This past week was ROUGH to say the least, but I am so relieved I made it through. In three days,  I had 4 finals, so my head was in a book or a laptop studying loads of information for just about every waking moment of last week. The good news is, I think I did pretty well, and the worst is over! After my final this week, I will basically be done my first semester of classes (still have a couple group projects to finish).

I knew being placed at Trinity would be a challenging masters program. My courses are tough and require a lot of work outside the classroom, but I am learning a ton that will help me in the working world, so I am thankful for every minute of it. The good news is, I am over the hump, and now know what to expect in the second semester.

All in all, this first semester has been amazing. I’ve enjoyed school and basketball with Trinity, the kids I’ve coached have learned a ton and are having a blast, my Meteors team is in the cup semi-finals, and most importantly, the Belfast Classic was AMAZING and a total success!

I can’t wait to experience what Ireland has to offer in 2018!

This was my second year in a row being away for Thanksgiving and it was not easier. Although I got to experience new countries both times, a little bit of me still wished I could be home for the holiday. However, this Thanksgiving felt a little more like my homes Thanksgiving, because the atmosphere that Sports Changes Life provided for us Scholars. They invited all the Scholars up to Belfast, where a local bar hosted a big dinner for all of us along with the Sport Changes Life family. It was a great time for us all because it had a feel of unity and for myself at least, that’s what Thanksgiving feels to me. It is when all my family comes together and we just spend time together, catching up, being thankful for each other, and then eating a great meal. And that is exactly what Sport Changes Life gave to us. We all were reunited after not seeing each other for a couple months, spent the time catching up with each other, all of us just being thankful for this opportunity we were given, and then finally we enjoyed an amazing cooked meal. To top the night off us Scholars were even surprised by short videos from our families back home wishing us a Happy Thanksgiving. It may have not been a Thanksgiving with our families back home but, it was a Thanksgiving with our new family Sport Changes lIfe and I was very thankful for all of it.

For 21 years now Belfast has hosted an award ceremony called the Aisling Awards, also known as the “Belfast Oscars,” and we happened to be invited to the event. For two decades the Aisling Awards have shone a light on the great and the good of this wonderful city. Through the darkest of days to the days of this new, bright Belfast we have always strived to promote the place and people we love so well. Founded in 1997 the Aisling Awards are a celebration of the talent and vibrancy of Belfast, we have recognised and awarded people from all walks of life. Honorary guests have ranged from our Special Olympians to the Rev. Jessie Jackson, the family of little Oscar Knox to the amazing family of Harry Holla.

It was definitely a night I will remember while here in Belfast. We got all glammed up where we were treated like celebrities. We walked in where our photo was first taken and then entered a cocktail hour with live music being played. I tried my first glass of warm wine, delicious. Then the evening carried on where we entered the Grand Ballroom and sat at our assigned table. The table alone was structured beautifully. Our meals were presented on the plate perfectly. We were able to listen to all the winners of the categories give their thank you speech, the atmosphere was amazing. To conclude the night there was more live music and most of the audience got up out of their seats and danced the night away. It was a great night to be apart of with some of our SCL family.

Hey everyone!!

Happy Sunday! As a lot of the world has been experiencing some snow this month, I was starting to think I wouldn’t get to see snow until I went home for Christmas.  Much to my surprise when I woke up this morning there was a light dusting of snow on the ground!!

I love Christmas time and nothing says Christmas quite like snow!  Everyone kept telling me that Waterford was probably too far south to get any snow, so I was losing hope.  To say I was excited this morning when I saw that it was snowing is an understatement! It also just put me in the Christmas spirit all day (aka Christmas music all day long)!! Unfortunately it was not enough snow to stick, so no snowmen building today, but a great day just the same.

It’s not the most exciting blog today, but I was just happy it finally snowed here so I had to share with you all! I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season where ever you may be!

Stay tuned for more to come!

-Meg

 

 

You probably saw the “Get Ready Belfast” and “Game On” Facebook posts the last couple months, and if you didn’t you either weren’t refreshing your page or you blocked me for posting so much. Regardless, the inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic featuring four American colleges occurred last weekend and being a small part of the preparation and execution of the event was an incredible experience. Not only was I able to get hands-on experience in an industry I wish to attain a job in, I also got to be apart of an event that welcomed and entertained nearly 10,000 people. The Belfast Classic however, was about more than just basketball. 

Truthfully, I wasn’t expecting basketball to be as prevalent as golf when I moved to Belfast. Although I coach golf five times a week, basketball was seemingly the most important thing leading up to this event. Living in the city where the tournament was hosted meant engaging with the community as much as possible. This included going to various shopping centers and the Christmas markets to promote the event, helping with any administrative tasks and even assembling lanyards for the attendees. All of the tasks I helped complete were a crucial component to the event’s success, even though they were small assignments. I got to work alongside and witness a small Sport Changes Life staff tirelessly work on a basketball event many doubted.

But why? Why would people devote so much time and resources into a basketball event in Belfast, Northern Ireland where some say there isn’t the proper demographic. People here like football (soccer), not basketball. Like I previously mentioned, this event was about more than basketball. The Belfast Classic helped spark young people’s interest, not necessarily in basketball, but in sports in general because it enthralled them in a way they’ve never experienced before. The tournament brought together a once vastly divided city simply through the entertainment of several Division I college teams. Most importantly, this basketball tournament, from my perspective, was about drawing attention to the positive impact sport can have in a person’s life. I think of the young people in our eHOOPs program (most of them are roughly my age) we get to work with every Wednesday night. It’s been over three months since we began “mentoring” them, but we haven’t just mentored them. We’ve become friends with them by playing sports with them and working with them to gain professional skills and confidence. Seeing them front row at Friday night’s game cheering for teams they never heard of was priceless. They were enjoying the camaraderie and the banter just as much as the other fans and it was exciting to see how much joy and entertainment American basketball can bring to people who have never witnessed this type of atmosphere before.

Being at four games over two days definitely made me miss going to Siena games, but it made me so happy to see the young fans asking for players’ autographs, taking selfies with them and giving them high-fives. One of the most memorable things I saw was a kid, about 10-years-old, wanting to take a picture with one of the Manhattan players. I told the young boy I’d be right back and as I approached the basketball player to ask if he wouldn’t mind taking a quick photo with this young fan, I quickly glanced back and saw the biggest smile on the boy’s face. The Manhattan player took a selfie and chatted with the fan for a bit and the kid’s face was glistening with joy the entire time. It was in that moment that I realized the event was bigger than basketball and it didn’t matter that I’m a golf Victory Scholar and not a basketball one; I’m a Victory Scholar that got to witness the power of sport and help create a moment that will hopefully motivate that young boy for a very long time.

Congratulations to the Sport Changes Life team for planning, working effortlessly and hosting a monumental event. To watch you all work so hard on something you’re so passionate about was admirable. Thank you for letting me be a miniscule part of it and I look forward to the future success I know the tournament will have.

 

This past weekend the inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic took place. On Friday morning, Mak, Chaz, and I took the bus from Letterkenny to Belfast. When we arrived, we headed straight towards the SSE Arena to meet the other Victory Scholars and help the SCL staff get ready for the night’s upcoming games. We started by working in the fan zone that was set up in the Odyssey Pavilion. Different schools from all over Ireland stopped by so it was great having the opportunity to talk to them and get them excited for the games over the course of the weekend. For some, this was their first time ever seeing a live basketball game!

Once the fan zone was finished, it was almost time for the first game to tip off. Chaz and I were chosen as the entertainment staff for the weekend. Our job was to go find kids in the crowd and have them perform games/challenges during timeouts and halftime. We had so much fun getting to interact with the crowd! As I mentioned earlier, this weekend was the first time a lot of people had ever seen a live basketball game (let alone a live, American collegiate basketball game), so Chaz and I wanted to make sure the fans were enjoying every second of it. We even had the chance to compete in one of the games ourselves during the championship game! Chaz and I went head to head in the sumo costume challenge. We had to dribble the length of the court, make a layup, and do the same thing back while wearing inflatable sumo suits – it was good “craic”.

Overall, the weekend was a massive success. For the first time ever, “big” basketball was brought over to the country. I don’t know what words to use to describe the atmosphere that was in the SSE Arena throughout the weekend. From the first game’s tip off on Friday afternoon until the final buzzer on Saturday night, the arena was buzzing with great energy. Sport brought people from all over the country, and across the Atlantic, together for a remarkable and memorable weekend – it will be something I will remember forever and I know others will too.

I am so thankful that I was able to be a part of this historic event. I think everyone – those who attended, those who tuned into the games on CBS, and even those who kept updated on social media were positively impacted from the tournament in one way or another. I cannot wait to see what Sport Changes Life will do in the years to come because this is truly just the beginning of something wonderful!

Hey everyone!

As the semester comes to an end and Christmas gets closer and closer, a phrase going around WIT is “WITmas”.  I guess this is WIT’s version of Christmas.  Technically, I think its just an excuse for everyone to go out on the town during the last week of school, but I’m just going to look at it as a catchy phrase version of Christmas LOL.

These past few weeks have been CRAZY busy! I feel like I have been writing papers and giving presentations for the past 3 weeks straight!  My groups have been killing it in presentation though!  For one class we had to present our company in a Dragons Den competition (for my American friends, this is just a version of Shark Tank).  My group ended up winning $3.5M so I’d say we did okay (and no its not real money haha).  So in regards to school, I have been running around crazy trying to get everything done.  But I can write this blog with a sigh of relieve because I made all my deadlines, and now I just have to get through one final! Then I’ll be home for Christmas!!

Waterford is definitely getting into the holiday spirit as of late!  The entire city center is decorated with lights, Christmas trees, a carousel, ferris wheel, and a ton of vendors selling all kinds of holiday treats.  It’s hard not to get excited for Christmas when you walk through town!  Jas and I decided to go up in the ferris wheel (and anyone who knows me knows I’m afraid of heights so to say I was holding on for dear life is an understatement…mind you it is not a large ferris wheel, but whatever I was still shaking haha).  There is an amazing view of Waterford at the top, especially at night you can see the entire city lit up!

If anyone is near Waterford during the holiday season, I suggest you stop in and walk around the city center!!

Stay tuned for more soon!

-Meg

As I was walking around the SSE Arena I heard someone say to a friend, “5 years ago would you ever think we would be sitting in Belfast watching a NCAA basketball tournament”. When I heard this it was impossible not to smile because I realized I was in the midst of something special. Special in a sense where the term basketball is much more than a game comes to life. Sure it is a great sport, but the possibilities with it are limitless. A city where basketball isn’t the biggest of sports, a continent where the NCAA has never landed a tournament, and a small charity who organized the whole thing with 6 members where Marc Mulholland, Executive Director of the Belfast Classic, put so eloquently “Punched well above there weight class”; the Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic exceeded everyone’s expectations.

All in all I could not have been prouder of what occurred. From the volunteers, the necessary sponsorships, the tedious tasks, and the hours upon hours that people put into it…the result was truly a successful one. 10,000 fans along with millions of CBS viewers witnessed a spectacle that was for a bigger picture. It wasn’t about filling anyone’s pockets with cash rather it was about filling kids hearts with hope or a purpose, which can all be instilled by the work that Sport Changes Life can do. The best part is this is only the beginning and I am blessed to be part of the journey!

 

Cheers,

Matthew

This past weekend, all of the Victory Scholars got to help make history. For the first time ever, an American college basketball tournament was hosted in Ireland/Northern Ireland. It also brought over CBSSports for the first time. This was a historic event that was organized by Sport Changes Life. It was a massive project that the organization had been working on for over seven years or so. It was well worth the wait!

The event brought over four schools, Manhattan, Towson, LaSalle, and Holy Cross. It was a two day tournament on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, the opening games were Manhattan vs. Holy Cross and LaSalle vs. Towson. Then on Saturday, the two winners played in a championship game and the two losers played in a consolation game. There were four quality games, wrapped up by the championship game, which was the game of the weekend. Towson beat Manhattan by 1 point on a go ahead jump shot with 1.5 seconds left in the game. It was the perfect end to a historic and monumental weekend. The tournament had a two-day attendance of just under 10,000. Going forward, SCL is going to continue to grow the tournament and have 8 teams next year. It is a great event in continuing to grow the sport of basketball throughout Ireland.

I was fortunate to be able to attend for the whole event, getting there on Wednesday and leaving Sunday. Many of the scholars were only able to make it up to Belfast for Friday and Saturday because of their schedules. Since I got there so early, I was assigned to be a team liaison. This meant that I was with a team for every step of the way. Luckily for me, I was assigned to Towson. Teams are generally a lot happier and easy to deal with when they win, so that worked out well for me. It was amazing to spend so much time with the team and follow them through their game day routines. It reminded me of my college away games, except without having to worry about how much sleep I get, what I eat, and all of the extra pressure. I got to enjoy all of their team meals, shootarounds, and practices, along with their community service event where they visited a local school. It was awesome to meet a bunch of the guys on the team and the coaching staff and observe how they work and prepare. I really enjoyed my weekend with the Towson team.

I was so impressed with the event and all of the work that SCL put into it. It was run so smoothly with very little problems. It was an amazing time and I know all of the scholars were so happy to be a part of it!

It was incredible seeing all the hard work everyone in the office put in finally come together on December 1^st and 2^nd. It is finally starting to sink how big of an event it was and how inspirational it can be for the future generation of Irish and Northern Irish kids. What was even better was how great all of the players were with the fans, particularly the kids. Every school took time after their games to take pictures and sign autographs. This was especially true for Towson after they won in dramatic fashion hitting a buzzer beater shot with 1.5 seconds left. The players spent at least an hour taking pictures with their trophies and talking to the kids, which you could tell meant a great deal to them. To be honest the players might have liked the all the attention more than the kids did but I think that summarized what the whole event was about. The basketball tournament I believe truly did impact the lives of a lot of younger fans in a positive way and hopefully inspires them. It also gave all the players a great international experience and new perspective on basketball. Overall it was a truly great experience that I am grateful I was able to be apart of and I cannot wait to see the success of the Belfast Classic in the years to come.

What a monumental weekend this weekend was. Sport Changes Life really outdid themselves. Nearly 9,300 people visited the SSE Arena in Belfast to take part in the inaugural event that for years to come will be known as The Belfast Classic. I personally did not expect such a great turnout considering that the 4 schools who participated in the classic (La Salle, Holy Cross, Towson, and Manhattan) were mid-major colleges. Unless people watching were huge college basketball buffs, I’m almost certain that the majority of the crowd did not have a clue as to who these teams were. To be honest, if they didn’t come for the basketball being played, the majority probably came out to watch La Salle’s Irish star. Regardless of the reasons why people turned up, the local basketball community definitely got a taste of how basketball is like in America. I say this because there are a ton of different things that basketball in America has that Ireland does not. First off, each game in America begins with the singing of the National Anthem. Here in Ireland, we just shake hands and play. In America, they announce only the starting line up before the game with a very showy introduction, whereas here, they just say the name of each player on the team. The atmosphere of a division I NCAA game feels a lot more intense because of the number of fans that come to watch and how invested they are in the game. A Superleague game (the division I NCAA equivalent) has a smaller following and each game has less fanfare associated with it. Finally, at my collegiate games, both cheerleaders and dancers would be found cheering on the baseline with a rambunctious band trying to distract the opposing team. None of the games I have been to or played here in Ireland have had any baseline cheer squad.

These were just some noticeable differences that I minorly forgot happened until I saw it again at the classic. Anyway, the classic brought a good show, as the championship game fashioned a nail-biting finish. With 1.5 seconds left on the clock, the score was 55-54 in favor of Manhattan. It was Towson’s turn to inbounds the ball under their basket. With the blow of a whistle, Towson set up their offensive play. Towson’s inbounder threw the ball into the hands of his teammate next to the baseline. With milliseconds to spare, the arena became silent, as everyone watched the ball spin through the air, towards the basket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SWOOSH.

TOWSON SANK THE BASELINE JUMPER TO PULL OUT A 56-55 VICTORY OVER MANHATTAN!!!!!!!!! The crowd went absolutely bananas! It was such a thrilling end to a phenomenal weekend of basketball. Belfast could not have gotten a better game to watch and this is why college athletics is so fun. The outcomes are always unpredictable and each game brings such a highly competitive atmosphere. All I can say is thank you to the organization that made this weekend all possible. SCL, you the real MVP.

 

P.S. – I just realized that the Belfast Classic logo is a picture of the Titanic… #mindblown

This past weekend I got the chance to travel up to Belfast and help work the Belfast Classic. The event was the first of its’ kind in Northern Ireland and has been a focus of Sport Changes Life ever since I was accepted into the program. Needless to say, I was really excited.

The event exceeded even my expectations. A near-capacity crowd filled the arena and were treated to some excellent basketball, including a final that couldn’t have been scripted better and ended with Towson hitting a last second shot to beat Manhattan. I didn’t really have a set role so I helped out wherever I could, and it was really rewarding. I got a front row seat to pre, post, and during game speeches, shoot arounds, the referees, and entertainment during breaks of the game. That type of access to four legitimate D1 teams is really tough to come by and was great to enjoy.

All in all it was a great weekend. Seeing Belfast, my fellow Scholars, and some great basketball was tough to beat. Seeing how hard everyone in the organization works behind the scenes, and especially during the event, made the event even more meaningful. I wasn’t surprised it was a huge success and can’t wait to see how it grows in future years!

I never thought that I would miss two-a-days, early Saturday morning practice, or practicing for a month straight without a game. Some of those things I can still do without but as dates like October 15th, the start of official practice, and November 15th, the first day games can be played, rolled around I found myself missing college basketball back home.

Luckily, I’m able to still connect and watch the SJFC Cardinals from Ireland. Although I have to stay up a little late, it gives me a nice break from readings or homework. A typical game will consist of my former teammates and I messaging back and forth about everything from strategy to certain plays or players.

I look forward to every night the Cards have a game and realize how fortunate I am to be part of a brotherhood and community even after graduating. It makes me appreciate my college experience and the people I was surrounded by even more. Best of luck to the Cardinals the rest of the year, I’ll be watching a sketchy livestream and cheering from Galway all season.

What an honor it was to be part of the first (but certainly not last) ever Belfast Classic!

• 1 Weekend
• 4 Division I U.S. Teams
• 9,000+ fans

AND….

• Buzzer Beater Finish!

I want to start off by saying I am so, so, so proud of the Sport Changes Life foundation and my fellow Victory Scholars to be able to put this tournament together. I am beyond grateful to represent such an amazing program. There were huge crowds for this special weekend for the game of basketball in Ireland. I got the privilege to work alongside with the Manhattan Men’s Basketball team for the weekend. I played on the Manhattan Women’s team last year so I was friends with the guys on the team. It was great catching up with all them and telling them all about my great experiences here so far in Ireland.

Although Manhattan College lost in the championship game on a buzzer beater to Towson, it was great seeing Jasper Nation in full force through each and every game of the tournament. Alumni, Administration, Professors, Cheerleaders, Pep-Band, Dance Team and new jasper fans were all there supporting the Men’s Team. I stopped and took a look around the arena during the last few minutes of the championship game and all I could think to myself was “WOW”. The crowd was absolutely fantastic. The atmosphere in the arena was more than we could have ever hoped for. This is bigger than basketball to me. It was great to see so many kids at the event. I know this is something they will never forget seeing some top-level college basketball in their country.

I am already looking forward to the 2018 Belfast Classic. I will certainly be getting my tickets and coming back to Ireland for that! and lastly, GO JASPERS!

This past weekend I was honored to be a part of the first ever Belfast Classic. If you weren’t able to attend or see videos of the Belfast Classic, it was basketball tournament where four American Division I men’s basketball teams participated in a two day tournament. The four teams were Holy Cross, La Salle, Manhattan, and Towson. All four games were incredible, but Towson took home the championship trophy with an exciting victory over Manhattan on a buzzard beater shot. It was so exciting to see that level of basketball brought to Ireland. I was lucky enough to get a ride with a family from Maynooth to Belfast and I loved seeing the kids and their mothers’ enthusiasm as we drove to the tournament. The kids were asking how tall the players were if they were able to dunk the ball, so it was such a great opportunity for kids and their families, who truly love the game of basketball, to see first hand the size and talent of some players in America. There are so many talented athletes in Ireland, so bringing this level of basketball to Ireland and expanding the game is really great to see.

The games themselves was amazing, but what I was most impressed with was how beautifully put together the entire event was and how the atmosphere actually felt like a college, and even a professional, basketball game. During time outs kids were brought down from the stands and participated in different games on the court, and even received prizes afterwards. There were cheerleaders present who also performed during timeouts and half time. Big shout out to Manhattan for brining over their cheerleaders, dance team, and even their peep band! Dave Hopla, a legendary player and shooting coach, even made an appearance and blew the crowd away with his ability to make an unbelievable amount of shots consecutively. I was also graced with the presence of Kieran Donaghy, a Gaelic football star, who is basically a celebrity in Ireland. The U18 Irish Women’s National team was also recognized for their accomplishments over the summer, which I loved seeing because two of my teammates from Portlaosie were recognized!

The Belfast Classic was so meticulously planned out and I was honored to watch this event be brought to fruition. This weekend was the start of something new in Ireland and I cannot wait to see the continued success of the Belfast Classic. There are actually eight US teams coming next year, and these teams will be announced to the public soon! Basketball is growing in Ireland and I am so lucky to be a part of it all! Big shout out to the entire Sport Changes Life for all of their hard word and Gareth Maguire for his incredible vision.

It was an honor to be apart of the first annual and hugely successful Belfast Classic. So many things factored into this successful weekend, and since I’m more of a “numbers, math guy” I’ll sum this event up with an equation. One weekend+ 4 US teams+ 9,000 fans+ 77 million shares on facebook about the classic (*inserts laughing emoji)+ 1 SSE arena+ 1 radio interview + 1 CBS interview+ 1 fan zone+ 1 buzzer beater + 1 championship+ a flurry of autographs+ the tears of happiness and pain after removing the floor= THE BELFAST CLASSIC. I can go into detailed analytics and break down every single enjoyable part of the process and weekend. However, I’ll just explain how it made me feel.

I cannot put the words together, to say how much of an impact this tournament has had on the community. My favorite part of the entire weekend was seeing how happy the children were. Here in Ireland and Northern Ireland, basketball isn’t prevalent. Basketball may be a child’s third or fourth sports choice out here, so bringing high level televised basketball is a wee bit of big deal. Being around the children were terrific, from choosing them to participate on the court during timeouts and halftime to seeing the priceless looks/ecstatic celebrations when Towson University won on a buzzer beater. Kids just love having a good time! They have no care in the world; they’re just living life without worries.

 

The primary focus this weekend was to keep the children happy, and two moments solidified that for me. The first defining moment was dressing up with Faith into sumo costumes (along with Mackenzie, arguably top 5 mascots of all time lol) and being the tv timeout entertainment. Everyone loved it, especially the kids; just hopefully whoever recorded us does not post it on social media because we’re DEFINITELY going viral! The final moment was choosing a kid to do the little big challenge during a tv timeout (participants race down the court to make a layup while putting on size 19 sneakers, huge shorts, and a jersey). I was in charge of the entertainment as mentioned before; I had to find people willing to do specific challenges during tv timeouts and halftime. In the midst of doing all of this, I had an all-access pass which allowed me to go anywhere in the arena. So this kid I picked, was sitting rather high up, when I took him through the stadium courtside, you should have seen his reaction. His eyes lit up, he looked at me and said: “Wow this is unreal, thank you so much.” Even though he didn’t win the challenge, he had enough courage to participate. He was so thankful and appreciative; it genuinely made me feel amazing. You honestly never know what somebody is going through, so the little things matter. The little things can have a much bigger impact than you think. Hopefully, I made a small impact, just by making that kid’s day!

I could honestly keep on going, but then this will turn from a blog into a New York Times bestseller. It’s safe to say; I’ll stop writing now, but, I just really want to thank Sport Changes Life and Rory Foundation for giving me this opportunity. Thanks for giving me the chance to have an impact on the youth and community, it’s truly an honor and blessing!

– Chazito Out *drops mic

If there is one word to describe this weekend it would be EPIC.

4 teams. 2 days. 1 winner.

Let’s set the stage: We arrived at the SSE arena in Belfast early Friday morning to a glistening arena. Empty seats. Bright lights. The Sport Changes Life logo in the middle of the court. As we head backstage- we walk in to the four American teams’ (Towson, Holy Cross, LaSalle, Manhattan) locker rooms. We walk out to the entrance to see all the merchandise- t-shirts, hats, and of course foam fingers. Past the entrance, in the Odyssey Pavilion, we arrive in the Fan Zone.

This is where our epic weekend began. We were given our “All Access” passes, which allowed us virtually everywhere in the arena. (so OFFICIAL am I right?) We then got to play with local school kids in the Fan Zone. We had a basketball hoop set up for the kids to shoot, we were giving out foam fingers, and a local radio station was putting on some great jams. All of the kids came over wearing their adorable Christmas jumpers (Irish for sweater) and they were fascinated we were American. I was asked five times to say, “Oh my gosh” in my “American accent” and the kids would crack up every time I said it! After getting all the kids pumped, it was time to head into the area for GAME TIME!

All of the scholars were given different jobs throughout the arena, and I fortunately was given the very important role of court mopper! I had a sick Sport Changes Life mop and I got to sit court side right underneath the hoop. My job was to monitor the young basketball players who got to mop the court at timeouts, and I was to mop the court anytime a player fell on my side of the court. It was actually really nerve-wracking because I was afraid I was going to trip on national television. I am pretty sure my face got red every time I had to run out on to the court. Some interesting moments during my short lived professional mopping career are listed below:

1. When the Manhattan coach stole the mop of my hands because I wasn’t fast enough.
2. When one of players said the ball was wet and I had to run out on court with a towel.
3. When one of the young girls I was working with did unreal magic tricks at half time.

I am unsure if CBS sports will have me back as a court mopper, but I really enjoyed my job, so much so I might even have to put it on my resume!

The basketball games were so much fun, with all of them coming down to the wire. Saturday’s championship game had my blood pressure through the roof; Towson hit a winning shot at the buzzer! The crowd (over 9,000 people! SAY WHAT?!) went insane and it was just an unbelievable moment for everyone involved. It was in this moment that I looked around and saw thousands of young Irish basketball players screaming and jumping up and down. I couldn’t help but think to myself- that’s what this is all about. Having these kids get to see high-level American basketball in such an exciting fashion, will stick with them for the rest of their lives. Most importantly, it shows these kids that if they work hard enough and dream big enough, anything is possible. And that’s what Sport Changes Life is all about: inspiring youth. I am feeling very thankful I got to be apart of such an epic weekend, and be apart of the everyday change Sport Changes Life is making in kid’s lives.

Huge shoutout to all the staff at Sport Changes Life and the Ulster University scholars who worked countless hours to make this event such a success!

 

It’s Sunday afternoon and I’m currently on the bus heading back down to Dublin after a whirlwind weekend in Belfast. I’ll be honest, when Sport Changes Life first told us about the Belfast Classic I didn’t think much of it. In the U.S., basketball teams participate in tournaments at home and abroad every year and they simply aren’t a big deal. They’re the norm. All of us grew up attending collegiate and professional sports games, looking up to our favorite players on the court. What was going to be so special about a basketball tournament in Belfast?

It wasn’t until this weekend, when I stepped foot into the arena for the first time that it hit me; this was way bigger than basketball. With over 9,000 fans in attendance, many of whom were kids from local schools and sports clubs, the Belfast Classic changed the lives and aspirations of countless people over the course of two days. The majority of these kids had never seen basketball played at such a high level, or at any level for that matter, and they had never experienced an American sporting event. From the jumbotron dance competitions, the foam fingers and the mascot (which happened to be my roomate), to the cheerleaders and pep band, everything about it felt like being back home at a big time college tournament. The energy in the arena was absolutely electric and was only amplified by the players’ celebrations, intensity, and competitiveness. It was impossible not to feel the excitement wether you were a die hard basketball fan or had never seen the game played before in your life. But the very best part of the event, was the kids.

One group of boys from Belfast put the entire weekend into perspective for me. They stood behind Manhattan’s bench both days cheering them on, asking for autographs and taking pictures with the players as they ran into the locker room. They even took a liking to the Victory Scholars and were quizzing us on all of our favorite American sports teams. Luckily they were Celtics fans so I passed the test. On Saturday, I asked one of the boys if he thought he’d play basketball when he was older and he said he was going to get a scholarship to play overseas in America. It’s possible that had always been his dream, but I guarantee that watching those players diving for loose balls and hitting threes right in front of his face made it a real tangible aspiration. The classic gave kids in Belfast and all of Ireland something to hold on to. They will have memories of those two days and that buzzer beater win for the rest of their lives. And maybe, just maybe, one day some of them will be playing in a big college game signing autographs for kids just like them.

I’m so grateful to be a part of Sport Changes Life and to have helped them bring big basketball to Belfast. The months of promotion and fundraising we’ve done as Victory Scholars is nothing in comparison to the years of planning and sleepless nights that went into making the Belfast Classic possible. To Marc, Gareth, Aimee, Stephen, Maria, Julie, and the rest of the SCL family, thank you for showing me what it means to pursue something greater than yourself and make a difference. I felt like a little kid again looking up in awe at the experience you were able to replicate. Whether you change the life of one young person or a thousand young people you’ve done something truly special. I’m sure thousands of kids in Ireland are already counting down the days until the 2018 Belfast Classic, I know I am!

 

 

 

 

 

 

With love,

Shannon

Greetings everyone! I’m currently on my way back from the Belfast Classic – the amazing college basketball tournament Sport Changes Life hosted. After years of preparation, the 2-day event was a massive success. It was the first time that American college basketball teams came over to play in Northern Ireland. Aside from watching some great games and seeing fellow scholars, what made it extra special of a weekend for me was that the men’s team from my alma-mater, Holy Cross, was playing in the tournament and my sisters (including my honorary, Clare) came over to visit!

Even though I’m going home in just under a month now, it was unbelievably nice to see people from good old Massachusetts. Despite not being able to hang out with HCMBB (go Saders) that much due to CBS Sports Network duties before and during the games (will explain shortly), the tournament became a refreshing and comforting collision of what, until this point, seemed like my two separate worlds. Having to essentially pinch myself every day to realize that yes, I’ve been living, studying, coaching, and playing in Cork for three months now, Holy Cross entering this “Irish” section of my life has made it that much more of a wild and beautiful reality.

The event itself was a great time. Dawning our all-access passes, all the scholars were involved in set up of the arena, the pre-game “fan zone”, and various activities during the games — from sumo suit control to stat running. I *somehow* got roped into being the “stage manager” for the CBS Sports Network announcers. Having no idea what that meant I quickly agreed and soon found myself with a courtside seat at the CBS media desk and a headset.

My role was listening to the producer’s calls for a certain numbered cue card in a big pile of 50, then handing Dave Ryan the card for him to then talk about in an upcoming TV segment. Although I felt vastly under qualified and slightly panicked, it was a hilarious and very cool experience that even involved a few clips of my shoulder on LIVE TV and silent fist pumps with the CBS announcers (perks, right).

Anyway, the tournament was a great experience and clearly a huge step in not just making basketball more popular in Ireland, but in (warning, extremely corny) changing people’s lives through sport. These inspiring few days have been topped off with a perfect case of Irish generosity — the Irish National U18 women’s team letting me hitch a lift in their coach bus back to Dublin after they got honored for their performance this past summer at the European tournament (shoutout to all of you — and thanks again Amy).

It’s definitely become one of my favorite weekends so far this year. Even though I am extremely busy and nearing the stress breaking point with finals, projects, and completing all of my responsibilities before Christmas, as Father Rogers (the holy cross team chaplain) said while I was chatting with him about what I would possibly want to do with my life, “life isn’t about working, it’s about living.” Amidst my crazy schedule, all of these activities — spending time with my sisters, the Holy Cross men’s team, all of the kids, and being able to take part in the first of what is sure to be a powerful annual Irish basketball tradition –have been welcome reminders that this year isn’t so much about the work, but the exciting and rewarding life I’m living over here across the pond.

Yes, I know I wrote a blog about Thanksgiving and have a picture that says Merry Christmas. But I promise the blog is really about Thanksgiving and our adventures in Belfast, including the Christmas Market.

As it does every year, Thanksgiving provided me with the opportunity to realize how fortunate and lucky I am. This year has been full of many new opportunities, friends, and experiences. It was the first Thanksgiving that I have ever been away from home. It was hard, but I am also incredibly thankful for the people here in Ireland for making it easier. On Thanksgiving, everyone in our Sport Changes Life program that could make it, traveled up to Belfast for the night. We took an early bus up from Limerick and joined some of the other Victory Scholars in Dublin for the rest of the trip up to Belfast. When we arrived in Belfast, we met up with the rest of the scholars and Sport Changes Life team. We received our SCL gear and took the time to catch up with all of the Victory Scholars. It was so nice to catch up with everyone and hear about their experiences. We went over some details for the Belfast Classic and then spent a couple hours at the Christmas Market in downtown Belfast. After that, we went to a restaurant to have a Thanksgiving dinner with our whole program. (We even had Turkey!) It was kind of weird being in a country that didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, but SCL did an awesome job making us feel at home. My favorite part of the night was the video that SCL had put together of our family and friends wishing us a happy Thanksgiving. It was awesome to see my friends and family during their Thanksgiving at home. It was a really special moment for everyone. After the dinner, we got to enjoy a night out in Belfast with all of the Scholars before heading back to Limerick the next morning.

I am incredibly thankful to Sport Changes Life for the opportunity that they have given me this year. The Thanksgiving they provided us was amazing and really helped dull the homesickness during the holiday time. It was awesome to see everyone again and hear about all of their experiences. It was a great day and another memory to add to this amazing year! I am really looking forward to seeing all of the Victory Scholars again at the Belfast Classic!

Hey Everyone!

I’ve been crazy busy lately with school and basketball but this past week I was able to take a quick break and head to Belfast to celebrate Thanksgiving!  Thanksgiving is a time to appreciate all that you have, so what better way to spend it than with the very people that gave me this amazing opportunity?!

It was so nice to get a chance to catch up with all the scholars on their various experiences thus far.  While we were up in Belfast we spent some time at the Christmas market.  It was so nice to see the city decorated in lights and get a chance to shop around the different venders in the market!  Once we got done exploring the market, we headed over for Thanksgiving dinner!

SCL really went above and beyond to bring our American tradition over here to Ireland.  The food was great, and even better they had put together a video of our families saying Happy Thanksgiving! It was a really nice event and I couldn’t be more grateful to be part of this program.

Stay tuned for more to come!

-Meg

This past week is where the stress began to pile on with school projects deadlines and final exams right around the corner. Thankfully, this past week is also when my Mom came to visit. She is the one person who can keep me sane when I’m overanxious about school work.

When she arrived Saturday morning, we greeted each other with a giant hug, and I almost felt as if I was at home again. We started off the day by going to my favorite coffee shop for breakfast, and then spent the afternoon traveling to and from Limerick for my basketball game with the Meteors. I felt awful that she had to jump in a 2-3 hour car ride after a long flight from Philadelphia, but she was excited to be able to see one of my games.

On Sunday, we had the best day I’ve probably ever had in Ireland so far. My mom, Shannon, and I took a bus to the Cliffs of Moher, which is on the west coast of Ireland. I had been delaying to see them because I wanted to go with my friends and family when they came to visit me, so I was just as excited to see them as my Mom was. We took a bunch of pictures (as seen below), but the photos truly don’t even capture the beauty. It was by far the most stunning view I have ever seen, with Wicklow Mountains being a close second. I cannot wait for more people to visit, so that I have a chance to go back.

Followed by the Cliffs, we took the bus down Wild Atlantic Way, a scenic route of the ocean that went from the Cliffs to Galway City, which is where we ended our trip. Unfortunately we had limited time to spend there because we had to get back to Dublin that evening, but within the hour we spent in Galway, I fell in love with it. As much as I adore Dublin, Galway is how I portray a “true Irish” city, which looks more like a fishing village/town. I am definitely making my back there!

The rest of the week, my mom and I went to different restaurants, pubs, and attractions around Dublin. I made sure she ate the best fish and chips in town, tried the DELICIOUS Cadbury chocolate, and experienced her first Guinness. Then, to finish off the week, we headed to Belfast with almost the entire Sport Changes Life crew and Victory Scholars, where we celebrated Thanksgiving together. I have to applaud Sport Changes Life, the meal was as good as an American Thanksgiving meal!

Unfortunately, early Friday morning, my Mom’s trip came to an end. It was a much needed visit before I spend the next week in the library doing school work 24/7. The time she was here went by too fast, but we made sure to make the most of it.

 

No, Young Zand is not the name of an up-and-coming rapper (yet lol) and I know this is completely irrelevant to my experience here in Ireland, but I gotta shoutout my beautiful little sister who turned 18 this week! On Thanksgiving to be exact. They just grow up so fast😩. Her name is Alexzandra, but I call her Zander, Zand, or Young Zand, because she’s just too cool for me to call her by her full name. And when I say cool, I mean really cool. Like so cool that she still won’t add me on social media (I’ll persuade her someday😌). I’m so excited for her this year because she started her freshman year at Rider University (she’s a traitor) and she got her first job as the women’s basketball manager, while also studying marketing. She’s gone through a lot especially with her ACL injury during her last season of basketball in high school. I am super proud of her and I can’t wait to see all of the things she is going to accomplish, whether it’s owning her own business, playing basketball again, or just somehow becoming some social media star lol. Her confidence at such a young age inspires me so much that I’m currently trying to get on her level. I love this girl and looking forward to seeing her rule the world in her own way💜.

 

There is certainly a lot to be thankful for this year. I am thankful for the incredible opportunity that Sport Changes Life has provided me with, and I am thankful for all of the people that Ireland has brought me too. This Thanksgiving all of the Scholars met up in Belfast and had a much needed reunion, as well as an incredible authentic Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving is such family oriented holiday, so it was nice to be surrounded by our extended SCL family on such an important day. I have spoken a lot about the importance of home and family, and I appreciate that SCL, the Portlaoise Panthers, and the Maynooth community have all become new additions to my family. I also appreciate that while although Ireland is our new home, SCL still acknowledges that we are all far away from our original home and we do miss our friends and families, especially on the holidays.

My favorite part about the Thanksgiving reunion was that SCL surprised all of us with a video with clips from all of our families wishing us a Happy Thanksgiving. I was filled with so much happiness and emotion when I saw my family’s message to me. My dad even included my dog Peanut in his video. My heart was so full when I saw my cute little black pug appear on the screen. Deja empathized with me when she saw the video of her turtle, and she was filled with some similar feelings. The food was great, the company was even better, and the surprise video from our families is a memory I will always treasure.

All of the scholars were also able to venture around Belfast together and while we were celebrating Thanksgiving, Belfast was preparing for Christmas. We went to the Belfast Christmas Market, which had so much Christmas spirit and some super quality pastries. Thanksgiving in Belfast was definitely a success and I am looking forward to being back in Belfast this upcoming weekend for the greatly anticipated Belfast Classic! Thank you again for Sport Changes Life for such a wonderful Thanksgiving!

The alarm goes off and my phone says 6am.  The last time I woke up at this hour I was most likely on my way to college practice or workouts.  I get up, get showered, throw on some clothes and my Boston Red Sox hat and get picked up by my Irish buddy Ronan.  Maddy and I then arrive at the Guarda (or police) station at 6:30am.  Now the reason we had to arrive so early was because there were only 50 tickets given out each day for international citizens to receive a visa.  The Guarda opened at 8:30am. We found this out the time before when we went the first time to the station. We didn’t know anything about this system the last time, and we heard that people start lining up at all hours of the morning to get a ticket so they could then in fact stay in the country legally.  When we arrived there, there were only 5 people and we thought yes, we have finally made it and will get a ticket.  So as Maddy and I sat on the Guarda Station floor, Maddy remembered her deck of cards, which was a brilliant idea.  We then went on and played gin rummy for the next two hours… don’t worry I won! The Guarda people then started to come out and make sure that all the people in line had their documents so they could then receive a ticket, to then obtain their visa.  Finally, it was our turn to get our documents checked.  Maddy already turned all hers in last time so she was fine.  Me on the other hand, I started to panic.  I remembered that we needed a Bank of Ireland receipt from the day of and since it was so early I forgot to get one that morning.  So when they finally came around to me and saw I had all my documents except that bank receipt they asked if I had it.  That is when I went full on panic.  We have been waiting here for two hours and if I didn’t have this I may not be able to receive my ticket for my visa.  I searched my wallet hoping that the one I had from the first time we went would be in there, but I was out of luck.  I then went on to give her a grocery store receipt hoping that she wouldn’t check what it was and would trust me… she checked it.  So I thought, she surely wouldn’t think I’d be trying to fool her again, so what did I do? I gave her a Quinlan’s (our team pub) receipt… again hoping she wouldn’t look, but she did.  Luckily she was a very nice lady and gave me a ticket anyways!!! She told me just to go and get it while she was checking everybody else.  Finally though, after all the hurdles Maddy and I had to jump over, we received our Visas!!!!

For the last 4 years I haven’t been home for Thanksgiving due to my athletic commitments. So why not miss number 5? I thought it was going to be easy, you know I’d missed it before. I kept saying to myself you’ll be alright, you haven’t been home on this day for five years now. But see this year I actually missed home more then ever for one simple fact – Ireland doesn’t celebrate American Thanksgiving. But even though I didn’t go home in previous years there was still that Thanksgiving atmosphere. I would either spend Thanksgiving at my coach’s home or my best friend’s house where I would normally wake up and watch the Macy’s Day parade. But see here it was just a normal Thursday. I had to attend lectures all day and then coach again at night. All day long on social media I saw tons of pictures of my friends and their families. What made it ten times worse was that Sport Changes Life held a wonderful dinner for my fellow scholars and I but sadly Alex and I couldn’t attend because we had to go to a lecture that ran at the same time as the dinner😪

I won’t lie, missing out on the festivities was starting to take a toll on me. I thought, “Will this be the first Thanksgiving that I don’t have some type of Thanksgiving food?” Even though I couldn’t go I was used to being around all of my teammates so they filled that void created by missing my family. I just wanted to be around some type of love. Then my hallmates and I received an email that our school’s International Office was holding a Thanksgiving dinner. So we, along with some other friends of ours, decided to go to the dinner. Half of the people that went to the Thanksgiving dinner had never celebrated Thanksgiving before because in Ireland it is just not a thing. The food they served included turkey, rice, sweet potatoes, Brussels spouts and carrots. You had a choice between water and Coke as a drink and finished the meal with apple pie for dessert. Before eating I suggested that we all go around and say something that we were thankful for. I started to think to myself “you’re so blessed, man. How many people can say that they got to spend Thanksgiving in another country? How many people even get to go to another country? You still get to play the game you love but most importantly I’m still alive” ❤️ As I sat at the table across with people from different backgrounds and nationalities I began to smile because a quote entered into my head that goes like this, “the best things in life are the people we love, the places we’ve been and the memories we’ve made along the way”. So even though I didn’t get to spend the day with my family, I helped seven other people experience Thanksgiving for the first time! A memory I won’t forget any time soon.

~Bless up

TC3

 

It was another grand day here in Northern Ireland. The weather was nice, there was no rain, it was not too cold, and it was Game Day. The team and I would be traveling to Maynooth University to play our third college game of the season. The travel down to Maynooth would take us about 2 1/2 hours so we had to get on the road about 2:30pm for a 6:30pm tip off. We are a small team so we only traveled down in two cars. I am not one to enjoy long cars ride so I usually download Netflix shows and watch them the whole time, it helps the time go by. The lucky show I watched this time was “The Sinner,” I definitely recommend watching if you’re currently stuck searching for a new show. Anyways, we arrived at our destination safely with no problems, well we thought. Once we entered the facility we learned that we parked in a space that we weren’t allowed. My teammate that drove returned to her car to change parking spaces and that’s when the grand day turned to “rubbish,” well we thought. Once the news were relayed to our coach he informed us that we would take care of it afterwards, because we did still have a game that needed to be played, we couldn’t dwell on our situation at the moment. I can definitely say as a team we did not dwell on our problematic situation we were going to have to face after the game because we ended up beating the team by a significant margin. It was a great team victory that we would be able to bring back to Jordanstown. Yet, the next question for us as a team was; how would we be getting back to Jordanstown? The situation that we faced before the game was in fact that the car I road down in got a flat tire, with no spare tire in the car, it being extremely late resulting in no car shops open, we weren’t sure what was going to happen. However, with our luck there was the Student Union building directly across the street and we headed right in. A day that started off grand that completely turned “rubbish” quickly turned right back to being a grand day. The team and I were able to celebrate our victory with a few beers and bond as a team. It was a great time and about 2 hours later we received word that the tire had been patched all up and we could get on the road. Yet, the ride that should have taken 2 1/2 hours did take about 3 so we didn’t get back until 1:30am in the morning. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t have changed any of it. It is another great memory I was able to have here in Northern Ireland that I’ll I get to keep with me forever.

One thing you need to know about me is I believe everything happens for a reason. There are a lot of people who don’t believe this philosophy, but I know firsthand that it’s true. Are you thinking to yourself, “How could she possibly know it’s true?”. Well, let me answer that by telling you my story.

My brothers, Sean (newly 22 years old – Happy Belated!) and Christian (17 years old), and I were all adopted from birth. The first people to hold each one of us the moment we were born into the world were our Mom and Dad. I have never known any other parents other than my own, but I can’t count how many times people have asked me if I’ve “ever met my “real” parents. Someone in my situation could be offended by this but most of the time I just laugh because I forget that I don’t look like anything like my Mom or Dad.  My brothers and I are bi-racial (half black, half white) and my parents are both white.  My simple response has always been “I’ve only had two parents and they’re as real as it can get”.

If you look up the meaning of the word “family” what you’ll read is:  “a group of persons of common ancestry” or “a group of individuals living under one roof”. With that in mind, if you were to look at a photograph of my family without any previous knowledge about us, you would most likely assume we’re not a family. I believe the definition of a “family” is antiquated and needs updating.  To me, family is a bondage that cannot be broken.  Family is a group of people who love, respect, support and look out for one another – unconditionally. I don’t believe blood ultimately defines that bondage or makes the bondage “real.”

I don’t resemble my parents externally.  My eyes are brown as is my skin tone.  My Dad has crystal blue eyes and my Mom’s are hazel.  Yet, I know I’ve inherited many of their characteristics and traits. My Dad has the biggest heart; I get my compassion and understanding from him. He is also one of the most knowledgeable people I know – his head is always in a book. My love for sports comes from him as well. We grew up with sports being a common household topic. He taught me all the basics: how to shoot a jump shot; how to use my left hand to dribble; and how to throw a baseball/football. Growing up, my Dad treated me like my brothers and I will always be grateful that he held me to the same, if not higher, expectation as them.

With my Mom, she and I are seriously best friends (though she always reminds me she’s my Mom first). If we grew up together, I know we would be inseparable, but I think it’s so much better having her as both a Mom and a friend. People, some who aren’t even aware that I’m adopted, have told me that I have the same mannerisms as my Mom and that is one of the greatest compliments I could ever receive. One thing my Mom always reminded us of growing up is “nature versus nurture” and when people comment on how alike I am to my Mom, I can’t help but smile because I know she’s right.

Without my Mom and Dad, I don’t know where I’d be today. I am so grateful for everything that they have done for me and my brothers. My Mom always told me that she knew our family was meant to be together – that everything happens for a reason.  When I was a little girl, a toddler, I’d ask my Mom if I grew in her “tummy” and she’d always respond “You didn’t grow in my tummy, you grew in my heart”.  So, for me, my family is a living example that everything truly does happen for a reason.  Within my biological background, I am the first female to receive a Bachelor’s degree and to pursue a Master’s. Knowing that makes me proud and it encourages me to keep learning and growing into the best version of myself that I can be. I am who I am because of my two amazing and loving parents.

Mo mhuintir, mo chroí