Suitcases repacked, I walk out of Housing Block #7 to meet the majority of the other Victory Scholars in front of Block #8, anxiously waiting for our bus to arrive. It is the end of our “induction” week at Ulster University in Jordanstown, Northern Ireland and most of us are busing down to Dublin airport before we all head to our respective towns.
I turn the corner to the group of the Victory Scholars in front of the accommodation, and it is completely silent. A week ago, at the launch in New York, this understandably might have been due to a lack of familiarity with each other, but today the silence was rooted in a little bit of sadness and some uneasiness about what’s ahead.
I think I speak for most of the Scholars when I say we all had an amazing week at Ulster, coming to know each other and getting along with one another better than any of us probably could have imagined in such a short amount of time. We all had to face reality that morning as we knew the last week would not be the norm for the year, or why we signed up for this program in the first place.
Despite splitting up, this past week has personally given me a lot to be excited about in the coming year. I feel more comfortable from a friendship perspective and know the impact we scholars can have on our respective communities after developing a better understanding of the SCL foundation and the people in the organization led by Gareth and Deirdre. Throughout the week at Ulster, we kept busy with community engagement activities, which included eHoops sports and workshop sessions as well as visits to schools and youth clubs throughout Northern Ireland. After interacting with some of the Irish youth, I experienced firsthand the energy and enthusiasm that so many of them show around us, being former student-athletes from America. I have now experienced the influence I can potentially have on encouraging that enthusiasm not only in sport but also in their daily lives and future endeavors. The sessions with the kids allowed me to genuinely feel a sense of pride to be representing the Sport Changes Life family this upcoming year as I start my journey in Carlow.
I am writing on my second night here in Carlow. My coach, Martin Conroy (aka Kojak) along with his son, Jake, picked Courtney and me up from the airport to drive us straight to my first scrimmage against UCD Marian in Old Leighlin. It took me all of about 2 minutes to know that Coach and I are going to get along great. It is clear that he goes out of his way to look after Courtney and me, and I’m looking forward to playing for him. We lost the game 72-68 OT, and I almost got my tooth knocked out (spent most of today at the dentist), but after meeting the guys on the team and getting back to playing in a competitive game, I know it’s going to be a great year, hopefully with a lot of W’s!
Other than getting situated in my apartment, unpacking, grocery shopping, and logistical “to-dos” that come with living and studying in a new country, I am eagerly awaiting the start of classes, my coaching responsibilities, and games in the coming weeks. In between, I will be spending my time out and about in the town of Carlow and around the IT Carlow campus as I start to call this place home.
