Over the weekend we went down to Carlow for our first preseason tournament. I was excited to play some basketball games with my new teammates. The first tournament is always important because this is the time to bond with your new teammates and get to really know one another on and off the court. I quickly found out that the guys behind those thick Irish accents are some of the nicest guys I know. We really grew close together off the court which was important to our success for the upcoming season.
We were fortunate to win four games before losing in the championship game. Although we came up short, I was pleased with how my guys competed game after game and really showed great flashes for the season. The great thing is we were able to beat some great teams while missing a couple of players as well. The future looks very bright for the team, look out Ireland!
It was cool to see and play against competition from all over Ireland. I got to see a couple other Victory Scholars who were playing in the tournament so it was great to catch up on everything. It’s also a better feeling when you beat a Victory Scholar in a game as well! (Sorry Mike!) The adjustment period was easier than I expected but I had to learn new rules about the game that I wasn’t really use to.
Carlow is a beautiful place to visit and it was really nice to experience a new town. I got to meet a lot of people at the tournament from other players, coaches and those involved with Basketball Ireland. I’m excited for the season to start and can’t wait to experience this new journey!
