When it comes to Ehoops this activity was by far the most competitive and entertain one we have had to date. Some of the Sports Changes Life staff, us victory scholars and the Carnmoney Girls Soccer team took a trip to go and play laser tag. Now on first arrival i thought that we would just be playing laser tag the whole time and be done. However, there was more to this trip. In fact, we actually played numerous other games before we ended up actually competing against each other in laser tag. 

So we got split up into two teams and had an obstacle course, real live foosball and then another team building game to help us get accustomed to team building before we ended up going into battle on the laser tag course. To be honest the best part before the laser tag was definitely the obstacle course because I’ve seen it done before on TV and it was cool to actually have a chance to go through one in real life. On top of that going against the girls and other scholars made it really competitive which made it a lot of fun.

Now the main event was the laser tag and im going to tell you guys off the bat that my team did not have a successful day to start with. However, to our defense out laser guns were not working for the first couple games which obviously put us at a disadvantage to start with. But even when we got them to start working we were still getting smoked which was pretty sad. 

The good thing is the whole time at the Laser Park was fun and we were able to get even closer and know the girls soccer team alot more which was one of the coolest parts about it. 

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be studying in Ireland. Before coming, I told myself that I had to take advantage of this and see as many places as I could. So far, i haven’t gotten much of an opportunity to travel with school, basketball, and coaching taking up most of my days. However I have been able to explore Dublin, and it is beautiful. Once my schedule clears up and I have the time to travel, there are a few places that I’m dying to see.

First, I’ll give you a list of places that I have seen and LOVED.

1. Spain

I was fortunate to be able to travel abroad during my collegiate basketball career, and on this trip we went to Spain. We travelled to Barcelona, Toledo, Valencia, and Madrid. They were all so beautiful, and it was such an amazing experience. Toledo was definitely my favorite because of the breathtaking views we got to see. 

2. France

After traveling to Spain, our basketball program took an 8 hour train ride over to Paris for the last part of our foreign tour. Paris was amazing as well, and it was so fun because we held an “amazing race” throughout the city. Unfortunately I did not win this race, but it was cool to see all of the beautiful sights.

Now, for the bucket list items:

1. The Amalfi coast

Located in Italy, this is a beautiful coastline on the southern edge of Italy. I have always wanted to swim in the clear blue water and have some authentic Italian dishes, so it only seems appropriate that I make this my first pit stop.

2. Amsterdam

Some of the scholars and I have talked about traveling here together in the Spring, and I am so excited to go. It seems like such a fun place to explore, and a plus is that I have a cousin that lives there, so I’ll be able to see some family!

3. Croatia

Croatia is such a beautiful country, and it’s one that I had never really thought of visiting before. I didn’t really have an interest in traveling here until my sister sold me on it. Being on the coastline of the Adriatic Sea, there are some beautiful oceanside views and amazing sunsets that I would love to see first hand. 

My list is pretty short as of now, but I know that it will grow as the months go on. It seems like a feasible number, and I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to reach all of these destinations by the time I’m done with my program, so wish me luck!!!

The weekend before last I spent a total of 16 and a half hours traveling around the entire country. I had game on Saturday evening in Belfast. My roommates, who are also victory scholars, also had a game in Belfast that evening, so we all decided to spend the night with our friendly colleagues the Victory Scholars at Ulster University. After spending a night crashing on a couch in Belfast, I decided that it would be fun to meet up with a few friends of mine who were taking a road trip south from Galway. We met in Cork, where we spent the night crashing on the couches of my friendly colleagues the Victory Scholars at Cork Institute of Technology. So, before even starting the trip around the Ring of Kerry, I had spent four and a half hours on a bus from Galway to Belfast, two hours on a bus from Belfast to Dublin, and another three hours on a bus from Dublin to Cork. It was great to catch up with some of the other victory scholars.

I was a little apprehensive after spending all of that time on a bus to join my friends in their rental car for a day of driving up the coast in Kerry. While my knees were a little unhappy with me, everything else was picture perfect. I do not know how we got so lucky with the Irish weather on a random Monday afternoon in October, but it was beautiful. We spent time hiking in Killarney National Park, stopping for a picnic lunch on the shores of Lough Leane, before we continued up the coast. When I say that we got lucky with the weather, I think that might even be a bit of an understatement. It was warm and sunny. In October. In Ireland. All day. We didn’t see even a bit of rain, and there were barely any clouds in the sky.

I really don’t think words fully capture how lucky we were to spend one of the last nice days of the year driving up the coast in Kerry. So, here’s a video:

https://youtu.be/N__JyGiVnig

That is my friend Carlo and I, jumping into the Ocean. In Ireland. In October.

The road trip was a great way to conclude a great weekend traveling around Ireland. The weather was just a nice cherry on top.

Any time that my life starts to get busy, the first thing that I cut out of my life is sleep. I tend to be a night owl, and some of my most productive hours of the day tend to be from 12:00 – 04:00. Unfortunately for me, the rest of the world does not seem to share my affinity for the wee hours of the morning. So as things in my life start to pile up my days tend to stretch later and later, while my mornings start around the same time the rest of the world wakes up.

This is certainly not a new occurrence in my life. I have been working at these kinds of hours since I was in high school. However, the older I get, the more I begin to notice how my lack of sleep affects the rest of my life. As an athlete, practices feel longer, and my body seems to need more time to recover from what would normally routine training. As a student, my attention span wanes; I find myself not paying attention during lectures, and procrastinating more. Even as a friend or teammate, I find that I am more irritable when I do not get enough sleep, becoming quicker to lash out or make some underhand comment to someone who– for the most part– doesn’t deserve it.

So, how can I balance my own natural affinity for early hours of the morning with everything that I need to get done in my life? To be completely honest I wasn’t sure before this blog post. But, having done a few quick google searches into what some sleep experts would recommend, it seems they all seem to think that someone of my age, and with the amount of physical activity that I engage in would need between 7-9 hours every night. They also say that one of the easiest things to do to accomplish this is to get into a habit of going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. They also recommend that in the hour or so leading up to bed that the blue light from screens be avoided, or at least filtered with an app that reduces the blue light from laptops and phones.

To answer my own question, I am not sure if I will be able to keep working late at night. To date, it hasn’t become a huge problem for me. I am only now noticing the effects more than I did in my early years; however, it is definitely something I will have to keep my eye on as I progress into the next phase of my career and life.

There are many perks to being apart of a Sports Changes Life Ehoops group. We as Victory Scholars get to meet great groups of kids, participate in multiple sports, take part in highly educational workshops, and one can’t forget free pizza. On top of all of that, we get to enjoy great trips!

Recently with the Carnmoney Soccer team (one of the multiple Ehoops groups we work with), we were able to go to Escarmouche Action Park. The Escarmouche Action Park is an outdoor adventure park where individuals can take part in team building, mock military drills, paintballing, laser tag, and much more! Us and the Carnmoney team were scheduled to take part in some team building and laser tag, it’s safe to say we were in for a good time.

Now for those reading, who don’t know me personally, I’m gonna let you know I am EXTREMELY competitive. It most of my life my competitiveness has proven to be one of my biggest strengths, but in situations that are just for a bit of craic, it can be a bit … much. However, knowing this about myself did not stop me one bit from trash-talking my fellow scholars before we even left for the park. I trash-talked everyone! But It didn’t matter who ended up on my team because I knew my team was going to win.

With that being said, it was nice to see I wasn’t the only super competitive one. All the girls got stuck in and we had a great time! Unfortunately, the Carnmoney girls came to play and I was shot out at the beginning of every match. Disregarding my poor performance, it was amazing to see how well the girls work together. You could easily tell that the girls have developed great chemistry for being on the field together. By the end, I hope the work they’ve done during Ehoops has brought their tight-knit group even closer together.

“Coaching doesn’t start with Xs and Os. It starts with believing that players win games and coaches win players.”
– Bill Courtney (Former Head Basketball Coach of Cornell University)

Courtney’s quote represents my coaching ideology exactly. As a player, I always believed that a coach’s knowledge of the X’s and O’s was secondary. I always felt their ability to form relationships and communicate with their athletes was more important.

In several disputes with my past coaches, I have fought adamantly to prove this point. I was always told, “you won’t understand until you’re coaching”. Or “you’re going to struggle if you ever become a coach”. And as the over-confident know-it-all that I am, I would brush them off and go about my day. Because no matter what they said, I just believed coaching would be a cakewalk. Well, now I’m a coach. And it’s not a cakewalk.

Don’t get me wrong my ideology is still the same. However, I now have a newer appreciation for Xs and Os. Essentially, as the players are out on the court physically and mentally exerting themselves, the coaches are having a mental chest match on the sideline. Both battling to see who can set their team up for success and who can put individual players in positions to be successful. I didn’t truly realize how important those skills were until my players were staring at me in a huddle like “what are we gonna do out there?”, and I truly didn’t know.

So far practices have been a constant battle of trial and error. And I have been frustrated and questioning myself. Like “Am I helping them improve” or “Are they enjoying themselves”. But if there is one thing I know, it’s that the only way to improve is to push yourself out of your comfort zone. So while I may not be ready to coach a WNBA team, I know by challenging myself I’ll get there one day! I’m thankful for the young women and their parents within the club, they have allowed me to truly grow as a person, player, and most definitely, as a coach!

Several weeks back, I journeyed through several cities along the west coast of Ireland with two teammates from Hamilton, Pete Hoffmann and Tim Doyle. Pete plays for Neptune in Cork, and Tim plays for Tolka Rovers in Dublin, and we decided to connect during our midterm break from class. The trip was partially influenced by my father – Dad often reminisces on a golf trip he completed nearly 20 years ago with his college friends, where he rented a bus to drive along the west coast.

Our first stop on the trip was Galway. Tim and I crashed for two nights with Dan, Karlee, and Becca (thank you for the hospitality, including my bed on the floor!) So far, Galway has been my favorite city in Ireland. Galway – a small city on the west coast – is a blend of electric nightlife, breathtaking scenery, and live music. Needless to say, this city a priority to revisit in the future.

After two great nights in Galway, Tim and I jumped on a bus to head south towards the small village of Doolin (15 minutes away from the Cliffs of Moher). The drive along the west coast was amazing. Mountains stretch to the coastline to meet the sea, which provided a visual appearance that mimicked a scene out of West World. Around 6pm, we arrived in Doolin – a tiny village that hosts only 500 people throughout the year. As we interacted with locals at McDermott’s Bar, we found out that everyone who lives here gravitates to 2 or 3 pubs every weekend. Aside from providing pints and authentic irish cuisine, the pubs host an array of live music each night. Surprisingly, the performers did not sing; for nearly three hours, they played elbow pipes and violins in front of dozens of locals that packed into the small pub. Each performer was incredibly talented.  Their hands moved at lightening speed as they played fast-paced Irish melodies.

The next day, Pete picked us up with a rental car to drive us to the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs are scary high. Coupling this with my fear of heights made the journey as terrifying as it was amazing. Thankfully, it was a beautiful day, so we were able to see the Cliffs in prime form.

Our last leg of the tour was Killarney. Pete and I stayed in a hostel for one night. The next day, we toured the Muckross House (an elegant mansion situated on Muckross Lake), and proceeded to drive through a portion of the Ring of Kerry. We stopped several times throughout the national park, which allowed us to visit the Torc Waterfall (pictured below).

I recommend this trip to any scholar who hasn’t been to Galway, Killarney, or the Cliffs of Moher. I plan to return later this year with my brothers (shoutout JGrass and PGrass)!

20×20 is a fantastic campaign happening in Ireland right now. The goal of the campaign is to change the subliminal bias in the Irish psyche that exists around girls and boys (or women and men) when it comes to sports. 20×20 has partnered with The Federation of Irish Sport and all of Ireland’s leading sporting organizations have come together to pledge their active participation in supporting the initiative. It’s an all-inclusive movement to shift the cultural perception of women’s sport by 2020 with:

• a 20% increase in media coverage of women in sport
• a 20% increase in female participation at all levels of sport (whether it be players, coaches, referees, or administration)
• a 20% increase in attendance at women’s games and events

The main emphasis of the campaign is that anyone can encourage a young woman to get involved in sport and that need these participants to ‘show your stripes,’ because if she can’t see it, she can’t be it.

I pledge to give more opportunities to support girls when it comes to sport, to coach and develop young female athletes, and to help those who aspire to become an elite athlete. For the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to go St. John of God’s Primary School for the Waterford Sports Partnership Hoops for Girls Program in support of the 20×20 movement. I coach the 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th class girls every Monday for 35-minute sessions. The girls are always so excited to work on their basketball skills each week and hearing positive feedback from their teachers about how much they are loving the program is very rewarding.

If you are interested in supporting the 20×20 movement, take a look here to see how you can get involved. #ShowYourStripes #CantSeeCantBe #20×20

These past two weeks, school has become more and more stressful with finals approaching. Basketball and coaching have given me some time away from studying, but that time of the year is quickly approaching. It is nice to only have three exams during finals week, but that also means that I have other assignments to accomplish before then. I am looking forward to getting a break for a few weeks once finals are over.

After a long few months living in Ireland and the stress of school increasing, I finally got a taste of home when my mom visited this past weekend. It was amazing to see my mom especially with the holidays coming up soon. She arrived Thursday morning at 6, so I met her at the airport and we went to my college game in Cork. It was a great feeling for me to play a game with my mom in the stands supporting me. It was also special for her to see because we got a great team win. After the game we went into Limerick for dinner and saw some live music. It was nice to catch up and share a meal together. We left the next morning for Dublin, where we spent the rest of the weekend.

In Dublin, we went to Temple Bar, saw the Book of Kells, and I introduced my mom to the wonder of Penney’s. I am so happy that we were able to enjoy a weekend together because I did not realize how much I missed home. Seeing my mom made me so much more excited for Christmas and spending time with my whole family. While I am so grateful for this opportunity to live abroad for a year, it has also made me appreciate everything I had back at home. Christmas is going to be an exciting week to reconnect with everyone, which I am looking forward to. It also makes me excited for the rest of my family and friends to visit Ireland so that I can show them everything that Ireland has to offer.

Hi Everyone!

Recently, I have been feeling very homesick (34 days until I’m back in Boston but who’s counting??), so I have been trying to do some things that remind me of home. If anyone is homesick, these are some things I recommend doing to alleviate the homesickness.

1. FACETIME!

Honestly, FaceTime is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. One of the people I FaceTime the most is obviously my mother. I’ve been calling her a lot lately, just so I can know what is going on at home. She has her own countdown going on when I come off the plane, and I have to say, nothing makes you feel more loved than knowing you’re missed. The best part about FaceTiming my mom is that she will always put the dog on the phone, because I forgot how much I missed having a dog.

I also like to FaceTime my sister and my best friends. The other night, I stayed up until 1:30am just so I could talk to my sister and my best friend at the same time. I have attached some FaceTime pictures I have taken of people I have FaceTimed, because why not?

2. MOVIES/TV SHOWS

Watch movies that remind of you of home/friends/family! My favorites are listed below

• Disney movies -> Disney just feels like home, doesn’t it?
• Marvel movies-> My best friends from my town and I LOVE Marvel movies, so whenever I’m missing them, I like to play these movies and imagine their commentary
• Netflix Original Movies-> So I HATED Netflix movies because I thought they were so corny, but my roommates loved them (shoutout to 6L). So when I am missing them, I watch those movies
• Keeping up with the Kardashians and Grey’s Anatomy-> there’s nothing more fun than discussing these 2 drama filled shows with my best friends (long live 4i!!!)
• Brooklyn 99/ Parks and Rec-> Special shoutout to Abby McKanna, because these are the shows we would watch together. (If anyone is looking for a hilarious workplace comedy, these 2 are WAAAAAYYYYY better than The Office don’t @ me)

3. SOCIAL MEDIA

Memories on snapchat and instagram are both a blessing and a curse.  I love seeing all the shenanigans that I got into with my friends and my teammates, but it also makes me sad because I miss them so much. However, it’s always so nice to wake up and start the day with a laugh. It’s also so much easier to interact and stay in contact with everyone when I constantly see them on my news feeds.

I hope this helps anyone who is feeling homesick. Once again, FaceTime, Movies/TV shows, and social media are absolute game changers

Enjoy!

Morgan 🙂

It has been a little while since my last blog post because I’ve been pretty busy with assignments and presentations for school. So, I wanted to give a little recap of how I celebrated Halloween here in Ireland!

A few weeks before Halloween, Niall told us about a music festival-type event called Jika Jika that was being held in Ebrington Square in Derry. His all-time favorite DJ, Patrick Topping, was going to be there so we decided to give it a go and buy tickets!

The next challenge was to find a Halloween costume. When we first arrived in Letterkenny, Manny had been watching a series on Netflix called “Money Heist” and recommended it to all of us. So, we all started watching it and got SO into the show. (I’m anxiously waiting for the next season to come out!!) In my search for Halloween costumes, I came across a “Money Heist” inspired costume on Amazon and thought it was perfect for us! Everyone else agreed and we all ordered red jumpsuits and Salvador Dali masks so we could dress up as the characters in the show. I know you might be thinking, “Then why isn’t she wearing a red jumpsuit and mask in the pictures??” Well, there are 2 reasons: 1. Someone had to dress up as the Professor (one of the main characters of the show) to make our costume complete, and 2. Niall needed a costume so I took one for the team and let him wear the one I ordered, which meant I’d be the Professor (I called myself La Profesora…thought it was a little more fitting😉)

So, all the components for our Halloween night had come together and we were ready for our night in Derry (which is in Northern Ireland). Here’s a little fun fact for you all: Derry was named the best Halloween destination in the WORLD by USA Today – and I live just 20 minutes away from it! The origin of Halloween actually dates back 2,000 years ago to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (sow-in) where it was said that the ghosts of the dead returned to walk the earth before a new year began for the Celts on November 1st. So, I’d say its roots in Irish history make Derry a pretty darn cool place to be on Halloween!

Back to my Halloween night experience – we decided to take the bus to Derry since it was quick and much cheaper than a taxi. Once we arrived, we weren’t sure where to go to meet everyone so we walked across the Peace Bridge and into Ebrington Square. It was super windy and chilly – you could actually feel the bridge moving as you walked across it, which was a little scary! Once we made it across the bridge, Niall calls to tell us that we were on the wrong side🤦🏻‍♀️ So, back over the bridge we went. Then, we found a little Mexican restaurant and snacked on some chips and queso while we waited for Niall, Temple, Dave #1, and Dave #2 (collectively known as “The Derry Boys”). They eventually showed up and we hung out a little bit before heading to the Jika Jika festival. We saw some of the Derry Halloween Parade and then began our trek to the other side of town to get to the party! On our way over, we also saw the fireworks show over the River Foyle – it was all such a cool experience!

We finally made it to the festival and it was PACKED. There were so many people dressed up in different costumes and dancing to the music – it was so much fun! Somehow in all the chaos, we were able to find our French housemates and some friends from our neighbor house and continued the fun with them, too!

After the festival, we went to a bar called “The Diplomat” to hang out with everyone before heading back to Letterkenny. Little did we know it would be so difficult to get a taxi to take us just 20 minutes away! Since we were in Northern Ireland, the 24-hour cab services in Letterkenny wouldn’t pick us up because we were technically in a different country – would have been nice to know beforehand! Now I guess you’re wondering, how the heck did they get home?? And there’s only one answer to that question: Lauren NicPháidín. Lauren is literally a SAINT. She will do anything for anyone and is seriously one of the best people I’ve ever met! She has such a big heart and gives so much of her time to coach and be a role model for the boys in the North Star basketball club, keep our LYIT Donegal men in line, AND she has a 9-5 full-time job as a social worker on top of that! So, thanks to Lauren, we were able to get a lift back to Letterkenny and we made it home safe and sound. (Seriously, if it wasn’t for her I’m not sure where we would have ended up!)

The entire night was DEFINITELY one to remember and an amazing experience. I might just have to come back again next year to celebrate Halloween, Derry-style!

Traveler Tip #16:

If you’re a scholar based in Letterkenny and are going to a coaching session somewhere, WEAR LAYERS. Chances are, the gym will be freezing – ESPECIALLY the Ballyshannon gym on a Sunday! (You can thank me later)

That’s all for now, folks👋🏼

-Dana D.

So if you’re at all familiar with me, you know I am, like many others who live in my area, I diehard Ohio State football fan. However, this past Saturday, instead of keeping up with the Buckeyes (who are hands down the best team in college football this year) I had the opportunity to take in my very first rugby match. This entire opportunity was possible by those at Limerick IT, but primarily by the one and only Wayne Fanning.

The match Ian and I took in was Munster vs. Ulster. Prior to the match beginning, we were able to take enjoy a dinner and complimentary drinks, as part of the hospitality that was included with our tickets. We had the opportunity to chat with some lovely people, who talked about the history of Munster Rugby, as well as some insight into how the game is played and some key players to watch.

As the match began, Ian and I began to take how the sport was played. While I still have a number of questions about the sport, here’s what I understand: Rugby is played with 15 on the field for both sides at the same time. The layout of the field seems somewhat similar to an American football field as there is one goal post at each end, as well as the equivalent of an endzone at each end. The primary way to advance the ball is to shovel it backwards to your teammates, and try and find a crease to run through the oppositions line of defense. If you have the ball and get tackled, you must shovel the ball between your legs to a teammate. While this is happening, the other team cannot interfere with the ball. If you make it to the other team’s endzone, it’s called a try, and worth 5 points. Similar to American football there an extra point sort of kick that occurs and must go through the uprights. If it does, it’s worth an additional 2 points.

Now here’s where things get fuzzy: There’s an additional way to score called a penalty. If the other team commits some sort of penalty, a player from the non-committing team gets a free kick from somewhere on the field (maybe where the penalty happened? I don’t really know). This kick is uncontested, and worth an additional 3 points.

Okay so more on this whole free field goal thing. I have two pretty big issues with this. First of all, let’s say Munster committed a penalty, and Ulster got a free field goal kick and made it for 3 points (This actually happened a couple times). When talking about what just happened, you would say it was Ulster’s penalty, which resulted in the 3 points, even though Munster committed the initial penalty. So if Munster commits a penalty and Ulster scores as a result, it would be said that it was Ulster’s penalty. Confused? So am I.

My second issue is what happens during a free field goal kick. Regardless of what team is lining up to take the kick, the entire stadium goes quiet. I mean like dead silence. Like Ulster was getting ready for one of these kicks and people in the Munster crowd were shushing people so there would be no noise. Like seriously? Imagine that team from up north (If you know you know) coming into Columbus, lining up for a field goal, and the entire crowd going dead silent. Hasn’t happened yet and should never happen in my lifetime. So is this silence an act of sportsmanship to not distract the opponent? Cause if so then I’m almost at a loss for words. Hopefully there’s another reason this happened. Maybe it was a one-time thing because in fairness that’s the only rugby match I’ve ever fully watched.

In all seriousness though, the game was a ton of fun. Ian and I learned a lot, met some great people, and had a great time. Luckily enough, Thomond Park, where Munster plays its home matches, is literally a 1 mile walk from our apartment. If I have any say in it, it won’t be the last rugby match we go to this year.

Thanks for reading! Tune in next time as I share a phenomenal story about….you’ll just have to wait and read!

The Munster rugby match was unreal. I’ve been to professional sporting events in the states before but this rugby match was unforgettable. First off, it was freezing watching this outside and I definitely should have brought a hat to cover my ears. I could easily see my breath whenever I breathed. Secondly, Reece and I both did not know many of the rules and regulations in rugby so we asked a lot of questions about the game to random strangers and everyone was so friendly and willing to answer many of our questions. 

Now back to the match, it was really intense to see these guys going full speed at one another and colliding into each other. A couple of players got injured over the course of the game on both Ulster and Munsters team. Which I wasn’t too surprised to see. It really is a sport that is clearly grueling on an athletes body but these guys play with such pride and tenacity that whatever happens to them on the field they seem to be okay with. They are also paid professional athletes which is also why they put their bodies on the line for every game.

Anyway, I just loved going to a sporting event where the fans had such pride about their team. They were constantly cheering for Munster and the fans seemed as if they were very loyal to the program. And the guys on the field played as if it could have been there last game. Truthfully, it was very refreshing to see other athletes giving it their all on the field for the love of their team and people within their community. It just felt overall like a very wholesome experience.

Additionally, it was great to see the home team, Munster win in the end too. The final score was 22-16. Ulster almost had a chance to win it in the last couple of minutes but they blew their chances! Which was lucky for us!

In conclusion, I will be back to try and see another game this season! That was too incredible of an experience to do just once in my time here in Limerick. 

In the military community, we always say “what a small world.”  This couldn’t be more true.  Just recently I stopped into the Jako sports wear store here in Sligo to meet a fellow Elizabethtown College Blue Jay alum, Nicholas Broujos.  By the way, they have some awesome gear as you can see by our jackets.  Who would’ve thought that we would bump into each other a whole ocean away from where we went to school.  Although they were busy in the store, we got to have a conversation about both of our wonderful experiences as Blue Jays and how we enjoy life in Sligo.  It was funny to hear that certain apartments, dorms and off campus housing has remained the same from when he was a student and when I was as well.  Lastly, Nick played under the current soccer coach at Elizabethtown college, the legend Skip Roderick, who is still currently the head coach at the College.  After finishing his soccer career at Elizabethtown College and eventually found himself playing for the Sligo Rovers after graduation, word around is he was one fantastic goal keeper.  The similarities don’t stop there, Nick has family in the same county that I live in back home! How cool is that?

It’s funny how life gives you the opportunity to meet extraordinary people who have so much in common with you.  It was great to see the widespread reach of my alma mater and and to share memories of when we attend the school.  It’s always a pleasure catching up with alum, even if it’s in a different country!  Like the saying goes, Blue Jays Always!  Nick and I are both proud to be alums of such a great College and couldn’t be happier to be in Sligo!

This festival was awesome! It was from 10-4 and we were able to engage with some awesome people! We did different sports throughout the day and kids were able to come up and just play the games. Most games we did, kids had the opportunity to win a prize. This was incentive for a lot of kids to get out there and try the games! We did basketball, boccia, American football, and some other games we came up with! The turn was awesome and we interacted with a good amount of people. You can see the enjoyment on kids faces when they would participate in our games. They were having so much fun and were able to connect with other kids there who they didn’t know. They were able to connect because they were all doing the same drills with the same end goal. You saw other kids cheering for one another because it was that easy to get involved in the games we had going on!

It is so good to get the youth community engaged in sports whether its just for the day or they learn something and take it back with them. Sports can truly change peoples life in different ways which is amazing. People often think you have to be athletic to play a sport but that’s not the case because as long as they enjoy what they are doing that’s all that matters.

My grandparents had the opportunity to come visit me and I couldn’t have been happier. When they arrived my heart lit up, I was truly filled with happiness. Although they didn’t have the smoothest trip getting over here, they definitely enjoyed their time here.

Nun and pap mean so much to me and have impacted my life in ways they don’t even know. For them to come visit me all the way over here meant the world. I was getting a little home sick so it was perfect timing.

Nun and pap are HUGE basketball fans!! They support me and my sister who plays at Robert Morris University no matter what. They cheer for us and want us to be the best we can on the court. With that being said, pap DOES NOT like when we miss our free throws! For them to be able to watch me play two games meant the world to them. On top of that, we won both games!

Nun and pap saw most of Belfast and everything it had to offer! Nun loved the Titanic Museum!! They also got on one of the tourist buses one day!

Nun and pap also saw different parts of Ireland as well. We went to Dublin, Kilkenny, Waterford and they went up to Portrush as well. The Dublin, Kilkenny and Waterford trip was nice because they got see Maria Palarino who is another victory scholar. Maria and I have been friends since about 8th grade, so nun and pap love to see Maria when they can! Maria is based in Waterford but played in Dublin that weekend so we were able to catch her game. Which meant more basketball for nun and pap!!

We had the opportunity to explore Waterford a little while we were visiting Maria. We visited the Waterford Crystal Factory and the Waterford Viking Triangle! We took a lot of cool pictures, and I know when nun and pap read this they are not going to be happy when they see two pictures I put on here, but they are so cute, so it is what it is!!

Look how cute my little Waterford Vikings are!!! (sorry nun and pap!! LOVE YOU GUYS)

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We loved our time in Kilkenny and Dublin as well. In Kilkenny we ate at Matt the Millers and it was absolutely phenomenal. Nun and pap loved Dublin as well. There is so much history in so many places and nun and pap loved the details on the historic building.

Nun wanted to see the castles in Ireland as well. We went to the Carrickfergus, Belfast, and Hillsborough Castles and nun enjoyed all of them! Pap and I enjoyed the castles as well but we were making a lot of jokes throughout the tours because neither one of us could stay focused for that long. Pap and I were more focused on the food we were going to eat later in the day! Mentioning food, pap absolutely loved mauds! For those who don’t know, mauds is ice cream and it is absolutely amazing!!! Back to the pictures now,

Overall this trip was absolutely amazing and I couldn’t have been happier that my wonderful grandparents came to visit. Traveling and driving on the other side of the road was quite interesting for all of us but we survived and had a blast!

(I enjoyed most of my time with you guys (inside joke)) But in all seriousness them coming made my heart full of love and happiness. To my rocks, love you guys and see you in June! <3

~Be a pineapple; stand tall, wear a crown and be sweet on the inside!~

Car rides and road trips in Ireland are very different than back in the states. Well, maybe, just back where I’m from in Ohio. A car ride in Ohio usually consists of endless corn fields or boring highways. Car rides that make it extremely easy to fall asleep and not miss anything. Here in Ireland though; this couldn’t be any different.

Throughout some of the traveling I have done around Ireland, I have constantly found myself astonished by the views and beautiful Irish landscape. The vast and never ending sight of different shades of green are truly jaw dropping. There are constant moments where I look out the window, and the only thing I can say is “wow”. Some of these views look like something you would see when you open up a Mac book screen, and seemingly come out of nowhere. Perhaps the funniest thing about this is that I seem to be the only one in the car that’s astounded by the views. (Typical tourist) While I sit in amazement as I stare out the window, other people seem completely unaffected. I guess it is something that natives and locals get used to after awhile, but for a small town kid from Ohio, these views are unbelievable.

One of these “wow” moments came this last weekend on our trip home from Sligo. This time, though, I wasn’t the only one who’s attention was caught by the view. Luckily, everybody in the car was taken back with what they saw out the car window, and decided to stop to take it in further. The picture below is a pano I took from standing outside of the car. While the picture doesn’t do the view any justice, I hope it shows a brief idea of just how amazing some of these views truly are.

Overall, I have been trying my best to cherish and appreciate all of the experiences that have come my way this first 2 and a half months. (wow, that sounds crazy!!) I can only hope that I will be able to look back on my experiences here with no regrets, and with full appreciation of this beautiful country and its culture. Even if the experience is something as simple as stopping on the side of an extremely narrow country road to take in a view.

Last week, our International Business class was fortunate enough to have some time off from school. Fellow Scholar Michael Grassey and I decided to take full advantage and explore the west coast of Ireland, visiting the Cliffs of Moher and Killarney National Park. Having the opportunity to explore Ireland’s countryside was an aspect of this experience that I was looking forward to for a long time. Additionally, I have grown to really enjoy photography over the past couple of years so it was great to get out and capture the scenery. Below are some of my favorite shots I captured. I hope you enjoy!

Cliffs of Moher

Killarney National Park (Ladies View, Torc Waterfall trail, & the Muckross House)

My basketball experience has been frustrating so far, especially as our team struggled over the last 6 games. We are a relatively young team with plenty of work ahead of us.

As I was thrown into the middle of this situation, the importance of team culture has been amplified. Over the last 9 years, I have experienced both exceptional and mediocre cultures. Competing in varying environments was one of the most rewarding parts of this game – it taught me how to follow, how to lead, and most importantly, how to build a successful organization.

Below is my vision of culture. I argue that these components are necessities for sustained group success in any capacity.

1. Exceptional Leadership

Coaches must instil confidence in players, and never deviate from the goals and values of the team. This extends beyond the strategic approach to the game.  Coaches must have great knowledge of how to function on the court, but also understand the strengths and weaknesses of every player on the roster. This will optimize a player’s contributions through increased confidence, elevated responsibility, and autonomy over decision making.

2. Sacrifice

Players must be able to sacrifice individual accomplishments for the success of the collective. I call this “leaving your ego at the door.” The best teams I played for had multiple players that could have averaged 20 points on a mediocre team. What made the team great was the players who made substantial sacrifices for the benefit of the whole group. That includes individual statistics.

3. Accountability

This is, perhaps, the most important aspect of building a team. Players and coaches must welcome constructive criticism. Players cannot be afraid to call someone out.  Holding yourself and your teammates accountable will minimize bad habits.

4. Relentless Effort

Hours in the gym and weight room are expected from great teams. Players should not have to be told to get shots up, lift weights, or work on conditioning. It has to be in their DNA. Inspiring an entire group to exert their maximum effort is not an easy task. If executed, strong results will likely follow.

5. Great Habits

Building strong habits starts before the season. It begins with players establishing team values, and following them religiously through everyday action. I argue that this is one of the most overlooked parts of success. This also includes perfecting the most basic parts of the game: layups, footwork, and defensive technique, to name a few. The best players I competed with or against demonstrated exceptional fundamentals. Building great habits requires close attention to mundane aspects of the game.

There are certainly parts that I left out from this list.  But to me, these are the five that standout.

You never really realize all the little things that you take for granted until the little things become big challenges. Things like how am I going to get from point A to point B, where am I going to go to get my eyebrows done or to get a haircut, and why does this oven not cook right? In The States I never lived in a place where I had to rely on public transportation. I always had my car and could jump in it anytime and drive to where ever I wanted to go. Here, when I have a free day and I want to plan to go somewhere I have to immediately look at the bus or train schedule to figure out what time and plan out how I am getting there.

For a while now, I knew I needed to get my haircut but where was I even supposed to go? At home you have your go-to place that you have probably used for years. But how was I supposed to know where to go here? So I hoped for the best and decided to just go to a place right by my apartment. After a shaky start of trying to relay that I just wanted a simple cut, it ended up turning out fine, maybe slightly shorter than I would have wanted, but I was just happy it was over with.

Hollow cookies, muffins that had sunken tops, a simple cake that took 4 hours to bake… I know what you’re thinking it’s the cooks… but although I may have thought the same thing for the cookies, when the muffins didn’t cook right and the cake took four hours, I’m starting to think it’s not just the cooks.

As I finish this blog post, I just got back from a walk around town where I had full intentions of not stopping at the grocery store, so I purposefully left without a bag. But there I was, an hour later, left with no bag and walking back across town with some groceries in my hands and thinking how much I miss my car.

So to the little things at home,

I’m sorry I every took you for granted.

This past week was a bit of a break for most of us scholars around the country of Ireland. Due to the clutch bank holiday and school graduations for the 2018-2019 school year taking place, scholars got a chance to breathe, travel, and even catch up on some work. Nope, that wasn’t me. Little did I know that I would experience a week full of excitement and growth.

My coach invited me to stay over his house for the majority of the week. Some of my past college friends/teammates have given me stories of how their coach invited them into his home and introduced his family. I’ve just never had that type of relationship with any of coaches. For the first time, I can attest to the relationships that my friends/teammates’ have had with their coaches. The coach that I have this year is an all-around phenomenal person and coach. I got a chance to meet his family and get to know a little more about him and how he got into coaching. After a 1 win 1 loss weekend of basketball, I got a chance to watch a couple scholars play against my coaches hometown team. The game was down to the wire from start to finish. It was a great way to end the weekend. I had no idea what was coming up next.

The next day I found myself in a car with Dave Hopla. Yes Dave Hopla. He’s one of the most prominent NBA shooting coaches. He’s worked with many of the NBA’s greatest players like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, and the list goes on and on. Coach mentioned to me that he comes to Ireland once every two years and there Dave was sitting right there in the front seat. I was speechless. For 30 years, he has been across the world performing shooting demonstrations where he teaches kids the proper way to shoot and how basketball relates to real life situations. We were on the way to a gym to watch Dave give one of his shooting demos and I’m pretty sure he was annoyed with all the questions that I’d asked. Once we arrived to the gym, Dave stepped into the gym and started to warm up with some shots. Even his warmup was so smooth.Watching the demo was simply incredible. The way Dave performed his demo with little to no effort was surreal. And if I could somehow upload every minute of that demo, I definitely would. After the demo, we dropped Dave off at another gym where he would perform his second demo. Coach and I would have loved to stay and watch but he had an early morning ahead of us.

For the next three days, we helped work a camp. The camp hit me hard with some true challenges of coaching youth but it also provided me with self-evaluation every day. It reminded me of the endless energy that kids display on an everyday basis. By the last day of camp, I was completely exhausted. But I gotta say, it was the best week of sleep that I’d ever gotten since I’ve arrived here. They say that I talk funny because of my American accent that I apparently have. The kids made me feel like a real superstar when they asked me to sign their shoes on the last day of camp. I didn’t spend the week the way that I had planned but in the end, this week has been one to remember.

In my last blog post I talked about how my club team, the UL Huskies had two tough losses two weeks ago.  I also mentioned that despite the games I felt confident that we could bounce back as a team.  I am excited to say that two weeks later we won both of our games, one being a cup game win in overtime. This means so much to me because I really feel like we are growing as a team and getting better every single week. Teams go through ups and downs, but their success is measured by their ability to bounce back. Fortunately, we bounced back better than ever these past two weeks, and I am looking forward to what the coming weeks hold for us. Getting these two wins also means so much because I know that every one of my teammates and coaches involved out so much of their time and effort into winning. To see the results of our hard work is something very special especially after two defeating weekends.

This past week I had my study week, which means that I did not have any classes in order to prepare for any midterms and projects coming up. This could not have come at a better time because I feel like my work is starting to pile up. It was nice to be able to sit down and start working on all of my assignments throughout the week. I also was able to help coach the UL Huskies U16 girls team, which is one of my favorite things to do. One of the reasons I wanted to work with a program like Sport Changes Life was to inspire young girls to do what makes them confident. I want to be a positive influence on these young girls and help show them that they have the potential to do anything they set their minds to.

With the study week giving me a break from classes, I was also able to go on a small trip to Lahinch. I went on Monday and stayed overnight. I was able to experience the beautiful beach and the small town with quaint pubs.The main reason I wanted to go to Lahinch was to surf, which is at the top of my bucket list while I am in Ireland.  Unfortunately the weather was so beautiful that the water was calm and there was not a wave in sight. I will just have to go back some other time!

Over the past weekend I was able to visit the Guinness Storehouse for the first time with some of the other victory scholars.
The Guinness Storehouse is located in the heart of the St. James’s Gate Brewery and is Ireland’s most popular tourist attraction. The journey began at the bottom of the world’s largest pint glass and continued up through seven floors filled with interactive experiences that taught us the long brewing heritage with Ireland’s history. We also learned how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness. Not trying to brag but mine literally came out perfect. We then were able to take our pint go Guinness we poured and go up to the world-famous rooftop Gravity Bar and enjoyed our perfect pint of Guinness. I would say it was a day well spent.

This past week I had my coaching debut and boy it was one for the books!

Lets start from the beginning …

I arrive to the gym about 40 mins before the game to get mentally prepared because I was so nervous. I asked my assistant coach from my super league team for a drawing board so I can write the plays down for the girls and explain some x and o’s during timeouts.

They’re u12 games a head of us so,  I sit and watch some of the games and watch other coaches dynamics and gestures because I’m not too familiar with Fiba rules. As it gets closer to the game I’m talking with a few of my girls who seem nervous and excited to play at the same time. I was in the same boat as them but obviously couldn’t show it as their coach so I cracked a couple of jokes to loosen up the atmosphere and to boost their confidence up.

The u12 games are over and my game is about to begin.

It was hard for me to select a starting 5 so I just closed my eyes and the first 5 I saw, started. Not the best tactic I suppose but sometimes you just have to go with it lol.

The first quarter wasn’t bad both teams missed shots and were scoring back and fourth.

I think it was the second quarter where things began to get interesting to say the least. One of my players gets the rebound and scores into the other teams basket, another one of my girls dribbles it off her foot during a one on none fast break, and the other teams post player was like Maya Moore on the offensive glass, just getting put back after put back. We were down 4 at the end of the first and then by half time we were down 16.

As a coach I had to regroup and change my game plan. Halftime I realized the difference between a player and a coach is control. As a player your coach gives you direction but you control 97% of the game on the court. A coach most likely has 3% control of what’s going on and what can happen. The rest of the 97% is pure hope that your players implement what you teach and execute the game plan.

At Halftime I talked to my girls who looked a little defeated about the process of adversity. That obstacles are meant to be overcome and that the most important thing is to a have fun and enjoy the game.

The third quarter was better we cut the scored to 10, but with a few players in foul trouble and a lot of my players not knowing the plays the game slipped away again the 4th. The score was 31-51. At first I felt defeated that my first game as a coach I lost and that L was on me. But, then we huddled up at the end as a team and everyone of my girls had a smile on their face. They cared that they lost but they cared more about how they enjoyed the game and had fun while doing it. In that moment I realized that basketball isn’t about wins and losses, it’s about the relationships you build and the bond you make with peers who become life long friends and that will impact your life!

This season might have more losses than wins (hopefully more wins), but I rather see 12 smiles at the end of every game then to beat a team by 20!

Stay tuned!

Halloween is one of my absolute FAVORITE holidays of all time. Why?

1. I love seeing how creative everyone can be with costumes
2. carving faces into pumpkins is the strangest tradition you could imagine
3. there are so many fantastic halloween movies
4. CANDY

Back at home, I live on a very busy street, so getting kids to come to our house never happened, so I never gave out candy before. We also would never carve pumpkins, because they were always messy and no one was very good at it. My mother is also a nutritionist, so I was only allowed to keep FOUR (4) pieces of candy from my halloween collection, and the rest were donated or given to friends. So this year for halloween, I wanted it to be different

This year, 2 of my teammates and I looked for pumpkins to carve. The store was all out, so we had to go with plan B: butternut squash. I would definitely recommend using butternut squash instead of pumpkins because they come in all different shapes and sizes, and they’re small enough that everyone can do their own. They’re also easier to carve than a regular pumpkin.

On Halloween night, my 2 teammates and I sat at the dining room table and patiently waited for the kids to arrive. Please watch the video below to see our reaction to the first bunch of trick or treaters!

Finally, the amount of leftover candy was absurd, and to someone who never got to eat all her halloween candy, it was a dream come true (To my mom who might be reading this: I didn’t eat a ton, just more than you normally would’ve let me)

Something that was different that I enjoyed was that Irish people do fireworks and bonfires for halloween! I got to watch a firework show and see a huge bonfire from my bedroom window.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Stay spooky 🙂

Morgan

I was lucky enough to spend most of the week last week with my family, and I am so grateful they were able to come over.

While I was in classes or at practice, my family spent the day exploring the Grafton Street and Temple Bar areas, hiking through the Wicklow Mountains, and spending the day traveling to the the Cliffs of Moher. All I wanted to do was skip class and join them, but I know how important my education is, and it is crucial to .

When they weren’t doing touristy things, we went out to dinner, watched a movie, or just spent time as a family. It’s funny how it’s the little things you miss the most. My mom’s hugs, my dad’s laugh, and my sisters goofball personality are the 3 things I missed more than anything, and I got to experience them again.

My family is lucky enough to be able to afford to come visit me. And I know that isn’t possible for all families, so I count my blessings everyday.

Thanks for listening

Morgan

As mentioned in my previous blog post, my adventure with the St. Eunan’s Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others (G4MO) club was one of the best day’s I have had here in Ireland so far! Let me tell you, the women on this team are honestly so cool and so much fun to be around. Monica warned me that the day would be crazy, and she certainly was not joking – but I loved every minute of it!

To begin the day, we all met outside Mt. Errigal Hotel (right around the corner from my house) to get on the bus at 10am. I still had no idea where we were going at this point – all I knew was that our match was at 2pm and we were getting dinner after. So, we began our 3-hour journey West and within the first 20 minutes or so, we realized that we left without Maria! The bus driver pulled over to the side of the road in Ballybofey and we waited for a few minutes so she could meet us – and thank goodness we did because: 1. She is an outstanding Gaelic player and we need her out on the field; 2. She is a great singer and led many of the songs throughout the trip; and 3…Well, I really just wanted to give her a shout out and say that it’s almost her birthday!

So we continued our trip and stopped in Sligo for some food before the match. Here, I found out that we were on our way to a town called Knockmore in Mayo County to play the G4MO team there. Clearly, I had no idea where that was, but hey now I can say that I’ve been to Mayo County!

We arrived in Knockmore around 1:30pm and started to get equipped and warmed-up for the match. I now own my own pair of Gaelic gloves, but still used Monica’s boots and her son’s jumper to warm-up in (Thanks Killian!) Hopefully, I’ll continue to play next year and will invest in my own Gaelic gear! We played two 15-minute halves and we WON! It was a great match played by both teams and I had so much fun playing. Then we played one 10-minute game just for fun before heading over to the pub (which was literally in the same parking lot of the field we played on!) The Knockmore team was so generous as they had a whole spread of little sandwiches, muffins, pies, and tea for us afterwards. And of course, we were at a pub so a few pints had to go around to celebrate the win, too!

After mingling at the little pub in Knockmore, we ventured out to a nice restaurant called “The Cot and Cobble” in Ballina for dinner. They had a table set up with custom menus (see below) just for us! Thankfully, we were placed in a separate room away from the other restaurant patrons since there was a lot of loud singing and story-telling taking place! While we waited for our meals, Teresa had us play a game (I can’t remember exactly what it was called, but something along the lines of “Unwrap the Parcel”) where the first person attempted to unwrap a gift wearing oven mitts while the next person was rolling a die. Once the person rolled a 6, the gift and the die had to be passed over to the next people who attempted to unwrap it and roll another 6 (confusing to explain in words, sorry!). Long story short, the gift was a variety pack of mini boxes of cereal – but the point is that it was really fun to watch everyone struggle to unwrap a pack of cereal with oven mitts in the middle of a restaurant! Then, we finished dinner and dessert and headed back to the bus. Little did I know the night was just getting started.

So, I get settled in my seat on the bus for the ride home. The next thing I know, I look up and see a Panda walking down the middle of the bus aisle. Yes, that’s right – a Panda. To be honest, I have no explanation for this part of the night – I’m not even sure how Katrina got the Panda suit on the bus without anyone seeing it! It was definitely the highlight of the night, though. I mean, who doesn’t get a kick out of a random Panda walking around in public???

We did, eventually, begin to make our way back to Letterkenny, Panda and all. The bus ride was full of laughter, traditional Irish songs (current songs, as well), and a few pints. About halfway back, we stopped at a shop in Sligo for a bathroom break. And it is most DEFINITELY a small world because while I was waiting in the shop, I turn around and see Dom Uhl (my German/US housemate) walking towards me! We stared at each other in disbelief for a minute before we acknowledged each other. The LYIT Donegal boys had played a game in Limerick that night and just so happened to stop at the SAME place at the SAME time as we did! Crazy, right?!

After catching up with about half the men’s team in Sligo and taking a photo with the Panda, we hopped back on the bus. I really didn’t think it was possible for us to make one more stop on the way back (poor Charlie, the bus driver), but we did and it was another great experience! We stopped at a pub called “Biddy’s O’Barnes” about 30 minutes away from Letterkenny – and this was a true, Irish pub. We walked in while a man was telling old Irish stories on the microphone (true stories!) and, although we might have been a bit rowdy, a lot of the people there seemed to enjoy our presence. Especially, the 88-year old woman sitting against the wall, who happened to be on her third whisky! She loved the Panda and you could tell she really enjoyed talking to some of the girls. There was also an open fireplace in the middle of the bar, which was really cool and something I’ve never seen before!

Biddy’s O’Barnes was definitely a great way to end the night. We made it back to Letterkenny around midnight and Brian kindly dropped me off at Shalom House. I was definitely ready for bed after our long, adventurous day!

Again, I can’t thank the St. Eunan’s G4MO ladies, Eamonn and Brian enough for allowing me to be a part of the team. Also, I want to thank Monica again who was the one to get me out on the field and introduce me to everyone! It has truly been one of my favorite parts about being here in Ireland and has been a great experience!

Let’s see where this little Gaelic career of mine takes me next! 😉

Traveler Tips:

#14: In Ireland, Bachelor and Bachelorette parties are called “Stag” and “Hen” parties (respectively). Who knows…maybe I’ll have my “Hen” party out here whenever I get married!!

#15: This one is courtesy of Audrey from the G4MO team – Apparently, American and Irish toilets are manufactured slightly differently. That’s all you need to know 😬

Thanks for reading!

-Dana D.

As a victory scholar, you know that you’re going to be apart of many awesome and new experiences.  However, I had no clue that I would contribute to a new Guinness World Record. Our record is the most models in a fashion show at 459 models. We beat the previous record of 408 and it was one heck of a night. We did the modelling show in partnership with EJ Menswear, the Sligo Rovers soccer team, Sligo cancer society and of course the Ej Sligo all stars basketball team. Can’t lie.. I was nervous walking across the stage. I didn’t think that there would be that many people and all I could think to myself was “please don’t trip going up or down these stairs..” The night started at the Raddison hotel where we registered and were escorted to our changing tent. In the tent we got to speak with other models who were going to be involved in the show, such as an inspirational team of breast cancer survivors who now compete as a rowing team around Ireland. How cool is that?!  Shortly after changing into our jerseys, we were taken out to the stage where we walked across and strutted our stuff in front of about 1,000 people. It was a rush to say the least. It’s safe to say that I don’t have any shot at a professional modelling career but it was a night to remember. One more thing that I can check off of my list of experiences in my year abroad!

Side note… don’t mind my colorful jacket.  My awesome teammate Emmet let me borrow it for some pictures.