As Victory Scholars, one of our many responsibilities involves raising money for Sport Changes Life throughout the year. For our physical fundraiser, Alyssa and I ran a camp for our miniballers during the midterm break. It took a lot of planning and coordination with Jillian Hayes and Jens Gloeckner of the Waterford Wildcats – we couldn’t have done it without them!

For two and a half hours over three days, Alyssa and I organized games and skill workouts for our campers. It was a huge success! We worked on layup and shooting form, ball handling, hand-eye coordination, and footwork. The trick was keeping the girls entertained while we did these drills, so we made them into games. I know they had a blast, and we did too!

Over the past couple of months I have really settled into my routine. Classes, coaching, and practice sessions all occur during the same time every week, so getting into a routine occurred pretty organically. There is one part of my weekly routine that has been something to look forward to every week, and unfortunately will be coming to an end soon. I am talking about watching my alma mater, Randolph-Macon College (RMC), play every Wednesday night and Saturday afternoon.

Last year I was the only senior on my RMC basketball team, meaning that all of my best friends had at least one more year to play. I have been so emotionally invested in the team this year that almost all of my Irish teammates have seen multiple games of theirs and have become interested in the team themselves. We have developed a little tradition of going back to my apartment after our home games to watch RMC’s Saturday game. The one time a 5 hour tie difference has come in handy.

While these games might seem trivial to a lot of my teammates, I think it has been a great opportunity to combine my life last year, with my current life in Waterford. I have given out RMC gear to the youth of Waterford(they like the ‘bumble-bee’ on all the clothing,even though we were the yellow jackets), sent around links to my entire club so they can watch the games, and even pulled up some of their film to watch and learn from with my own teammates. It has been a real pleasure to follow and share the success of my alma mater with my new friends in a completely new country. It is funny to think that a year from now I will back in the States, watching my current team play their games from across the pond. Perfect example of how basketball really is a great unifier. I am blessed to have had such great teammates, coaches, and support networks, both back in the States and here in Waterford.

On the next episode of Keeping Up with the Kaufman’s, half of the fam takes Europe! After my Christmas trip with the scholars, I had the pleasure of meeting 2 of my sisters and my mom in Amsterdam, Netherlands. We were there for a couple of days, and visited Brussels, Belgium for a day, and then came back to explore a good bit of Ireland for about a week before I had to get back to basketball and SCL work. I had not seen my sisters since I left in August, so it was great to have them over, catch up with them, and explore some places we have never been to! However, that makes it all sound so fine and dandy- with travel and with my family comes LOTS of chaos. Needless to say, there was a lot of “sorry I yelled at you, I was just hungry” moments. Lots of disfunction, lots of bickering, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Getting to spend this time with some of my family was absolutely priceless. Here are a few of my favorite moments in photos from the trip. Cheers!

Now that we’re six months into the Victory Scholar Program (sheesh does time fly), I thought I’d make a short list of do’s and don’ts for future scholars looking to apply to the program next year.

Do’s

1. Bring a pair of waterproof boots. They weren’t kidding when they tell you that it rains more often than it shines in Ireland. I wouldn’t have survived without my rainboots!
2. Pack more than a week’s worth of workout gear. I’m not sure how much other Scholars are paying (if at all) for laundry, but at Waterford, it gets expensive quick. Having enough socks/spandex/sports bras/etc. will definitely keep your wallet happy.
3. Invest in a good portable charger. That has probably been the single best pre-Ireland purchase I’ve made. Having some extra juice for my phone has saved me more than once while I’ve been traveling across Ireland and the rest of Europe!
4. Budget, budget, budget. If you’re on a tight budget like me, planning out how much you’re going to spend each month and sticking to it (or at least trying to) will make life a lot easier.
5. Reach out to current and past Scholars. When I was applying to the program I reached out to one of the past Scholars who went to Lafayette. A quick phone call with her gave me great insight into the program and what to expect when I finally got to Ireland.

Don’ts

1. Don’t overpack. Leave your extra t-shirts and nicer clothes you’re on the fence about bringing with at home. Your closet will definitely expand while you’re over here, and you have to get all of that back to the states! Overweight bags will be your biggest enemy – bring only what you absolutely need.
2. Don’t stress about moving halfway across the world. I know most, if not all, of the Scholars were anxious about moving to Ireland knowing practically no one, but trust me when I say it’s been one of the most enlightening experiences I’ve had so far. Everyone gets to know each other really well that first week in Belfast for orientation. Not to mention the Irish are super friendly and will go out of their way to make sure you’re happy and comfortable!
3. Don’t pass up the opportunity to make the most of this experience. Have a free weekend? Go somewhere new. Long day of coaching and/or class ahead of you? Go in with a positive mindset and take advantage of the day. Your schedule will be packed, but you aren’t signing up to sit around in a different country and let this opportunity pass you by!
4. Don’t procrastinate. The earlier you get things done, the better. Don’t leave those papers, projects, stipend forms, etc. till the last minute. You’ll thank yourself later!
5. Don’t forget to keep up with friends and family back home. The time difference and busy schedule make it a little difficult, but keep in contact with those that mean the most to you. It will help keep homesickness at bay.

Thanks for reading! 🙂 If you have any other questions don’t hesitate to reach out to me or any of the other Scholars!

When I first came to Ireland, my coordinator Wayne said two lads were going to take us to the grocery store to get us sorted with all that we needed. As I was getting settled in my house, I heard a knock on the door and two guys were there. They were Manny and Rob. Two lads who also go to LIT and were going to be playing on the college basketball team with Matt and I. We talked for a few in the house and we were on our way to the grocery store. As we walked through the store trying to get all the things we needed. Rob was very helpful with his suggestions and seemed very genuine in his efforts to help Taylor, Matt, and I. I didn’t know if it was just because he was trying to make a good impression on us or if that was his actual self… being from New York I had some guards up trusting people, because oftentimes people will put on a “show” to later on get something off you or take advantage of you.

Anyway the past 6 months of my stay in Limerick, Rob proved himself to me. Everytime we saw each other, we didn’t just say hello and keep it moving. It was a full on conversation of how our weekends went, how our current day is going, and other funny weird things we could come up with. An exchange that should have taken 30 seconds often turned into 5-10 min exchanges in school or in the gym time and time again. Rob is a very genuine person and loves to help others. He knew I was adjusting and had some mini struggles getting acclimated to the Irish culture, because in our conversations he told me he wasn’t Irish either. He’s actually from Poland. Whenever I was low on food, he would offer me a lift to the shop. Whenever the weather was poor, he would offer me a lift to training. Even if I got to training before it started, he would offer to catch my rebounds for NOTHING in exchange. He was just doing these things because it was in his character. Slowly but surely “Big Rob” was proving himself to me as a person who is kind, genuine, and cares for the well-being of others.

Most recently, Rob came up to me after one of my coaching sessions and asked if I can coach his team back in Galway one Saturday morning. I agreed very quickly and he gave me the date to prepare. He was hyping me up to this team back home, giving them my youtube my channel so they can get a feel for what type of person I was. Rob picked me up that Saturday morning around 8am and if you know me, I am not a morning person, but for everything Rob has done for me I made sure I was up and was in a good mood! We were off to Galway which is about an hour away. We talked about sports, podcasts, how his team is doing, and our favorite types of music. As we approached Galway city – Rob showed me the town he grew up in and eventually the school I was going to coach in for the day. It was a nice gym with nice size and structure. As I prepared for the two hour coaching session, Rob’s players began to walk in. They all looked so tired because they were on holiday break, but I knew this was probably the only time I could impact these kids lives. So I decided to pick up the energy!! I introduced myself to the coach Jerry and the rest of the team and told them today was going to be a great day to have a great day. (I got the line from coach in college and continue to use it because I believe in it fully). The training session began and I was excited to show them new things and give them a good workout. I could slowly see the expressions on the kids faces change from tired to eager to learn. I knew I had them where I wanted them – open to listening and eager to learn. I had Rob help out while I explained drills and he matched my energy as well. Screaming and yelling, but not in a negative way – very very positive and to be honest I’ve never seen Rob like this. I guess he knew how much this experience would mean to me and his team so he decided to follow suit. After the day was done, we took photos with the kids and headed to breakfast with Rob and the Jerry. We went to a nice cafe called The Galleria that had a homey bed and breakfast vibe. As we looked at the menu, Rob and I didn’t take to long to decide what we were getting. We both decided on the omelette. As the waitress walked away after taking our orders, Rob said, “I’ll pay for your meal as a thank you!” At this moment, I was like, “No, you’re not going to do this, you’ve done enough for me. It’s fine, I got it.” Rob was staying strong and didn’t let me pay. He drove me back home and that was the end of the day.

Over these past 6 months, Rob and I had a lot of good times. Whether that was nights out, training, or even grabbing a bite to eat for lunch. I can definitely see myself and Rob being friends for the rest of my life. Despite the distance when I move home in May, I know Rob is a good person and those are the type of friends I want in my life. People who are genuine, people who are kind, people who do things for you not wanting anything in exchange, ultimately people like Rob.

WHO KNEW!

It’s amazing what opportunities SCL brings outside of just basketball, coaching, and getting your masters. We all lived in the same state but it took us coming thousands of miles away from America to become friends. Above, are my new friends Taylor (right, red shirt) and Kollyns (left, yellow), we met in August but sometimes it feels like we’ve known each other forever. Everyone brings their own uniquness to our friendship, Taylor is that crazy, fun friend that you need when you’re having a bad day or need your spirits lifted. Kollyns is that friend that is goofy, caring, and loving that always make sure we aren’t getting into any unnecessary trouble. and me I’m that friend that can bring a good laugh and will have your back through whatever. When we come together it’s always a great time, there is so much unselfish love in the air, we go out and it’s always the typical argument of who will pay, Kollyns is like “guys I got it, relax” and Taylor says “No, I got it.” Then in the end everyone upset because someone allowed someone to pay for something when they wanted to pay for it. Our group message is my safe haven, we can all talk about our problems, it’s a judgment free zone, and in the end we always end on a positive note about any situation. It could be coaching, school, basketball, relationship, or family issues and each of us give good advice to help us get through tough times. I am grateful for my friends because coming to a new country, stepping out of my comfort zone, and being challenged in different aspects has allowed me to open up to them and have a closer bond. These two will be life long friends that I will cherish forever, our memories are some of my favorite memories and I am excited for more in the future! Thank you Taylor and Kollyns for allowing me to be myself no matter what and always being there when I need you guys! Just two LEGENDS no big deal!

Have you ever wondered why the Disney Corporation never mentioned Princess Beauty’s crossdressing fairy godmother in their films?

This past weekend I revisited my childhood (sort of) by seeing a live rendition of Sleeping Beauty at Town Hall. While I know it’s been a few years since I’ve brushed up on my Disney princess narratives, the details of the storyline seemed a bit different from what I remember. To clarify, here is an excerpt from the playbill: “Princess Beauty has been selected to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest, but the defamed Wicked Queen has other ideas, and puts the Princess to sleep for a hundred years” . . . see what I mean?

As I have since been informed, the performance is something known as “the Pantomime”, a musical comedy stage production with origins in England and showcased throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. The modern era of Pantomimes typically include a variety of song pieces, gags, dancing, and slapstick comedy routines. It overlaps culturally topical humor with a general storyline based loosely on a renown fairy tale or fable, and it is commonly expected for actors to participate in cross-gender roles. The performance is largely participatory with the audience, with crowd members encouraged to sing along with certain musical numbers and occasionally be brought on stage to help progress the plot.

While the evening was far from what I anticipated, I couldn’t be more thankful to have had an experience like this. I came to Ireland in hope of assimilating into its culture and to be embraced by the community, and this performance provided such an outlet not typically accessible in my day to day affairs. Getting to know the community through coaching and outreach has been a great privilege, but seeing the city come together in support of local thespians in such a culturally unique environment is a memory I won’t soon forget. It was a great opportunity to chat with some familiar faces from my coaching gigs outside of a gymnasium, interact with new people, like mayor Niall McNeilis, and to participate in family entertainment 3,000 miles from home.

As always, a big thank you to Joe Coughlan and family for your warm invitation, and well done to the Renmore Pantomime group for a great performance!

During this second semester of the school year our university game schedule began. We’ve had three games and me and Kayla finally got our first win in Ireland! University games here are much different than what we experienced back home during the college season, in fact, our first university game was the first time all of us had been together. Honestly we were all pleasantly surprised at how well we all played as a team for never really getting much practice time together. Our first university game ended in a tough loss during OT to Limerick but we were all really happy with how well the game went.

Later on we got our first win of the season against CIT, which also happened to be me and Kayla’s first victory in Ireland (there’s still some time for our first with the Mystics). It was incredibly relieving to finally win a game over here. We even technically got our second when the next team forfeited, if you’ll count that. Our university season is over for now until Varsities in April. We’re all really excited, this year its being held in Dublin. I haven’t really taken the time to see too much of Dublin so far, so I can’t wait to spend the weekend there. One of my teammates was on the university team last year and she’s told us a lot about the tournament. We’re all pumped for the basketball and just to hangout in Dublin with everyone.

The mascot at my high school, Norwich Free Academy, was a Wildcat. How ironic that the mascot for my Super League team here in Ireland is also a Wildcat! I thought it was cool when I learned that I would be playing for another Wildcats team. It brings back a lot of good memories.

High school is the place where I started to excel at basketball, a place and time of which I have fond memories. I had a pretty successful high school career playing under a tremendous coach, Bill Scarlata, whom I learned a great deal from. My high school team won our conference tournament three consecutive years. The Wildcats had a great fan following and they created an amazing atmosphere for us to play in, very similar to our Wildcat fan base here in Ireland. 

Although my family and friends cannot attend my games as they did in high school, the Wildcats community makes me feel like part of a family and their support is amazing! The Mercy school that we play our home games at is always packed with enthusiastic fans cheering us on every game. A lot of the girls that I coach come to support us at the games. It is great that I can serve as a role model to these young girls and inspire them to be the best they can be. My teammates and coaches are all amazing people that are always willing to lend a helping hand. In addition to all of my Irish teammates, our team consists of three Americans including myself, and a girl from Italy. Our head coach is from Greece. It is awesome to be able to play with people that come from different countries. We all get along well and it has been fun to learn about each of my teammates. I’m thankful to be surrounded by all of the people in the Wildcats community! They have made me feel so welcome.

This past weekend was the Semifinals for the Cup which is a big basketball tournament for all the club teams. It was held in Cork and luckily for me my best friend Sarah is from Cork so we were able to stay with her family. Our team didn’t make it to the Semi finals so we were just going to watch the games and explore Cork. A lot of the scholars were in the tournament and it was good for us to all get together and catch up! We got to do all the touristy things in Cork. We went to the Cork Zoo, the Blarney Castle, Cohb. I got to even kiss the Blarney Stone which was cool. Cohb has a really nice Cathedral and theres this place called the Deck of Cards Houses which we got a nice picture by. They also have a Titanic Museum, this was the last stop that the Titanic took off from before sinking. I definitely recommend exploring Cork, it was a nice place to visit and luckily for us we got beautiful weather. 

All my athletic career I’ve dreamed of the chance to play in a big championship game. I imagined the crowd split down the middle, one side cheering me on and the other heckling me. Like every kid who plays the game, my dream always ended with me sinking the winning bucket in a nail-biter of a game. I always pictured myself raising the championship trophy with tears of joy in my eyes and surrounded by my teammates. Sadly like with every dream, eventually you have to wake up.

My actual career wasn’t as picture perfect as my dream. Don’t get me wrong it wasn’t bad at all. I’ve played on great teams and individually had very successful career. I played in a few little championships in my day. Some won and (as young Kollyns would say) some lost. Yet, I’ve never won a big champion. I’ve never won a high school state title or a college conference championship. I’ve always come close but fell just short. It happened so many times that started to obsess. I would apply to much pressure on myself before the big game. I would end up under performing and sulking in my room for days after the loss. Little did I know I would get another chance across the sea.

When coming to Ireland, I promised my family and friends that I would just try to enjoy the game and have fun. Basketball has always held a special place in my heart. However with that special place, it has also brought me great heartache. So my mission was to do my job and not get hurt. That changed once I played my first game with the ulster elks. Once I saw the talent I had the privilege of playing with, I knew I couldn’t just sit back and play it safe. I had another chance at my dream. We just clicked as a team, winning game after game. We hit a few setbacks but with only two losses we were confident coming into cup championships.

Cup championship weekend was everything I imagined. Numerous fans cheering on their respective teams. Teams fighting to the bitter end. Some walking away with tears of joy and other with tears of frustration. A younger me would have been a mess. I would have distanced myself from my team and try my best to zone out all distractions. This ultimately resulted in me overthinking and stressing myself out further. For some reason, I didn’t do that this time. It was like I found peace from be surrounding by them. Their energy and excitement kept me leveled. When the ball finally went up, it was like a blur.The game was a battle to the end and every possession mattered. We fought hard as a team but in the end we came up just short.

I’m not gonna lie, I was devastated. I changed my mindset, I didn’t overthink and yet we still fell short. It was just like all the other times and I was ready to just sulk in my room for days. Or so I thought, that was until Deirdre Brennan (also our assistant coach) decided that wasn’t going to cut it. She texted jenna and I to watch the film back from the game. Originally, I thought that was just crazy. We just played, I needed my time to cope! But Deirdre wouldn’t allow it. So we walked over to the Maguire household, was served a great dinner and sat down to watch 2 hours of torture. Yet, instead of sinking further and further into misery, it gave me hope. We watched error after error and I almost wanted to bang my head against the wall because of all the stupid mistakes we made. But it also showed moments of great team chemistry and potential. After watching the film, I was excited and ready to play again. It’s crazy, if Deirdre didn’t pull me out of my room I would have missed an amazing opportunity. An opportunity to learn that there really is no losses, but rather opportunities to learn.

On a random weekend, one of my close friends, Marco, called me to tell me that he wants to plan a visit. I proposed some potential dates, and within the week he booked his flight. He was open to doing anything while he was here so I decided to make an itinerary so that we would have a solid plan. I then shared that itinerary with him and he was more than pleased with the plan. Two days before he arrived, I extended the invite to Phillip Johnson, a Victor scholar at Ulster University, and he was excited to embark on this trip.

We departed Belfast at 6 am to arrive in Dublin city center at 8am. We met up with Marco and headed to my friend Tom’s place to drop our bag off. For breakfast that morning we had a fitting full Irish breakfast at the Brazing Head. We then went to the Guinness factory followed by the Jameson whiskey factory. We had lunch, took a nap and relaxed a little before heading out for a fun time in the city center. Before we went to our final destination we stopped at the tourist bar called temple. We went in to find out that the environment was nice, but everything was a tad bit overpriced, so we looked for and found another bar.

We woke up the next morning to have breakfast and Tour Trinity College Dublin. Tom was able to give us a special tour of the library since he was a current student there. In this library section pictured below, there were just over a million books. The atmosphere was breathtaking. After the tour, we grabbed lunch at a convenient store then made the train to go to west of the island. We arrived in county Sligo, and were picked up by some friends of ours who were also my classmates. We made it to watch a basketball game of Sligo playing the Ulster Elks. It was a tough game because the Elks only had 5 players but it was a good one since all the players played hard and with heart. Marco and my friends enjoyed it and they were true fans on the bench. We then had dinner and then went out exploring the night time in Sligo.

Arising early in the morning to a day full of exploring the beautiful, city of Sligo, was slightly difficult because the of the travel the night before, but definitely worth it. We went to magic road, kncknarea mountain, mullaghmore, standhill beach, carramore tombs, trainees cave, and dairmuid. All of these places were stunning and incredible. We had dinner at a local burger place that was absolute class. When we got to our friend’s place were we were staying the night, we played cards while watching home alone in a Christmas lit living room overflowing with gnomes.

Marco told me that “Traveling and sight seeing was truly amazing” and I strongly second that statement. I know Phillip and everyone else felt the same way. It was definitely a memorable experience. I’m sure that if we had to do it all again, none of us would change one bit of it. I was delighted that everything went according to plan. I was delighted that Marco came to visit and that everyone of us had an amazing and memorable time.

Throughout high school and college, I took French classes, which peaked my interests to travel to France at some point to experience the culture I learned about and try to put what I learned to use. I always made pretty good grades in school but for whatever reason I was always bottom of my class in French, so I wasn’t working with too much in France, but I still wanted to give it a try. So, me and my good friend and former teammate at Dickinson, Ian, decided to go to Paris. As soon as we arrived my French was put to the test. We had to meet with the tenant in order to get into the apartment. The problem was the tenant knew absolutely 0 English. I knew we were in trouble when I asked the guy “parlez-vous Anglaise?” (which I’m 80% sure is the correct way to ask do you speak English) and he said shook his head no. He was infuriated with our lack of ability to speak French, (which was a common theme for us) but eventually after I just kept saying “oui” and nodding my head in agreement to everything he asked us, he left us with the key and we were able to go into the city. Over those 2 days I saw a proposal on the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, took a selfie with the Mona Lisa, tried escargot, saw the Palace of Versailles and was at a firework show and new year’s countdown with thousands of people in front of the Arc de Triumph. Immediately after that we got caught in the Gilets Jaunes protests and were surrounded by armed riot police, angry crowds, tear gas and fire on the Champs Elyees, but that story’s for another blog another time. Over that Weekend I got a full dose of French culture, some crazy experiences and had a great time bringing in 2019 in Europe.

When I was applying to become a Victory Scholar the one aspect of the program that I was most excited about was coaching. I love the game of basketball and being able to pass on any knowledge I have acquired over my lifetime is a dream come true. My expectations were that I would be spending most of my time working with the higher level teams in Waterford, helping develop the players skills and knowledge of the game. While I do spend some time with the older teams, running their practices at a high level, like I did at their age back in the States. Coaching these teams have been a real joy, as I get to pass on my knowledge of the game like I always wanted. In this sense my expectations were met.

However, and fortunately for me, I also spend time each week working with children who have never played basketball in their lives. Every Saturday morning I run what is called “The Academy” in Waterford for children ages 7-11. We work on all the basics like dribbling, lay-ups, passing, and, of course, practicing good sportsmanship. Initially I thought that this hour would be my most monotonous hour of coaching each week, and I could not have been more wrong about that. The energy and passion that those kids bring into the gym every Saturday morning is inspiring. The Academy has truly become my favorite hour of the week. There is very little technical basketball training going on, as we are just developing the very foundation of their skill set. That is not why this hour is so great. It is so great because of the infectious enthusiasm that the kids bring. No matter how homesick I feel, how difficult school gets, or how low my bank account is, all the problems melt away for that hour. While it was already something that I was well aware of, I am blessed to have that weekly reminder of why Basketball is the greatest game in the world.

P.S.

The Academy had 13 kids on the first day back in October. This past Saturday there were 35 kids in attendance.

In the early days after my arrival in Galway, I befriended a group of elderly gentlemen while drinking at Taffes. Everything was still so new and exciting to me, so I sought their advice on activities to try and places to visit within the city limits. “Swim in the ocean” was their communal response. As it turns out, these men have been taking daily swims in the frigid Atlantic, unphased, for the last twenty-three years (pending extreme weather conditions). When I asked why, one of them responded, “Because it’s refreshing. The cold water revitalizes me and helps my mind sharpen up to focus in on the day ahead.” Coming from New England, where the ocean water is freezing even in the summer months, I was somewhat skeptical about trying this as the fall and winter months neared. Yet, I kept it in the back of my mind for a later date.

Fast forward to yesterday: January 1st. I figured there was no better opportunity to take this blind leap than to kickoff 2019. Looking forward into the new year, there are a lot of new and uncertain experiences to be had: my first semester roommates have finished their time abroad and returned home to the States, so I patiently await the arrival of my new ones. My coaching schedule will adjust as I transition into working with new schools and fresh young faces around the city. And, my National League club looks to move past our struggles in conference play as we begin the second half of our season. In all, the timing of this new experience felt appropriate.

Climbing the platform in Salthill and staring down thirty feet into the calm ocean water beneath, I couldn’t help but feel a similar calmness come over me. I took the leap. And, through this experience I can confidently say one thing . . . those men I met back in September are psychotic. That water was so much colder than I imagined. Seriously. If you come across an elderly man named Eoin drinking in Taffes pub in Galway on a Tuesday afternoon, do not take his advice.

While my swimming escapades are on hold indefinitely— at least until the weather begins to warms— I am still ready to take the metaphorical leap of faith into the months to come. After a few weeks away from classes, basketball, and coaching, I’m ready to revitalize my mind, focus in on the tasks ahead, and to make the most of my time remaining in Ireland.

This “Kollyns, make sure you don’t go past the light at the end of the block,” said my mama pretty much everyday of my childhood. Ever since I was young, I would try to explore as much of the world as possible. Constantly trying to experience new things and places. However when you’re 10 years old and restricted to 1 block, exploring becomes pretty pointless.

As I grew older, I was eventually allowed to go farther than 1 block. However, other barriers started to get in the way of my explorations. Basketball took most of my time during the summer. AAU basketball tournaments were seen as my little get-aways. Sadly by the age of 22, the farthest I’ve ever been from home was Washington. Now this might not seem like a big deal, but for me it was. You see, the little block that I grew up on in New York, has a rich history of families having generations upon generations living on said block and never leaving it. That may seem nice but for me that sounds like prison. Before you call me dramatic, hear me out! Several generations of people, never leaving and never experiencing different countries or people. Just oblivious to the world past the street post.

I don’t want to be oblivious. I don’t want be blind to the beauty other places have to offer. So it has became one of my missions in life to explore as much as of the world as possible. I refuse to be another member of my neighborhood generation squad. Becoming a victory scholar has given a once and a lifetime opportunity and over winter break I took full advantage of said opportunity.

With a group of my fellow scholars, I was able to explore Prague and Vienna. Both were absolutely beautiful, with Christmas markets and lights all over. I found joy in just walking around and watching other people enjoying their time. It was filled with laughs and memories that I will cherish forever. Yet, it was a bittersweet experience. Walking around these two beautiful places reminded me of all the people back home who aren’t. I decided to try to break that cycle. Not only will I try to explore as much as possible, but I will help establish the same passion for traveling in my children and my children’s children. This is something a young Kollyns, who was trapped on 1 block, would be proud of.

Playing basketball in college 8 hours from home, I’m used to not being able to make it back to see family very often. This year however, marks the first that I wasn’t home for Christmas which was definitely new for me. While I would have loved to make it back for Christmas, I had 7 days free so it didn’t make much sense to travel home and there was no way I was going to put myself through the jet lag and cramped flights for that little time. Ever since I was little, I wanted to travel the world, particularly Europe and since I was already in Ireland it was a perfect opportunity to do so. Over those 7 days I was able to visit Hallstatt, a small town that made me feel like I was inside of a snow globe, in the Austrian Alps, Salzberg, where I got to see the house Mozart was born and experience a Christmas market bustling with 10s of thousands of people, Munich where I was able to drink steins at a German Beerhall and I was able to see Neuschwanstein castle which looked like it was out of a fairy tale.

While not being home for Christmas was tough, I was able to spend it in some incredible places with incredible people!

I just got back into Dublin as I went home for Christmas. It was so nice to be home to see family as I was getting a bit home sick. I missed the food the most!!! My sister had a baby boy in October and this was my first time meeting him, so I was super excited to get home to see him. All my sisters came home for Christmas so it was nice to have everyone together for the holiday. We spent Christmas down the shore at my brother-in-laws parents house. Every year we have Santa come to the house on Christmas eve night to bring us presents. I love this tradition, it’s adorable. I can’t wait for baby Brody to be a little older and get excited for when Santa comes! I went back to my old college to catch a game and say hi to the team. Oh how I have missed my friends. It was so nice to see everyone, I can’t wait for my friends to come visit me out in Ireland! I definitely ate a tremendous amount of food when I was home because Ireland doesn’t have all the good stuff like home has. I made sure I went to every place that I was missing. When I was home I went to the Rockefeller Center to see the tree, went ice skating in Bryant Park. It was so nice to be home even though it was freezing cold. I was also excited to head back to Ireland and spend New Years in Dublin.

After being away for just a few months I was super excited to see my family during christmas break. The closer the time came the more excited I got. I must have packed and repacked about 4 times. The week before was a jumble of finishing assignments, booking flights, making plans, finding presents and more. Yet as chaotic as that week was, nothing could bring down my mood. I was on cloud 9, even when I was stuck in Dublin, sleeping in the airport over night.  I remember laying on the cold hard ground, next to several strangers I might add, thinking of the first meal my grandma will make for me. Or when standing in line at the airport’s Mcdonald’s, thinking of the many possible questions my grandpa was going to ask me once I step foot in the house. Even when squashed between two people on my flight, I couldn’t help but smile when thinking about my little cousin jumping around the christmas tree. All while my uncle yells at her to sit down. When faced with the rude customs agent, I smiled. All because I was thinking about seeing my brother and sister after months of being away. All that being said, nothing made me smile more than walking out of the airport and finally seeing my Mom and Dad. After all the chaos, their presence was like a breath of fresh air. It just goes to show you, no matter how far you go or how low you get. You came always come back to family.

Merry Christmas!

It seem like such a long time ago, but I had one of greatest experiences in 2018. Along with being a Victory Scholar for the Sport Changes Life Program I was chosen as a team liaison for the Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic. I was paired up with the University at Buffalo Men’s Basketball team who was ranked nationally during the filming of this video. The Belfast Classic is a huge basketball tournament based out in Belfast, Northern Ireland aimed at raising the aspirations of children throughout the country. Enjoy this video as it takes an inside look at my journey up to meet the team, a community service event, and even the championship game where the University at Buffalo was victorious over the University of San Francisco. #UBHornsUp

Having been on the island of Ireland for about four months now, I have to say that I have adjusted adequately to the accents of the people I meet. I have also come to understand the meaning of the many colloquial sayings. In my four months of experience, I have not gone one full week without hearing all of below expressions in conversation. Out of all of the sayings that I hear most frequently, below Is a list of sayings that I consider to be my favorite. To the right of each saying is a sentence that describes how i would define the corresponding expression.

Sayings/Expression           Definition

Taking the piss                      Joking around

Wee                                      Used when referring to something small

So it was                               Used to agree with what someone said

Sorted                                   Taken care of

Lifted                                     To grab or to take

Cheers                                  Wishing someone well, or to end a conversation

Happy days                           Used when pleased with a situation at hand

Dead on                                Exactly right

Hiya                                      Very informal greeting of hello, how are you

See a man about a dog        Clever saying to conceal ones true destination

These expressions are my favorite to hear in conversation. When I first got here I had no idea what any of them meant. Now my face lights up whenever I hear it in conversation because I understand the meaning within the context that it was used in. What I find amazing is that I’ve found myself saying some of these expressions naturally in conversation. Never did I think there would be a day where this would be the case. Half of the time, when I say some of the expressions my friends call me out on it, then we all laugh about it. There are way more saying/ expressions used in daily conversation. Even till this day, I am hearing new expressions that aren’t used as frequently. I said before that i found myself using some of these sayings in daily conversation, but i won’t be surprised if I go back to the states with a wee accent. So, i guess we have to wait and see, so we will!

It can sometimes feel like we’ve been away from home for a long time while we’ve been over here in Ireland. So when you’re feeling nostalgic, it’s always nice to find a little something to remind you of home. One game-changing discovery we’ve found in Galway is a little store called Candyland. What better way to heal a homesick heart than with some classic American goods?

This store has more than just your classic American candy like Reese’s, Hershey, 3 Musketeers, Sour Patch Kids, Airheads, Twizzlers, M&Ms, Twix, etc., etc. It’s also got the most American snacks you could possibly think of like Pop Tarts, Cheetos, Kraft Mac n Cheese, Gatorade, Fluff, Aunt Jemima pancakes and syrup, Twinkies, Oreos, Goldfish, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Gatorade, etc.

Kayla and I figured we would also introduce our Irish (and Italian) teammates to some American candies. On Valentines day, or Galentines…or “squalentines” (created by our teammate Jane) we got them all a big bag of Sour Patch Kids to share after practice and got to witness all of their reactions. Thankfully, the reviews were positive all around. It still blows my mind that none of them had ever heard of this candy.

So, if you ever find yourself in Galway and you’re missing home or just craving a Pop Tart or some Cheetos, Candyland will meet all your American candy needs.

This weeks #DrewskeeeTV takes place at my new home for the year Limerick Institute of Technology. (You can also call it LIT) – Being in the same environment for the past 4 years made me to comfortable. Everything was controlled and very scheduled. In this episode you will see my new apartment, basketball media day, and even something I never did before… SURFING!

Ahh Thanksgiving time. One of my favorite holidays. This would be my first Thanksgiving away from home. Luckily for me my boyfriend flew out to spend the holiday together. At least I had a piece of home with me. All the scholars reconnected as we all headed back up to Belfast to spend the holiday together. It was such a blast to see everyone again and spend time together. Sport Changes Life had a few things planned that made it easier to be away from home, we really felt like it was Thanksgiving with the SCL family!

We also were looking forward to the Belfast Classic which was soon approaching. 

School is pretty much over at this time since we are getting ready for exams. I am nervous for my first round of exams, hopefully going to do well. Looking forward the winter break, and going home to see Family and Friends.

Back home in New York, I have my own basketball program called Be You Stay True, where we teach children character building through fundamental lessons in basketball. I have been running this program for five years now with my bestfriend Neeko Zeno and have had a great time building the business as well as coming in contact with so many awesome kids.

Initially applying for the Victory Scholarship I was excited because all three pillars of focus a Victory Scholar is a part of is school, community work, as well as continuing their basketball careers. I had an interest in all three! With that I was especially excited to run my very own camp. I had the skillset and attributes to do it in the Bronx and knew I was successful there. I wanted to prove to myself that I could be successful elsewhere.

I immediately reached out to my coordinator Wayne and asked if I could run a basketball camp over the duration of Halloween. He gave me the okay and I was on my way! I began to make flyers, contact people, and make sure my first basketball camp in Ireland was going to be a success! That’s enough of me talking and you reading, enjoy the video!

#LIT

Halloween had just past and I celebrated it here in Dublin. It was such a fun time!

My best-friend Sarah and I went out for Halloween and had a blast. We weren’t sure if we wanted to go all out for Halloween but then we decided last minute to paint our faces and go as clowns. We copied these face paint ideas off Pinterest. It came out pretty good. 

My sister Stephanie and her friend Kate came over to visit. We did a day trip over to Howth and it was beautiful got some good pictures and had some delicious fish and chips! Highly recommend going to Crabby Joes for the best fish and chips!

I took my sister and her friend Kate to Temple Bar since it’s a big tourist spot in Dublin and I also took them to the Book of Kells which is right on campus and I get free entry for being a student. We also did a tour to Malahide Castle which was a fun little trip. I sent them off to do Giants Causeway and the Carrick Rede Rope Bridge, I wasn’t able to go with them because I had to go early to my game in Belfast. We ended up getting an Airbnb up in Belfast to spend the night there since it was my sister’s last night  in Ireland. We met up with some of the Belfast scholars and some other scholars who were up visiting in Belfast. We had so much fun out! Great way to end the trip.

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When I was young I grew out of Halloween pretty fast. Literally and figuratively, I was the only kid by 13 years old, who was bored of Halloween yet still wearing a clown costume that fit me when I was 8. All throughout my childhood kids would go out and celebrate and I would just stay home, handing out candy with my grandma. Now don’t feel bad because it didn’t bother me. However, I guess now I see I was missing out. As I got older, I found that Halloween has this special type of camaraderie attached with it. You know getting together with friends to buy costumes and then going out together in said costumes. During college I began to really enjoy Halloween for these aspects. So you can understand how excited I was to celebrate in a whole other country. Yet as excited as I couldn’t help feeling a wee bit discouraged due to numerous people telling me halloween is “not a big thing here”. Luckily for me, my fellow ulster scholars made it a great one! We dressed up as characters from the classic movie Holes and slayed up and down the Belfast streets. There were some places where we were the only people dressed up and in others we weren’t. But overall, it was another successful Halloween. Just goes to show you if your with great people, no matter what it should be good craic!