After returning from my Christmas Break in America, my basketball club jumped right back in to action. We got invited to play in the Castle Island Tournament, which happened to fall on my birthday (December 28th). This tournament was unlike any other tournament I have ever been a part of. While it was still basketball, the rule changes made it a very different game. The games were mini- games, only 10-minute running-clock halves, with each team guaranteed two of them. The major rule change however, was that the refs never touched the ball during the game. Anytime a foul was called or the ball went out of bounds, the team could inbound the ball as quickly as they like, creating a very fast pace of play. We ended up losing two hard-fought games, but learned a lot from this cool experience. The gym was packed all day and it was a fun way to spend my birthday. After the games, some of my teammates and I headed to nearby Killarney to visit for the night. My teammates rented us an incredible hotel room for my birthday, and we had plenty of time to wander around town. We got a nice big dinner at a classic Irish Pub and explored the town for the night. I thoroughly enjoyed Killarney and was impressed with the energetic holiday spirit that the town had. Beautiful lights and decorations lined the streets, and the town was buzzing all night. Overall it was a great 23rd birthday and I can’t wait to see what the New Year has in store.
