Some of you might recognize Katie Fox, Victory Scholar from the class of 2015-2016, in the photo above.  Well I know her way more then just a past scholar!  I do not really recall a time she was not apart of my life!  Our families became very close when my older sister Malina and Katie started playing travel basketball together.  Katie’s sister Anna, also shown in the photo, and I were always forced and dragged along to all the games which only made us all very close.  So to break down the age differences really quick, Katie is the oldest and was one year ahead of Malina and Anna which leaves me at the youngest 2 years behind Malina and Anna, and 3 years behind Katie!

When Malina and Katie started to play basketball together our families lived in different cities!  They were from Twinsburg and we were from Crestwood!  But with all the time that was spent together playing basketball it was not long before our families became very close.  I have so many memories of Anna and I hanging out during their games!  We would play with their little brother Chris WHO IS NOW IN COLLEGE which just blows my mind!  Malina and Katie were also just the best of friends and they still are!  Malina actually came to visit Katie when she was a Scholar.   As we got older Malina and Katie did not play on the same travel team any more but my family had decided that we were going to move to Twinsburg because it was a better school district for us to grow up in!  At this point I was about 10 years old. So when we got there I was in elementary school and Malina, Anna, and Katie were all in middle school!

Since I was so much younger they all became very close with each other and I just made my own friends that were my age!  They were still always around but they all just spent so much more time together so it just was not the same!  So fast forward about 4 years and it is my freshman year in high school, Malina and Anna’s junior year, and Katie’s Senior year.  At this point Malina and I are starting to grow out of the stage where she just looked at me as her annoying little sister and all her friends loved me because I was just soooo funnny.  So this is when we all started to call ourselves “THE SISTERS”.

We all played basketball for Twinsburg high school.  They Malina, Katie and Anna were on Varsity.  I was on the JV team and Anna also played JV as well!  We all practiced together and our team was so close.  I felt like I was a part of something so big!  This team was amazing! And it made it even more special that I got to be apart of it with them! That year felt like the longest year of my life!  That high school team had some talented girls on it and we were on track to win a state championship!  My season ended with the JV team but our head coach asked me to keep practicing with them and I basically got to be apart of this amazing journey with them!  They ended up winning State That year and we also won the following year and that time I had the pleasure to be on the team!

Katie and Anna are family to Malina and I.  And Katie is a huge part on why I chose to sign up to be a Victory Scholar!  She was the oldest out of all us and at times growing up I looked up more to her then my own sister!  She was always so nice to me and made sure I was never left out!  I have not been able to go see her in Kilkenny yet but I can not wait until I have some time to go visit her! The sisters have always been apart of my life and I am so blessed to have them in my life <333

Coaching this semester has continued to be a great time. We’re working with kids from some great schools and clubs here in Galway. Sometimes when you only see a certain class of kids once a week, you can sometimes wonder how much of an impact what you’re doing might be having on them – but all it takes a few words from one of them or a teacher to know it is paying off. It’s a great feeling when a kid comes running up to you when you first arrive to say, “Look what I can do!” and then show you some skill from a previous week that they have been working at on their own.

We held a Mystics camp for our club and some of the kids from the school we coach at went. The next week, their teacher told me about how the two boys were telling her all about the camp and how much they liked it. Little things like this are all you really need to know you’re having a positive impact. Another time, a little girl was so excited to tell me about how she had her own basketball and how there was a basketball hoop near her house that her dad would take her to to go shoot together. When she was telling me that it made me so happy, it reminded me of me and my dad when I was younger.

There’s something really nice about working with the primary school kids. Its different than when you work with a club, because obviously not all of the kids are basketball players when you’re with an entire classroom. Its so nice, though, to see how happy they get when its time for basketball and how excited they are to see you, regardless of whether or not they actually play basketball.

It has also been nice working with kids from different clubs in Galway. This gives us more of a chance to focus on skill development. It’s nice to see how they improve each time we see them, and how invested some of them get. As basketball is still an underdeveloped sport here that’s growing in popularity, its great to see and work with kids that really love playing the game and want to get better.

The mission of Sport Changes Life is to use sport to inspire youth around Ireland to pursue their biggest dreams and raise their aspirations. I am one of 34 Victory Scholars placed all over Ireland and Northern Ireland. As a Victory Scholar, my responsibilities while I am in Waterford are to be enrolled in a Masters course at Waterford Institute of Technology, be a member of the Waterford Vikings men’s national league basketball team, and most importantly, coach youth basketball of all ages in the community of Waterford. I currently work with 5 different age groups in Waterford, ranging from 7-18 years of age.

Throughout the time that I have been working with the various teams, I have built many relationships with many different people around Waterford. One of the most special relationships has been with the assistant coach for the under 12 boys team, Wayne Pepper. Wayne has been helping the other coaches and I all year, and he has provided tremendous value to the team. Of course having an extra person to help at practice is always nice, but Wayne’s impact has been much greater than anyone could have imagined. The passion and kindness that Wayne brings to every single training session and match is infectious. No matter what the score is or how tired the boys are, Wayne is always there with encouragement and unwavering support. I feel honored to have been able to spend the time that I have coaching with Wayne. My mission for my time in Waterford was to motivate, inspire, and positively impact as many lives as I could, but I never expected someone to motivate, inspire, and positively impact my life as much as Wayne has. Wayne has proven to be a valuable member of the team, as his positive attitude has undoubtedly impacted the attitudes of the whole team. I cannot speak highly enough about his character, passion for helping others, and general attitude towards life. feel so lucky to have had my life impacted by someone like Wayne

There’s a lot of debate over which basketball movie is THE greatest basketball movie, and to be fair there are a lot of really good ones to choose from. There’s Coach Carter, Space Jam, Hoosiers, Love and Basketball, and many others. My favorite, though, has always been Glory Road. I used to watch it all the time, to the point where I’m pretty sure my brothers refuse to ever watch it again. I mean, the movie has an inspiring true story, and also the soundtrack. The soundtrack can really make the whole movie – and well, Glory Road’s soundtrack has Alicia Keys – I think that automatically makes it the best.

Watching this movie had also become somewhat of a tradition for me before every basketball season. Back in college at Holy Cross, we had a short break in October right before the season got started. Every October I would go home and watch Glory Road before the season started. My parents even caught on to this by my junior or senior year, asking me when I was going to watch it after I got home.

I hadn’t watched it at all since I was in Ireland, probably the longest I’ve gone without watching it honestly. I was so happy to finally watch it again the other day. Not going to lie, I may have watched it the night before a game, hoping it would somehow help us get our first win. Unfortunately, the superstition did not work, but there’s still some time left. Anyway, Glory Road – I give it a 10/10 and if you’ve never seen it, I highly recommend giving it a watch.

Before coming to Ireland, my uninformed American self figured I would be eating meat and potatoes for the next 10 months of my life here. I’m writing this blog however to show the diversity of food options that Galway has to offer with some of my favorites included. Most times when I walk down the streets of Galway, filled with the aromas of all the different restaurants, there’s that constant battle of my heart saying yes but my wallet saying no. However, if you budget right (you’d be surprised how far 15 euro at Aldi can get you) there’s some room for a delicious splurge here and there. Here’s a list of some of my favorite food stops (in no particular order) here in Galway:

1. Venice – Pizza or pasta, you really can’t go wrong with anything you choose at this Italian restaurant (it gained the approval of my Italian teammate so its gotta be legit).
2. The Front Door – If you’re in the mood for a traditional Irish meal, I would highly recommend their beef and Guinness stew, a dense and hearty Irish meal.
3. Pascals – This is one of my favorite breakfast spots. They’ve got really great fluffy pancakes and crispy American style bacon (still haven’t become a fan of the Irish bacon).
4. The Pie Maker – Another traditional Irish restaurant serving a variety of different meat pies. I’ve tried one with fish and one with chicken, both were delicious.
5. Java’s Creperie – Now I can’t say I’ve ever been to France but these have to be the most authentic French crepes I’ve ever had. Rather than being stuffed full of all sorts of things, they were very neatly displayed with the toppings lightly spread on top.
6. The Lane Café – This quiet little café is tucked away in an alley off the main street. They have lots of good coffee options as well as food. A good place to go study as well.
7. Murphy’s Ice Cream – While you’ll probably end up paying about 5 euro for a spoonful of ice cream, this ice cream is made in Dingle and is incredibly tasty and creamy with some unique flavor options.
8. The Doughnut Man – this isn’t so much a restaurant as it is a man in the market on weekends selling the most delicious freshly made doughnuts. He’ll strike up conversation as he makes them right there in front of you, and they only cost 80 cents per doughnut… so why not? Or 6 for 4 euro if you’re feeling adventurous.
9. The King’s Head – Another traditional Irish pub with good hearty meals. I would highly recommend their fish and chips. Definitely a pub worth visiting.
10. Tuco’s – Gotta make sure you go on a Tuesday, a.k.a. Tuco’s Tuesday, when they have discounted burritos for students.

Saturday morning coaching! What great fun here in Waterford. Fellow scholar Ellen and I are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to coach three age groups of young girls every Saturday morning. Each hour is a different age group. During this hour we work on skills with the girls in small groups, then allow them to play 3 on 3 games, followed by hot seat (a slightly modified version of the game knock out). The first age group is our youngest age group and definitely the most energetic! They come in every morning with smiles on their faces and excited to play some basketball. All of the girls brighten up our day and help us to start off our weekends with positive energy. 

It took a few weeks for us to get comfortable with the girls and vice versa, and for us to remember their names. Now I feel like we have known them for years! The girls had all kinds of questions for us when they first met us. A few girls have asked me if I know the Kardashians. I played along and told them “Of course! I’ve met them a few times” just to see their reaction before telling them that unfortunately I do not know the Kardashians! One of my favorites was when a little mini baller in the first age group told me that she didn’t like my American accent and I had to fix it! I could not stop laughing that a 6 year old had just told me that. Some other young girls had told me that they watched me on television, referring to the fact that they watch American television shows. I thought this was so funny and told them “Awe no sorry girls I haven’t been on any tv shows.” I really enjoy coaching these girls and love seeing how much they’ve learned from us in the past 6 months. It’s amazing to see how much their skills have improved in this short period of time and how passionate they are about getting better. 

Being selected as a Victory Scholar is quite the experience. You apply, go through a rigorous interview process, find out you are selected, and fly over to start your year in Ireland all in under 6 months. To say it was a whirlwind would be quite the understatement. I was one of 34 Victory Scholars going through this journey, and we soon learned that we would be able to lean on each other for support throughout this entire experience.

The first week as a Victory Scholar was unreal. 33 of us (shoutout Mike Riopel) spent the week in Belfast going through a jam packed induction week, getting in workouts whenever we could, and getting to know the other Victory Scholars. What a week it was. Friendships were developed that have been carried on throughout the year, despite the fact that we are spread out throughout the whole country. The support network that has developed amongst the scholars was unexpected, but certainly needed and appreciated.

While all of us are no longer living in the same accommodation complex, the bond between us has not weakened. Whether it is getting together in Belfast for Thanksgiving, or for the classic, going up to Carlow for a weekend to watch all the female scholars compete in a tournament, staying in Limerick for an unforgettable night with Matt, Andrew, and Taylor, or having Garrett and John down to Waterford for a night of board games, it is always a special treat when we can get together. This connections and friendships are some that will last a lifetime. I am blessed to be a part of the 2019 Class of Victory Scholars.

There are a lot of perks to being a Victory Scholar, and I am thankful for every day I get to spend here in Ireland. These include the opportunity to live independently in Ireland, travel (around the country and to mainland Europe), continue my playing career post-collegiately, pursue a masters, and develop a great network of friends and relationships with the other Scholars and the SCL family. All of these aspects of the Victory Scholar Program are great and provide a feeling of personal benefit and enjoyment. However, these aspects of the program are primarily limited to the individual Scholar and what the Scholar gets out of the program, not what he or she is giving to the SCL organization or people (specifically the youth basketball community) in the area. With that being said, the most rewarding and satisfying part of the program for me is its ultimate purpose: working with and positively influencing kids in the Carlow community. Whether it’s a kid improving and starting to enjoy basketball for the first time, taking the initiative to ask questions on how to get better, or voicing his or her appreciation for my coaching, being able to witness my impact (even on the smallest scale) is what makes being a Victory Scholar meaningful.

It is also special when I am able to interact with the kids outside of the scheduled training sessions. Coaching and weekly interactions with the school kids that I work with have slowly developed into relationships that extend beyond the 90-minute basketball sessions. For example, several of the boys I coach at Tyndall College (see “Pure Joy” blog) attend most of my home games on the weekends. I’ll chat with them before and after the game and can always count on honest feedback from them on how I played. They’ll usually give me a grade on a scale of 1-10, which often depends on how many 3 pointers or dunks I had in the game, and not much else. I also frequently see some of the kids I coach in the town center and all of them (even some of the shy ones) will call me by name with a smile on their face. The connections I have been able to make with some of the kids are what give me the opportunity to positively influence others and contribute to the betterment of young people and not just myself over the course of these 9 months. I look forward to deepening these relationships with the time I have left.

So a couple months ago my assistant coach from GBC reached out to me and asked if she can interview me for my alumni’s magazine.  She asked me a lot of questions. Questions about my victory scholarship,  my upbringing on the sport of basketball, and so many more.  But one question she asked me that still has me thinking is “What is your advice to Freshman Marisa?”  That question really had me thinking.  I have made so many mistakes like any other person in this world so there was so much that came to my mind.  A lot of ‘don’t do this’, and ‘don’t be friends with so and so’, and ‘don’t don’t don’t’.  But then once I really started thinking about this question she didn’t want to know about what not to do rather what to do! What could I have told myself in order to grow as person!

My first thought was about basketball.  I said to her “I would tell freshman Marisa to do everything like it’s the last time. Time flies by so fast and you must live in the moment. Go hard every play and shoot your shot!”  My college basketball experience was amazing!  But looking back I feel as if there was so much more I could have done to help my team!  I was so comfortable with everyone else being better then me.  I would rather so someone else shine then myself on the court which sounds very unselfish but in reality was very selfish.  I was so scared to fail that I would rather just not take the risk.  I could have helped my team so much more and I wish I realized that then!  I am glad I was able to spread my knowledge of the game to my teammates an that my last two years I was able to be a great captain to my teammates!

The next part of my statement had to do with myself and how I could grow as a person. I said “But mostly love yourself more and take care of you! Believe in yourself and know your worth!” I wish I knew this as an 18 year old girl.  I was the person who just wanted to please everyone around her!  I do not like letting people down and I would rather see others happy before myself.  I doubted myself a lot and I never thought I was ever going to do anything important. But here I am today Studying Abroad in Ireland and using the sport I LOVE to change lives! I am so glad I know all of this now because life is so precious and I want to experience it to the best of my ability!

I am so thankful that my assistant coach Jill Conroy reached out to me for this because it helped me a lot and really got me thinking!

We have officially finished the first two weeks of the new semester here at IT Sligo and I wanted to share everything I’ll be up to for the next three months. In the marketing masters Zack Yonda and I are in, we have four classes this semester. Two of the classes we take are online, so we get to work them into our schedule at our leisure, which is nice. The other two classes we take are residential classes that we have once a month. That sounds nice on paper, but the one time we have to go in a month the classes last several hours long. There’s give and take with both types of class. On top of these classes we will be working on our own dissertations that are due in September. I’ve been finding articles and coming up with a more in depth outline for the literature review.

The coaching we are doing this semester is off to great start, and we will soon start coaching in three more secondary and primary schools in the area. It is very easy to see the impact Zack and I have on these kids because of the fun they have and the smiles they greet us with when they see us. Normally in primary schools we tend to focus on more game related teaching styles, integrating basic basketball fundamentals into fun and competitive games. One of the kid’s favourite games last semester was knockout, obviously. For those of you unfamiliar with this shooting game, the goal is to make a basket before the person in front of you does. If you do, you knock them out, and the last one standing wins. I remember in middle school, half of my class would line up to play on one side of the gym. It was awesome. In the secondary schools, we focus more on team oriented practice and skill development, like we do for the under 16’s club team we coach.

I really like coaching so far, however coaching at an elementary school level is not nearly as rewarding as coaching older kids and developing real skill and better mindsets. With younger kids, it is easy enough to throw some fun games their way and teach them how to play indirectly. With older kids, it is more of a challenge to develop skill because, being a young adult myself, you have to earn respect and build the relationship with the kids you coach to truly coach and push them. It is also interesting to see the personality of kids when you push them. Some are very good at taking coaching, and some push back no matter how much you explain things to them. No matter how coachable a player is, the exciting part to me is seeing them all work together on the court during a game.

Joke time:

Why did the basketball player keep sketching chickens?

He was learning how to draw fouls..

Picture from:

https://www.usab.com/youth/news/2010/10/5keys-to-being-a-great-basketball-coach.aspx

First of all, I appreciate you for opening this link and actually wanting to read my stories. I am going to be honest with you all, I have been hesitant about posting my written blogs because I feel like my writing skills aren’t the best. Instead, I have been creating YouTube videos to try and show you what’s going on over here through photos. But, now it’s time for some words and I’m going to start with my friend Flinn.

Flinn is full of life, happy as ever! He is mature, has a farm, oh and he’s only ten years old. Ya I know, weird, why am I friends with a 10 year old…? I’ll tell you why, because Flinn doesn’t care about me being an American, he just cares that he is able to watch our games and we can talk about whatever on is our minds So here is how I met Flinn…

During my time here I play on two basketball teams. One is the national league team for LIT (Limerick Institute Technology) and the other is a college team for LIT. I first met Flinn at my college game in November. We played against our cross-town rivals, University of Limerick, at their gym. The game was intense, fast paced, and loud! We had a decent crowd for a college game (mostly our friends and friends of those friends). I also noticed my teammate, Johnny from our national league team, came to our college game. Now Johnny is a big guy almost 6’8, I saw him instantly. Right next to him was this little guy maybe 1/3 of Johnny in height. I knew Johnny didn’t have kids so I was thinking to myself, “who is that kid?”

Our team end up winning the game by like 10-15 points, making us 4-0 of the season. After the game our friends came down to the court, said congrats and took some pictures together. Johnny comes over to me and says “congrats Drew! This is my little brother Flinn”. Now I’ll admit I didn’t really hear Johnny well so I said “what’s up FINN?” And Flinn told me straight up, “my name is Flinn not Finn!” I immediately apologized saying, “sorry I thought your name was like the Irish WWE wrestler ‘Finn Balor’”…he said, “I know I get that all the time”. So I asked him if he watched wrestling and he shouted with excitement, YES!!! Now if you know me you know I love professional wrestling, I jokingly tell people if I’m not playing basketball I’m usually watching wrestling. Finn and I talked about our favorite WWE stars and even a few of our favorite matches. We ended up talking for like 10 minutes before Johnny had to go and take Flinn home. We said bye to each other and I thanked the two of them for coming to my game. I didn’t know when I was going to see Flinn again, but I was definitely happy that I had met him.

Fast forward about 3-4 weeks from that moment. I come back to Ireland from spending Christmas with my family back home. We have a game the exact day I get back…oh great! Anyway I get to the game about an hour before tip-off and who do I see? I see Flinn! He comes over and we sit next to each other and talk about Christmas Break. I told him everything I did like having Christmas dinner, going to a WWE show in Madison Square Garden, and hanging out with my friends. He told me the gifts he received, what he did over the holiday, and the animals he has on his farm. I swear to you, we talked for about thirty minutes. I had teammates asking me to get changed and I was like hold on because this kid was amazing me with his knowledge, wit, humor, excitement, and just overall willingness to get to know me. He knew I was there to play basketball, but I explained to him the deeper meaning of why I was in Ireland, which is to get my masters and impact kids’ lives through sport.

The game was so exciting, my teammate Conal hit a game winning three pointer at the buzzer! What a way to end a game! The team storms the court and celebrates the victory among each other. In this game I had about 6 points, if that. There is a rule of Basketball Ireland that only allows one American on the court at any time of play. The other American on my team is Matt and he is unreal, this guy hits shots from the three point line that are crazy and hard to explain if you never saw him play. With that, he plays majority of the game because we need that scoring and offensive leadership.

Now if you stuck around this long… thank you because the story gets better about my friend Flinn. After the game, Flinn comes over to me and says, “Drew you played awesome. I don’t know much about basketball, but I know from watching you, you were doing the right things”. And I responded, “thanks Flinn but what do you mean?” And he was like, “well I saw you talking on defense, cheering on your teammates, being positive, and being a leader during the entire time you’ve been in this gym.” Now in my head I’m like “WOW how can this 10 year old kid see all of this and know I only scored 6pts, and still think I had the greatest performance in basketball??” He told me, “it doesn’t matter how many points you score you still have an impact on the game.” That conversation right there made it all worth it… right in that moment I knew that points didn’t matter, what mattered was the impact I was leaving on my team and kids I come in contact with like Flinn. This kid made me so happy, I wanted to tell you all about him. So we took a photo together and this is the photo you see in the beginning of this blog. This is my 10-year-old friend Flinn and he is one of the nicest, funniest, smartest, and coolest 10 year olds I know!!

This semester, my coaching schedule has changed up a little bit. I am mainly working in the same schools so far, but I have started working with new kids and different age groups. At one school, I work with two groups of 8-9 year olds. Many of these kids had never played basketball before, and they were incredibly excited to even dribble a ball.

Because I work with some groups for the short time block of about 30 minutes, sometimes I question the true impact I am having on these kids. I wonder, “Is 30 minutes a week really enough to inspire a kid with basketball?” Last week some of the kids gave me reassurance that I am making a difference. On the way over to their sports hall, one girl told me that the whole class screamed and jumped when they found out they had basketball class. She told me that she had been trying to practice her dribbling at home too. Another girl shouted, “You saved us from having to practice our handwriting—no, basketball saved us!” I thought that was just about the funniest thing I had ever heard.

As an aspiring coach, I was very comforted by the fact that these kids expressed enjoyment for my basketball sessions. I try to keep them fun and engaging, especially for the little kids, but it was nice to have some reassurance from them that they are having fun with it! As my time as a Victory Scholar will come to a close in a few short months, I have to start thinking about my next step. At times, I question whether coaching is the right path for me. These kids have helped give me the confidence and fire to stick with my goal of coaching. I am looking forward to continuing my work in these schools! Hopefully, I can inspire some more kids to practice their dribbling at home!

A big part of what we do here at Sport Changes Life as Victory Scholars is inspire young people through sports. I think it’s safe to say that all of us here have had someone we could look up to throughout our athletic careers that have helped us get to where we are today. For me, this person has always been my dad. My dad was one of my first basketball coaches as a kid and I was lucky enough to have him as one of my coaches up until high school. He helped show me how fun basketball could be, while also teaching my friends and I the important fundamentals of the game.

Not only did he teach me how to play, but he was the first to introduce me to some of the life lessons basketball teaches as well. For example, he taught me the importance of dependability, commitment and patience. He also taught me the importance of being on time; if we weren’t at least ten minutes early to when we said we’d be somewhere then we might as well have been late.While he taught me all those things in a basketball setting through help defense, the importance of practice, etc., these lessons have stuck with me through my every day life. When I was a kid, I didn’t always understand the bigger picture of basketball. It was always just my favorite sport to play and something fun I got to do with my dad. Now that I’m older, I see all the time he put into coaching and every thing he taught me and I am so thankful for those years he was my coach.

Even after the days of him being my head coach were over, he never stopped helping me improve my game. He would continue to give me advice and help me with skills when I asked (and sometimes when I didn’t). When he became a fan (my biggest, I should add), he never missed a game. He continued to teach me the importance of dependability and commitment. I could always count on him to be in the bleachers, cheering me on and helping me stay calm when I needed to. I will never forget my Junior year of college when he had gotten double knee replacement surgery. He was in the hospital recovering not even a week after, and I had expected him to not make my game on Saturday as he was unable to walk. The doctor recommended that he stayed through the weekend for monitoring and other medical reasons. My dad, with two brand new knees, told him that he was either going to be discharged or come back later Saturday night because he had somewhere he needed to be Saturday afternoon. I could not believe it when I saw him hobble through the double doors of the gym. But he was there, and that’s what mattered.

I think the biggest part of being a mentor is showing up. The kids I work with depend on me as their coach, and I am committed to giving them the best of me with my short time with them. While my dad was very knowledgable with the game of basketball, his knowledge wasn’t the most important part of being a great mentor. It was the fact that every day we were in the gym, he gave it his all to make sure we were having fun, could go to him if we needed to, and believed in every single one of us beyond the game of basketball. Coaching young children is not always the easiest, and sometimes I find myself frustrated trying to communicate something they don’t quite understand. Whenever I find myself in this position, I remember the patience my dad had with me and try to refocus the explanation from a different angle. Having my dad as a mentor growing up has helped show me who I want to be as a mentor to the youth I am working with here in Athlone, as well as those who I hope to work with in my future plans. If I could be half the mentor/coach my dad was to me, I know I’m doing something right.

Thank you Dr. Vermette

Doctor Paul Vermette is a professor in the Education Department at Niagara University. Doctor Sheeran said it best, “Dr. Vermette is the most unique individual that one could ever encounter”. Those who know him, love him, it’s as simple as that. I had the privilege of taking a few of Dr. Vermette’s education courses at Niagara. Not only was he my professor, he was my advisor, mentor, and most importantly my biggest supporter on campus. Vermette, as his students call him, is a true inspiration to those around him. He is an expert of education, no doubt about that. Vermette concentrates on the idea of collaborative and cooperative learning. He enforces this approach on his students, that teaching is not about the, “I say you learn”, it is about learning together, side by side, as teacher and student. During lectures, he engages his students with his passion, enthusiasm, and intelligence. If any student, professor, or even dean had a chance to be in his classroom, one would take advantage of it. I loved every single one of his classes. Most of his lectures would turn into lessons on life. He would take the book or article we were assigned to read and relate it to our lives or an inspirational story. While Vermette wastes a TON of paper!!! …he will never waste your time! Vermette is always there to help and will NEVER let you down. He received the Leadership Niagara’s Lifetime Achievement award in 2017, for that exact reason.

As I could go on and on about Vermette and how great he is, I want to share how he has impacted my life. Most collegiate student-athletes would agree with me that, there are some very high times during your career, but there also can be low times. During these tough times, these young adults need someone to inject confidence and positivity into their life to remind them, life is for us to enjoy the good times not to sulk about the bad times. Dr. Vermette was that someone for me. Vermette has been a great influence on my life. He gave me the confidence in my teaching and playing abilities, reminding me why I am where I am. I always knew I loved education. Whether it would be teaching or coaching, I knew I wanted to inspire the youth but I never knew if I would be good at it. My classmates would definitely agree with me on this, Vermette would make you feel like you are the best teacher in the world. Vermette is the definitely the best ‘hype man’ anyone could have.

After graduating in December in 2017, I was fortunate enough to have been offered a full-time teaching position during my second semester, at Dr. Vermette’s old school, Niagara Catholic Jr./Sr. High School. I was familiar with the students I was teaching, since I had taught them during my student-teaching placement, but I was terrified of becoming their full time teacher. During my second semester I was taking three graduate classes (one being Vermette’s) and teaching 7^th and 8^th graders English and Religion. I decided to implement everything I learned from Vermette into my classroom. The day Dr. Vermette came to visit me during school was remarkable. I had staff members and his former students visit my classroom, during the one day just to see HIM! He is a legend anywhere he goes. As I sit here writing about Vermette I tear up a bit, because of how grateful I am of this individual.

As a victory scholar I am working with kids every single day, impacting and trying to change their lives. I try to instill that same passion, enthusiasm, and goofiness for these kids that Vermette did with me. The most important lesson that I have learned from Vermette, through an education perspective, is that the youth learns best when you (adult) engage with them on a person-to-person level, not on an adult-to-child level. Life is about collaborative learning, working together and learning from each other, no matter who you are. I learn from the kids I work with every day just as I hope they learn from me. Whether a teacher or a coach, these professions involve helping kids grow into well-rounded adults who can then impact and change lives for the next generation. It is a constant cycle that will forever be powerful.

Thank you Vermette for impacting… changing my life. I will never forget how you have helped me grow into the young woman I am today.

Every Wednesday my fellow LIT Victory Scholars and I go to the Moyross Youth Academy to spend time with a great group of kids. The group consists of about 15 boys ages 12 to 18. We work alongside a few other supervisors who instruct and oversee all the activities for the group. The people who work at Moyross are all spectacular; they are very enthusiastic and truly have the kids’ best interests at heart. The kids are equally as great, and I mean that sincerely.

This program strongly resembles the eHoops program that SCL and the Victory Scholars at Ulster run. In fact, it’s essentially identical. A normal session comprises of us playing sport for the first hour, then we normally eat dinner together. In the second hour, we do a less athletically strenuous activity like art or personal development to close out the night. We also occasionally go on trips together. We’ve been to an indoor trampoline park, an outdoor ice-skating rink, and a mini golf course. It’s always great “craic” whenever we’re with the Moyross group.

Before we started this program, Drew, Taylor and I received a lot of mixed reactions from people within the Limerick community when we told them we were volunteering at Moyross. Most of the time those reactions were negative. A lot of people told us to “watch out” or “be careful” when we go over there. However, after the first session, the kids showed us firsthand how great they truly are.

It’s not fair that these kids have to endure these unwarranted social criticisms and labels assigned to them. Some members of the Limerick community look down on these kids solely because of where they are from. Some of these kids may come from a disadvantaged background but honestly, they are no different than any other kid. They are just misunderstood by people who have had zero interactions with them. Sure, some of them may have a lot of energy but when taught to channel that energy into something constructive, the sky is the limit for each and every one of them. Easier said than done; however, this is where the help of the Moyross supervisors and us Victory Scholars comes into play.

It is our job as Victory Scholars to help inspire and give hope to young people across Ireland so they can achieve their own personal victory. As Victory Scholars, Drew, Taylor and I are trying to help this group of kids from Moyross overcome some of the unfair labels members of their community assigned them. We are helping them break down the social barriers they face and realize their true potential. We are providing hope, inspiration and education through sport and social interactions. These kids are absolutely wonderful when treated with the respect and consideration they deserve.

The Moyross Youth Academy and every employee there act as a catalyst towards success for these kids. The supervisors do an amazing job connecting with these kids and understanding the daily struggles they face. We are very lucky to work with and learn from these great people. The employees and kids alike have welcomed us into their group and we are extremely grateful.

Wednesdays have hands-down become the highlight of my week. It gives me pure joy when interacting with these kids, and continuing to learn more about them each week. It is so rewarding being able to help them realize their true potential as our program progresses. I cannot thank Sport Changes Life enough for giving me this opportunity to impact the lives of others through something I am so passionate about. I also want to thank the Moyross Youth Academy and its employees for welcoming in Drew, Taylor and me. We are grateful for the opportunity to work alongside some truly remarkable people. Lastly, I’d like to thank the kids in our group. They have been a treat to be around, and the development they are undergoing has been incredible to witness. There is no doubt in my mind that every kid from this group will achieve victory in their life!

This past weekend I was lucky enough to see some familiar faces as my best friend (and DCU scholar) Sam’s family came to visit. And just as they always do, the Hyslips welcomed we with open arms as I joined on their weekend getaway. Sam and her parents came to support my college team play in Dublin (got the win😊) and happened to be the only three fans in the gym which called for a good laugh. Yes, they did sit on my team’s bench for a few minutes before seats were brought over to them. Afterwards we met up with Sam’s sister, brother-in-law and cousin when we feasted on a delicious Italian dinner to end the night.

Saturday was one for the books, beginning the day with a 7am departure for Northern Ireland. As her family are all avid Game of Thrones fans, we went to Winterfell where the show has many of its scenes filmed. Fortunately, I spent the week in advance becoming a GOT fan myself as I watched Season 7 to prep. Dressed up in warm cloaks, we were handed bow and arrows and given instructions so as to hit the target. This talent initially came natural to some more than others, as for some reason Sam’s arrows favored landing on my target while mine landed in the debris several feet away. Following target practice, we had the chance to meet the GOT wolves, which happen to be dogs that are as massive as they are adorable. And lastly, we finished off our time there by receiving a tour to witness the many film sets of the beautiful land.

On Sunday we made our way to Greystones, a coastal town south of Dublin, in which we embarked on a beautiful cliff walk to the town of Bray. Lined with pubs, cliffs, palm trees (despite it being 40°F), architecture of all sorts and vast green fields in the distance, Bray very well may have been the most peculiar beach town I have ever seen. But it was worth the brisk walk to see and a great way to wrap up an adventurous weekend.

Having now been in Ireland for five months straight, this officially marks the longest time I have ever been away from home. However, spending the weekend with the Hyslips brought a taste of home to me. It was a weekend I will happily look back on while reminiscing my time here in Ireland. So thank you Hyslip family for yet again welcoming my company and providing a weekend full of adventures, laughter and memories that will last forever.

Happy Birthday

Someone once told me that “friends are the family you choose.” Made sense, seemed true, but I have only now come to really appreciate this sentence.

My family is on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean and five hours behind me. So, I had to make another family over here. It hasn’t always been easy and the first couple months certainly got lonely, but if that is what it took to gain the friends that I now have, it was well worth it.

It is a unique experience to be brought to another country and put into a world filled with unfamiliarity. What felt like a vacation for the first little while turned into a reality. Suddenly the crazy green hillsides that I pass by on the way to games don’t mesmerize me anymore. Walking on Grafton Street isn’t something I do just to listen to the live music anymore, it is because I am walking to a store or dinner. This place is my home, and with a home comes people to share it with.

Sport Changes Life certainly helped me out by selecting such amazing people to be in this program. The first week here with all of us scholars together was incredible because we got so close and really formed a bond. As you can imagine, breaking off to our separate locations within the country at the end of the week was difficult. Yet, despite the distance between us all, we find ways to hang out or just be there for one another, whether that be staying at each other’s place after a game, meeting up on the weekends, or just texting! I definitely have the advantage living in Dublin because this is often where people come to meet up, so I love having people here.

Obviously I can’t see the other scholars on a daily or even necessarily a weekly basis. That was hard to accept at first because they were my automatic friends and the people I felt comfortable with. I’m not particularly the most outgoing person at first, so finding friends here would take some time. Acquaintances, on the other hand, are easy to make. It was not long before I had many people to smile and wave at, or have short conversations with. What I needed though were people to have over to my place, go over theirs, get lunch with, share stories with. Expecting this to happen overnight is unrealistic. My teammates, classmates, and peers have their lives here, their families here. When they leave class, they go home to their parents or significant others. I can’t magically fit into their schedule. For all they knew, I probably had my own busy schedule and life to get to.

This blog isn’t about the process of how I made my family here though, so I won’t bore you with that. It is about how lucky I am to have them now. My teammates and classmates are now my close friends. I’ve made some best friends that have helped me in ways that they can’t understand unless they go live in an entirely different country for a year. We have made some great memories together- having tea parties, getting food together, going out on the town, or literally just sitting in my room talking. I have those people that I needed and was longing for. I no longer only have a family to the west of the Atlantic, I have one to the east as well. I will always have a reason to come back here and visit.

If friends really are the family we choose, then I am blessed with the family I have accumulated. .                 

I know I’m about a month late on this blog but better late than never, right? Well here we go…

This holiday season was unlike any other I’ve ever experienced. It all started with a Thanksgiving get together in Belfast with the entire SCL family. This was the first time we had all been back together since induction week at the end of August. It was so nice to see everyone and hear all about their experiences so far. This year I had so much to be thankful for: my college team won a conference championship in February, I graduated, I was accepted into the Victory Scholar Program, and I was given the opportunity to move to Ireland to impact the lives of others through sport! This was also my first Thanksgiving away from home. So, this year I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew I was going to be homesick but SCL did an amazing job of making Thanksgiving feel like Thanksgiving back home.

After Thanksgiving, myself and the rest of the victory scholars went back to our respective schools for a short week as we needed to be back in Belfast for THE Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic! This was an absolutely groundbreaking event and we were all very fortunate enough to be a part of it! My favorite part of the event was seeing the excitement and emotion on the kids’ faces as they walked into the arena. They were in complete awe as most of them experienced their first true taste of high-level basketball.

Following the Belfast Classic, I only had a couple more weeks left in the semester. I had a week of classes then had to grind through finals but ultimately made it out alive! After the semester was over my mom and sister came to Ireland for a quick vacation before we all went back home for Christmas. We stayed in Limerick for a night then hopped on a flight to London. After spending a few days in London, we flew to Dublin to stay in the city for a couple days before flying back home. A quick but unforgettable trip for sure!

In London, we got to see the London Eye, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Shard, and a few other cool tourist attractions. I actually climbed to the very top of St. Paul’s Cathedral, all 528 steps, to get an amazing view of the entire city! However, on the way back down my legs cramped up so bad that I almost felt the need to shout for help. If you ever need a good calf workout just visit St. Paul’s Cathedral, you’ll get your money’s worth for sure. We also went to a bar on the 31^st floor of the Shard to get another amazing view of the city; we astutely took the elevator. The drinks were extremely overpriced, but that view was priceless…hahaha. All in all, it was a great trip to London!

To close out our vacation, we spent the last two days in Dublin. We didn’t get to experience as much as we wanted mainly because we were just exhausted from all the traveling. However, we did get to experience Trinity College, the Book of Kells, and the Temple Bar area! It was a quick stay but enjoyable to say the least.

We flew back home to celebrate Christmas with the rest of my family and extended family. It was so great to see everyone I haven’t seen in months. My girlfriend and I actually ended up going to a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game and a Philadelphia Eagles football game all in the same weekend! The Sixers and Birds both got two huge wins, so I guess you could say I’m some type of good luck charm. After Christmas was over, I flew back to Ireland to play in a National League game. This was my first game back since I separated my shoulder in late November. I was excited to be back to say the least! We ended up getting a big win against our cross-town rivals on a buzzer beater, pure excitement!

To top it all off, I had some of my good friends from high school come visit me in Ireland. I got to show them around Limerick, we went to the Cliffs of Moher (my third time, which is now starting to get a bit out of hand- sorry not sorry) and spent some time in Dublin as well.

To say I have been lucky this holiday season would be a complete understatement! I truly have so much to be thankful for; I have a loving and supportive family back home and I have been welcomed into another amazing family in SCL. Sport Changes Life provided me with a once in a lifetime opportunity to impact the lives of others through something I am passionate about and something I truly love. I could not have been more thankful this holiday season!

…That I started watching Game of Thrones! Real topical news, I know, but the trips I’ve taken to see where all they have filmed have inspired me to enhance my culture. Also, I have a decent break from school and coaching right now. In Sligo, we take our finals after Christmas and the new year starts. I just finished my four finals last week and now have a two week break from school, which is plenty of time to gather some articles for my dissertation while also binge watching GoT. Basketball for the Sligo boys is going well at the moment too [knocks on wood] and we have a game tonight vs. a team with another American on it with a lot of hype around him. It should be a good game and I plan on meeting him at the rim. As far as coaching, I coach the under 16’s team for my club and they have a tournament coming up that we have been preparing for. The practice with them can be frustrating in terms of participation because they have so much potential, which is why I’ve set up time with their school coach to coach them at their school and bother them even more! That will start when they are back in school in the coming weeks and Zack and I are excited to continue developing them with a little more detail and time.

But back to Game of Thrones! The Lannisters just rub me the wrong way. I’m nearing the end of season one, so I’m at the point where Joffrey thinks he’s king and Ned is in the dungeon. It’s completely diabolical on Cersei’s part and I cannot stand it!

Okay, back to regular updates. SCL is setting up a snapchat take over every day with the scholars so that they can show what they life is like over here. If you want to see that add them at Sport Changes Life on Snapchat. I have certain dates that I will take over the account and can let you know when they are when I know because lets be honest why wouldn’t you want to follow my extraordinary adventures?

That’s all I’ve got for you for now, and in honor of the new show, here’s a Game of Thrones joke:

Why doesn’t Cersei have kittens?

Because a Lannister always spays their pets

I live to compete. As long as I can remember, I have been a part of a sports team. Whether that was baseball, softball, cross-country, track, swim team, tennis, soccer, or basketball…. Yes, I just listed all the sports I have played. I can’t forget about the sports I played during gym class or recess time; such as volleyball, hockey, or even badminton. During my elementary school days at Presentation of Mary Academy (PMA), I would be considered a ‘gym class hero’. Those who do not know what a ‘gym class hero’ is… it is a boy or girl that works “wicked hard” during gym class, always trying to win no matter the challenge. I was that student… that took any competitive activity seriously. Why was I this way? Well, because I loved to compete.

At PMA, before each gym class our teacher had us run a timed-mile. On her bulletin board she posted the top times of each grade. I ALWAYS found this to be my biggest competition. I lived for being on that bulletin board. I wanted to have the best time; I needed to have the best time! I was the girl at recess who was the first student on the kickball field so I could be a captain, therefore I could pick my team and…win. At PMA we would have field-day once a year. Field-day is when all the students would spend the entire day outside playing different games and activities. I would literally try to win every challenge. I remember one field-day, there was a hula-hoop challenge. Again, I had to win that, it didn’t matter that my group was moving on to the next station, I hula-hooped until I had the best time. Now, I could honestly go on and on about my competitive childhood days, but I would be typing forever.

How did I get so competitive? Well, one reason was because I always compared myself to others, constantly trying to be better than the person next to me, or ahead of me. I felt like the kids at school who challenged were the boys… so I found myself always competing against boys. Jake, Brian, and of course Tyler were my greatest friends…(still are), but also my biggest enemies. These boys would ALWAYS beat me, they were just so damn athletic.

I really should thank these boys, for not only never letting me win, but for always challenging me and competing with me in literally any sport… first cross country, then soccer, then basketball, and can’t forget about recess. Jake taught me how to be physical, since he would literally two hand push me or body check me no matter what sport we were playing. Tyler taught me how to use my small size to my advantage. Since he was super tall, competing against him forced me to learn how to score the basketball without getting blocked. Brian, taught me how to use my brain when competing, since he always outsmarted me in every recess game. These boys developed the beginning of my love for competing, and I have never lost that passion.

Growing up, I felt like it was never ‘cool’ for girls to be the competitive ones in gym class or during recess time. It was mostly the boys who were the ones always arguing or fighting during recess or gym-class competitions. For some reason, I never seemed to care about being one of the few, if not, the only girl taking recess games or gym class seriously. All I cared about was trying to beat my opponents. It never mattered to me if my competition was a girl or boy, older or young, faster or stronger. I wanted to compete, just so happens most of the time it was against Jake, Brian, or Tyler.

I believe competing is extremely important, because it can truly shape a person’s character. Competing developed my work ethic. It taught me that winning won’t come easy, therefore I must work extremely hard. Competing against Jake, Brian, and Tyler showed me that there is always someone out there that will be bigger, stronger, faster, or even more talented than me. Competing also taught me to never quit. In any of my competitions, there was never a time where giving up was an option. In fact, one time during a family vacation, Jake and I played one-on-one basketball, in the middle of the day… in Aruba. Even though it was over 100 degrees, we were wicked dehydrated, and our skin was burning in the sun… neither one of us would quit. My thought process was if I quit, then I would lose…. and I can tell you right now, that I HATE losing more than I like winning; so for me, quitting means losing. This competitive drive, this mindset, has helped me work through the many hard trainings, difficult school assignments, and championship games. Again, I thank these boys and my childhood days for teaching me that competing is cool, and it will always be part of my life.

Before knowing anything about the program Sport Changes Life, I would say sport has made a huge impact on my life.

But as a victory scholar, while sharing my story to others and using sport to connect and teach lessons with the young people of Ireland, I realize how sport absolutely changed my life. Sport gave me a chance to compete, and as you now know, competing is what I live for. I believe every young person should have an opportunity to compete. I was fortunate enough to have my younger sister and neighbors to play with after school and during the summer days; as well as being involved with my school and community leagues. Schools, towns, or even neighborhood communities should provide courts or fields for kids to have a safe place to play. On top of that, they should also organize competitions or group trainings were young kids can get involved and learn how to compete, does not matter the sport. At Maynooth, Jim Walsh, organizes an academy for young kids starting at the age of 6, where they have a chance to not only develop basketball skills but to compete with other kids in the area. This ten-week program, called Maynooth Basketball Academy is a perfect example of giving the youth an opportunity to learn the lessons I learned through competing.

I am thankful for the Sport Changes Life program and the Portlaoise Panthers for giving me this opportunity to continue to not just play basketball… but continue to compete. While my basketball career may come to an end, I know I will never stop competing…. because competing is cool.

After coming back to Galway after a trip home for the holidays, I had a little bit of time to do some exploring of the island. I got to see some of the rugged and natural beauty of the west coast on a day trip tour of Connemara. It was definitely a change of scenery from living right in city center of Galway (especially around the holidays with the hustle and bustle of constant flows of tourists), with endless spans of mountains and hills, long winding roads, very few residents, and an incredible amount of sheep. As the tour went on, we made many stops along the way including the Killary Fjord, Kylemore Abbey, and many other quick scenic destinations.

We got lucky and had perfect weather the entire day. For the first half of the day or so, it was perfectly cloudy but not rainy, which made for really great pictures. Later on it cleared up into a sunny and relatively warm day for the rest of our stops along the way. Our first stop was in Leenane village to see the Killary Fjord, the only one in Ireland. I’ve always wanted to travel to Norway to see the fjords, so being able to see Ireland’s one and only was a fun experience. After a quick stop there with lots of pictures, we continued on our way to Kylemore Abbey. The Abbey and the grounds all around it were breathtaking. We were able to walk inside parts of the Abbey and go to the cathedral that Mitchell Henry had built as a memorial for his wife back in the 1800s. The walk around the grounds had some amazing views, the Abbey was built right along the water with a massive mountain located right behind it. Later on, we took a shuttle over to the Victorian Walled Garden and wandered through the maze of different plants for a little while.

Kylemore was the big stop of the trip, but there were other stops along the way back and bus ride itself provided some of the most amazing views. We pulled over at one point along the highway for some pictures. It was so sunny, and the area had a massive mountains with water surrounding them – I really can’t put into words how nice it was there. After we got back on the bus, we drove through south Connemara, which happens to be the one part of Ireland that uses Irish as their first language. With just a couple more quick stops along the way to conclude the trip, we made it back to Galway. It was an amazing trip with some unreal views and landscapes that seemed like they were right out of a movie.

With the first semester over and now being into the first couple weeks of the second semester I think I have finally got the hang of the college culture in Ireland. The first semester was kind of hard but as time went by it got easier!  I would defiantly say that there is a huge difference between AIT and GBC.

GBC is the college I went to for my undergrad. I spent four years at GBC and the school work was honestly amazing!  I studied Psychology which was a smaller department!  I knew everyone in my course and we all did everything we could to help each other out!  GBC was mostly a Business school so I did find myself in a lot of business courses with new people in every class!  Which helped me a lot because I did have an internship is sales for the three summers in between school years! I love GBC the not only for my memories in their basketball program but the school life was so good to me!

AIT has been great as well! It is so different to me because every class I go to I know exactly who is going to be in my class! We have the same 16 people in all our classes! Which honestly does make things easier.  The only thing that still is hard to get used to for me is the grading scale.  But as long as I know my Professors are pleased and I am passing then a 70 is not that bad!  All of my Professors are so willing to help as much as possible which makes the work a lot easier and makes me feel more prepared for exams! AIT has taught me a lot when it comes to business and I have my amazing professors to thank for that!

I was able to go to a beautiful fishing village right outside Dublin with my parents and best friend. We went for the day on a weekend because I was told it had a nice cliff walk and great fish and chips.

Although it can be a little rainy and gloomy here, we had a perfect day. The sun was shining, and it was actually quite warm. When we got to the town, we wandered around for a little while trying to figure out which direction we should go. Eventually, we went to the tourist booth, naturally, and were told where the cliff walk begins and ends.

If I could go back, I would definitely suggest to my moron self to wear sneakers and not booties, but oh well! We walked quite a bit, and every single second of it was worth it. The views were spectacular. I have been to the Cliffs of Moher before, and I honestly think this was better. It was less walked through and less crowded because it is more of a hidden gem. I really appreciated that. Future scholars, I definitely suggest going here!

Anyway, along with walking beside the water and seeing some beautiful scenery, I met the friendliest cat. You should know, I am obsessed with cats- my whole family is. So, when I saw this cat in a yard, my parents were just as excited as I was. We took this opportunity to of course FaceTime the rest of the family to show them, as sad as that sounds. Courtney, my best friend and fellow scholar, laughed at us but not without documenting it first.

I had an unbelievable time with my parents here, and this day at Howth was really what made it. Although I’m from Massachusetts and can see the ocean any time, there’s something much different about seeing it in Ireland, and especially from up so high! I’m looking forward to future adventures, and again am just grateful to have the opportunity for it!

One of the biggest basketball events in Northern Island is the Belfast Classic. While coming over here, there was a lot of emphasis placed on how successful this tournament is to Sport Changes Life because it gives so many children and people in the community the opportunity to see one of the higher levels of basketball played on a big scale. As opposed to last year’s four teams, we would be hosting EIGHT American college teams to play tournament style games.

The preparation of this event is one that is not to be taken lightly, so, the Victory Scholars and SCL family will be put to the test. We all were put into groups and assigned jobs to make sure that the event ran smoothly across the three days in late November. I was assigned with the entertainment group. We were in charge of picking attendees out of the crowd to participate in games during timeouts and half times. Some of these games included sumo wrestling suits, oversized clothes, and chances to win 10,000euros. We also threw out memorabilia into the crowd for attendees and getting the crowds to stay engaged and make noise for the teams playing.

I think my favorite part of engaging with the youth was during the National Anthem. During the beginning of the sessions, we would have the two teams line up across the court from each other. During this, we would take selected kids from schools throughout Northern Ireland and line them up in between the players. The look on the kids’ faces were amazing and the players demonstrated the same happiness. They were giving them high fives, smiles, hugs, and fist bumps. The children were ecstatic to be a part of it and it was awesome to see the same by the players.

Being a part of the entertainment team also allowed me to engage with some of the celebrities that would go on the court as well. Ever since I could remember, I was a Katie Smith fan. And being that one of the teams from my college conference were playing at the Classic, my commissioner introduced me to Katie Smith! I grew up watching her play basketball in Minnesota with the Lynx and she was one heck of a player so being able to meet one of my idols was a dream come true.

As the Belfast Classic came to an end, we thought about all the time and energy spent to make an event like this happen. It was amazing to see basketball continue to reach the masses and provide opportunities to communities that wouldn’t have typically been able to see it. It was also good to know the successful of the event as well and that as a Victory Scholar, the efforts were appreciated.

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.

November, what a busy month! Not only were all the scholars together twice in Belfast (Thanksgiving and the Belfast Classic Basketball Tournament) but I was fortunate enough to have three weeks of visitors in November starting with my favorite: my parents! My parents landed in Dublin on a Thursday morning and made it down to Waterford that afternoon after multiple stops for food along the way for my dad- yes, this is where I get my love for food from. Thursday night I showed my parents around Waterford a bit. On Friday, we went to Kilkenny for the day and explored the Kilkenny castle. Saturday I took my parents to one of my personal favorites: Dunmore beach (15 minutes from Waterford). They loved this and were amazed at how beautiful the views were. They picked a great weekend to come, as our team had not one but two basketball games this weekend- this is very unusual for basketball in Ireland. After my two games, we spent Sunday and Monday in Dublin. I was so thankful to have my parents come and visit, especially since it was venturing out of my mom’s comfort zone with her hate for flying- she loves cruises but unfortunately it would have taken way too long to cruise across the Atlantic so she compromised. 

A few days after my parents left my friend Thea from college visited, followed by four friends from high school (Mikayla, Skyler, Frankie, and Jon), and my Aunt Stacie and Uncle Matt. I was able to spend a lot of time with all of them and show them around different areas of Ireland. They all loved the quaintness of Dunmore and the astounding views of the coast. All of them were able to catch one of my basketball games. I enjoyed a night out in Cork with my four high school friends and dinner with my Aunt and Uncle there as well before they all headed back. Frankie and Jon were studying abroad for the semester in England so it was only a short flight back for them. I think my Aunt and Uncle might have explored more of Ireland in 6 days than I have seen so far! Each day they had a full itinerary of what they were doing. They were able to explore Dublin, Kilkenny, Waterford, Cork and Galway all in their short time here! 

In between all these visitors I travelled up to Belfast for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with all the scholars! Thanks to Sport Changes Life for organizing this and making us feel like we were at home. It was sad to say my goodbyes to all my visitors, but shortly after I was heading to Belfast again for 3 days for the Belfast Classic. November was definitely a month to remember for my time in Ireland!

Thanks to all of my friends and family that took the time to visit me in November! I really missed everyone so it was nice to have a piece of home with me for some time. It was great to show everyone a bit of what this beautiful country has to offer. More visitors are welcome!