It was incredible seeing all the hard work everyone in the office put in finally come together on December 1st and 2nd. It is finally starting to sink how big of an event it was and how inspirational it can be for the future generation of Irish and Northern Irish kids. What was even better was how great all of the players were with the fans, particularly the kids. Every school took time after their games to take pictures and sign autographs. This was especially true for Towson after they won in dramatic fashion hitting a buzzer beater shot with 1.5 seconds left. The players spent at least an hour taking pictures with their trophies and talking to the kids, which you could tell meant a great deal to them. To be honest the players might have liked the all the attention more than the kids did but I think that summarized what the whole event was about. The basketball tournament I believe truly did impact the lives of a lot of younger fans in a positive way and hopefully inspires them. It also gave all the players a great international experience and new perspective on basketball. Overall it was a truly great experience that I am grateful I was able to be apart of and I cannot wait to see the success of the Belfast Classic in the years to come.
