This weekend all 34 scholars returned to Belfast to work the Belfast Classic. Coming into the event we all knew we were going to have to put in a lot of work to make the event a success like it had been the past few years. This year’s classic had twice as many teams and games than it had in the past so everyone was given different roles to make sure everything went smoothly around those games. I spent most of my time in the FanZone which was a makeshift basketball court, attached to SSE Arena where I played basketball with kids on their way to watch the games. This was a ton of fun as me and Garrett got to pretty much play kids one on one and break their ankles before they went to the games. During the games, my job was to keep the tunnel to the teams locker rooms clear and I also got the chance to throw gifts into the crowd which was a ton of fun(and showed me how far some people are willing to go for a free t-shirt).
As tired as I am writing this blog at 1am on my bus back to Cork from Belfast, it was more than worth it. Seeing the faces of kids, as young as 3, all the way up to the elderly, light up after hitting a shot in the FanZone and hearing the stadium roar with chants cheering on the teams are some memories I will never forget. The energy in the stadium was unbelievable throughout all three days and wouldn’t have been possible without a lot of people’s hard work and dedication. I’m thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the Sport Changes Life Team and to get to be a part of such an incredible event!
