As a college athlete, I have always remembered trips away from home or not enough time to travel back to Wisconsin during our short breaks between non-conference games. So this Thanksgiving wouldn’t be too different… Right? Well, I was in for the something different altogether.
My morning started like any other Thursday, I went to my Human Resources class with fellow Victory Scholar Samantha, already packed up to travel down to Belfast for day. As we journey towards the bus, as usual we cannot find where we are supposed to go but are greeted by the two scholars at Trinity as well as the two of the Waterford scholars—Ellen and Alyssa. It had been a long time since seeing one another so there were many hugs and chats catching up with everyone. After settling in, basically everyone decided to nap on our two-hour ride.
After team mom, Ellen, awakened those of us napping, we all decided to grab some food at a local pub before heading to SCL headquarters to celebrate Thanksgiving. There, we met up with more scholars and it was amazing to get caught up with everyone and to just have a good time. It was nice sharing homesickness and memories of Thanksgivings’ past and how we are all so grateful to be in a new place. A round of drinks with soups, fish and chips, and sandwiches later, we hop in taxis and travel the short distance to the SCL headquarters.
More hugs and chats when we arrive as we meet the other Victory Scholars and Sport Changes Life family. We all take the time to celebrate all that we are thankful for. Here’s what I am thankful for.
I am thankful for good health. I am thankful for being able to play basketball competitively again when I thought that part of my life was over. I am thankful for my friends back home for staying in touch and keeping me in the loop. I am thankful for my family and their love. I am thankful for all the opportunities I have to make a difference in the lives of young people in Dublin. I am thankful for so much and I try to remind myself of these things not just on Thanksgiving Day but every day of the year.
As the night winds on, we are taken to a lovely restaurant and we commence dinner together all 34 Scholars, some scholar family members and friends, and the SCL administration family as well. We really appreciated them understanding how big of a tradition it is for some of us to be surrounded by those we love—while also stuffing our faces. Since August, we have started a community, a family together and it makes all the difference knowing that we can count on each other and the SCL family to help us through times like these.
Thank you, Sport Changes Life for providing me with the opportunities to reach the youth in the community. Thank you for believing in my abilities when sometimes I didn’t. And I am going to do my best to inspire those around me to believe and be thankful for what they have and what they can do.
