If you didn’t know already, the primary focus of the Sport Changes Life foundation is to raise the aspirations of young people across the island of Ireland, using sport as a catalyst to develop strong relationships, instill a strong work ethic and break down barriers.
While we do play a wide range of sports during each community session, our main focus is teaching the game of basketball. In Ireland, I would say hoops is 4th or 5th on the popularity list. Gaelic football, rugby, soccer, and cricket come first. Our job as scholars is to introduce the game, in hopes that it excites young kids into playing it on their own.
So how do you make kids excited about playing a new sport? Certainly you go into schools and youth clubs, teach the basic rules and strategy, and let them scrimmage for hours on end. But the Sport Changes Life foundation took it a wee step further with the Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic.
The Classic, which made its debut to Belfast in 2017, is the first NCAA basketball tournament held outside North America. In its first year, 4 college teams from the states came over to battle it out in the SSE Arena. This year, that number doubled to 8, and attracted over 10,000 new basketball fans to experience the game at one of the highest levels. During their time in Belfast, each team also does a community engagement event in a primary school nearby.
I cannot begin to explain how amazing of an experience it was to be apart of this event. First, I think about the thousands of kids who were able to witness the sport I love in such a unique environment. Growing up, I remember going to watch the University of Virginia play in John Paul Jones Arena. I would always try and get to the game early so I could watch the players dunk in warmups. I remember coming home from a game and wanting nothing more than to shoot for hours in the back yard. Seeing such amazing athletes up close inspired me to become the player I am now. I know the Classic will continue to have the same effect on young kids in Belfast.
As a Victory Scholar, you are introduced to the level of work that goes into pulling off such a big event. Before the Classic took place, scholar responsibilities include advertising and marketing through social media and on the ground. I even spent countless hours in the “Elvis the Elk” suit, walking through Belfast City Centre and various local primary schools. It was also a great experience to see Marc Mulholland (Director of the Belfast Basketball Classic) and Rachel Stoops at work, making sure every part of the process was documented and published in order to spread awareness of such an incredible event.
During the event, each scholar is given a different job to ensure the Classic runs smoothly. I was fortunate to be given the role of Team Liaison for the Long Island University Blackbirds. I spent every moment with the team, from the time they woke up to lights out at night, ensuring they were comfortable and on track. It was cool to develop relationships with the players and coaches throughout the week. Oftentimes you watch a game on TV and only see the in game moments. It’s an entirely different experience and perspective when you are in practice with the group, listen to the scouting report, hear what the coach is saying during a timeout, etc. I was even able to be apart of their scout team during practice, which gave me a different look on what it takes to compete at the Division 1 level.
All in all, the Classic was a massive success. Most importantly, thousands of people were introduced to the game of basketball, kids from all backgrounds were inspired to play on their own. Secondarily, I developed a variety of skills and knowledge that will help me in whatever career path I choose next year.
