Last weekend I helped coach the under 13 girls team and the under 11 mixed team in the community games. This was the majority of the players first time ever playing an organized game of basketball, so although we did not get the result we wanted, the kids learned a lot about the game, and most importantly had fun. On Friday I coached the under 13 girls, which was entirely comprised of the girls from the Girls School in Maynooth, which I had coached at for almost two months. During my time at the school I taught the girls how to dribble, pass, shoot, and some of the fundamental principles of the game of basketball. The girls clearly enjoyed the game, and this was reinforced when Jim Walsh began to organize the community games, and over fifteen girls from the Girls School showed interest in participating. We practiced every Wednesday for about a month, and the girls really began to understand the game. During the actual game this past Friday, the girls were competitive and did their best. After the game the girls even asked if there would be more practice and if they could play another game. Hearing their enthusiasm and seeing their love for the game was more important than the score on the scoreboard. They were all very new to basketball, so their skills will only improve, but finding that authentic love for the game is sometimes hard to find. I am so proud of the girls for how hard they worked, and I really hope that this is only the start to their basketball careers.

On Saturday I coached three games for the u11 team. The commotion was very good, but the Maynooth team battled every game. There were thirteen players on the team, and all of the players contributed in a very positive way. There were several players that scored, and seeing the faces of some of the players when they scored their first basket was truly priceless. They learned a lot about the game, but they also learned the meaning of being a good teammate. Although some players could only play one to two quarters, they supported their teammates on the floor. So many coaches talk about how they would pick a good teammate over a more talented player every day. Also, learning how to be a good teammate at a young age is not only important for sports, but for life because you are not always going to be the most talented person, but your work ethic and attitude is what can help take you far in life. I was honored to coach the u13 and u11 teams; I am so proud of them and I cannot wait to see their love for the game grow even more.

 Dear Mom and Dad,

I want you to know that I regularly get told I am too polite and that I overuse the phrases “I’m sorry” “thank you” and “please.” You taught me and my brothers the importance of manners and kindness. You showed me that it’s okay to recognize when I’m in the wrong and to apologize for it, hopefully making amends. And you told me to always use my manners when asking for something. But somewhere along the way I began to use those three sayings too much; even when I’m not wrong I’ll be the first to apologize and I always say please and thank you when requesting something and when that request has been fulfilled. They are words that have become etched into my vocabulary, but sometimes I wonder how often I mean them. From my perspective, all the time. But from the perspective of my friends and those who tell me I overuse them, I can understand how they may seem to have an insincere and trite connotation. While others may criticize my polite terminology, I try to embrace it because it’s a piece of me that has pure and genuine intentions, even when the words seem exhausted. It’s a characteristic of mine that was instilled by two of the most selfless, positive and impactful people I know.

In addition to kindness and manners, you both have taught me the importance of humility when I’ve been on a high and the importance of support when I’ve been in a rut. These past 8 months have been no different. Through every anxiety attack, declined credit card transaction and homesick spell, you have been there to give me that bit of support I’ve needed to keep going. Through every accolade, positive message and promising grade I’ve received, you were there to tell me to stay humble and keep paying-it-forward.

Most importantly, you’ve helped me grow individually, financially and professionally. When I’m indecisive about a situation, you’re always there to remind me of the facts and what is the most logical solution. Recently, I’ve had to abstain from buying multiple clothing items so I have the funds to buy groceries. While it’s been challenging, it’s been rewarding seeing my own money be put to good use. Because of your willingness to listen to my drafted emails and help connect me with those in your network, I have been able to develop my networking skills, giving me the chance to adequately grow as a young professional.

Not just these past 8 months, but my whole life, you have blessed me with positive encouragement needed to follow my heart, you have provided words of wisdom and you have given me the time and direction to think intuitively and independently. I’m excited to be reunited in just two months, but I know the days are going to fly by with your daily morning and goodnight messages.

So, the next time I say thank you for FaceTiming with me or I say thank you for sending me a few extra dollars, I’m not just saying it because it’s the polite thing to do, I’m saying it because I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing without you and your support. I’m beyond grateful to have you both as my parents and two of my biggest inspirations.

With love,

Kristen

Continue reading…

Hey everyone!!

Recently some of my friends decided to make the trip to Ireland to come visit me!  I was so excited to see them! It had been a while since we all were together, and what better place to reunite than Ireland?!  We did a lot of sight seeing and walking around Dublin.  We visited a lot of the museums in Dublin, and of course stopped in the Guinness Factory and Jameson Distillery.  We even went and visited an old prison that apparently some movies have been filmed in.  Getting out of Dublin for the day we took a trip to see the Cliffs of Moher.  This was probably one of my favorite things we did.  It is truly breathtaking and I suggest if you have the chance you must go see it! We even did a boat tour at the bottom of the cliffs (I unfortunately got a little motion sick on the boat ride so wasn’t the most fun for me, but if you like boats you should try that too!). Overall it was a great trip and I am so lucky to have friends willing to come all this way to visit!!  Here are some pictures from the trip!

-Meg

This next blog is a thank you to my U16 team….

To: Emily , Rachael K , Rachel B , Alex , Janet, Ava , Claire , Sarah

I remember walking into Mercy gym the first time we ever had practice. There were only 7 girls. All but one I was height level with. I knew for sure we had to be missing a few girls. But soon I would be informed that this was it. No true big man or point guard I knew a challenge lied ahead but one I was surely willing to accept. We went around the room and I had each girl introduce herself and give a fun fact about themselves. I remember Alex fun fact was that she was in love with Justin Bieber 😂

But let’s fast forward to the first game of the season. We played a team that had two post double the size of my tallest player. I could tell the girls were nervous and so was I. This was my coaching debut and I didn’t want to disappoint. I can’t lie we started off the game really shaky. We were down about 12 ending the first quarter. By the end of the second quarter the other team was nearly up twenty points.At halftime I said to my girls we’re gonna press. I know there’s only seven of us but this is about heart. If u believe we can win this game we will. The start of the third quarter the girls came out on fire. We got the lead cut down to about 7 entering the fourth quarter. Exhausted , burnt out, gasping for air the girls fought and fought and fought until the final buzzer sounded. We got within 2 multiple times but fatigue eventually took over and we would end up losing the game by about 8. Even though we lost that game I knew I had a team of warriors. I knew I had a team that could fight and would fight even if they were undermanned.

We started off losing our first few games by a high margin. The girls would battle but we just couldn’t get over that hump. That would soon change and we would pick up our first win halfway through the first half of the season. A three to send us into overtime by the wonderful Emily Hennessy and then solid defense through the OT period would take us over the edge. As the season went on after each game you could see the improvement in the girls. The shy little girls that once took the court had turned into beast‼

So this is my thank you letter! Thank you for always putting a smile on my face. Thank you for accepting me as the five foot animated coach from America. Thank you for working hard each day and leaving it all on the floor. From our dance sessions, horse games , car rides , photo shoots,FaceTime call with the famous Victoria,getting eachother to try all the different candies and goodies we like from our countries and the list goes on I will miss it all.

Emily – KEEP SHOOTING!!!! Always believe if the first one doesn’t go in the next one will ! Believe in yourself becux you are way better than what you give yourself credit for💪🏾

Sarah – keep working hard the sky is the limit ! Thank you for running the show all year at the point 💪🏾 you were our due it all player ‼

Ava – Firecracker !! You have a heart of a lion !! Your hustle was simply unmatched ! Thank you for making whoever you were guarding life miserable 😂

Rachel B- Beasttttttttttt !!!! Confidence !!! Once you believe in yourself no one will stop you ! It was good to see u go from barely wanting to touch the person your guarding to dropping 20 buckets a night 😂💪🏾

Alex – you remind me of myself regarding the passion you play with ..So don’t ever change just don’t hurt anyone out there 😂😂 Tell Matthew I like his shoes {insider}

Janet – I know your job was hard. Playing some games and not others but I have to say thank you becux your never sulked. Every time I looked down the bench you were cheering your teammates on.

Rachel K – You were always down for my dancing antics. Milly rock was on point 👌🏽😂 You starting to catch fire mid way through the season but in particularly our last two games.. Keeping shooting but most importantly keep dancing 😂😂💃🏿💪🏾‼ {cookout dance}

Claire – you were the baby , but everytime you stepped out on the court you proved you belong. Keep working hard each day becux you can be so good !

U14s- Thank you guys for joining the squad. You gave our bench a huge boost ! You didn’t have to do what you guys did so I am very appreciative ❤

Grace – my assistant coach , and Snapchat selfie partner.. it’s your turn to take over the team next year I hope your ready 👀😂

Parents – thank you for traveling to all the games and being our biggest cheerleaders !

Last but not least the Hennessy’s! Thank you for always opening up your home and giving me lifts to and from games and training sessions. You went over and beyond your job and I am truly grateful from the bottom of my heart ☺

This isn’t goodbye but see you later ! You made my time in Ireland a great one , memories I will cherish forever 🇮🇪 Now let’s go turn up Barcelona 💃🏿💃🏿💃🏿💃🏿

Bless up

-TC3

Hey everybody!

I’m starting this blog with a tribute to one of my favorite movies, The Parent Trap. In one of the scenes towards the end of the movie, in the midst of the awkward reunion of the long-separated family the movie’s about, Meredith Blake says something along the lines of: “Wow, what a small world”, to which Nick Parker replies, “And getting smaller”. So why am I quoting one of the best romantic comedies of all time? I want to dedicate this blog to my (warning: second sappy blog in a row) overwhelming feelings of all the clichés involving destiny and everything happening for a reason after these past six months in Ireland.

From trivial things like having a running path right next to my apartment building that reminds me of my favorite trail at home, Cork conveniently having its own gourmet sausage company that fulfills the void left by Fenway street sausages, to one of the pieces of street art in town being a Boston Red Sox display, I have encountered so many random parallels and connections to MA that both make the world feel very small and make me realize that home does not always have to be an address.

This weekend in particular made me appreciate this sense of comfort I’ve found over here, most notably with my friends. As I mentioned in one of my blogs from earlier in the year, while meeting my cousin who owns a pub in Dingle (Kennedy’s if anyone’s looking for an adorably authentic spot), Ireland being a small town of a country really came out as Miriam (one of my classmates) realized while chatting with my cousin that her granddad once bought Corgi dogs from my distant relatives back in the day. Since this weekend was Miriam’s birthday (HBD!), a bunch of her friends and our classmates came to Kerry to celebrate. As if the Corgi story was not enough, after talking to her mom I quickly learned that her grandmother was actually born in one of my favorite places that I consider a second home – Worcester, MA of course – and while she eventually ended up moving back to Ireland, her uncle still lives in the 01610.

These small world moments culminated when at some point during the birthday celebrations, we all recognized the diversity of our group. Our untraditional group consisted of me, the hopefully not so stereotypical American, our classmate Jean from Malaysia, Martha from Spain, and my Irish classmates Grace and Bernadine along with some of Miriam’s hometown friends. Never did I ever imagine I would be meeting people from all over the world, let alone making life-long friendships.

Ultimately, I am so beyond thankful for the relationships and memories I’ve been fortunate enough to form so far this year. As I’ve already said, these weird small world connections in addition to the people I have met have made Cork feel like home. To CIT and SCL for bringing our random, hilarious, and amazing crowd together, thank you.

Today I went to the Cliffs of Moher with my boyfriend Emmet, Tiffany, and her mom. There was a lot of anticipation leading up to our tour as the weather report first said it was going to rain, then a couple days later said it was going to be partly cloudy, then a few days after that said it was going to be pouring rain. Considering the forecast didn’t seem promising, we were all a little tentative to take the tour. However, seeing that my boyfriend and Tiffany’s mom were going to leave on Tuesday, we had to make the bold decision to take our chances. Praying to God that the weather would ease up, we booked our tickets preparing for the worst.

We woke up this morning and the weather in Dublin was nice and sunny. However, we didn’t want to get our hopes up just yet because the weather at the cliffs could be completely different. 30 minutes into the drive, our bus rolled to a stop. Everyone on the bus began to look around as we all sat wondering what was going on. A couple of minutes later, the bus driver announced that the bus had a flat tire. Of course, superstitious me began to feel that this was a sign and that the worst was yet to come. I began to think that our journey to the cliffs would be a rainy disaster. Eventually, a new (much nicer) bus finally came to pick us up and we were back on our way to the cliffs.

Two hours into the trip, my bad weather suspicions grew stronger as we drove through miles and miles of thick fog. I looked over at my boyfriend and we exchanged the same “this is going to be bad” look. Then, all of a sudden, just as we had given up hope, our bus burst through the fog and entered into what felt like a completely new country. Rolling hills of green and sunshine as far as the eye could see graced our presence. My jaw literally dropped at how drastic the weather changed.

Finally, we reached the Cliffs. To put it simply, the view was absolutely stunning. The temperature was at a cool 60 degrees Fahrenheit with mild winds. Sunbeams were radiating from the clouds, revealing every wrinkle along the cliffs and reflecting against the ocean to display that deep, Atlantic blue color. Waves came crashing along the rocks and the birds were chirping in happiness. I felt like I was in heaven. The course of events that took place leading up to our arrival to the Cliffs definitely made the view that much sweeter. I mean, I can’t rave about it enough. If you are in Ireland, this attraction is a must see.

Over the past seven months I have had the opportunity to coach for the Ulster Elks basketball club. I co-head coached with my roommate the women senior Elks team and I assisted coached for the women junior Elks team. Taking lead on the senior Elks team was definitely a challenge for me at first because I never coached an team before during an actual game. The senior women were all around my age which made it even more uncomfortable for me at first but after a few games I became more and more comfortable with coaching. My roommate and I ended up going undefeated, winning the league and cup final. As well as coaching the senior Elks, I was also given the opportunity to be an assisted coach for the junior Elks and that was another great experience. The head coach was a great role model to learn from. She taught me so much about coaching, whether it came from game management, dealing with uncontrollable factors that could appear, to very minor things that you would never think of that go into coaching. She even gave us responsibility at times to lead practices or come up with line ups for game time. We were also lucky enough to help the junior Elks go undefeated the entire season, winning league and cup final.

When I first went into coaching at the beginning of the season I had zero confidence and was so nervous. Mainly because coaching was definitely required me to step out my comfort zone and I was not quite ready for that nor did I have any desire to be a coach. However, I can confidently say I am way more comfortable with coaching and as I prepare myself to enter the “real world” I definitely see more coaching in my future. I enjoy sharing my knowledge and helping others to be better basketball players.

March Madness! March Madness! March Madness!

Many of you may not understand this time of the year and many of you may, but for college athletes its very important to say the least! Sadly both my lady-vols and vols are done with their seasons, (both came up short but had a good run in the tourney) but I still have one team I am cheering for which is Loyola-Chicago! The NCAA tournament is what each team more than likely works their entire season to be in.The more games you win, the tougher your opponents are, the higher seed in this NCAA tournament you will get. Therefore making it easier for you to advance on to the next levels. There’s even an entire selection show just for college’s to find out where they get placed and what seed they get. Only a few are chosen, and some are missed out on unfortunately (I think the basketball world is politics as well). Some teams take their opponent for granted when they see whom they are matched up against and hence comes forth upsets. Many upsets and bracket busters. The key to winning the NCAA tournament in its entirety or at least making it to the final four (although every level you make it too, first-round, second-round, sweet-sixteen, elite-eight, final-four,etc.. is an important accomplishment) is to never under-estimate your opponent, don’t let up, or take any team for granted because you never know what will happen. My post college coach use to tell me, you never know what the basketball gods will be up to during each game so it’s best just to go out there and play your best and do what you can, that way you know you left it out there, everything you had on the court, no regrets.

But my reason for writing this blog is to bring forth the importance of team sports. The Ulster Elks have a Champions Trophy Final coming up which will end our season with just having Varsities left. It’s gonna take our entire team to win. I’m very excited and words cannot express the excitement actually, whether we win or lose I’m very appreciative of being apart of this squad, I’ve gained a group of sisters and bond that I will never forget. Each one of them with there different personalities just makes every training and game that much more fun or good craic as they would say. I have learned how to adjust my game in ways I thought was not even possible, and it’s just been an all around good experience to say the least. Wish us luck and hopefully the next blog I am writing about will be a victory blog giving you an update and how things went.

 

As I walked off the court at the MAAC tournament last year which I thought was my last basketball game ever. After all these years of hard work, it just ended. Every emotion hit me once. I will never put on a basketball Jersey again. I will never play in a game again. I will never wake up early in the morning for training. As an athlete it felt like a part of me was missing. Thankfully SCL gave me the opportunity to play the game I love for one more season.

There are a lot of athletes right now feeling the way I did at this time last year. If you are, I highly suggest applying to SCL. You get the opportunity to move abroad for a year to Ireland, inspire children through basketball, and play the game you love one last time! (What can be better than that)

My season in Ireland just came to an end last week and unlike last year I’m finally ready to hang up my sneakers as an athlete, but certainly not as a coach…

As I am coaching here I can’t help but to think of all the coaches who inspired me. Each coach has taught me something on the court, and more importantly in life. So here’s something I’ll take from a few coaches I got a chance to learn from along my basketball journey…

Coach Mcguinness- One of the best coaches I have ever had. He gave me confidence and believed in me from the first practice I had as a freshman on varsity. I was nervous being so young, but he made it known I was meant to be part of this team. Unfortunately he passed away last year but his spirit and passion for basketball lives on through all the athletes that got a chance to be coached by him. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be the basketball player I am today. I’m forever thankful I got a chance to be coached by coach Mcguinness

Thank you for giving me confidence in myself as a basketball player.

Coach Buckley- After my freshman year coach Mcguinness handed the head coaching job over to coach Buckley. At first I has hesitant and upset losing one of the best coaches I have ever had but coach Buckley made my next 3 high school years amazing. One thing I will take from coach Buckley is the importance of family. Even to this day he keeps in touch with players he has coached over the years. He came up with the term “fAMily” and I think this sums up who he is as a person and as a coach. He made our team a family and every athlete that joins the team, the fans, the coach’s will forever be part of this fAMily, and that’s something really special. To be apart of something greater than yourself.

Thank you for giving the coaches, fans of albertus, and the players a “fAMily”

Coach Vulin- She got the head coaching job my senior season at Manhattan college. Being a senior I was in a routine for 3 years and was hesitant about changing everything I was used to in my last college season. I quickly realized I had absolutely nothing to be worried about because coach vulin made my senior basketball season my favorite of them all. She made me co-captain which was a huge deal for me. She believed in me to keep a positive attitude and be a role model on and off the court to the team. She had confidence in my 3 point shot and for the first time in my college career did I really believe in myself on the court. She held me accountable and taught me the play green way.

Thank you for making my senior year at Manhattan college my favorite and teaching me the #PLAYGREEN way.

Coach Sahar- She was more than a coach to me. She was a friend, someone I could trust on and off the court. When I went through difficult times in my life Coach Sahar was right by my side to pick me up. She did whatever it took to keep a smile on my face; taking me to the nursing home, waking up at 7am every morning to do meditation. These acts of kindness will always be with me and I aspire to have half the warm heart Coach Sahar has. I promise to be JOY everyday for you.

Thanks for teaching me that basketball is more than a game

Coach Kojack- I couldn’t have picked a better coach to end my basketball career with. He made basketball fun for me again. He had full confidence in my abilities and really made me feel confident in all aspects of the game. His passion and love for basketball is something I will take with me.

Thanks for making basketball fun

Being a coach is a special job. You have a chance to touch peoples lives through sport. It is truly a special thing. I can’t wait to take everything I learned from each coach and apply it to the basketball players I will coach in the future.

“A good Coach can change a game, a great Coach can change a life”

Thank you SCL for this extra year of basketball!

I am a very big Tottenham Hotspur supporter and it started a few years back just simply playing FIFA with some friends. A friend of mine got the newest edition of the game and soon it became the only thing we played. I started following soccer (as us Americans call it) more and decided to start following the team I had the most success with, which was Tottenham. Coincidently it was about the same time they started playing well and were able to break into the Champions league and I was able to convert my friends into Tottenham supporters as well. We would get up early on Saturdays to watch them play whenever they were being covered in the United States.

So seeing Tottenham play in person became something I had added to my list of things to do during the year as a Victory Scholar. I finally had that chance this past weekend when they played Huddersfield at Wembley Stadium. Luke, Matt, and I made the journey over to England to see them play and the Hotspur did not disappoint. They had a convincing victory with a score of 2-0 and my favorite player Heung Min Son scored both of them. It was an unbelievable experience that was everything I had hoped seeing them play would be. Funny enough in a stadium that holds 90,000 people the people behind us made the trip over from Jordanstown as well and we got a great picture with the lad who was a Hotspur supporter as well.

Spending St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland is an activity I get to now proudly check off my bucket list. Although it was an early and very long day, I am so happy we made the trek down to Dublin for one of the world’s most famous holidays.

Natalya and I debated if we should make the trip to Dublin for the day. I had a friend from Siena visiting me and I felt bad asking her to haul on three buses over 36 hours and we thought that spending the day up in Northern Ireland would be the same amount of fun that Dublin would be. Oh boy were we off with that speculation. Nearly everyone we talked to said that the festivities and the parade are good up North, but since we would only be here for just one St. Paddy’s Day, we had to make the trip to Dublin. Thank you to everyone who suggested we go, it was so worth it!

When I arrived in August and met all the Scholars, everyone was so personable and easy to talk to that I had a feeling we were all going to be a close group. Seeing almost all 24 of us in the same city to celebrate a huge holiday together was an amazing experience. It was so nice to catch up and to enjoy the Irish culture altogether again. It’s kind of nostalgic to think that just 7 months ago we were strangers meeting for the first time and now we are all close friends who meet up as much as possible. My suggestion to future Scholars would be to take advantage of the opportunities to meet up with other Scholars, see as much of Ireland as possible and embrace every part of the journey. I feel lucky that I’ve grown so close to an amazing group of people and I’m thrilled I got to have a bit of craic in the nation’s capital this past weekend!

I’ve been playing basketball since I was about 10. I started off playing for the local club teams in my area. I lucked out and had a really good coach when I first started playing his name was Coach Q and he taught me the fundamentals of basketball at a very young age. I played for him for a year or so, then his daughter and myself started playing for a club team out in another town called Winslow Township. That’s when I really started to grow as a player. My coach then was Coach Denise, hands down one of the best coaches I ever had. Sometimes he could be rather… crazy and a little erratic. I remember one time he almost fought one of the coaches we were playing against. But he was just so passionate about us and about basketball that we didn’t really care. Like him getting into fights with refs, other coaches, or even parents sometimes, it didn’t really bother us as players because he had our backs. During practices he would be on the court playing with us, being aggressive, forcing us to get outside of our comfort zones. The drills we would do would be so fun and competitive, that definitely helped shape a lot of us at a young age as players. I played for that team for about 3 years. We were so good. One season we went undefeated other years we always finished at the top. That’s where I met on of my best friends till this day, Jada. Her, Coach Q’s daughter, and I then moved on to play for AAU basketball.

We played for a team called Ring City based out of north Jersey. Every weekend our parents would drive us 2 ½ hours to practice, it was definitely a commitment. That’s where I met another honourable mention, Coach Walter Welsh. He had to be one of the best/scariest coaches I ever had. I remember one practice having a ball pegged at my chest because my hands weren’t up and ready to catch the ball and I wasn’t paying attention. I remember getting cussed out at practice for not using my left hand then being told I better not cry… The man was super scary but he shaped me into the player I went on to be. He thickened our skin, because after him there was no coach I had that could get under my skin or shake me. Because I had already been shook out by the best! Like till this day there’s no coach or even person really that could yell at me or I guess you could say…. “be stern with me“, that would ever bring me to a breaking point.

Any who, first workout I went to with Ring City was actually a try out but a lot of us didn’t know. Next thing you know I would be told I made the team and that was my new team. Ring City was a new organisation and we were their first team. The team was owned and operated by retired NBA player Ron Harper and his wife Maria.  I played for ring city from ages 13-16. They were some of the best/intense basketball years of my life. We started off rocky, but once we got a flow as a team no one could beat us. We went to tournaments all over the country and really made a name for ourselves. I remember one tournament in Tennessee playing in front of over 50 college coaches. It was very intense but it had some really great moments. We were a family. Over the years things started to fall apart and a lot of us walked away from the team our final AAU years but we all ended up at Division 1 basketball programs on full scholarships.

Playing basketball in college had its ups and downs, it seemed like more downs then ups. No one or nothing prepares for your first year as a D1 student-athlete. I remember calling and crying to my mom at least once a week about wanting to quit and come home. I struggled in every aspect, from school, to basketball, to my relationships with my teammates, to my relationship with my coach. Its a lot for an 18 y/o who’s leaving home for the first time and dealing with all that essentially alone. Luckily I had one of my best friends/ teammate at the time to help me through the transition but it was still a lot. In the end obviously I stuck it out, I walked away with a degree and no debt. I walked away a stronger person because of it with skills that transfer into the real world. When people ask me the question of “would you do it over again” I used to think no absolutely not. And a part of me still sometimes thinks that. But now that I am a full year out from playing D1 basketball and I’ve had time to really reflect on those 4 years…. I think I would do it again. Like I said it had its ups and downs, more downs then ups to the point I never wanted to play basketball again… but it’s gotten me this far which is pretty far than most can say.

I will say though, now in this lifetime, I probably won’t play basketball again after I leave Ireland. I think it’s great some of my fellow scholars are having a ball (no pun intended) with basketball and some really got to have the love for the game again but… I can’t say the same for myself. This year only further showed me that this isn’t something I love anymore. This isn’t something that brings me joy/makes me happy. And I’m at an age/point in my life where…. I no longer have to do anything that I do not want to do…So I will no longer put myself in a situation where I have to force myself to do something I don’t want to do.

Basketball, it’s been real. You will be missed. But I have to say goodbye for good.

I’m on a bit of an emotional high as I write this blog post. This past week was one of the most memorable of my entire life, and has left my heart so incredibly full. It was months ago that nine of my friends decided to book flights to Ireland at the same time to visit me, and tomorrow morning the last one of them heads back to the states. Some were childhood friends, some college friends, some friends of friends that became friends, all basketball players, and all forever connected by this trip. 9 girls, two rental cars, and 7 days. We traveled from Dublin to Killarney to Dingle to Galway and back to Dublin for our final hurrah on St. Patrick’s Day. We laughed until we cried, drank some Guinness, ate one too many burgers, pulled over to pet sheep and horses along the way, and quite simply lived our best lives. I had been saving my trip to the west coast until my friends arrived and it didn’t disappoint. To be able to experience so much of this country that I now call home with people from home was an experience I’ll never forget.

To top it off my friends from home were able to meet all of my new friends! They finally met my infamous roommate, Kenzie Rules, who I spend 99.9% of my time with, and even my classmates and personal Dublin tour guides Hazel and Sarah. While 5 of my friends had to leave on Saint Patrick’s Day, the other three stayed and were able to meet all of the Victory Scholars at our place in Dublin. This was really the first time all of the scholars have been in once place since the Belfast Classic and it was the reunion we’d been waiting for. I can honestly say that the Victory scholars this year have a truly unique bond. We get along so well and never fail to have an amazing time when we’re together. As I looked around our apartment at my oldest friends and newest friends meeting and laughing in the heart of Dublin I couldn’t help but think: this is what it’s all about. Nothing makes me happier than connecting with people who bring out the best in me and those around them. Years from now, I know I’ll look back at this week and break out laughing or maybe even crying. I’m so grateful for the memories I’m making this year and the incredible people who I’m able to share them with. I’m headed into my last week of classes with nothing but positive energy and appreciation.

Happy St. Paddy’s Day!

Shannon

The day started off with music blasting and the smell of bacon coming from the kitchen. My mom was cooking breakfast for us before we headed out to the parade. We headed into the city where hundreds of people awaited. Crowds of people filled the Dublin streets waiting for the annual St.Patricks Day parade to begin. It was freezing. We had a 45 minute wait until the parade was set to begin. I ran into the local shop and got hot chocolates for my group and I. The parade began. This was the most interesting parade I ever attended. It started off normal with the army and police officials heading the parade. They had marching bands from various colleges from America. But then the parade got interesting. For a solid 20 minutes different groups dressed up as insects walked the parade. We couldn’t figure out why they were dressed in these costumes and what the relevance it played to St.Patricks day. We got stuck trying to cross the road for about 30 minutes 😫 We had to wait for a gap in the parade to cross the street. We met up with some of our fellow victory scholars and headed to a few local bars. St.Patricks Day definitely lived up to the hype that surrounded it . Unfortunately Alex and I had to call it a night early due to the fact we had a playoff game the next day but we still had a great day celebrating in this wonderful country. Word of advice come to Ireland during St.Patricks weekend you won’t be let down 😆

Bless up

~TC3

What does it mean to be a Victory Scholar?  Now that is truly a loaded question.  There are so many angles to what you would think would be a very simple nine-word question.  You could take the angle that you get to keep playing the sport you love, or take the angle that you are helping and improving a community while embracing a completely new culture.  This blog will examine what it means to be a Victory Scholar according to Ian Thom the Cork Scholar. It will be difficult to truly put in words what it means but I will do my best.

The first aspect that comes right to my mind is the number of friends, people and connections you make in such a short time.  It is incredible how many people have been so welcoming, helpful and opening as they expose their to lives to a complete stranger from New York.  The friends I have made through this program will last forever and I never could have imagined coming to the country of Ireland and not only meeting so many fabulous Irish people but other Americans, French, Spanish, Polish and so many more nationalities.

The second aspect of what it means to be a Victory Scholar that resonates with me is the ability to be part of a new culture and community and to be a role model for kids in Cork that I have met.  As I wrote about in my last blog, the opportunity to coach younger kids in basketball and not only teach them skills but life lessons and values that will help them in their future is the staple of being a Victory Scholar.  Values such as hard work, resilience, integrity, passion and positivity are values that lead to a brighter future.  Being able to be someone that displays these qualities to a growing and evolving youth to me has been the greatest part of being a Victory Scholar.

Of course, then you have two tremendous qualities of the program which are furthering your education and continuing to play the sport you love.  Having the ability to receive a Masters in Marketing Practice will be a quality asset coming back to the United States.  The opportunity of working at VMware in my second semester and completing an internship there has been an incredible learning experience for me as well which I wrote about in my most recent blog before this one.  Getting a MSc in Marketing Practice and furthering my education in only one year is an unbelievable option and is only possible through being a Victory Scholar.  The second part to that is to keep playing.  I have enjoyed my time here playing.  It really is eye-opening how different the same sport in one country could be to another country.  It is still basketball but the qualities and how it is played can be very different to the American style and certainly the officiating is one hundred percent different.  The experience of playing here has been exciting and a great opportunity though.

I would never have traded this experience for anything.  Yes, it is a very tiring and busy schedule most every day, but the experiences, opportunities, and connections you make are unlike any other.  Being a Victory Scholar has been everything and more and has allowed me to further my learning, playing, coaching and most of all my ability to make connections that will last for a lifetime.

The day started off with music blasting and the smell of bacon coming from the kitchen. My mom was cooking breakfast for us before we headed out to the parade. We headed into the city where hundreds of people awaited. Crowds of people filled the Dublin streets waiting for the annual St.Patricks Day parade to begin. It was freezing. We had a 45 minute wait until the parade was set to begin. I ran into the local shop and got hot chocolates for my group and I. The parade began. This was the most interesting parade I ever attended. It started off normal with the army and police officials heading the parade. They had marching bands from various colleges from America. But then the parade got interesting. For a solid 20 minutes different groups dressed up as insects walked the parade. We couldn’t figure out why they were dressed in these costumes and what the relevance it played to St.Patricks day. We got stuck trying to cross the road for about 30 minutes 😫 We had to wait for a gap in the parade to cross the street. We met up with some of our fellow victory scholars and headed to a few local bars. St.Patricks Day definitely lived up to the hype that surrounded it . Unfortunately Alex and I had to call it a night early due to the fact we had a playoff game the next day but we still had a great day celebrating in this wonderful country. Word of advice come to Ireland during St.Patricks weekend you won’t be let down 😆

Bless up

~TC3

It is amazing how in such a short time you can become extremely close with a group of people who were once strangers. Sports have been able to do that since I’ve started playing them. Every single year I played, there were always at least a few new players, and at most an entirely different team. Thankfully, no matter what team I was playing for or who I was playing with, I always had one thing in common: sports.

Some of my teammates had many other things in common with me, which is why those select few went from strangers to teammates, and eventually my best friends. Most people believe sports are for people who have athleticism and a competitive mindset, hoping to win a championship at some point in their lifetime, which is is partially accurate. In hindsight, I realized playing on a basketball team had brought together 12-15 different people, who may have never crossed paths if it weren’t for a sport. Then, in a months (or shorter) time, I was able to say I have 12-15 sisters who I can always rely on. These relationships still remain strong today, even from teams I played on that were 8-10 years ago. I look back on my college, high school, AAU, and CYO seasons and realize friendships was a huge motive for my love of basketball.

When my season ended senior year at SJU, I realized this was the end. There was not going to be any more new teams to play on, or friendships being built through a sport I loved. That was until Sport Changes Life came into the picture.

24 Victory Scholars met for the first time in New York City, mostly all strangers to one another. We then had lunch together, and flew off to a brand new country, which doesn’t get any more intimidating than that. Awkward conversations began through the one thing we all had in common: sports. From there, the rest was history. Each of us had some sort of connection through sport, whether it be from college, AAU, or a bizarre trail of contacts we came to find.

It is now March, and I can honestly say after 7 months of just meeting these 24 scholars, I now can call them family. This past weekend was Saint Patrick’s Day, and for the first time since August, we were all together in Dublin, hanging out like we’ve been best friends since we were 10 years old. We even planned for scholars to visit me in Philly when we return home in May. I now have 24 more lifelong friends, which I can thank Sport Changes Life for.

Hi Everyone,

This past weekend was St. Patrick’s Day.  Here in Waterford, Jas and I led our Mini Ballers in the parade.  They all had their faces painted and were excited to show off their dance moves to the crowd.  I was surprised how many people were there to watch the parade!  The streets we lined and everyone came out in the cold weather to watch the parade.  It was great to see all the people out to watch, and it was even better seeing the reactions of our Mini Ballers!

                        

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the parade was over in Waterford, Jas and I set off to go experience Dublin on St. Patrick’s Day!  I love St. Patrick’s and getting to experience it in Dublin has been on my bucket list for quite sometime.  We may have arrived after the parade in Dublin, but the city was still very much in celebration mode.  There were so many people walking around in their green attire.  It is definitely an experience I think everyone should have before they die.  The city was so lively and there were so many people you could barely move let alone get into any pub.  It was a day full of celebration so I have to say my first St. Paddy’s Day in Ireland was a success!!

In the past few weeks, many friends and their families have planned trips to come visit Ireland this coming spring and summer. Because they know I’ve been living here, they have asked for suggestions of places to visit, and more specifically things in Dublin, like the good restaurants and tours to do.

Therefore, I’ve decided to post about some of the great trips and tours I’ve done in my free time between my crazy school, basketball, and coaching hours. Even with the busy schedule, I always make sure I take trips to different places and take full advantage of the beauty Ireland has to offer. For people planning a trip to Ireland, whether it be on vacation, or for future scholars, here is a quick list of things to do in Dublin.

Tours- I did the Guinness Storehouse tour which I liked because it was self-guided, so I was able to pick and choose the things I wanted to learn about. The best part was the top floor, which was a bar with a 360 degree view of Dublin and served a complimentary Guinness. I also did the Jameson Factory tour that was very well done. Shan and I got a complimentary drink and then got to taste different types of whiskeys and compare the tastes. I also have heard the Teeling whiskey tour is great, and I hope to do that one in a few weeks when my family visits. Do NOT do the leprechaun tour, it is an absolute waste of money that sucks in idiot tourists like Shan, Alex, and myself. Although we do find it funny looking back on how naive we were. I’ve taken my friends and Mom through the Book of Kells tour, which is the old Trinity College library that has been around for centuries. As a whole, it is interesting to see, but not worth waiting in a long line and paying for it. Students get free admission and guests, so that is the only reason I’ve done the tour.

Pubs- The pubs are great atmosphere and you really can’t go wrong with any of them in Dublin. The ones in Temple Bar can rip you off with prices, but they are a great time because there’s always live music and a good crowd. My favorite bar in Temple Bar is Oliver St. John Gogarty’s because there’s one Irish man who is an awesome performer.

If you want to try your first Guinness, everyone says to go to Grogan’s or Long Hall. Personally, I don’t taste the difference, but I like the atmosphere of Long Hall better. Other pubs I like are O’Neills (serves great food and in the evenings they have live music and Irish step dancers) Kehoe’s, PMac’s (has board games to play at the tables), Stag’s Head, Toner’s (great for sporting events), Whelan’s, and Mary’s (excellent burgers). Obviously there are tons, but those are just a  few of the many that I like.

Places Outside Dublin- Right outside of Dublin, about an hour away that is very easy to get to by bus, is Wicklow National Park (from the movie P.S. I love you). I wrote about it in my other blog post, but it’s a gorgeous hike that has breathtaking views, especially if you go on a nice, sunny day. Also, right outside of Dublin is a fishing harbor called Howth, which takes about a half hour by train. It has a mini boardwalk full of seafood places that sell amazing food, and it also has a cliff walk/hike with a great view looking out to the ocean.

Coffeeshops- One of the great things about Ireland, and Europe in general, is their coffeeshops. Over here, coffee is more than just a drink you chug to stay awake, and I’ve grown to love it. There are so many artsy/alternative coffeshops that sell amazing coffee, as well as food. Some of my favorites are Beanhive (who actually do artwork in the lattes), Accents, Shoe Lane, 3fe, Butler’s (need to get their hot chocolate), and Brother Hubbard (great for breakfast as well).

Breakfast- First of all, people lied when they said the food is “bad” in Ireland. It’s DELISH. For those looking to get that “full Irish breakfast”, a decent amount of the pubs in town usually has it, and its amazing. Some of the more popular places I’ve been to are Hairy Lemon, Bank on College Green, and Beanhive. Aside from that, there are a ton of great breakfast/brunch places in general. Places I loved were Lemon Crepe & Coffee Company, Whitefriar Grill, Bow Lane, Metro Cafe, Avoca, and Brother Hubbard. On top of that, there are a few donut shops around town that I have to avoid walking by because it’s nearly impossible to restrain from buying one.

Lunch/Dinner- The options are endless. When you are looking for a hearty Irish meal, go to a pub, or get fish & chips from Leo Burdocks. Also, I’m not much of a burger person, but Ireland has changed me. In my opinion, the best burger is Bunsen, and people claim the one in Temple Bar to be the best and most original. Mary’s Wowburger and O’neills are also great choices. Other than that, you can get great Italian, Mexican, Thai, Japanese, Moroccan, and more. It’s safe to say that every place I’ve been to has had me leaving extremely satisfied.

Desserts- There are a bunch of gelato places (Gino’s and Scoops) around town that have gelato (obviously), crepes, waffles, and shakes, as well as some frozen yogurt places (Mooch), both being delicious. In my opinion, the place you need to try is Murphy’s ice cream. Their sundaes are TO DIE FOR, especially the Dreamy Caramel. You also can’t pass up a Butler’s hot chocolate, especially on a cold, rainy evening to warm you up! Finally, if you prefer to keep it simple, go to a convenience shop and buy any flavor of the Cadbury chocolate. This smooth, creamy chocolate is the reason I have developed a terrible sweet tooth in the past year.

I can go on for pages about places to go and things to see, but those are the main spots. Sometimes, the best tour you can get is self-guided because that is how you truly get an understanding of the culture. Even after all the places I’ve visited (I may be biased), Dublin still finishes as my favorite!

“What has four letters, sometimes has nine, but never has five.” I was told this riddle last week by one of the girls in my volunteer program. It took me awhile to get it, but I was cracking up by the time I figured it out.

This semester I’ve been volunteering every Wednesday for a program called Learning for Life. Kids from a local primary school have the opportunity to experience what it’s like as a college student. After finishing school for the day, the kids head over to WIT and eat their dinners in the cafe. We then take the kids to a classroom so they could work on their homework. The day concludes with the kids getting a chance to learn something new in either the computer lab, health building, or the sports hall. Currently, the kids are working on creating a newsletter about the CPR and first-aid skills they’ve learned this semester. By the end of the 8-week program, a graduation ceremony is held and the kids get a certificate to recognize their hard-work and participation in the program.

So far in the six weeks that I’ve been with this group I’ve had the chance to meet some great kids who always manage to keep me smiling. At the same time, I’ve also gotten to know and share some laughs with the other volunteers for the program.

One of the things that I enjoy about the program is how it stresses the importance of education. Sometimes education is taken for granted and so the Learning for Life program allows these young students to get a feel of the college experience so that they can get inspired to pursue higher education. Not to mention, the program helps to build their self-confidence through the different skills that they learn in the labs and through the interactions that they have with each other and the volunteers. And for someone who is constantly working to improve her own confidence, I am happy that I get to help the kids build theirs.

Ultimately, the Learning for Life program is a great example of how learning is a two-way street; the kids learn from us (the volunteers) and we find ourselves learning from them. From working with the kids I’ve been reminded to not overthink everything (as reflected in the riddle from the beginning) and to not take life too seriously. Make a joke or tell a riddle, but always find the time to smile and laugh regardless of what’s going on in your life.

This past Tuesday, my college team, LYIT, competed for an All-Ireland Championship in Dublin. We had a great season and were beyond excited to make it to the final. We were playing our opponents, Griffith College- for probably the 6th time this year, as we happen to play them in both National League and College. They also have two Americans and a Spanish professional player. The two Americans played Division 1 at Fairfield and they are both incredible players. Griffith College also had a significant height advantage- as my college team could quite possibly the smallest team in the history of the game of basketball. I am the tallest player on my team, by 3 inches- so I get to player center and do the jump ball (I love it!) My whole life, I have been a guard and been one of the smallest players on my team, so it has been quite the shift playing here in Ireland.

Before the game, I found myself really nervous, which is weird because the whole time I have been playing in Ireland, I haven’t been nervous or put any pressure on myself at all. I made a promise to myself that I would just enjoying getting to play the game I love, instead of putting all the pressure that I used to put on myself in college. This game was our one chance to leave Ireland with a championship, so naturally the nerves sunk in! So, I did what I always do, I called my dad. I called him right before warmups and said I was nervous. As usual, my dad gave me three or four points of advice, the usual 1) flat feet 2) arc on your jumper 3)CALM 4) I love you and am so proud of you. See my dad and I- we’ve been on this basketball journey together since I was about 8 years old, and that voice was all I needed to hear and I was ready for the game.

The game itself was hands-down the most exciting game I have ever played in and been apart of. Our college got a fan bus to come down to Dublin, so we had a super loud crowd. (Thank you to our amazing supporters!) We went down early by 14 points, so I knew we were going to have to work if we wanted this win. Our coach, the legendary Niall McDermott, or as he likes to be called- “the John Wooden of Ireland,” told us that all we need to do is keep it close until the last 5 minutes of the game, and then we will push ahead and win this game. We then got it close, and actually went ahead by 6 points, only to be tied for the remainder of the second half. The fourth quarter was back and forth until my roomie, Faith hit an incredible 3 pointer to put us up 2 points with 7 seconds remaining. We went absolutely insane, I for sure thought we had won it. However, Griffith answered with a buzzer beating lay-up to put us into overtime.

I was exhausted, but I knew my teammates and I wanted to win this so badly. Overtime was back and forth the entire 5 minutes; it honestly felt like the longest 5 minutes of my life. It came down to the wire and coach Niall drew up a ball screen play for me on the wing. There was 2.4 seconds left and I knew I had to knock down a jump shot, no time to drive. All I could think was how many times my dad and I had repped that wing ball screen to jump shot play in my driveway during the hot summer days. All I could also think was how many times I have had that shot at end of game situations where I need to make the shot, and missed- which was every time. I have never made a game winning shot in my life, most likely due to my lack of confidence and pressure I put on myself. I finally cleared all the doubt and told myself, this is your shot. I thankfully then made the shot!! There was 1.7 seconds left, and Griffith got a shot off, but it rolled off the rim, meaning WE WON.

Everyone stormed the court and I was jumping into Faith’s arms screaming my head off. Faith and I wanted this so bad. It was an incredible feeling, something I have never felt before. I can count on two fingers how many championships I have won in my life. A high school state championship (which was also incredible) and this: an ALL IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIP. This one was the sweetest victory because of the intensity of the game, and how incredible all of my teammates played to pull this one out.

In college, I remember our sports information director telling me and the other senior at the end of our careers- we had both played 100 games and out of those 100, we lost 60 games by 10 points or less. That is insane! I saw only one playoff game in my entire college career (it was a quarterfinal game). It was very discouraging to work so hard in college and always come up short. However, all those moments of loss and frustration, all make this moment and this win even more incredible. There is a saying that all the bad times make the good times even better; and that could not be more true in this moment.

I can’t thank my college team/coach enough, you are all incredible players and people. Thank you all for giving me a day I’ll never forget. I can’t think a better way to end my basketball career, as I only have a few more games left. As I get ready to reluctantly hang up my sneaks for good, I will always cherish this moment. A special thank you to my mother who was texting me the entire game and screaming at the live stream computer from New York and to my Dad, Uncle Gordo, and family who were following along as well. All I can say is Dad- we finally did it!

 

I am sitting on the bus back to Letterkenny writing this blog with the biggest smile on my face. In all the years of basketball being in my life, I have never played in a championship final, though I have always dreamed of it since I was a kid. And now, I will return back to America in a few months as an All-Ireland champion….

This post is a Thank You letter to everyone who has supported me and my teammates to get to this point. This truly would not have been possible without you all. I, and my 5-year-old self, thank YOU from the bottom of my heart.

Sport Changes Life: First and foremost, this moment and incredible year-long adventure would not have been possible without you. Thank you for this memory I will cherish for the rest of my life. Thank you for believing in me and the other 23 amazing Victory Scholars to carry out your mission here in Ireland. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to make a difference in young people’s lives. Without this opportunity, I would not have been able to share this special moment with my Mom.

Coach Jones, “CJ”, my Head Coach at Brockport: Where do I even begin? A thank you is simply not enough to explain how grateful I am for everything you have taught me about the game of basketball and life. I would not be writing this post today nor would I have been able to reach this achievement without you and your belief in my dreams. Thank you for teaching me how to fall in love with trusting the process.

The LYIT Supporters, who traveled 4 hours on a bus to watch the final: Wow. What an atmosphere you guys brought to the game! Your energy and support was incredible. You made winning the championship that much more special because we were able to do it with the best support system right beside us. Special thank you to Mary O’Shea for organizing the whole trip down; Ailish, Amira, Ruta, Coach Paul, Saoirse, and Clodagh for making the trip to Dublin; and my wee ones (Eilis, Laura, Katie, and our intern Bronagh) for missing school to come and watch this moment. Thank you for creating an atmosphere I will never forget. It is, and will always be, my most favorite game I have ever played in because of you guys.

Niall, “Nza Mcdza”, my Head Coach at LYIT: What a process it has been to achieve this moment! I am extremely grateful for everything you have done for me and the other “yanks”. Thank you for believing in this team every single day!

My wonderful teammates: WE DID IT!! I’m pretty sure we shocked the whole country of Ireland with that overtime win. What an incredible moment and I am so grateful to have been able to share it with you guys. Thank you for one of the best basketball seasons of my life. It would not have been the same “craic” without each and everyone of you! Now, let’s go have a blast at Varsities!

Chaz and my Irish brother, Luke, who surprised me and Makenzie by coming to the game: Well, you both made me tear up when I saw you at the gym and for those who aren’t aware, I am a complete sucker for moments like these. I went to bed the night before assuming Chaz and Luke were not going to be able to make the 4 hour drive down to Dublin because of school and work assignments, but like any sappy happy-go-lucky movie ending, who sat front row with the biggest smiles to watch us bring home the gold? You guessed it – a once stranger who is now one of my best friends and my Irish little brother. Thank you for the amazing surprise.

Makenzie Burud, “wee” Makenzie: How did I get so lucky to have been able to share this experience with you? We have had quite the adventure and it’s not over yet! While I could write a small novel about our friendship, I’ll keep it short and sweet because you’re not a “fluffer” (as Coach Jones would say) like me: Mak, you are an amazing basketball player, but an even more amazing person. You are going to do wonderful things in this life. I will always be so proud of you and extremely proud to be your friend. Being your teammate and getting to share the floor with you has truly been an honor. Thank you for all the laughs and memories on and off the court.        

Mom and Dad, my heart: Remember when I was younger – I would shoot in the backyard, pretending I was playing in a championship game? Well, I cannot believe this moment has finally happened in real life. And I cannot believe it happened in Ireland with Mom watching it in person…. I feel like this is a story you only read about! Thank you both for always supporting me on and off the court. Thank you for providing me with a life that some can only dream about and thank you for your unconditional love. Everything I do, I do to make you both proud.

THANK YOU to everyone who has believed in me and my teammates. I am the same kid who will always be in love with the game of basketball, and now, my dream has become a reality!

A common question I have been asked is if I have become a soccer fan since I have lived overseas and to be honest I have not really. I am awful at playing it and it is very boring to watch on tv especially since I always miss the rare goal. However, I have found that I am a big fan of going to soccer games and love it even more when the home team wins. This past weekend Dom, Luke, and I all took advantage of a free weekend and adventured out to London. During that tour and also after the immediate stop to eat at Chipotle, we made plans to watch Tottenham play Huddersfield at Wembley Stadium. Neither of the teams struck any interest to me considering I only really know Real Madrid/Barcelona, therefore, before the game I was just excited to see the venue where the NFL games are played in London, but after it I could care less about the NFL.

There is something different about a soccer match that I have never experienced before. If I could try to put it into words it would be a mesh of the camaraderie of a college football game and the skill level of a NFL game. No matter what age every fan is completely invested into their team whether they are a home supporter or an away fan that is cheering as loud as they can. Would I take my time to watch a game on television now after being at a soccer match in person? No, still probably not, but the next opportunity that presents itself to partake in that atmosphere I will immediately accept. Oh and if you are wondering I didn’t miss the two goals that were scored in the game!

Cheers,

Matthew

Recently Kevin Love published an open letter titled “Everyone Is Going Through Something” where he discusses his struggles acknowledging and dealing with his mental health. Kevin Love is one of the best players on the Cleveland Cavaliers, and anyone that knows me knows how much I love all things Cleveland, but that is not why I connected with his letter. Love begins his letter by stating that he has never been comfortable sharing much about himself, and I feel similarly. I will talk to anyone about pretty much anything, but to be completely honest I don’t like delving into my personal life. Love talks about his panic attacks, but he explains that these attacks were deeper than he had imagined and were actually derived from never properly grieving the lose of his grandmother. Kevin Love, one of the top basketball players in the world, has difficulties in his life and I think the most valuable line in his letter is “everyone is going through something that we can’t see”. Although Love is primarily discussing mental health, his message can be extended even further. Every person truly has something in their lives that they are internally dealing with.

I recently wrote a blog post about my love for basketball and how the sport has helped me during some of my darkest times. As I mentioned, I lost my mom when I was 15. She was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer when I was in third grade and she battled for years. When you looked at my mom you saw a strong, loving, beautiful, caring, giving woman. You would have never even known that she was sick. Kevin Love’s words couldn’t be any truer: “everyone is going through something that we can’t see”. My mom would get treatment, work a full day, be home in time to be there for my sister and me, and stay up with us while we did our homework. Obviously I knew my mom was sick, but I would often forget because of her incredible strength and the fact that she never complained. My mom taught me what it truly means to be a good person. The reason I am so strong is because my mom showed me that there is no reason not to be, and the reason I try not to judge is because like Kevin Love said, and like my mom showed me, every person is going through something that we have absolutely no idea about.

After I published the blog about basketball and my mom, several people came up to and reached out to me telling me saying that they connected with the piece. As I mentioned, I typically do not talk about my personal life, but that is doing a complete disservice to my mom. My mom was an inspiration to everyone that she encountered and I want to spread her beauty to the world. I do try to live everyday in honor of my mom, and in a way that would make her proud. When I lost my mom I was sad and I was angry. It wasn’t fair. I eventually realized that although I lost my mom when I was 15, I was still so incredibly lucky to have the best mom and friend in my life for 15 years, because that is a gift that not everyone is given. I realized that instead of being sad, I should be appreciative. I was blessed with the most incredible role model.

Life is all about perspective. Instead of getting upset with the negatives in life, take a step back and acknowledge all that you have to be grateful for. Also never compare losses or misfortunes. Different people and events mean different things to different people, so never think your loss is worse than someone else’s. And most importantly, always remember that every person is dealing with something in their lives that the rest of the world may not know about, so never assume you fully know a situation or and never immediately judge someone. Life can be unfair yes, but at the end of the day we all have something positive in our lives and we must appreciate the positives in our lives rather than focus on the negatives. I miss my mom so so much every day, but I try to go through everyday living a life she would be proud of.

I recently read an article by Kevin Love in the Player’s Tribune titled “Everyone is Going Through Something”. I’ve always been a Kevin Love fan, but this article made me respect him even more as a player and person both on and off the court. More than anything, I loved how vulnerable he was in the piece, something I’m sure wasn’t easy given the sensitivity of the topic. He talked a lot about mental health and the stigma surrounding mental toughness specifically for men in the professional sports industry. He didn’t have an obligation to share his story, but he recognized the power of his platform and chose to use it to help others. He talked about the experience of having a panic attack and attending therapy for the first time in his life. Most importantly, he started a dialogue about mental health and how liberating it can be to talk about what you’re going through.

I felt deeply connected to this piece because as I’ve gotten older, especially this year in Ireland, I’ve become a lot more comfortable embracing my own emotions and sharing my experiences and feelings with others. It’s not easy. As he alludes to, it can be scary and uncomfortable to expose your private life and insecurities to the world. But beyond your own fear and doubt is the opportunity to have a profound impact on someone else’s life. As Love says, you never know what someone might be going through and how your words may impact them.

This past Wednesday was International Women’s Day, and in celebration I was able to reflect on some of the lessons my mom, the most influential woman in my life, has taught me. I’ve learned a lot from my mom over the course of my life… but I think one of the things I admire most about her is how comfortable she in in her own skin, and in the relationship she has with herself. She always told me growing up that the most important relationship I would ever have is the one with myself.

As athletes we’re always told to take care of ourselves physically, but there’s not nearly enough attention given to the mental and emotional side of health. Strength can be displayed in a variety of ways, it’s not just about how much weight you can lift or your ability to fight through an injury. Strength is being at peace with who you are, it’s learning to be vulnerable, and it’s learning how to treat yourself with the same respect and gratitude you so willingly give to others. You can’t pour from an empty cup. Everyone deserves to find their own kind of therapy, wether that’s in talking or writing or teaching or running or breathing. I think when we take the time to focus on ourselves and our own journey we put ourselves in a better position to help others, and that’s what it’s all about. There’s no shame in admitting you’re struggling, and there’s no shame in taking the time to focus on you. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have a mom who demonstrated this and reiterated it often. She showed me that strength and vulnerability are not opposing forces. That there is a time to push yourself and a time to be gentle with yourself.

If you haven’t read the article, I highly recommend it. It’s a reminder that we’re all human; no matter our gender or profession. And we have unique experiences and feelings that we deserve to work through and talk about. It’s a reminder to love yourself and value your worth and use your voice. A reminder we all deserve to hear once in a while.

With love,

Shannon

If I could have any super power in the world, it would be to read minds…

March 15, 2013 – I remember this day like it was yesterday. It was the day that the picture I used as my feature image for this blog I am writing right now was taken…It was the day that my high school career would be finished forever…it was the day that I realized I still had no offers…it was the day that I knew would eventually come but it wasn’t the way I envisioned it…It was the day we would lose our state semi final game.

Even though my team and I won the sectionals and regionals that year, losing in that state semi final game made me feel like I let everyone down. I “feared” that what we accomplished that season wouldn’t be considered good enough….

You may ask, “Why am I talking about a state semi final game that happened over 5 years ago?”

See at that moment when we lost all that I could think about was what other people would say and think. Even to this day, my now 23 year old self still struggles with this. I find myself always trying to keep other people happy and at times I forget about keeping myself happy.

My biggest fear in life has always been disappointing people. I always would ask God to give me the super power to read minds because I figured that if I could read someone’s mind then I would know exactly what they expected of me. As basketball players – and even humans – at times we get caught up in trying to “impress” those with power and authority. If we end up not getting playing time or not getting a job we want we often say things like, “They must not like me.” We even find ourselves doing things to try and “Make them like us.” I’ve learned over time that it is okay to disappoint. You are NOT going to please everyone. Disappointment is a part of growth.

No offers, a few schools interested, and a high school career that was finished. I knew my parents didn’t have the money to send me to college. It was now April and every other elite basketball player were signed to go to school. I feared that all of the hard work I put in and all of the time people took out of their lives to help me would all be for nothing.. Would they still be proud of me if ended up at a local community college? I knew that was all that we could afford. Would my mom still be proud of me?

Disappointment, I was becoming a disappointment. Even though I’m sure not everyone thought that, that’s exactly how I felt. The division didn’t matter, I just wanted a scholarship to continue my education and career. Getting scholarships and earning college degrees is very uncommon for people where I’m from. I wanted to be different. I wanted to show them that hard work pays off. I wanted my mom to know that the times she didn’t eat to make sure I did because she knew I had a game to go to was appreciated and I knew that a scholarship would be a huge thank you! I worked out every single day in hopes that someone would come calling. Finally, in early April I started to receive a few phone calls from interested schools and even went on a few visits.

But it was in May that I would get a call from Niagara University, a call that would change my life forever. They asked me to come on a visit where they put me through a workout and showed me around campus. At dinner the head coach would offer me a full scholarship to be a member of the women’s basketball team. So many emotions ran through my head. The moment that I feared would never happen was here – I was going to school for free!

It’s hard for some people to believe because they see the Tiffany that I am now. But yes, I was once in your shoes with the same thoughts facing those same fears. Those fears constantly saying, “Maybe I’m not good enough? Maybe I’m too small? Too slow? What if I don’t make it? Would people think I was a failure?” I didn’t want to disappointment. I knew I gave these people hope. Seeing me play in college would fulfill a dream that they never could. The unknown is something I feared, and it scared me. But it was also something that motivated me to work ten times harder because I knew when the time came, I wanted to be ready.

Now five years later I think back to how I went from someone who sat on the court crying my eyes out after losing on March 15, 2013, to a girl with zero offers and no hope, to a college graduate who is studying for her Master’s Degree and playing basketball in Ireland. What seemed impossible became possible for me so don’t lose hope, keep working as hard as you can, because your offer is coming🙌🏼❤️

Growing up in Vermont, I am no stranger to snowstorms. Throughout the long Vermont winters, sub-zero temperatures and multiple feet of snow become the norm. Through my 22 years of living in Vermont, I have never been affected by a snowstorm more than this past week in Ireland.

Winter storm Emma came through and hit the entire country of Ireland. It brought up to 40 cm of snow in some places, which is about 16 inches of snow for my American readers. People went crazy!!! It was a respectable amount of snow, but very much a run of the mill snowstorm in the Northeast of the United States. The biggest difference between the two areas is the way storms are dealt with. The problem in Ireland is that they aren’t prepared for these kinds of storms, as this was the biggest snowstorm in the past 30 years. Ireland has limited salt, no (few) snowplows, and even shovels are scarce. The entire country shut down for 3+ days.

My family and I traveled to Dublin on Wednesday, right before the storm started. We had planned the trip well in advance and looked forward to doing some site-seeing in Dublin before heading back to Limerick on Friday. We were able to make it to Dublin before the snow started a little bit Wednesday evening. Then the snow started again Thursday afternoon and into Friday morning. All of Dublin was shut down for Thursday and Friday. Unfortunately. the storm kept us around the hotel for most of the day because many of the tourist attractions were closed. However, it wasn’t all bad because it allowed me to spend some really good quality time with my family. It was so weird to walk around Dublin with no one walking around, no one driving, and everything shut down. There was even a stretch during the night when the power went off everywhere. It reminded me of a mix between the movies “The Purge” and “I am Legend” (both great, but scary movies). It wasn’t the trip to Dublin that my family had in mind, but it was a really fun 3 days with a lot of stories.

 

Since the eastern part of the country was getting hit really hard, Dublin was one of the areas with the most snow. We tried to head back to Limerick on Friday, but all of the buses and roads were closed. We tried again Saturday but all of the buses and trains to Limerick were still closed. So we had to get creative because I had a game the next day. We ended up getting a bus to Galway and then a bus down from Galway to Limerick. This ended up being about an 8-hour journey, when Limerick is only around 2.5 hours away from Dublin. This was an interesting end to a pretty chaotic 3+ days. It was great to witness one of the biggest snowstorms in Ireland’s history.    

I am not going to lie I had a slight panic attack when I walked into Tesco the other day and saw a massive display of Mother’s Day cards. I thought Mother’s Day was in May and I hadn’t sent a thing to my mom! I asked around in panic, only to find out that Ireland and the U.S. apparently have different Mother’s Days; theirs is today March 11th and ours is May 13th. With that being said, it seemed only fitting to dedicate this blog to the phenomenal women who inspired me along the way.

The first lady I am going to talk about is my grandmother, my Mom’s mom who passed away a few years ago, which was the first time I ever experienced true heartbreak. See my grandma, I called her “grams” was my idol. Grams was a woman way ahead of her time, she was top of her class at Cornell Medical School and went on to become a doctor. After becoming a doctor, her and my grandpa started a farm, known as Kesicke Farm, the farm I grew up on. I would get off the bus from school at my grandma’s house and anxiously run into the house, primarily because she always had hershey kisses waiting, but also because I adored my grandmother. Even from a young age, I could sit for hours and listen to my grandma tell me stories of her life and listen to her pass on her wisdom to me. Grams was an hilarious, an outstanding cook, loved to watch birds, and loved doing puzzles (while of course smoking cigarettes). She taught me the true meaning of hard work, as she had me and my siblings working the corn stand at the farm every summer. She taught us how to properly count back change and how to run the stand. I considered grams to be one of my best friends and I just loved spending time with her.

The one thing my grandmother made me promise her, was that I would travel the world. She had a giant map of the world, and she pinned every place she had been to, which was a lot. I asked her to tell me stories of the all the places she visited and I was so intrigued. She made me promise that I would “take the time to travel the world, there is just so much out there to see.” That is when I immediately had this desire to travel the world and be like my grandma. I’d like to thing I have made her proud, having traveled to 12 countries so far and by the end of this summer I could be up to 25 countries. I could write a novel about how my grams has impacted my life, but most importantly my grandmother taught me to live every moment like it’s your last, and something she lived by everyday of her life. There wasn’t one single day, even after she suffered a stroke, that I didn’t see my grandmother smile or crack a joke. She would always tell me, “life’s way too short, don’t take it too seriously!” I’ll never forget when my grandpa passed away she was smoking a cigarette at his burial, saying “well I’m having one last cigarette with him!” She was a true character and a true original who lived in every moment. When she passed away, it shook our entire family. It felt like the glue that held us all together suddenly was gone. I was devastated and it felt like my best friend was taken from me. No more stories, no more hershey kisses, no more jokes. This was also the first time I have ever and to this day have ever seen my mother cry. But as my grams would’ve wanted-we continued in life smiling, carrying on her memories and lessons she taught us.

If you can imagine the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree, as my Mother inherited a lot of my grandmothers qualities. If you know me, you know I am very close with my Dad (love you pops!), but I don’t always get to share the way I feel about my mom and how she has impacted my life. My Mom is absolutely amazing and god I hope some day I can be half the woman she is. You’ve never seen anyone multi task, until you have seen my mom. I mean this woman can have 5 separate things done within 15 minutes, its absolutely mind-blowing. My mom is also a teacher, and when I watch her teach I literally tear up every single time. She just has this way with kids, and inspires them to be the best versions of themselves. When I started preschool, I wouldn’t let go of my mother, crying every single day because I didn’t want to leave her side. Maybe it’s because deep down I knew how incredible she was.

My mom is about 5 foot 2 inches, but boy is she feisty. Anytime kids would make fun of me in school, my mom always gave me the best comebacks to say to them. She taught me to always stand up for myself, do the right thing, but most importantly to stand up for what you believe in. She would always say to me, “you know, I’ve had to be a fighter all my life, being this short.” When I started to really struggle with my body image issues, my mom was by my side through it all (and still is) and I can not thank her enough for that. I vividly remember moments where I would cry on my mom’s shoulder asking her why I was so ugly. My mom would always be there to comfort me. However, the thing I love most about my mom is she never let me sulk and have my own pity party for too long. After a few times of being upset about my physical appearance, she would say “alright enough this doesn’t define you, you have to keep living your life.” She taught me that life doesn’t stop just because I don’t like the way I look and I can’t not live my life because of my skin or my weight. I will forever be thankful for that, as my mom has taught me true strength and just because life isn’t going your way is no excuse to not be a good person and live a great life. I think that is something I will always carry with me. My mom has been through so much in her life, and her strength inspires me everyday. I aspire to be like her someday and show my kids the same amount of love, support, and strength she has shown me and my 4 siblings. She is my biggest supporter in sports and life, but she also reminds when it’s time to not feel sorry for myself. Thank you mom for showing me the true meaning of love and life, and what it means to always be true to yourself. So this a cheers to some of the amazing women who have impacted my life, I love you both always.

xo

Mak

 (Don’t mind my horrid bowl cut-thanks mom!)

Once I got to Galway, it wasn’t long before I began to meet people who seemingly already knew me. “Oh you’re the victory scholar this year” was a common phrase throughout those first few weeks. In the months that followed, I have been able to see the impact that past scholars made. Little kids will talk to me about past scholars and my teammates will mention how some of the first scholars coached them when they were very young. Some of the other coaches in the club mention weekly the past scholars and how great and impactful they were.

Coaching and volunteering make up a lot of my time in Galway. Although at times after a long day it can seem tedious, I find that taking a step back helps remind me of the real reason I’m here and the impact that I can have. Maybe the little boy struggling to dribble and shoot will fall in love basketball and become a star in the national league. Maybe the girl who seems a bit disinterested will use the lessons at Academy to get through a tough time in her life or accomplish something great. I really don’y know the exact impact I’m having on the kids I’m fortunate enough to work with, but every day I can strive to help them in some way.

Being a Victory Scholar means that you’re part of a select group of motivated individuals who chose to challenge their boundaries and take a journey to help others. Seeing the impact that my class has had so far has been powerful. Thousands of children have been taught about the game of basketball and more importantly life lessons. They’re given an individual who genuinely cares about them and wants them to succeed as both a player and a person. From personal experience I can say that is one of the greatest gifts a child can be handed.

Being a Victory Scholar also means that you’re part of a community. I was fortunate enough to be placed in Galway, where for ten years extraordinary Victory Scholars have worked their magic and made a difference in the community. Their work and dedication is evident every day here. I’ve done my best to continue the great work they’ve started and hopefully impact the youth of Galway along the way. The same phenomenon is also taking place in cities all over Ireland through the Victory Scholar program. Such an impact has already been made and I’m lucky to be a part of it. It’s powerful and uplifting to think about the impact that will be made in the next ten years and I’m excited to follow along.

 

 

With today being Mother’s Day here in Ireland, I want to wish the woman I owe everything to – Consta – a very happy Irish Mother’s Day. I can’t wait to see you and Dad for Easter in two short weeks! I also wanted to make sure I acknowledged and thanked my family away from home here in Cork on this holiday.

As if being able to live, study, play, and coach here for free wasn’t enough of an opportunity, I have been lucky enough to be essentially taken in by an extremely generous family while living here in Cork. For multiple months now, the Cronins have given me countless meals, scones, cups of tea, lifts to and from training and the matches I’m coaching, and most importantly, hours of quality family time – one of the main things I have missed from home.

Niamh, their daughter, plays on my under 18 team and also coaches the under 12 (undefeated in spirit) team with me. Practically every Wednesday, her mom picks me up from my apartment all the way across the city from where they live and where the hall is, we pick up Niamh and her sister from school, and then hurry back to their home before the u12 training session to get basketball gear and typically fit in a nice tea break (with a scone of course). After coaching, they have me over again for an always delicious dinner. I have now learned not to eat TOO much (always hard for me) because after the first time I, let’s say *overindulged*, while explaining “Oh food doesn’t really affect me before I work out”, all to essentially be immobile at practice due to the amount of potatoes I took in. In addition to dinner, my Wednesday evenings always consist of a glorious couch-sit and stroll with Niamh and their adorable dog Charlie, before I have practice with Brunell later that night.

While this routine has 100% served as the basis for my addiction to scones and obsession with Lyons tea (it’s definitely better on the North side), I cannot thank this family enough. From the lifts, showing me how delicious two types of potatoes in a meal can be, letting me play with their dog, teaching me how to play video games, teaching me a few Irish words (thanks Niamh and Amy), to simply welcoming me into their home, I am so grateful! As the basketball season is coming to an end soon, I have to say I will definitely miss my Wednesdays with you guys. With that, Happy Mother’s Day Linda, and thanks again for everything you all have done for me this year!