heritage and the commitments of the parents made the ambitious trip a reality.

Speaker 5 24:21

Well, I think it's primarily because Curley's more of a Polish school. Well, I think some of it was um what is the probability that the school could actually put it together? And since the larger, you know, good portion of the parents in Curly were from Polish descent, uh, you think there was a higher probability that they would probably be able to get this school to go to Poland versus other schools which really didn't have a lot of ties to Poland.

Speaker 24:44

Everyone will tell you that every great journey needs an anchor, something tangible that carries the weights of the memories when the years start to blur. For the boys of that soccer team, that anchor isn't a trophy or a certificate. It's a weathered, scuffed-up soccer ball that traveled with them from the school parking lot in Baltimore to the fields of Poland and back. This ball is more than just sports equipment. It's an enduring symbol of a bond forged during that trip, representing a pack they made to look out for one another in a land where they were never truly alone. Over 50 years later, the ink of their teenage signatures might be fading. But the pride and the brotherhood it represents have only grown stronger. How passionate are they about this ball?

Speaker 4 25:32

Wow, Lou, that ball, I'll tell you, there are a few memorabilia associated with this team, and that ball is an important reminder of why we took the trip and who was part of that team. Each player autographed the ball, and it stands front and center in every reunion.

Speaker 5 25:48

Well, I think it represents a team of uh young Curley guys that uh were proud to represent their school, to do their best for their school and their country. And uh it was an honor to do that. But I think we represented the school well, we represented the country well, and we shared what we had.

Speaker 6 26:05

It's something that cannot be taken away from us that we were the ones that experienced it, and we were the ones that were allowed to sign that ball as a keepsake of our adventure of going through a foreign country and playing soccer, and everybody's signature is is on that ball.

Speaker 3 26:27

You know, it's so funny because uh, you know, John would uh get his hands on it to bring to all of our reunions, and everybody just wanted to touch it. Everybody just wanted to see where their name was, and some were faded and and whatever. So we reinforced our names on there sometimes. And it was actually just a thing that just triggers your memories of what what we went through and and how we played. Uh so it it's a really symbol uh for us as a team. And when we see it, it's kind of a special thing. And we normally have it at the reunions, and then after 50 years, you know, that uh in itself is uh is uh is a tremendous accomplishment that we still have it.

Speaker 27:09

That scuffed up soccer ball is more than just a piece of history. It grew into something extraordinary. Frank Savarese recalls how the team decided to have a reunion celebration once every five years. But even he was stunned by how many of the original crew continue to show up decades later.

Speaker 3 27:28

We thought it'd be a good idea to to start getting together uh as a five-year reunion. It was uh pretty awesome uh that everybody showed up. I think we went in one or two guys and maybe one of the uh chaperones you know weren't there. But the five-year was uh was something, and uh and I gotta tell you, it it was one of the best parties I've ever been to. Just everybody seeing each other and hugging each other. We haven't seen each other some in five years. So it was really great. Um, the response that we got was spectacular the first time around, and so it was a really good time, and I think that set the tone uh for every five years since.

Speaker 28:06

We're talking about a ninety percent attendance rate in a world where people drift apart, these men have made staying connected our priority.

Speaker 2 28:16

I think we all understood that what a big deal the trip was. That team is that team. It doesn't change teammates, coaches pass on, but no one's forgotten from that from that team. And everyone's always a part of that team. As as the years go by, I think we understand just how great a trip it was, and how we're still friends today, and very fortunate for that.

Speaker 28:41

Every five years the invitations go out, and the response is always the same. An immediate yes. John Bourgeois notes that even as they face the loss of teammates, the bond only tightens. They gather not just to remember the goals, but to honor the men who stood beside them.

Speaker 4 28:58

The response is incredible. We're thinking of doing it every two years now since we're getting older. Two of our mates have passed. Ray Ford, Paul Andrzejczuk. We always have a moment of silence and a toast to them, and the coaches and the chaperones at every reunion. It's a unity no one can penetrate or divide.

Speaker 6 29:17

The reunion is just, I don't know. I just look forward to it for five years. I just do.

Speaker 29:21

For Jerry Wysocki, the anticipation for the next gathering starts the moment the current one ends.

Speaker 6 29:27

And I just think that last year was real special because we had a dinner to celebrate because it was 50 years, and then of course, you know, into the into the hall of fame.

Speaker 29:36

But what they've achieved in the 50 years since is a masterpiece of friendship. Ron Szczybor.

Speaker 5 29:42

Well, again, it it is something that we did together. It was something that represented the school. You know, we all did something together. We we represent that together, putting together 20 some guys. We did something that nobody else had done. Proud of the accomplishment, and uh, you know, it's always good seeing everybody.

Speaker 30:00

As if the memories and accomplishments of the trip were not enough, the year 2025 brought one final crowning achievement for the guys. Fifty years after they made history in Poland, the 1975 soccer squad was officially inducted into the 11th class of the Archbishop Curly Athletic Hall of Fame. Ron sums up the feeling of the entire squad, a deep appreciation for the journey and the people who made it possible.

Speaker 5 30:26

Well, it's always an honor to be uh affiliated with uh good teams. I mean, I was lucky enough to go to Poland and play on that. And uh it's also to be uh honored. And uh, you know, a lot of people did a lot of things for us, and we we appreciate that as older men, uh, maybe even more than as we were as younger.

Speaker 30:44

There have been many championship teams of Curley over the years, but being recognized as the first team to break those Cold War barriers on their 50th anniversary was a special kind of honor.

Speaker 6 30:55

To be recognized as the first team to go in, there were other championship teams. I think it's a really cool honor that we were chosen to go in on our 50th anniversary to go into the Hall of Fame. But to be the first team, I just think it's the coolest thing.

Speaker 2 31:14

The Hall of Fame was just a huge bonus on top of all this. I'm very grateful for it and really appreciate the recognition from Curley for this. We obviously feel this was an important piece of history where we were able to promote the teamwork and the brotherhood of Curley as we look back on this, and we're very fortunate for it. We appreciate all the people who supported it and uh just very grateful as a member of that team and a very proud member of that team.

Speaker 4 31:45

The bonding of this team is um, I think each one of us holds it very dear to our hearts. It's a it's it's I I can't describe it to be too well because it's it's not something I've never done or never had with any other team, but it still astonishes me that these guys still come to get together at every reunion. And then I thought that this team of distinction, honoring them, meant a whole lot to them and the school. I think um it tightened our relationships and even made our relationship with the school even stronger.

Speaker 3 32:17

You know, looking back, Lou, you look at the times when we were teenagers and how we were living our lives and and how we, you know, uh took things so much for granted. When you got back from this trip, a lot of that came to light and in your home life and your life as you move forward, knowing full well that there were people that were struggling and living in a totally different world than what we were living in. And it just became more of a gratitude for us as we grew up. And every time we get together, reminisce about those stories and know that, you know, we have to be so grateful for where we are. And you learned that when you were 16, 17, and 18 when we got back home. I think that's probably the best thing about the whole trip. And knowing that we took so many things for granted until we saw and experienced something different. So it was such a huge learning experience for us as a group. I think that's the biggest takeaway.

Speaker 5 33:19

You know, I think our parents were excited about it as well. I think a lot of our parents were excited. Think about it. 24 days in the 1970s, away from your parents, away from your home in a communist country, where it took us, I can't even remember how long the flight was, but it was a very long time. You know, we went as a team, we played as a team, we became probably better friends with a lot of guys. And uh I think that friendship has grown over the years, but it's great to, you know, be part of that organization, part of that team. And it's great to see everybody, and hopefully we can continue to do this. And uh, you know, I'm holding out for the 75th reunion. I've got that marked on my calendar.

Speaker 33:58

What an incredible journey and an amazing story told by the men who traveled as a team, representing both their school and their country on this historic trip. Their bond was forged in a world that few will ever experience. But this podcast wouldn't be complete without acknowledging that there were a few players on that varsity team who, for one reason or another, were unable to join their teammates in Poland. I, for one, was among them. While being a member of such a gifted team remains a great honor, not being able to stand beside my brothers in Poland is a moment I will always regret. Another player in three-year varsity standout was Mario Schilipoti. Mario recently took a moment to reflect on pursuing his college aspirations from home while his teammates were busy making history.

Speaker 1 34:47

I knew that I was going to be attending Loyola College on a scholarship, and so when they said you're going to go to Poland for three weeks, um my mom said absolutely not. I was a little disappointed that I wasn't part of that team, obviously. Uh they represented the school, they were honored by the school, and one way to honor them was to place them as a select team in the Hall of Fame because of their Poland experience. Certainly their accomplishments uh in Poland uh that represented not only Maryland but also the United States and were significant. So, under that umbrella, if you will, uh the members of that team were inducted into the Hall of Fame. I was in the parking lot uh when they came back uh from Poland, uh, saw them, hugged them, celebrated with them, congratulated them. It was a little disappointing that my mother wouldn't let me go, but I understood it.

Speaker 35:45

As we close the books on this chapter of the Team of Distinction, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the men who opened up their scrapbooks and their memories to take us on this journey. To Denny McGrath, Frank Savarese, Jerry Wysocki, John Bourgeois, and Ron Szczybor. Thank you for sharing the incredible pride of that summer in 1975. You represent the very best of Archbishop Curley and the spirit of a team of distinction. And to the listeners, thank you for joining us to rediscover this remarkable piece of history. I'm Lou D'Adamo, and you've been listening to the Good Bit Edit Podcast.