At this point my life is a movie, I never pictured my life this way. Capturing this moment truly showed I am living my best life!!! This beach was CRAZYYYY beautiful, but when in Ireland you never know what weather you’re going to experience. My teammates and I drove to Portsalon beach and we had a great car ride. We all just met so we sort of bonded I guess, everyone was upset with me this car ride because I told them I don’t like chocolate. So I was attacked half the car ride but it was okay. So we pull up to the beach and it’s GORGEOUS just like the picture, then 22.6 seconds later it starts pouring down raining!! Im talking hurricane rain. SOOOOOO we hop in the car at this point we are completely soaked, so we drive around to the top of the mountain and 48.76 seconds later the sky is clear and the sun is out. At this point I’m FLABBERGASTED, I thought maybe we drove to another part of the country or maybe I dreamed that it rained. So we get to the top of the mountain and the view is even better than it was on the beach so maybe the rain was a good thing. Of course I had to get the viewzzzzz in portrait mode on the camera. I think my teammate was a little irritated the amount of times I made her pull over and take pictures of me. This day was an exciting day and well worth the drive and getting drenched in rain. Fun fact instead of taking ice baths like we do at home everyone here suggest to go to the beach and get in the water. I guess I’ll have to take that into consideration…..or………………………………………..not. since I can’t swim! The more I look at this picture the more I see how happy Ireland is making me. Had a wee bit of CRAIC at the beach! Do I sound Irish yet?? 

Catch me next time for an update!

The Jr. NBA is officially here in Ireland! Marisa and I were recently invited to help out with Athlone Basketball Club’s Jr. NBA game and what a day it was. For those that don’t know, the Jr. NBA aims to positively develop children through basketball, helping to instill a lifelong passion for the game. There are 10 clubs involved in this program, each working with 3 primary schools to have a total of 30 teams throughout the country. Each team, made up of 11-12 year olds, is even provided with team-branded uniforms for games.

The three hour event started with the two teams putting on a mini skills-and-drills showing for their classmates. This mostly consisted of dribbling, layups and passing drills. With up beat music booming throughout the gym, the coaches were even getting spectating students into it with dancing, cheering, and even a little bit of the wave coming from the crowd. It was so fun to see the kids cheering on their classmates, almost in awe of what they were doing with their basketballs. The excitement and pride could be felt from both participating schools. Before tip-off, we lined the teams up before announcing the teams’ starters. One of Athlone’s coaches went through both rosters, announcing the starters one by one adding in improved fun facts that had everyone laughing. It was so cool watching these kids feel like super stars as they ran through the line of their teammates and giving everyone high-fives. For a lot of these kids this is the first time they have ever experienced something like this. Seeing all of the pure joy and excitement really brought me back to when I was a kid and first starting my journey as a competitive basketball player.

I am so happy the Jr. NBA has begun a league in Ireland. I think this program is great for the basketball community, especially in a country like Ireland where basketball is growing and expanding every year. Not only does it give those already playing a chance to be apart of the league, but playing in front of their classmates generates more and more interest in the game. It also creates lifetime fans, as kids will begin to form a certain attachment to their own teams which will correspond into a fan base for other NBA teams. The day we spent with Athlone’s Club working with the Jr. NBA will definitely be an experience I carry with me for a long time. Basketball is growing quickly in this country and this is a perfect example of this growth. Programs like this and Sport Changes Life will shape the future of basketball in Ireland, and from what I’ve seen, that future is looking bright.

With college, training, and coaching picking up this week, I’ve acknowledged the various areas of my life over here in which I’ve experienced many “firsts” To give you a better feel of what I mean by this, I’ve compiled a short list

• First time in the HOMELAND, Ireland!
• First time being in the minority
• First time being called “the American” in somewhat of an endearing way.
• First time riding passenger in a car in Europe, that I can remember? It’s a bit of a thrill sitting shotgun on the opposite side in a manual car that is, just “slightly”, exceeding the speed limit. (Mark, I appreciate the lifts more than you know)
• First time living without a dishwasher…soon enough I’ll be a busser
• First time ever really socially expressing myself in honesty via blogging and vlogging. It’s been weird, but fun (hope I’m not spamming you too much!)
• First time in Cobh, Crosshaven, Myrtleville, Youghal, Ashford Castle (thanks again to my Aunt Loretta and Uncle Jim for the unforgettable stay) Gougan Barra, and Adrigole.
• First time being called a “lad.” This usually happens in training when Coach Tim is encouraging. or reprimanding us (always constructively). Basically interchangeable with “guys.”
• First time in the Irish Sea—lovely…and cold & salty.
• First time studying for a Masters of International Business degree
• First time being away from home for this long…miss you fam.
• First time living with boys… I mean men… no, I mean boys (besides my brother Paul. Still always welcome bro)
• First time trying a Guinness and a Murphy’s #basic
• First time being a “head coach” of an actively competing basketball team (loose term)
• First time riding, and failing to catch, a city bus in order to get just about anywhere I need to go

& this is just the beginning! I anticipate this to be a running list, and I look forward to more firsts to come!

 

“Can we all relax?”

-Maddy Ganser

The Ulster Scholars work with numerous groups on a weekly basis. One group that we meet with every Wednesday from 6PM to 8 PM is the R-City group. During the first hour from 6 to 7 we play a wide range of sports that include but is not limited to soccer, basketball, kickball. We play a variation of different sports to keep a leveled playing field amongst the scholars and so that no one in the group feels excluded. From 7-8 we talk and teach about different subjects presented in a workshop manner. These subjects could include topics like diversity, stereotypes, prejudice or discrimination.

 

When we conducted a stereotype based workshop for the group, students were asked to associate a job position and description to a picture and name without any other information. They were also asked to think of the reason why they chose their respective association. One student was asked what she had as an answer and I vividly remember her response. She chose a picture of the man and associated him with the job title engineer. What was surprising in her response was her justification, which was that she chose the picture of the man to be an engineer as oppose to the alternative picture of a woman because she said a woman could not be an engineer. I was shocked at how normalized and accepted that response was. I felt like she truly believed that, and that it has been engrained in her subconscious. It then dawned on me, this was not her fault, it was the fault of the environment in which she was brought up in. Our Job, no our duty, as SCL scholars was, and will always be, to help young adults reach their true potential. The process of inspiring includes breaking down mental barriers, especially ones that are completely flawed.

 

By telling her that women have fulfilling careers in areas such as engineering and given examples, we were able to broaden the scope of the scholar. We were able to disprove what she thought and believed was once true. Perhaps she did not want to be an engineer, but, in her subconscious she always thought that this was something that was unachievable, which by default feeds limitation. We were able to inform her that she is no way limited because of gender. We allowed her realize that she can achieve anything she wants, as long as she was strong-minded and determined. We were able to inspire her. As mentors, we were able to broaden the perspective of every scholar in that room and heighten their aspiration in a way that opens more doors for potential opportunities.

I’m currently going to school in Dundalk and my professional team is based in Dublin. So a couple times a week I travel back and forth between Dundalk and Dublin, passing through Drogheda on the way. On the ride, you can see the gradual change from town to city. Drogheda being somewhere in between. I always get a window seat to watch scenic view along the highway.  There’s always something interesting going on during the bus ride.

Usually, I’m traveling with Garrett on the Bus from Dundalk to Dublin. But sometimes are schedules don’t align and we have to take the bus alone. During the week the bus is packed with Students and Professors who travel up to Dundalk from Dublin. I’m always surprised by how many people commute to D.K.I.T for school that live outside of Dundalk. There is only one dorm on D.K.I.T ’s campus as oppose to most colleges in America that house most of the student population. I’d say there are somewhere between 34-44 seats on this bus and during the week they are all filled. I see people reading, talking, and most importantly sleeping. I fill my time by doing homework,  listening to music, reading, Netflix, and the occasional nap.  Occasionally I’ll make a new friend who is amazed by my accent. However, you’re never really sure what you’ll encounter on the bus.

I’m probably in Dublin about 2-3 times per week depending on the practice and game schedules. Being from New York City, having access to Dublin is lovely. Especially because Dundalk is so different. Most of my time in Dublin is spent in City Centre. As it is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Ireland, there is always people moving about. With so many different people and languages I honestly forget I’m in Ireland while I’m there. Trinity College, which holds about 20,000 students keeps the nightlife in city centre alive. There seems as if there is a new college every couple miles. Even though I am there pretty often I still feel like a tourist walking around with my iPhone camera whenever I get a creative impulse to take a picture. My Basketball team is located in South Dublin which is a suburban area as oppose to the City Centre. I’m still exploring and learning new things about Dublin but up until this point, the experience has been great.

On the other hand, Dundalk is on the opposite spectrum of Dublin. It isn’t as densely populated with roughly 35,000 people living here. The downtown area isn’t very big but there is no shortage of pubs. The people in Dundalk have their priorities in line and alcohol is one of them. The town is located on the eastern coast of Ireland right by the Irish Sea and also boarders Northern Ireland. The weather is pretty gloomy but that does not effect the moods of people in Dundalk as they are noticeably happy and friendly. All in all, traveling back and forth between Dublin and Dundalk has given me a nice balance of two very different cities. I’m looking forward to learning more about both of these cities and exploring more places in Ireland.

I had last Sunday completely free, so I took a day trip down to Kilkenny (20km south of Carlow) to grab some lunch and walk around the town with two of my teammates, Armand and Kaz. We checked out the Kilkenny Castle and the expansive lawn behind it before walking the running path back to town for some lunch. Kilkenny is a beautiful town, and I hope to go back in the near future.

Armand (Latvian) and Kaz (Japanese) are two of my teammates that live in Carlow full-time (a lot of people leave town/go home on the weekends), so I’ve gotten to know them quite well. I’ve enjoyed learning more about their backgrounds and how they ended up in Ireland and playing for ITC Basketball. We all have such different stories, which makes for some fun conversation in addition to the fact that none of us share the same first language. I can always count on some good laughs when the three of us hang out!

…

Today, I had the morning off from class and coaching, so Armand offered to drive Courtney and me up Mount Leinster, a mountain that sits on the border of County Carlow and Wexlow. It was a beautiful drive in the countryside and up the mountain characterized by narrow roads, a lot of green, wild horses, and sheep. We drove up to the lower peak to park and skipped out on the 45-minute hike to the top peak given that it was cloudy and windy. Despite it being a relatively sunny day in Carlow as we drove up the mountain we couldn’t see anything but clouds as we walked out to the lower peak. I hope to go back on a clearer day when we can overlook all of Carlow. Armand told us that they’ve had barbeques on the mountain, so that may be in the cards at some point this year on a nice day! We finished our morning trip in Bagenalstown (Armand’s first hometown in Ireland) for coffee and donuts next to a swan-filled river before Courtney and I had to head back to Carlow for coaching. There’s never a dull moment with Armand.

Without a car, it is tough to get to some of the neighboring towns for a day trip. I’ve been lucky to have Armand around who is very generous with his time and always willing to offer rides and hang out.

Incase none of you at home knew, there is an Irish language and it is officially recognized by the government, meaning it is on street signs and any official documents or public buildings.  In more rural areas of the island, it is sometimes the dominant language, and while most people will also speak English, every sign you see is Irish and you have absolutely no idea what it means.  To me, it is as confusing as Arabic or Russian, and I’m just trying to understand the phonetics, let alone the actual meaning.  Irish Gaelic would be categorized as a Celtic language, and while it shares similarities with most European languages due to its Indo-European origin, the pronunciations of these words and names will blow your socks off.  Ready for a crash course in Irish phonetics conducted by a guy who doesn’t know the language? Great; glad you’re excited too! Let’s jump right into it.

For starters, consonants are either classified as broad or slender, and are determined by the vowels that surround them.  Consonants almost always must be surrounded on both sides by identical vowel types.  Broad consonants are “a”, “o”, and “u” and slender consonants are “i” and “e.”  This language has a slightly smaller alphabet, so some sounds are created with two letters that combine as one letter.  For example, “mh” makes a “v” sound if at the end of a word or if it is slender.  This means the female names “Niamh” and “Caoimhe” are pronounced “Neev” and “Keeva” but if it is broad it makes a “w” sound.  Strangely, the same rules apply to “bh.” Also “d” makes a “j” sound if it is slender, which means the name “Deirbhile” is pronounced as “Jervila” though it has evolved over the years to be pronounced as “Dervla” in English.

Lost yet?

For no clear reason, “fh” is silent, but I’m okay with that.  Moving on, the name “Eoghan” is “Owen,” but if that “gh” is slender it makes a “y” sound, so “Muirgheal” is “Muriel.”  There are a whole bunch of other rules and letters and words that will make your English-speaking mind go mad, and I will link a good page to view lots of these rules that I just poorly explained.  But please, when you get angry that “bhfuil” is pronounced “will,” remember that we say through, cough, rough, and though in totally different ways.

https://www.standingstones.com/gaelpron.html

Two weeks ago, I started my coaching sessions with the boys and girls at Tyndall College, a local vocational school in Carlow. I work with the U16 boys on Tuesdays and the U16 girls on Wednesdays. Unfortunately, as is the case with most of my coaching, I am unable to coach them at their games. I am running the practices (training sessions) for three local school teams, but they all play their games during school hours when I am in class or have other commitments.

However, today, I had class off and the Tyndall kids had back-to-back games in the IT Carlow college gym. Ally, their gym teacher and coach, invited me to come watch. I watched the girls play first and then sat on the bench for the boys’ game against a school from Kilkenny. I took the role of assistant coach and offered some tips and words of advice in timeouts and in between quarters.

The first half was a back and forth affair with a lot of lead changes as the two teams exchanged baskets in between the many possessions that ended in turnovers and steals. In the third quarter, the Tyndall boys pulled ahead with a 10-point lead, 32-22. But, in the fourth quarter the opposition fought back with a 12-0 run of their own to take a two-point lead with only 18 seconds to go. Ally called a timeout and turned to me to draw up a play to tie or win the game.

Note that earlier in the game, I drew up a simple (for people with a basketball background) out-of-bounds underneath play. Despite walking through the play slowly and making sure all 5 players understood what they were doing, they broke the huddle and returned to the court to not even line up in the correct position. Some of the boys have some talent but none of them have really been taught basketball or understand how any type of designed play works. So, understandably, I had minimal confidence in them executing a live-ball play with the game on the line. However, I decided to give it a go with that previous attempt at a play in mind.

The other team was playing a 2-3 zone, so I designed a simple “play” to have Tyndall’s best scorer, Eddie, bring the ball up the floor and get a ball screen from a teammate on the top guard on the zone. I told Eddie to come off the screen with his strong right hand, look for an opening, and make a play. As they left the huddle, I handed Ally back the clipboard and gave her a little shrug and smile hoping that they would at least get a shot off.

As the ball entered play again and the clock ticked down, 10…9….8… the boys ran it to perfection. Eddie came off the screen as the others spaced the floor, and he stepped confidently into an open three-pointer that found the bottom of the net, putting Tyndall up by 1 with 6 seconds to go as the other team called timeout. I couldn’t help but smile and shake my head as the boys celebrated at half-court like they had just won the NBA Finals, big smiles on all their faces as the jumped on and around Eddie. They ended the game with a steal to seal the victory.

It was great to see them win the game and do so in such dramatic fashion. However, more than the result of the game itself, I think their reaction to Eddie’s game-winner epitomizes their enthusiasm for basketball and how well they get along with each other. I’ve only been working with them for two training sessions, but they are always full of energy. Even on days when I’m working with the girls, the boys always stop by the gym and try to convince Ally to let them shoot around even though it isn’t their gym time. They love playing and it was great to see that energy and enthusiasm result in a thrilling win today! I can’t wait to see them for training tomorrow.

I first wanted to learn how to drive because I felt like I relied on a lot of people to get me from one destination to the next. I remember the experience of learning how to drive. Every move that was made was made because of a conscious effort, a second guess, and far from second nature. I took my first exam in NYC, where some people say, is one of the hardest places to take the drivers exam because the instructors are stricter and the driving rules are different. I said “first exam” in the previous sentence, because, yes you guessed it I did not pass the first time. Apparently, when the instructor tells you to Parallel Park, if you make contact with the curb, that was grounds for automatic fail. I accidentally made contact with the curb with my right rear tire, so there was no way that I could pass. The second time I took the exam I focused mainly on avoiding the mistake I made the first time and I passed with flying colors.

 

Fast-forward to today where I am in a country where the driving rules and direction almost seem to be the exact opposite of the US. The steering wheel is on the right side of the car and cars drive the opposite way, when compared to the US. When I first arrived, before crossing the street, I had to look both ways twice because I was not accustomed to change. Most of the cars on the Island of Ireland are manual and driving stick shift is not my forte. So again, I felt dependent. This caused me to feel like I needed to know how to drive a stick shift car. I asked one of my teammates and not only was he willing to teach me on his own time and with his own car, he was also excited about it. I am happy to say that I am progressing really well and I am becoming more and more confident in my ability to drive stick shift while following the new rules of the road.

Picture Source

Hello all,

After one month of living in Sligo with the always focused and cordial Zack Yonda I can say were finally getting into the swing of things. These past two weeks we started our outreach to the youth in the community by spreading information about basketball camps for the Sligo Allstars Club team. We also visited a primary school this past week to coach and share some of our basketball knowledge with the students. It is nice to see so many kids learning and having fun with a sport they do not have much connection to. I know that all of the Victory Scholars are making in impact like this all over Ireland. I have to say too, we feel like celebrities when we go to schools and children flock us to compare hand and shoe sizes.

Everyone in moved into the student village Zack and I live at but being overly social can be a challenge at times because of our schedule and online heavy masters program. Still though, we have made friends and get into town often for groceries or watch an occasional movie. I have slowed down on the hiking adventures until my boots arrive from home (thanks for finding them again mom). Basketball is all well and good too. we have practice every other day for our club team and the university team is starting practice and games in a week or two as well.

In other news, spiders that are a bit larger than I’m used to think it is okay to crash at my house and more specifically in Zack’s bathroom. These guys are always shocking to find, but after we name and train them the family dynamic in our house gets so much better. It is almost October and I think I can pull together some sort of spider related costume for my favorite holiday. Just you wait I’ll have a Halloween specific post for you all.

I’m going to try and find a joke every time I post from here on out, so to christen the matter, here you go…

My dad was very upset to find out the pet bunnies escaped. It was his worst fear growing up too… hare loss.

(not expecting any laughs)

Until next time y’all!

Hi everyone and welcome to my blog for this year’s journey as a Victory Scholar! Here I will be writing about my personal experiences while working with Sport Changes Life in hopes to give you a glimpse of what my life entails across the pond.

Before I begin, I want to acknowledge all of those who have made this next year in Ireland possible. Thank you to my wonderful parents, family and friends, both at home and at Holy Cross, for assuring me that this opportunity was cooler than immediately starting my “career in a real job” (really beginning to question why it took any reassurance) and of course to Sport Changes Life, the Rory Foundation, and Aer Lingus for enabling it to happen. I look forward to this year ahead.

It’s been close to an entire month (wow, hard to believe) since my arrival to Ireland. These past few weeks have been somewhat of a whirlwind-of all good things, of course. Training in Belfast further introduced us to the main purpose of Sport Changes life through eHOOPS sessions and community engagement activities with young people, enabled us to explore The Giant’s Causeway and listen to personal stories from staff members and scholars reflecting the impact sport has made in their lives, and included a little bit of introductory paperwork. The Sport Changes Life staff welcomed myself and the 33 other scholars like family and it was, as cheesy as this sounds, the perfect start to what has thus far been an incredible journey. Shout out the Maguire family for the lovely home cooked meal during training week.

Upon hopping off the bus in Cork (well dragging multiple, overweight suitcases off the bus in somewhat of a sweat) three weeks ago, Justus and I were immediately greeted by our club chairs as a welcome to the Cork community. For me personally, I had the privilege of being embraced by former HC teammate, Victory Scholar, and great friend, Maddy Ganser, right on the River Lee. (Imagine being welcomed curbside in a new city, in a new country, by one of your besties…yeahhhh I was a bit teary eyed too.) This will forever be one of my first, and a favorite, memory of Cork.

Since settling into this new city, Justus and I have been able to explore quite a bit. We have done our best to experience Cork’s main attractions, from reputable restaurants and breweries to historic landmarks and beaches. I must admit, The Irish Sea exceeded my expectations… in more than just temperature and salt content. Ireland and its people have treated us well, to say the least.

HOWEVER, it hasn’t entirely been alllll sunshine and rainbows in Cork for Justus and I (although the weather has been quite nice). We have certainly had our fair share of hiccups acclimating to our life over here… like navigating in a new city on our own without working cell phones…and asking numerous people for directions many times, to simply go the wrong way… Or finding cheap specials (#BallinOnABudget) at local restaurants only to realize that the special doesn’t run on the day you’ve chosen to go. And of course taking the city bus over an hour in the wrong direction.  And now that the first week of college has begun with basketball training and coaching picking up, more unfamiliarity has come into play. In short, let’s just say that being in a class of 13 that consists of individuals from America, Brazil, Chile, China, France, India, Ireland, Malaysia, Poland, and ensuring I get the names right of the girls on my Brunell u12 team in which we have not 1, but two sets of identical twins, the element of being an international student-athlete-coach is definitely apparent. (still trying to get used to not raising my hand in class to speak and pronouncing names correctly…fyi “Niamh” doesn’t = Nye AMPH)

Despite this, there’s still a lot that keeps me grounded and somewhat comfortable in this new territory. It’s things like learning that my assistant coach has attended weddings in my home town of Scranton, PA, (at the same venue my oldest sister, Eileen, was married) or having lunch with a member of CITs Sport staff, or the comfort of Ann, and Maddy taking me under their wing (thanks for the hospitality and care)… or maybe it’s just the infectious energy that surrounds the sport of basketball in Cork and the banter that accompanies it that enables me to feel somewhat at home here. While I’m not sure what exactly it is, I do know that for each, I am grateful.

Going forward, I know that the biggest challenges are yet to come, and fulfilling my role as an impactful Victory Scholar will be at the forefront of my mind. But it’s the challenges like this, in which the opportunity to learn and grow and make a difference is constantly present, that I hope to thrive on.

Put simply by my lecturer in week one of college:

“Ye will be turned upside down, and inside out, but ye make it out better on the other end because of it.”

Until next time…

Cheers!

I just finished my second week of classes in my Masters in Business program and will be heading to some friends’ house tonight for dinner. Given our cooking skills and limited cooking repertoire, Courtney and I have been jumping at every opportunity we get to eat something other than our home-cooked meals, whether its Kojak taking us out to eat, going to a friend’s house for dinner, or eating Anne Marie’s (Courtney’s teammate) homemade lasagna. We’re slowly becoming more adept in the kitchen (with the help of team manager Theresa), but for now we appreciate the change of cuisine.

After losing our first game on the road last weekend, we have a big doubleheader this weekend. We had a good week of practice and talked through some of the things we need to do differently as a team, so I am confident we are going to flip the script this weekend.

I also started my coaching responsibilities at Gaelcholáiste Cheatharlach, a local Irish school in Carlow. I worked with a group of girls on Monday and some “lads” on Wednesday. We ran through some of the plays we use with my team and a couple drills. I look forward to my sessions with these kids throughout the year and hope to develop a connection with them going forward. I might try to get involved with the school as well.

Anyone who knows me knows Game Day is my favorite day of any week. I have been waiting for this day since I woke up from my knee surgery in March. We had a pre-season tournament set up for the weekend and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit nervous to see we had 3 games scheduled on our first day. I mean 3 games, are you sure? I haven’t played that much in a day since my AAU days when I was 17. However, my nerves were so wrong because it was such a fun-filled day of basketball.

To say the style of basketball in Ireland is different is an understatement. They play PHYSICAL basketball here. From someone who has dealt with her fair share of foul trouble over the years, I can honestly say I don’t see myself running into any trouble during my time here. The refs really don’t take the saying “let them play” lightly. While my club team here is pretty young (with me being the oldest) it was absolutely awesome watching them hold their own against the women we played against.

We went 2-1 on Saturday, which unfortunately didn’t qualify us for the next day due to a tie-breaker. At the end of the day, it didn’t matter that much because I watched our team fight hard and win against teams much bigger and older than us. We won our last game by 1 in OT on a free throw, and watching the joy and celebration coming from the rest of our team was so enlightening and motivational. It made every bump, bruise and tired bone in my body worth it. The heart I saw from them filled me with the same kind of joy you feel when you’re young and win a tough weekend tournament with you friends against your cross town rivals.

Although this was only our first tournament, I’m so excited for the season to begin. While I’m definitely missing my Salve team as I watch them progress through their pre-season, I am definitely thankful for how kind and welcoming my Tullamore squad has been. Hoping this is the start of an amazing season and can’t imagine myself playing for any other team here! 

 

 

(Follow Tullamore Club Basketball on Facebook to keep up with our season!!)

 

Expectations

Going into my first game as a WIT Viking on the 8^th of September, I had no idea what to expect. How would my teammates and I get along in an actual game? Am I going to live up to the expectations of being the first American to play in Waterford in over 10 years? Will the differences in rules be more difficult to adapt to than I was expecting? And of course, are the refs going to be as bad as I have been warned? This was more uncertainty than I was accustomed to when going into a typical game, but I was just focused on controlling what I could control.

The Comeback

20 minutes into our first game, going into the locker room at halftime, we were trailing by 27 points. We had been hit in the mouth, and being one of the youngest teams in the league, in would have been very easy for us to roll over and give up. But that is not the character of our team, and more broadly all of Waterford. We stepped up our effort and focus and came firing back in the 2^nd half. Going into the fourth quarter we had cut the lead to 13, and WIT Arena was buzzing. We continued our uphill battle in the fourth quarter, but unfortunately fell just short, losing 79-72.

Viking Spirit

While this game will go down as a loss in the record book, it showed me how much potential this team really has. There is no quit in this team, and it is clear how much support the entire community of Waterford is putting into our team. I am so excited to be a part of this young team, and to be a part of the rebuild of basketball in this community. I have only been in Waterford for 2 weeks, but they have already welcomed me as one of their own. This makes me that much more motivated to represent this wonderful county, and continue to impact the youth through the wonderful sport of basketball. #Victory

This bed is too small

I can’t sleep quite right

My back feels the springs

Deep into the night

I toss and I turn

Packed in so tight

This pillow is flat

What a delight

 

I could have stayed home

I’m used to it there

Life would be easy

I would hardly care

Then why am I here?

At my ceiling I stare

At nothing at all

My walls are so bare

 

I don’t get homesick

I do like it here

Some things are lovely

Like the people and the beer

 

I realize my privilege

When I feel at unease

At an amazing opportunity

All the way overseas

 

Most would do anything

To spend nearly a year

In another country

With a mission so clear

 

To help other people

Who did not have my luck

Whose towns were damaged

And by hate they were struck

 

To teach kids games

And sports they could play

To give them hope

And do this every day

 

What a change I could make

If I see what I can do

If I give it my all

To give them something new

 

A way to prosper

A way to achieve

A way to aspire

A way to believe

 

These kids have potential

Its not like they can’t succeed

They have plenty of skill

It’s just a small push they need

 

We can all be great

Some just need a guide

To be helped to the front

Of life’s joyous ride

 

I’m sure one day

I will be in need

I will have troubles

From which to be freed

 

But today I am fine

My problems are slim

My future isn’t set

But it sure isn’t grim

 

This year might be easy

This year might be tough

But I will not leave thinking

I did not do enough

 

I wake up tired

But ready to give

To others a life

They deserve to live

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The day finally arrived. With twists and knots growing stronger every second throughout my second
summer post-undergrad, August 24 th released most of the tension and apprehension I had previously
contained. I was exactly where I needed to be in this very moment.

After being out of collegiate play for a little over a year, the preparation and anticipation that I had
towards being able to practice, make new teammates, and play the game I fell in love with was just a
wee bit stressful. But stressful situations are what makes life, life. I have a new team in the Dublin City
University club team: DCU Mercy, a new class schedule, a whole new country and city to explore—to
make my own. I will be getting lost at least once a day but I am okay with that. I couldn’t be happier
actually.

Reflecting on my two weeks in Ireland (Belfast and Dublin), I found a poster that really stuck with me. It
stated: “Ride The Wave. Experience your emotions. As a wave, coming and going. Don’t try to get rid of
emotion. Don’t push it away. Try not to block emotion. Try not to suppress emotion. Don’t try to keep
emotion around. Don’t hold on to it. Don’t amplify it.” While I am in Ireland, I want to be able to live my
best life—to experience it fully. These opportunities only come ever so often so my challenge is to live in
the moment as much as possible.

Thank you to Sport Changes Life for this amazing opportunity to be able to mentor the youth, acquire
my masters and to play the best sport in the world. I want to take the time to thank my coaches—past
and present for their unbelievable faith in me when sometimes I lacked it myself. I wanted to thank my
siblings for being my biggest fans and always making me my best self not only for them but for myself. I
wanted to thank my Nana for always having my back regardless the distance between us. But most
importantly, I wanted to thank my parents; without you Mama and Pops, I wouldn’t have grown into the
young lady that I am. Without your love, support, and sacrifices, I wouldn’t have ever fell in love with
the game some 20 years ago. Because of you, I will do “whatever it takes”.

Day

 

**Sidenote** If you haven’t already, please do follow Sport Changes Life on all social media to stay up to date with my journey and the journey of the other 34 scholars as well! Trust me, you do not want to miss out on the amazing things we are doing over here in Ireland.

 

 

Wow, the past two weeks have been incredible! On Saturday August 24th, I moved to Ireland for the year to become a new member of the Sport Changes Life family. Myself and the other Victory Scholars took a flight across the Atlantic after our launch event at Marist College. We landed in Dublin at 5:00am and did our best to stay awake all day to fight the jet lag. We then bused up to Ulster University in Belfast where we all stayed for the week for training. Once we got to Belfast we were introduced to the rest of the SCL family. In the short time that we all had together, us Victory Scholars became very close. It was amazing learning about everyone and just spending time with one another.

During the week we had a lot of events to attend; we went to a fundraiser, went into the city of Belfast, went to Giant’s Causeway, held eHoops sessions, visited youth centers, schools, and community centers. We learned in depth about the past struggles specifically surrounding Belfast and some of the religious tensions that remain in the community. One of our roles as Victory Scholars is to mentor youth and help them through the adversity they face. We do this by participating in different community outreach programs like eHoops. eHoops is an community project where young people going through educational, economic and social deprivation come together through a sport, education and an individual personal development program. During training we were fortunate enough to experience two different eHoops sessions.

During our eHoops sessions we played soccer, football and of course basketball. We also had the chance to sit down with the eHoopers to learn about them and share a little bit about us. We talked about the adversity we’ve faced and how we overcame it. It was a great experience learning about these young people and helping them through the daily struggles they face.

One of the main reasons I applied to this program was to inspire and make a difference in people’s lives. Throughout my life I have faced adversity and always had sport to help guide me through the tough times. It is a great feeling participating in a program that helps young people overcome their troubles through sport. I cannot wait to continue with these community outreach programs and help make a difference! Currently, I am getting settled in at my new home at LIT. Everyone in Limerick has been so nice and helpful, I really feel welcomed here. I cannot wait to see what’s next during this journey!

 

 

 

Howdy y’all! My first week in Ireland was awesome mainly because of the people I got to meet and spend time with. Every single Victory Scholar truly is a Victory in their own way and has so much to offer the various communities they will be at. Our first week together was full of training and learning about our positions and responsibilities as Scholars for the year to come. Future scholars beware, it is exciting and not too much handle, but you wont sleep too much. We can sleep when we’re dead anyways. Outside of the events, and a bit during them, we really got to hang out with and learn about each other. We watched movies, played games, went exploring, and simply conversed about life.

That seems like a decent transition point for this first post. Life. Learning about Irish Culture this first week has opened my eye to a new perspective and helped me understand the “bigger picture,” if you will. The funny picture above was posted a while ago on Twitter and alludes to the problem socioracial problem in America. Since being here we have learned about the conflict between Catholics and Protestants. It seems very similar to America’s racism problem. However, it is almost like we went back in time to the 70’s or 80’s in American and changed the racial issue to a religious issue. Every time I someone mentions racism I used to think of this post. We’re all just some eggs really. Maybe our shell is a different color, or a little thicker than others. Maybe we like to be cooked differently, you know, scrambled, over easy, hard boiled. But at the end of the day, we all have that gross yellow yoke on the inside that is a great source of protein and filling for breakfast burritos.

What I’m trying to say is, we are all humans, were build similarly and go through different experiences giving us different perspectives, beliefs, and feelings about the world. Sympathy and patience can go a long way in the correct context, so give it a try without being over bearing. Walk in someone’s shoes before thinking they’re faking a limp. Read the book before judging the cover. Crack the egg before you deem it unworthy. You might make the best breakfast burrito you’ve ever had. Everyone has their own struggle and strength, and by learning about someone for who they are before looking at the titles they’re given, they become more relatable.

(Time, for one more smooth transition…) So, the first week and half of my time in Ireland really has been eye opening. On other topics, I’m going to start hunting for my favorite Irish dish while over here and have not had too many traditional meals yet. I have realized however, that sausages are served often. On one more topic, we got to see the Giants Causeway, which was very scenic. Being there made me want to know more about Irish Mythology. I miss home and my family and friends there, but I am ecstatic to get to explore the Sligo area and change lives through sport. Until next time y’all, peace.

There are countless things you cannot recover in life, but the most difficult to come to terms with is time after it is gone.

My collegiate playing career was turbulent to say the least. From transferring to another institution after my freshman year to several sustained injuries, each day provided a set of obstacles to overcome in their own right. However, the one underlying constant throughout my career was that tomorrow was always another opportunity to play. Once my eligibility cleared, or that hip tear healed, or that concussion protocol was passed, I’d head down to the locker room, suit up in my Colgate maroon and whites, and it’d be back to business as usual.

Then came October 19, 2017.

What began as an ordinary team practice has since become a significant moment in my life. Just two weeks before our season opener in my senior season, I was sidelined from injury with no expected timetable for return in sight. A year poised to be most memorable as the culmination of the time and effort I invested to achieve my dream of competing at the highest level quickly became tarnished with the haunting possibility of never competing in organized basketball again. For the first time in my life, tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed to be another day to play.

The thought of ending my playing career on such uncontrollable terms left me feeling helpless and confused. For as long as I can remember, basketball has been a sizable piece of my life. Without the chance to play the game I grew up on, I felt that piece missing from my identity.

It wasn’t simply just the game I feared losing, but rather everything else that came with it. Sure, the game itself has provided me with incredible experiences, like competing against Hall of Fame caliber coaches in Jim Boeheim and Mike Brey and playing in top venues around the country. But it has been the opportunities offered beyond the court I am forever thankful for. Because of this sport, I’ve been able to travel internationally and experience new cultures with my teammates. Because of this sport, I received an undergraduate education at a prestigious university. Because of this sport, I’ve encountered and befriended so many incredible people from all walks of life. The game of basketball has so profoundly influenced my life that it started even before I was born. I think back to my grandmother, a first generation immigrant, who used play-by-play commentary of Celtics’ games to develop her understanding of the English language and progress her assimilation into American society. Had it not been for this game, who knows where I’d be today.

I’m beyond grateful to Sport Changes Life for the chance to gain closure on my playing career on my own terms after missing my senior season. Beyond that, however, I am excited for the opportunity to share my personal experiences and to pass forward the opportunities basketball has given me to the youth of Ireland. I know the power and influence that one great coach, or mentor, can have on a young mind. I’ve been fortunate enough to play for a great number of them (shoutout to Bob Berman, Denny Brigley, Jamie Sullivan, and Tommy Verdell to name a few); each one having helped inspire and challenge me on and off the court. I’ve come to terms that I’ll have to hang up my sneakers for good one day, but until then, I intend to make the most of the time I have left.

Keep updated with my blogs and social media to follow my journey throughout the year! Cheers!

Butterflies ran through my stomach as I returned to Marist college for this years Sport Changes Life launch. I say return because I was once a student at Marist college before transferring to Skidmore College to finish out my undergrad. No regrets there. Anyway, as I looked at the other 32 new faces I knew I would make plenty new friends. 

After the launch, while we were all on the bus traveling to the airport personalities started to unravel. Sam and Steve moved along the bus talking to us in small groups. We all had hundreds of questions. Most of my questions were answered by sitting back and listening to others ask questions. All of us seemed to be thinking the same thing. “What are we getting ourselves into exactly?”.  We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to board our flight and just like that we were all in the air with 6 and a half hours of flight time ahead of us.

We arrived in Dublin at 5am GST which would be 12am EST. I couldn’t really tell you how I was feeling at that moment because it had already been a long day and we had a whole day of plans ahead of us. Pretty sure I was sleep walking through the airport as we went through customs and made our way to a bus that would take us to Ulster University . However, the bus was not ready for 32 Americans that each had luggage that outweighed them. Some bags had to squeeze into seats but somehow we mad it work and were off to Ulster University. Ulster University was beautiful to say the least. It was like located in Jordanstown, Ireland which neighbored the United Kingdom City of Belfast. 

The following week was filled with so much fun, it seemed to fly by. After, settling down in our rooms we went over to the Ulster University Sports Hall for a scrimmage/photoshoot. At first, it was tough to think about playing basketball after a 6 hour flight. However, after the photographer showed us how the pictures would look, the energy in the sports hall shifted quickly. We went through training on how to get accustomed to the culture and how to understand the thick Irish accents (accents seem to get thicker the more south you go). We explored downtown Belfast, The Giants Causeway, watched Sam run circles around the competition at his Football match, and even visited the beautiful house of The CEO of Sport Changes Life Gareth and his lovely wife Deirdre. Not done yet. The Ulster University victory scholars were lucky to have the Sport Changes Life headquarters very close to them in Belfast. So while we all were there, we were able to run a couple E-hoops sessions. Which involved mentoring and coaching disadvantaged youth. Through these sessions we were able to tap into the main reason why we were all here, to give back. Although I knew my time in Ireland would be fun, these sessions reminded me that my time would also be impactful. At the end of the week, it was hard watching all my new friends disperse to their new cities and schools. However, we would meet again soon in November and even though I had only known them for a week they had already impacted my life. Now it was time for us to make an impact on the youth in different cities.

Suitcases repacked, I walk out of Housing Block #7 to meet the majority of the other Victory Scholars in front of Block #8, anxiously waiting for our bus to arrive. It is the end of our “induction” week at Ulster University in Jordanstown, Northern Ireland and most of us are busing down to Dublin airport before we all head to our respective towns.

I turn the corner to the group of the Victory Scholars in front of the accommodation, and it is completely silent. A week ago, at the launch in New York, this understandably might have been due to a lack of familiarity with each other, but today the silence was rooted in a little bit of sadness and some uneasiness about what’s ahead.

I think I speak for most of the Scholars when I say we all had an amazing week at Ulster, coming to know each other and getting along with one another better than any of us probably could have imagined in such a short amount of time. We all had to face reality that morning as we knew the last week would not be the norm for the year, or why we signed up for this program in the first place.

Despite splitting up, this past week has personally given me a lot to be excited about in the coming year. I feel more comfortable from a friendship perspective and know the impact we scholars can have on our respective communities after developing a better understanding of the SCL foundation and the people in the organization led by Gareth and Deirdre. Throughout the week at Ulster, we kept busy with community engagement activities, which included eHoops sports and workshop sessions as well as visits to schools and youth clubs throughout Northern Ireland. After interacting with some of the Irish youth, I experienced firsthand the energy and enthusiasm that so many of them show around us, being former student-athletes from America. I have now experienced the influence I can potentially have on encouraging that enthusiasm not only in sport but also in their daily lives and future endeavors. The sessions with the kids allowed me to genuinely feel a sense of pride to be representing the Sport Changes Life family this upcoming year as I start my journey in Carlow.

I am writing on my second night here in Carlow. My coach, Martin Conroy (aka Kojak) along with his son, Jake, picked Courtney and me up from the airport to drive us straight to my first scrimmage against UCD Marian in Old Leighlin. It took me all of about 2 minutes to know that Coach and I are going to get along great. It is clear that he goes out of his way to look after Courtney and me, and I’m looking forward to playing for him. We lost the game 72-68 OT, and I almost got my tooth knocked out (spent most of today at the dentist), but after meeting the guys on the team and getting back to playing in a competitive game, I know it’s going to be a great year, hopefully with a lot of W’s!

Other than getting situated in my apartment, unpacking, grocery shopping, and logistical “to-dos” that come with living and studying in a new country, I am eagerly awaiting the start of classes, my coaching responsibilities, and games in the coming weeks. In between, I will be spending my time out and about in the town of Carlow and around the IT Carlow campus as I start to call this place home.

Words cannot explain how happy I was when I got the email from Sport Changes Life welcoming me into their family. I had just pulled into my driveway when I felt my phone buzz with the notification and immediately began calling my closest people with my new secret excitement. With each phone call, there was the same shared feeling of happiness and “wow, I can’t believe this is happening”. The whirlwind of preparation began, but as the summer days faded away, there was a small feeling of discomfort in the back of my mind. I’ve never been this far from home before, from the people I love most. I’ve never even been out of the country and here I was packing my bags to leave by myself in a sense for the whole year! I mean, how crazy can I be!?

                                                            

Fast forward two weeks and I’m rolling out of bed on a lazy Sunday morning getting ready to go explore my new home. I walked out of my front door with no real destination in mind, just a goal to learn something new. I spent a good amount of my morning sitting on the banks of the Shannon River, watching the boats go through their lock and the swans swimming by the water’s edge. I made my way across the bridge and took a historical tour of Athlone’s thirteenth century castle. Stopping by the town’s food festival, I got to experience more of this community and all of it has to offer. I kept walking through town trying to find my way back to a store shop I saw earlier when I must have taken a wrong turn. I didn’t recognize where I was but kept walking hoping to find some familiarity; boy did I find just that, just not in theway I expected. I found myself staring at a sign reading “Michael Jackson’s Favorite Shop in Athlone” and I knew I had to go in. What I found was the cutest little store filled with jewelry, trinkets, Irish made goods and a feeling of comfort. I learned Michael Jackson visited the town in 2006 and had spent hours in this one store, with a very long receipt to prove it. After making some purchases, I continued on my way home taking in the sights and sounds of the town with a deeper sense that I found myself in this little town. 

Two weeks ago, feeling a little lost, I packed up and said goodbye to my family, my friends, and my home. Since stepping foot into our Launch Event, I have become apart of another family in Sport Changes Life and Athlone. My new home has brought some of the nicest, most amazing people into my life. I took the opportunity to get lost in this town with one goal in mind; learn something new. That Sunday, I learned that sometimes you have to get lost to findlife’s greatest surprises.

Following its successful inaugural year, organisers of the Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic have officially launched ticket sales for what is expected to be one of the most exciting sporting events of the year to take place on the island of Ireland.

Doubling in size for its second year, this year’s Belfast Classic will welcome eight NCAA Division I college basketball teams – University at Albany (America East Conference); University at Buffalo (Mid-American Conference); Dartmouth College (Ivy League); LIU Brooklyn (Northeast Conference); Marist College (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference); University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (Horizon League); University of San Francisco (West Coast Conference); and Stephen F. Austin State University (Southland Conference) – to the SSE Arena Belfast as they go head-to-head in eight fast-paced games over three days from Thursday 29^th November to Saturday 1^st December 2018 to hoist the prestigious Belfast Classic Cup.  Broken into two brackets, Samson and Goliath, this year’s tournament will also see two winners come out victorious.

Launching on American Independence Day, Wednesday 4^th July 2018, general admission tickets will be available from the SSE Arena box office for £10 with family passes available from £25.  This year eager fans can also take advantage of a discounted tournament pass which will offer the chance to take in all eight games of tournament play for £30.

Carrying on the established tradition of giving back to Northern Ireland’s community, this year’s Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic will continue to raise awareness of the Sport Changes Life Foundation (SCLF)’s dedication to raising aspirations of young people using sporting excellence, academic achievement and personal development with the support of event partners Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).  The tournament will also be broadcast live across America, with thousands of fans tuning in to see this world-class sporting event hosted in Northern Ireland’s capital city.

Thursday November 29th
Game #1 – Marist vs. Dartmouth 4:30 pm
Game #2 – LIU vs. Albany 7.00pm

Friday November 30th
Game #1 – San Francisco vs. Stephen F. Austin 10:30 am
Game #2 – Milwaukee vs. Buffalo 1:00 pm

Game #3 – Consolation Game 5.00 pm
Game #4 – Championship Game 7:30 pm

Saturday, December 1st
Game #1 – Consolation Game 1.00 pm
Game #2 – Championship Game 3:30 pm

 

For more information or to reserve your tickets visit HERE

For media queries please contact Brittany Breslin (Brittany@massivepr.tv / +44 (0) 7786 964 645) or Julie McCabe (Julie@massivepr.tv / +44 (0) 7801 989 950 at Massive PR.