I wanted to dedicate my last blog to all of the incredible people that helped make this past year in Ireland truly remarkable. I first and foremost want to thank Sport Changes Life and the Rory Foundation for bringing me to Ireland and providing me with the opportunity to get my master’s degree, continue to play basketball, and coach some pretty terrific kids. Also thank you to the other 23 Victory Scholars. I was honored to be surrounded by such incredible, talented, and inspiring individuals. We didn’t see each other often, but when we did let me tell you we always had a good time! We went from strangers to family, and I will always cherish the bond that we made.

Thank you to everyone in Maynooth: parents, kids, classmates, teammates, of course the man the myth the legend, Jim Walsh. Everyone in Maynooth welcomed me into their community and truly made it feel like a home for me. Thank you to my lecturers in the Business Management program for exposing me to a new area of study, and thank you to my classmates for challenging me in the classroom. Thank you to Maynooth basketball and all of my college teammates. The Maynooth team had such sweet, hilarious girls, and they helped make Varsities one of my favorite events this year. Brian O’Malley was my college coach and he was truly taught me what sarcasm was. In all seriousness, he was a great coach and always made practice super fun.

I also want to thank Maynooth Basketball Academy for providing me with the opportunity to coach over 1,000 kids in the community. I coached at the Maynooth Basketball Academy, four different schools, and helped coach the U16 Kilcock club team. I got to know so many kids well, and I was so happy to be embraced by such a loving, close knit community. I loved walking down the street and passing several kids that I had coached and catch up with them and see their love for basketball grow. I helped coach the Maynooth Community games and it was great to see that the u13 team was almost entirely comprised of the girls that I had coached at the local girls’ school. Their first experience playing basketball was when I went into their school and now they are voluntarily joining teams to continue to play, which is truly beautiful to see.

I also want to give a special thank you to Jim Walsh. He did so much for me since the moment I arrived in Maynooth. He has gone out of way to make sure that I was comfortable and settled in Ireland. He generosity is incomparable. He drove me to games, made me dinner, and took me and my sister on a trip of a lifetime. When my sister came to visit me in Ireland he offered to drive us to Galway and the Cliffs of Moher and through the Wild Atlantic Way. Before I left to go on my Euro trip he gave me a huge financial gift to thank me for my hard work and to help support my travels. Jim Walsh is a terrific coach, mentor, and friend. Irish basketball is lucky to have such a great coach that is willing to give so much back to the game and all of the kids that he coaches.

Thank you to the Portlaoise Panthers. This club has some pretty incredible people, and I am so thankful that they brought me into their family. Shout out to Lynda for driving me twice a week from Maynooth to Portlaoise and back to Maynooth. This woman is a rockstar. She would travel hours within a day and then to Dublin and never once complain! I am so thankful for our wonderful conversations and that she always let me take a power nap before practice. Thank you to Peter and Sinead Duignan for adopting me throughout the week. I loved our family bonding, and although I typically came for the dogs, I always stayed for the good company. Thank you to Peter and Grainne O’Sullivan for also letting me stay in their home after practice. One highlight was when my friend Paige came to visit and they made us a beautiful dinner after practice. Another fun highlight was when I had an unexpected sleepover at their house due to the snow and had to rock Grainne’s pajamas that were far too small on me. Peter was an amazing coach this year, and I am so appreciative of all of the time that he dedicated to the team, while also having a full-time job and a family with two beautiful small children.  Also shout out to Seamus Dooley and everyone else who helped the club run so smoothly. And of course, a big shout out to my Portlaoise teammates. The team was comprised of beautiful individuals that really made the club feel like a family. Special shout out to my fellow Americans: Steph and Tim. We were the big three, and although I think Portlaoise didn’t know what to do with us sometimes, we had some amazing times together! Portlaoise will always a special place in my heart and I cannot thank everyone enough for all that they did for me.

I just returned to America and I am so excited to spend some much-needed quality time with my friends and family. I am currently writing my dissertation. I am using qualitative research to evaluate human rights disclosures in corporate annual and CSR reports for 10 different Fortune 500 companies. I am specifically looking at the GRI, IIRC, and SASB to see if there is a golden standard of reporting and to see if the silencing of injustices can be prevented. Then, I am excited to announce that I will be starting the next chapter of my life in August as I move to NYC and start a job with a nonprofit called Young Survival Coalition.

Thank you again to everyone in Ireland who made this past year one of the greatest years of my life. I am so thankful for all of the memories I have made, and I know that I will be back soon. Ireland has truly become my home and the people there have become my family.

I’m addressing this blog to all of those student-athletes out there, some that already know they are coming over to Ireland next year and others who don’t even know they will end up applying to be a Victory Scholar. I wanted to write to you guys to create a quasi-how-to guide to help you optimize your time volunteering, learning, and playing basketball through the amazing opportunity that is working with Sport Changes Life. While I originally thought I would rant on and on about the specifics of what you should do while you’re here, what sights to not miss, and how to balance coaching and playing while getting a Master’s degree, I realized that this year is not about following in the exact same footsteps of the people that came before you (*don’t worry Cork scholars, Ian and I will 100% be giving you all the info on best cafes, restaurants, bars, adventures, and the like*). While the unbelievable year of being a Victory Scholar is about impacting young people and continuing your education, it is also simultaneously and beautifully about personal growth and finding out who you are in novel and at times, challenging, environments. With that, I don’t want you guys to come over here with cookie-cutter expectations, roles, and guidelines surrounding what your year should be like, because in reality, everybody’s experience will – and should – be their very own adventure tangled up with mistakes, life lessons, and amazing memories.

I know this extremely well not only because my year is almost over now but because I have grown up with two amazing older sisters, best friends, and role models, that happen to both be Dublin Victory Scholar alums – and in turn have had the (self-imposed) privilege to struggle my whole life with striving to be my own, individual person. Despite these efforts and due to the impossibility of passing up the opportunity of living, getting a master’s, and coaching in Ireland for a year, I have obviously yet again followed in their footsteps and have been a scholar in Cork for the past 9 months. I also came over here very close to other previous scholars, my HC teammate Clare Sullivan and one of the Cork scholars last year Madi Ward – she played basketball with my older sister Katie in college and we even have the same (although spelt differently) name. Because of these connections, I knew both how great, demanding, and rewarding being a Victory Scholar can be, but also that I wanted to make my experience very much my own. So, since this year has already flown by and has become one of the – if not the – best years of my life, I wanted to leave you guys with some probably cliché, not too specific, take-away advice to help you fully invest in this unique journey ahead of you that is completely and wonderfully yours. 

If I have learned anything this year, it’s to always actively be open to new things. This openness and acceptance of ambiguity and discomfort 100% entails saying yes to everything that may come your way (while obviously using healthy doses of discretion). Also, don’t just respond by saying yes, but take the initiative to ask your own questions. What I mean by this is to – as easy as it can be when in a new environment – do your best to conquer the temptation to remain in your comfort zone. While at times saying yes can be intimidating, annoying, and simply the opposite of what you want to do, your future self in May of 2019 or whatever year it may be will relentlessly thank you. It’s only in accepting and creating these offers to break through and overcome your barrier of what may seem easy or ideal that will lead to most importantly helping others, but also personal growth and making this experience your own. Helping out coach in that game an hour and a half away, staying after your training session to do the clock at your hall even though you have a project due the next day, or going for tea and scones with your player’s family or your lecturers at college, all may seem inconvenient with your busy schedule at the time, but in the long run, will become some of your most valuable, fulfilling, and favorite memories. 

If I’d not agreed to go to the Cronins’ house in between coaching and training even though I had loads of college work to do, I never would have had the opportunity to bond with their family and their dog Charlie, eat delicious potato-rich meals, and form the weekly tradition of hanging at their house. If I’d remained in my comfort zone, I wouldn’t have been able to interview the CEO of Franciscan Well (an amazing brewery based in Cork) for a Business Development project. If I had decided to stay home and save money, I wouldn’t have had the hilarious and exciting weekends that were exploring London with Ian and Matt or Copenhagen with my best friends from home. Or if I had chosen to stay in the library during exams, I never would have had delicious cake and coffee with my lecturer, the head of the CIT Business department, and some of my classmates. It has been experiences like these that have allowed me to learn so much, mold my journey as a scholar into my very own, and make lasting connections with incredible people. 

While I could continue on with loads more advice and lofty clichés, I think this insistence on saying yes is by far the most important. It’s how you’ll be able to fall in love with living in whatever community you’re in and it’s how you’ll be able to engage with others and strive to find beautiful value in everything you get the privilege to be a part of. I hope you guys can take this and run with it – clearly if you have been chosen to be a Victory Scholar, you are more than capable. 

So ultimately, congrats on becoming part of the SCL family, I am jealous your year is yet to begin – take advantage of the seemingly long yet in reality very short, at times challenging and frustrating, but life-changing journey ahead of you. Make it your own, invest in the kids you coach, and enjoy it – it’s a wild experience that you will value for the rest of your life.

They say time flies when your having fun and I can not agree anymore with that statement. I just had to say goodbye to all the victory scholars as we met one last time all together in Dublin. It felt like just the other day we were all in New York on August 22nd 2017 meeting for the first time and heading out for our 9 month journey in Ireland. As I sit here and reflect on my time as a Victory Scholar, I can’t help but think how grateful I am to have be given this opportunity. I have grown so much throughout my time here.

I get this question a lot about what my favorite thing about Ireland is. My answer to that question ever single time is “the people”. Everyone I have met along this journey has welcomed me with open arms and I can’t thank them enough. From the girls I got the privilege to coach in Carlow, Dermot O’Brien and the Gaelcholáiste Cheatharlach boys and girls, Kojack, Danny McCarthy, my teammates to name just a few.

But the people who have become a second family to me are the Dunne Family. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without them this year. Jackie and Damo have become my Irish mom and dad, literally! They always had me over for family dinners, sleepovers constantly and made me feel as if I was at a home away from home. Meg and Holli Dunne have become my best friends who I will be in contact with the rest of my life. Just that alone, meeting two girls I can call my best friends, makes this journey absolutely amazing! And of course can’t forget about my brother/sister relationship I made with Dylan Dunne. I can’t even put into words how grateful and appreciative I am for the Dunne family. Jackie you are an angel and everyone that get a chance to meet you is so lucky! I can’t wait for you guys to all come visit me in New York!

Thank you Carlow for making this the best year ever. You will always have a piece of my heart!

New York, I’ll see you soon!

I’ve had a difficult time trying to articulate just exactly what this year has meant to me and how I’ll choose to describe it to the next round of Victory Scholars and those who ask me. I often think about what my purpose is in this life, as I know many people do. People talk about living life to the fullest as if there’s a pre determined equation to leading a meaningful and worthwhile life. I’ve slowly learned that that equation is a little different for everyone. What makes one person happy or fulfilled isn’t going to equate to the same thing for another. But to me living a full and meaningful life has a lot to do with experiences and the people I’m able to share them with. It’s about doing things that make you feel alive with the people you love. This year, I’ve had so many of those moments with old friends and new friends that quickly became family. Living fully is also about extracting the most from yourself and from others. Growing and helping those around you grow. It’s about sincere human connection and love and relationships. Like I said, different people will get different things out of the Victory Scholar Experience, but here’s a little taste of what I’m leaving Ireland with:

Experiences.

Before arriving in Ireland in August I had never left the U.S. In fact I’d never even been to the West Coast of America. I felt sheltered in a lot of ways, not having yet experienced other cultures and traveled on my own. This year I was able to

So school is now basically over for me.  I have turned in all of my assignments for the semester, classes are over, and now all I have to worry about is my summer dissertation.  Overall, my experience at WIT has been good.  I’m not going to lie, there were many times the stress was high, but that is to be expected when you cram a masters course into one year.  It was a long semester, but I am glad that I survived and made it through.  Now I just have to wait to get my final grades, but I think I managed to do alright this semester.  Even though school is done, I am far from done with this course.  This summer I will be completing my 15,000 word dissertation.  I is going to be a long process to say the least.  I have been writing it throughout the year, but because of the course load this semester, I was unable to spend a lot of time worrying about the dissertation.  Now I have until the end of August to complete it.  Wish me luck, because I know as soon as I get home at the end of May the procrastination will hit.

My experience here at WIT has been challenging at times, but everyone here is always willing to help.  My teachers and classmates all were very welcoming and considerate.  They truly want you to do your best here at WIT so they are always willing to help you along in any way they can.  I am happy to have been placed here and look forward to getting my final results in June.

-Meg

All year I’ve been told that the time I spend in Ireland is going to fly by, and here I am with only a month left wondering where the time went. This year was the absolute best year of my life and I wouldn’t change it for anything. There were definitely days where I missed home, but there was never a moment when I felt I wanted to be home instead of where I was. Of all the cities I’ve been to, I’d have to say Dublin is probably my favorite, and I am lucky enough to have spent a year living right in the heart of it.

As soon as you walk outside Trinity gate, there is so much happening all within a short walking distance. With street performers on Grafton Street, musicians near O’Connell bridge, a pub or coffee shop every 5 steps you take, a gorgeous walk through St. Stephen’s Green park, tons of clothing shops, you can never be bored! On top of that, people are so much friendlier than other main cities I’ve been to, and I think that’s what I’m going to miss the most.

I just now have one short month left in my favorite place, and I am making the most of everyday  and taking it all in as much as I can until I go back to America. Even though the time flew by, I still feel like I can call Dublin home now, and I can’t wait to return in the future. Back in America I live in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia, with not much going on around, and everything being a driving distance away. Although there are perks to living in a quiet area, I am definitely going to miss having everything I need in a short walking distance.

As excited as I am to go home to see all my friends and family, I’m twice as sad to leave all the friendships I’ve made here. It truly has been the best year of my life, and I would recommend this program to everyone. Even if you aren’t a basketball player or golfer, I recommend just studying abroad or working abroad for one year in a different country. I promise you won’t regret it!

Dear Future Scholars,

First, let me start off by saying congratulations for earning one of Sport Changes Life’s Victory scholarships. We may never meet in person, but I know that you are extraordinary because you have received this honor. To help you on this incredible year-long journey, I decided to devote my blog this week to write down a few things you may find helpful:

Strangers will very quickly become your friends and family. It all begins at the Sport Changes Life luncheon in New York City where you are introduced to the SCL family and formally meet the other scholars you will be sharing this experience with. It’s crazy to say, but immediately after the lunch is over, you say goodbye to your family and friends and hop on a bus with 20 plus strangers from all over the world to fly across the Atlantic. This is when your adventure begins. For the next ten days, you and the other scholars begin training and preparing for the program at Ulster University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Enjoy this time. These days fly by and it’s one of the only times all of the scholars will be together in one place. Saying goodbye as you depart to your respective universities is tough, but it makes the next time you get to see everyone again that much more special. These people will always hold a special place in your heart.

You are going to make a difference. The kids within your local community will be so excited to meet you and even more excited to have the opportunity to learn the game of basketball from you. This sport can change lives – seriously. It gave you the opportunity to receive this scholarship. This chance you have been given is an extremely valuable one. Be excited to make a positive impact and cherish the relationships you’ll make throughout the year! Every day is a new day to do good, big or small.

This experience will change your life. Yes, you will be over 3,000 miles away from home, but I promise, you will never feel that far away. This experience is truly one-in-a-million. The chance to continue playing the sport you love, pursuing a Master’s degree, and being able to travel the world while making a positive impact within your local community does sound too good to be true, but you have earned this adventure. Be sure to make the most of it every day. Take a ton of pictures and videos wherever you go. That way, you will always have something to remember all the amazing things you did as a Victory Scholar.

To the future scholars, welcome to the SCL family. Soon, I will become a Victory Scholar alum. It is such a bittersweet feeling, but I am excited to see this organization continue to grow and change lives. This program has changed my life and I have loved every second of it. Now, it is your turn to be the best class Sport Changes Life has ever seen.

Do good and be kind.

Faith

As a basketball player nothing is more exciting than the day uniforms are given out because this usually means the first game is around the corner. Due to the fact that I am very small my options of numbers have always been very limited. The smaller numbers are usually the smaller jerseys and so my options were literally 0-9 , lol. Even though that plays a part in why I wear the number’s I do it is not the only reason and so for this blog I thought I’ll explain why I wear the number’s I do.

#3- This is my first option when it comes to me picking a jersey number. I was born in the third month of the year[March], on the third day [3]. I have three siblings and I am the third child even though I get treated like the baby ☺️

<<<<<<<<<<<<
to Ireland this year I would be informed that my club didn't have the number 3. The smallest number they started from was 4. At first I was going to wear 4 because it was the number I wore my first two years of college because they didn't have the number 3 jersey either but I decided to dedicate this playing season to my grandmother. On August 23,2017 I would arrive here in Ireland and on August 23,2017 I would get a call that my grandmother had passed😞 She was 96 years old 🙏🏽👼🏽

#5 – In 2011, unfortunately one of my very best friends would lose her brother in a car accident. He was only 21 years old. He wore the number 5 when he played basketball and so in remembrance of him I wear #5 if 3 isn’t a option.#Q5👼🏽

My grandmother never got to see me play basketball while she was here on earth so I hope she up there in heaven smiling ☺️❣️ I have achieved success and failed numerous times but when I look down at that number I know why I am playing is bigger then me 🙏🏽

Why do you wear the number you do ?

Bless up

~ TC3

Continue reading…

This week was the last week of classes and I have never been so happy in my entire life. It’s like mother nature was agreeing with how I felt because she really brought the sunshine down on Ireland. Seriously, I cannot get over it. A consecutive three whole days, not one drop of rain came down in Dublin. This was a literal symbol telling me that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I just have to keep telling myself to push through and it will be grand.

In all honesty, studying to get a masters is a whole different ballgame. The challenge that it has given me is on another level. It seriously threw me for some loops. From the group projects to individual assignments, not a single element of this degree has been easy. Some days I felt like giving up and going back to America and other days I found myself feeling so stressed with the workload that I resulted to avoiding it entirely and reverting to social media to get my mind away from the stress. Although this helped me in the short run, it was not helpful in the long run because procrastination kicked me in the butt. Thankfully, DCU offers workshops that focus on how to overcome and deal with stress so I have attended a couple of classes. I think that they have definitely helped me to calm my nerves down, which is what I need heading into the last couple of weeks of individual submissions.

Not that I’ve been counting down the days, but there is exactly a month left of my stay here in Ireland and I can’t help but think, where has the time gone?! With school, coaching and basketball things have gotten pretty busy and I feel like I haven’t fully embraced everything Ireland has to offer. Therefore, for the last month, I’m going to make it a goal to do something every week. Hopefully, with this goal, I can make the most out of my time left in this beautiful country.

In this edition of Ian’s blog, we will be discussing Varsities, working a wonderful basketball camp in Cork and of course give you my predictions on the NBA Playoffs.  (Just saw we all know this blog was written before the start of the Playoffs and may be published after the start haha). With that being said, we will start with last weekend, where all the Irish college basketball teams rendezvoused in beautiful Limerick.  The weekend of course started at a pub, where we all had a couple drinks before heading onto the bus from Cork to Limerick. We were heading up to play a college basketball tournament, but it seemed to me to be more of a festival type atmosphere.  During the day, we would play either one or two games, then everyone who played would meet up at the local pub or club which would be rented out by The Head of the Tournament so that everyone could join in the late-night festivities.  All the scholars, except the golfers (Dom and Kristen) who were truly missed, were there which made for an even more exciting weekend.  The weekend was an incredible experience even though we lost all three games, but again the basketball seemed second in importance on this weekend.

The weekend after Maddy and I were contacted to run two girls’ skills sessions.  The first session was girls ages 10-12 and the second session was ages 13-16.  Both sessions were very effective.  There were around 20 girls in each session which helped to make the groups perfect size in order to run certain drills.  I personally enjoyed working with the older age group whereas Maddy liked working with the younger age group, so the separation of the groups created a perfect balance for us as well. All in all, a very fun, exciting, productive camp for the girls and for us as scholars.

Now for my NBA Playoff predictions.  I have some hot takes with this storyline so make sure to keep reading. First hot take, both teams who were in the NBA Finals last year do not make it out of the first round.  LeBron and the Warriors, I repeat, do not make it out of the first round.  A dynamic, young Pacers team who plays excellent defense will beat the Cavs, 4-2. The aging Spurs without Kawhi Leonard will still advance past the Dubs (who have an injured two time MVP, Steph Curry).  The second take, the Celtics without Kyrie Irving, without Gordon Hayward will make the NBA Finals.  They still have great players and don’t forget, one of the best coaches in basketball, Brad Stevens.  The final take, the Houston Rockets will be the NBA Champions.  They have a deep team, with two stars and a tremendous coach with a great system.

Thanks for reading about what has happened the last two weeks for myself and reading my thoughts and hot takes on the NBA Playoffs.  Tune in again and make sure to read other scholars blogs too! Have a great two weeks!!

One of the best things about being a Victory Scholar is your opportunity to travel. Before applying for this program I didn’t have plans to travel Europe until I saved enough money to do so. I also have a fear of flying so that played a big part in me postponing any travel dreams. Being a part of this program has allowed me to explore Europe and conquer my fear of flying one trip at a time.

My favorite kind of trips are the ones that aren’t planned. No itineraries needed, just explore and let the experience unfold on its own. Last week, I went to Italy with Deja and Meghan for a few days. We stayed in the beautiful town of Limone sul Garda, right on the shore of Lake Garda. We weren’t in a heavy tourist area so we really got to have an authentic Italian experience. Most of the first day was spent traveling to our hotel, but the second day was more eventful. I fell in love with the natural beauty of the town, from the lake to the mountains and the architecture of all the buildings. And of course the food and drinks were great!

On the last day of our trip we headed to Verona before our flight back to Dublin. Verona gets its fame from being the setting of Romeo and Juliet, and being there you can see why the beautiful city was selected for Shakespeare’s play. There wasn’t much time to join any tours, but we were still able to view the Casa di Giulietta and the Arena di Verona.

In the House of Juliet it was amazing to see all of the writing and letters on the wall that people have done over the years. For me it just showed how we all seek to be a part of something bigger and how connected we are by these global experiences.

After another successful trip, I am grateful that I get this chance to explore the world at such a young age and with such ease.

The last few weeks have absolutely flown by. My parents came up for two weeks and we had an awesome time. Luckily they had a car and we were able to navigate the tight Irish roads and travel all over. We got up to Donegal, Northern Ireland, and Connemara and enjoyed each stop more than the next. Future scholars, travel as much as you can both in and out of Ireland, it is definitely worth it. My parents also spent a lot of time in Galway and came to love the culture and nightlife. At the end of their stay they had a hard time leaving Ireland and will certainly be back. It was also really nice to introduce them to some of my teammates, coaches, and friends around Galway.

After that, I had a great trip backpacking around Italy. In a short time I was able to hit Florence, Rome, the Cinque Terre, and Pisa. The whole trip was beautiful and it was great to see a small part of another culture. My favorite part would definitely be the Cinque Terre, where I did a six hour hike through mountains and vineyards with views of small, colorful towns that made it worth it. Following that, I had Varsities which we were lucky enough to win. It’s kind of like glorified intramurals but with all the colleges in Ireland. It was great to see the other scholars and some of the SCL team and we definitely managed to have a great time.

It’s tough to believe that I only have a month and half left in Ireland. The last few weeks especially have flown by. I’m going to make the most of my remaining time and will be sure to keep you posted throughout.

“Je ne sais pas” is my signature French phrase, one of the few things I remembered from my 5 years of studying French in school😅. Well it finally came in handy this weekend when I flew to France with the Wildcats U16 team. The girls had a tournament in Cabourg, France and I was lucky enough to get invited, which was perfect because it turned out to be a great birthday gift.

Day 1- A Small Taste of Cabourg

We landed in Beauvais Airport and from there drove to Cabourg which is a small town right on the coast of Northern France. The town was beautiful with its city center, restaurants, shops and of course the beach. I immediately fell in love! After a bit of exploration, we grabbed a bite to eat and the food was delicious just as expected. We finished the day watching one of the Cabourg Women’s basketball matches in the gym, where we were able to meet the other teams in the tournament and the locals.

Day 2- Time to Dominate

First day of the tournament and our girls were ready! I’ve never had the chance to watch the U16 girls play other than in practice so I was excited to see them in action. Right of the bat they dominated on the court, holding most of their opponents under 20 points and earning themselves a semifinals spot. What I loved while watching on the bench was how the girls were able to regain momentum of the game despite the crowd or the mistakes they had made. It’s was a level of maturity that is often hard to find in older groups. Which is why when Jillian allowed me to coach the second half of their second game, they made my job easier to do because of the discipline already instilled in them.

We concluded the day with a group dinner with all the teams and volunteers of the Cabourg tournament. For dinner it was a traditional French meal with an assortment of meats and cheeses and bread. And of course I enjoyed a glass of white wine with the rest of the coaches.

Day 3- C’est Mon Anniversaire!

Yup April Fools Day is my birthday (it suits me perfectly) and it just so happened to fall on Easter Sunday this year. The day started off with the Happy Birthday song from the girls and then we headed off to breakfast before the girls semifinals match.

The gym was packed with people watching the last playoff games and the atmosphere reminded me so much of AAU tournaments back home. The girls were facing a tougher opponent; The Southend Swifts, an English team (the irony), won the Cabourg tournament championship last year. The score of the game remained close until the last three minutes when the girls stepped up defensively, a charge led by the youngest player. Their ability to execute down the stretch and their determination gave them the win and the chance to play in the championship game later that day.

We had a couple of hours of free time before the championship game, so I wanted to explore the city centre. So many people were out enjoying the beautiful Easter Day. I decided to take a ride on the town’s Ferris wheel where I was able to get such an amazing view of Cabourg.

Later that day it was championship game time. The girls struggled a bit in the beginning against the Luxembourg team, Amicale Stessel. But again they managed to find that spark of energy which allowed them to take complete control of the game. More importantly, I noticed an increase in their confidence as they didn’t let a mistake from the last play dictate their entire performance. I hope that this is something they continue to build upon.

The trophy ceremony was very elaborate, almost like a mini Olympic ceremony. I loved how no matter who won or lost, what team you played on, what country you were from, it was still a celebration for everyone. We finished off the great day with a big dinner party where we were served the most perfect dish of Paella. I had three plates of it and just danced the rest of the night so I wouldn’t feel bad about my over indulgence.

Day 4: Tour of Deauville and Honfleur

The last day of the trip was spent exploring some other beautiful parts of Northern France. The first stop was Deauville, a city famous for its casino, annual film festival, and the sea. I ate my first crepe there because I was not leaving France without doing so. The final stop was Honfleur, a harbor town known for its artistic and architectural presence. For a birthday present to myself, I enjoyed one final French meal at Le 92, a restaurant right on the harbor.

Ultimately, this was such an amazing birthday weekend, one I will never forget. And I can’t say thank you enough to the great people who made this weekend so memorable. Not only did I get to turn 24 in France, but I watched our girls become champions!😎

À bientôt France!

Hey Everyone!

This past weekend I had the opportunity to take a weekend trip to Italy!  The last time I was in Italy I was 11 traveling around with my grandparents and cousin for 3 weeks.  I was excited to get the chance to go back and visit now, 11 years later. We flew into Verona, but we were actually staying in Limone which is right on Lake Garda.  It was a small town right on the Lake and surrounded by mountains.  It was very beautiful and was an opportunity to really see the Italian culture.  Very few people spoke english there, but we managed to figure things out.  It was a great place to vacation!  Before our flight back to Dublin we had a chance to walk around Verona.  I was in Verona 11 years ago and it is exactly the same as I remember it! A small but beautiful city.  It is known for Romeo and Juliet and being the city of love.  We were able to visit Juliet’s house where her balcony is.  Here you can find different messages written on the walls leading into where the balcony is along with people leaving different love letters on the wall.  Verona is a great city and it was the perfect way to end the trip!  Below are some pictures from the trip!

 

       

-Meg

This whole year has hands down been one of the most amazing years of my life. Thanks to Sport Changes Life, I have had so many memories between getting to play basketball in Ireland, working with kids, and getting to travel the world. It has been something I surely will never forget. As my journey here in Ireland is coming to an end in a little over a month, I can say I have learned so much about myself throughout the year.

While my year has been amazing, this has also been one of the most difficult years of my life emotionally and mentally. A side that I never show on the outside, because I am GENUINELY happy here. However, as I wrote about in my blog entitled “Scars,” this year more than any other year I have struggled with confidence and body image issues. There have been so many days where I hate how I look, get on the scale 3 times a day, and get depressed to leave the house and see people. I had moments of an unhealthy relationship with myself and with food. This has never been me, but something that I struggled with once my skin got bad. Seeing myself going down this path of an unhealthy obsession with my body, I decided I need to make some changes this spring.

I didn’t write this blog to bore you all with my problems and issues I promise!

The reason I wrote this blog, is this year I have come to terms with so many things. I have come to terms I will never be perfect and that is okay! I have truly found my inner peace here in Ireland. Some might say I sound like a hippie, but I love hippies and their whole energy, so I’ll take it! Through all my struggles mentally and emotionally, I decided the only way to get through them was to find things that brought me peace and cleared my mind. I needed to find things that made me happy and stop obsessing about my appearance. The two things I have found that have given me peace (besides basketball): going to the beach and running.

Going to the beach is a no brainer, I grew up going to the beach every summer and was in the water from a really young age. I love the beach and the ocean, nothing makes me happier. However, being in Ireland, there aren’t many ideal sunny beach days! Donegal, where I live, has some of the most amazing beaches in the world, so I decided this spring I am going to go whenever I get the opportunity. I am actually writing this blog after spending the afternoon at Ballymastocker Beach, voted the second best beach in the world. It is hands down my favorite place on Earth. There is never anyone at the beach, just me, the sand and the ocean. Jumping in the freezing cold water and walking the beach made me think about everything and how lucky I am to be where I am. I can’t even explain what it is, but I was just so happy in that moment at the beach. I feel at peace with the world and most importantly myself.

Running is another activity that I have gotten back into this past month. I started running when I was a young girl, my mom put me in running club and I would even run triathlons! I have always enjoyed running, but now running is my all-time favorite therapy. I ran a half marathon last year and it was one of the biggest achievements of my life, so I decided this spring I would get back into some of that training. The other day I ran 8 miles, and it was the best feeling. Although I ran rather slow, it was extremely therapeutic. Going for long distance runs gives me an hour to an hour and a half of pure time with myself to think everything through. I put on my favorite songs (usually country) and think about all I have going on in my life. It is essentially my own therapy session with myself. When, I finish a run I am so relaxed and once again at peace with myself.

I encourage you all to find your peace. Find what makes you happy and forget all your problems, whatever that may be. No matter what you are going through, you can always find ways to help yourself through it. I am excited to continue doing the things that give me peace this spring. I am incredibly thankful for this year, and all that it has taught me. In a weird way, maybe I am also thankful for my skin getting so bad. It has taught me more about myself than I ever imagined and showed me that I am stronger than I even knew. And maybe, just maybe, even slowly, it is teaching me to stop hating myself, and start loving myself once again.

xo Mak

 

 

 

 

Writing this blog seems too good to be true because that means my dream, the one I have had since I was a kid, is now a reality….

When I was younger and someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I never hesitated with my answer: my Mom. When people ask me the same question today, even at the age of 22, I still answer: my Mom. I have admired and strived to be like her since I could walk – I’m not exaggerating. She’s a total “New Yorker” especially when she walks (New Yorkers are notorious for walking extremely fast), so I had to learn to keep up with her!

My Mom is the middle child of five girls, so you can imagine how crazy their house got. She excelled in school and paid her way through college, graduating from NYU’s Stern School of Business with a degree in Accounting. Back then, what is now known as the “Big Four” public accounting firms, was the Big Eight and my Mom received job offers from all of them (now it may make sense why I am so competitive). She joined Arthur Andersen after her graduation, became a CPA, and met my Dad there (who is also a CPA) at a Christmas work party in …..don’t worry, Mom – I won’t say the year!

Presently, my Mom is the Associate Publisher/General Manager of Harper’s Bazaar – a fashion magazine owned by the Hearst Corporation located in the world-famous Hearst Tower in New York City (300 W 57^th Street for anyone who may be in NYC and wants to know the exact location – make sure to look up to the 25^th floor and wave! You might see my Mom looking out over Central Park). To say I am so proud to call her not only my Mom, but my best friend is such an understatement. She has worked so hard to get to where she is in life. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard, “Your Mom is the best at what she does” or, my personal favorite because she is truly more than just a businesswoman, “Your Mom is the best person, you are so lucky.” I love introducing myself as “Anne Welch’s daughter” because people automatically know that I was raised by a strong, loving, supportive and motivating woman.

My Mom commutes and stays overnight in NYC three days of the week, a routine that’s been in existence in our family since before I can remember. To hear the phrase “Mom is in the city” is almost as natural as breathing to me. You know how you can tell which one of your parents is home by their footsteps and movements? Well, nothing would beat hearing the door open late Thursday nights because I knew it was Mom coming home by the way she’d open the door. She has sacrificed so much to be able to give my family the most amazing life.

As I mentioned in my previous blogs, NYC is my most favorite place in the world. I have worked so hard in the classroom and in extracurricular activities in hopes to one day be able to join my Mom in NYC and follow in her footsteps. Last week, I was fortunate enough to receive an offer from one of the Big Four accounting firms, KPMG, to become an Associate in their New York City Deal Advisory practice. I am happy to say I have accepted this opportunity and will be officially moving there at end of this summer to begin my professional career.

Funny enough, I will be working on the same block my Mom began her career which is only two blocks away from where she works now. She started at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, and I’ll be reporting to work at 1350 Avenue of the Americas!  Like mother, like daughter, right?

Hopefully, she’ll see me waving from her window!

God is GOOD!

This past weekend was one of the best weekends I have had in Ireland. It was the “Varsities” tournament, which is the end of year college basketball tournament every year. There were 35 men and women’s teams from all across the country that came for the 3 day tournament. My team, LIT, played one game on Friday and one Saturday morning. We won both of our pool play games to top our pool. Then we won the quarterfinal game Saturday afternoon before losing in the semi-finals to DCU. Playing three games in one day brought me back to the AAU days when I was 17 years old. Towards the end of the day, my legs were definitely feeling it, but we had a great run and played well all weekend.

 

The main reason why I am writing about this weekend however, has nothing to do with basketball. What made the weekend so special was that all 22 of the basketball scholars were at the tournament. The tournament took place at the University of Limerick, so I got to show everyone around the city that I have been in all year. Whenever all of the scholars get together for the weekend it is always pretty crazy and a lot of fun. It was sad to miss out on the two golf scholars (shoutout Dom and Kristen), I’ll see you guys soon, but it was so amazing to see everyone else. This blog post is meant to be a thank you to all of the other scholars. I am so lucky to be a part of SCL and am so lucky to have met these 23 incredible people. Whether we talk everyday or don’t talk that much, all of you have played an important role in my life and I know that we will always have something in common. We are truly one big family and all of the scholars are always willing to help each other. Some of my favorite weekends have been traveling to visit other scholars. No one knows how important the other scholars have been to me through my year in Ireland. This blog doesn’t do it justice and I can’t thank you all enough for the role that you have played in my life. I am already counting down the days till I see you all again!

Together Everyone Achieves More. This acronym built the foundation of my athletic and coaching career. I strongly believe that team sports help ordinary people realise their extraordinary ability to do new things. I’ve had the incredible opportunity to develop relationships with two very special groups of young ladies whom I see as extraordinary people both on and off the court.

I remember walking into the gym the first day of practice with my Under 16 team with all the girls staring at me (down to me really because half of them are taller than me…) clueless as to what I was saying due to my accent. But, we worked together, I learned a wee bit of Irish slang and they began to understand what a “penny” (bib) is. I also had the chance to work with the Under 18 girls team. These girls are equally as special to me because of their determination and commitment to improving their game. I know that several of them will accomplish their dreams and play in the USA one day.

Looking back, it’s been 8 months of weekend road trips across the country, heart-breaking losses, astonishing wins, and bonds that will last a lifetime. It is impossible to forget my U16 & U18 girls. We’ve done more than go over ball handling and shooting drills; we took a group of individuals and formed a team. From practices to games to holiday/club get togethers I’ve been blessed with a special group of young Irish superstars. I hope to keep in touch with these girls and their families because I hold them very dear to my heart. Each of player and I have a memory that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. Whether it’s forgetting simple math equations or completely missing the rim on a layup, I’ll continue to look back on every moment and smile.

At the end of the day, it isn’t just about wins and losses. It’s about the young girls that became young ladies in a short span of 8 months. My goal was to leave a small mark in the basketball world of Limerick and I truly felt that my girls helped me do exactly that. Cheers to a great year and an even better future! I’ll miss you all so much, but I promise we will keep in touch! Always remember that you are incredible both inside and out! Shoot for the moon and never give up.

“You’re unstoppable, you don’t stop when it gets tough, you’re a fighter, you’re smart, you’re kind, you’re loving, you are loved, you’re original, you are you.”

WNLC: Ulster University Elks are your Champions Trophy Winners!! So happy to be sharing that information with you readers. This season has been full off ups and downs but I wouldn’t have wanted to go through with any other group of girls! Each one of them are an important part of the team, and was an important part in helping bring out the team win. We also couldn’t have been prepared and ready to go to battle within the instructions, strategy, and game plan of our coaches Pat and Deirdre. They have provided us with information about our opponents that was needed in order to beat our opponents FR. Mathews club which were an excellent matchup game for us, so hats off to that club for giving us a good game filled with competition and making us work for it, nothing was easy.

We are not done yet as last but not least as the season is unfortunately coming to an end, Varsities is the only competition games left on schedule for Ulster University Elks. We still have a chance to add some more hardware to our case of memorabilia at the University. I believe we can again come out on top, we definitely  can win some games but it won’t be an easy task to win the entire competition. We however do have the talent and skills to win the entire thing in my opinion, but unfortunately with the game of basketball you ever know what will happen in the outcome, that’s the game of basketball for you. The experience at Varsities should be filled with fun and a bunch of team bonding. As my Irish people like to say full of good criac. Whatever the case I’m looking forward to it and will definitely add to the list of memories filled with joy that I have had on my experience here enjoying Ireland as a Victory Scholar. Make sure to follow Varsities and catch up on all the games and any other events happening for the weekend event. See ya next blog.

           I am already in the best month of the year and you ask how it can improve? Well first off, my favorite month of the year is March because of “March Madness”.  I already have brackets printed out to fill out during the Selection Sunday show and even have my red pen and highlighter on my desk lined up to use on my predicted bracket (hopefully I don’t use the red pen much).   But while all this is occurring my favorite brother (my only brother) Billy, came to visit me in Cork! I was so excited when he said he was coming to visit.  I couldn’t wait to see him, and hang out with him in Cork.  He arrived on Selection Sunday in the afternoon during the A10 Championship.  I mention the A10 Championship because Davidson College was playing and my brother attended college there and worked with the basketball program there.  So, of course we had to watch the game.  Therefore, we went to Rising Sons, a brewery who has great pizza and pints.  We ordered a pizza and pint and asked if they had the game on their sports package.  Unluckily they did not.  So, what did we do?? Obviously put in on our phone and propped it up as we watched them win the A10 Championship and get their dancing shoes ready.  We had a great first night as we then watched the new terrible format of the Selection Show of the NCAA Tournament and fill in our brackets.

            Day 2, I had to work which didn’t work out too bad.  Billy came into Ballincollig for lunch with me on my lunch hour and then as I finished my work day he toured around Cork and showed me some new places that I didn’t even know were in the city.  We then met up in the city for a great dinner at Electric in Cork City.  I didn’t realize that this place was tucked over in the corner of the city (even though Maddy apparently mentioned it to me once haha).  We then made my usual walk up to Neptune on the north side for my practice.  On the way, we stopped at the bodega on the side of the street and I opened my brother up to the fabulous drink of Lucozade.  The raspberry Lucozade which I didn’t try yet, was loved by us both.  He then was able to meet all of my teammates and was even able to speak to my Spanish teammate Enric (my brother speaks fluent Spanish).  We then bussed back to my place and chilled for the rest of the night.

            Day 3, we had big plans.  We woke up early and caught a bus to the beautiful town of Kinsale. There we walked around for a while and just toured the town on the water.  We went into St. John the Baptist, a beautiful Catholic church on the hill looking over Kinsale. We found this church as we were looking to venture into some museums but unluckily for us a lot (all) of them were closed.  The best part of Kinsale was the restaurant called Fishy Fishy.  My brother and I split mussels in a thai sauce, a nice seafood chowder and an excellent salmon and cod fish pie.  The meal was unreal and one of the best meals we both have had in a while.  We then took our bus back to Cork and to my apartment.  We then were lucky enough to have a dinner invite to the O’Sullivan’s.  My brother was able to meet the lovely family and even met wonderful Aunt Hester, who I met during the Christmas season when I stayed over at their house for the holidays.  The meal and company ended a fabulous day with my brother.

            Day 4, brought us to the last day of the trip in Cork por mi hermano.  Again, I worked in the morning and he and my coach, Paul Kelleher, met me in Ballincollig where we had a nice lunch and relaxed.  My brother and I then headed to the city and the bus station to catch his bus to Shannon Airport.

            I was so glad that my brother could come visit me in Cork.  I was so excited when he told me he would be here for a few days.  I’ve definitely missed him and was overjoyed that my best friend could visit his little bro in the Emerald Isle.

Happy Easter everyone! Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays for a few reasons. My birthday is right around the corner, it’s a perfect excuse to eat chocolate, and I am a dork and still love a good old -fashioned egg hunt. Easter is also a personal favorite because it reminds me a lot of Thanksgiving. Back home, every Easter, my family goes to mass, followed by an egg hunt, and then we have my dad, Larry’s world famous French Toast! Easter is always a time where I am excited for warmer weather ahead and a time where I reflect on everything I am thankful for, so today I wanted to write out 5 things I am thankful for this Easter.

 

1. My Family

I have been surprisingly home sick the past couple weeks. Although I have been having the time of my life in Ireland and traveling the world, I am extremely close with my family. Despite the fact that there are so many of us, I am in contact with my family via our family group chat called the “Sureloins” everyday. Seeing pictures and videos of my nieces and nephew bring smiles to my face, but also make me wish I could be there enjoying all of these moments in person. Most of the other scholars are heading home at the end of May, but I decided in December I would be staying till mid –July to travel so I have about 4 months till I see my family. However, how lucky am I to have such an amazing family and be so close with them. I know they would never want me to pass up an opportunity to travel the world. In the meantime, I have already started the countdown until I meet my whole family at the beach in July!

 

2. Sport Changes Life

I am incredibly grateful to Sport Changes Life for giving me one of the most unforgettable years of my life. It still seems surreal that I get to play basketball, coach youth, travel the world, and get my masters paid for. Almost seems too good be true! Even through the ups and downs, this year has been life changing and incredible in everyway possible. I’ve learned so much about others and even more about myself. I will forever be thankful to this program and the staff for creating such an amazing opportunity for me.

 

3. Falling in Love with Basketball Again

When I left college, I was brokenhearted. I was devastated to give up the game of basketball, the game that hands down has saved my life. I felt so lost, and I wanted to play overseas, but my college head coach destroyed a lot of the love I had for the game. The way she treated me for the three years I had her eventually just led to me hating the game, it felt like a job, and I just wanted to put it in the past. However, as my year out of college began, I felt like a part of me was missing. Getting the opportunity to play overseas has been amazing, and most importantly FUN. Between my coaches and teammates on both my national league team and college team and winning an All-Ireland Championship- I have fallen back in love with the game. After such a fun season, I can finally say that I can walk away from the game content, knowing that it has given me so much. Unlike last year, I can walk away from basketball on a high note, with the same love I had for the game when I was a little girl. With a few games left, it’s going to be a bittersweet goodbye, but I am so thankful to have fallen in love with it again.

 

4. The 24 Victory Scholars

These are the other 23 Americans doing the program besides me. It is crazy because we were all strangers who met for 10 days in Belfast for orientation and then we all went our separate ways. I don’t even get to see majority of these people on a regular basis, however, when I do get to see them, it’s always a great time. The part I think I am most thankful with them is the support we all give each other virtually, even though we are all rarely together. The other day on my 24-hour journey to Greece for spring break- I spent the whole journey pretty much being a creep and reading all of the other scholar’s blogs. These blogs were so good and some of them even brought tears to my eyes. I think it is so cool that we can all share our different stories through our blogs and somehow connect to one another. What I have learned from these people is that we are all fighting our own battles, but we aren’t alone. I remember when I posted my most personal blog, how many scholars reached out to me and gave me support. It was so encouraging because I was legit so terrified to share my story with anyone. The amount of the support and fun that this group has is awesome and I am so thankful to have met these people. See you all this weekend at Varsities!

 

5. The Sun

Oh my gosh, this spring break I was able to get a few days of SUN. Yep, you heard that right! I absolutely love Ireland, but the sun rarely shines up in Letterkenny. I am such a beach person and love sitting in the sun. Even if the sun shines for a few minutes, I feel myself becoming instantly happier. There is nothing better than being warm, wearing shorts and a tee shirt, rocking shades, and laying in the sun. They say you never appreciate what you have till it’s gone, and that is so true for the sun. With this, I know summer is right around the corner and I can’t wait to be in the sun everyday.

“I think being in love with life is a key to eternal youth.”

Everyone has a right to their own opinion and I respect that wholeheartedly. This is my story and why I am so passionate about life.

I am in love with life. Isn’t it such an interesting thing? Think about it about in its simplest form – we were all blessed enough to wake up every morning and make a difference and I intend to do that every single day. There have been numerous times when people have told me to grow up, to which I always answer them why? I love connecting with people, making others happy/laugh (no matter how silly) and helping them become the best versions of themselves. All we genuinely have in this world is each other. Why be anything but kind and caring towards one another?

My house mate and fellow SCL scholar, Chaz, will tell you he hated me the first couple of weeks. Why? “Because you are always happy.”  When he first told me this, I immediately died laughing. As I mentioned earlier, I am in love with life and I have been blessed in so many ways that I do not take for granted a single day that I am on this Earth. If you have read any of my earlier blogs, I have told you before that my brothers and I were all adopted at birth. My life, and my brothers’, could have been so different if another choice was made by our birth parents. It’s so strange to think about, but a simple yes-or-no decision gave me this amazing life and, as I have said before, everything happens for a reason. If another choice (one which I would have had no input in) were made, there are so many things I would not have had the same opportunity to do. For example, I can say with complete confidence that I would most likely have not received a college education, played collegiate basketball (playing overseas in Europe would have never been an option), been as loved and supported as I am by family, and my biological brother, Christian, would have not been given the proper medical attention he needs for his progressive vision loss disorder. More radically, I simply would not have been given life.

Life is too short to go a day unhappy.  As dismal as it may sound, we aren’t guaranteed a fixed amount of days on this Earth. If you haven’t thought about this before, think about it now: today is the youngest you’ll ever be. Strange, but true! Why not do what makes you happy every day and make those around you happy as well while we can? I was told towards the end of my collegiate basketball career, “People won’t remember your stats, they’ll remember how you made them feel”, and that quote is transferable to everyday life. How you make others feel about themselves, says a lot about you.

Banksy, an English artist, once said, “They say you die twice. One time when you stop breathing and a second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your name for the last time.” I hope that my name never ceases to be said and it’s because people will remember how good I made them feel.

Truly, the only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.