Ok everyone, if you are visiting Ireland for the first time from America, here is a quick guide with rules/tips/terms to help you blend in Ireland!

Rule #1, if you want people to think you’re from Ireland, either don’t speak, or develop a very convincing Irish accent (not possible) before you come because as soon as one word slips out, game over. Immediately, everyone around you knows you are American. The good news is most Irish love Americans, so embrace it!

WARNING: When someone hears you speak and then asks “Oh where are you from?!”, do not say America. Obviously they know you are from there, they are asking which state or city. (Maybe I’m the only idiot to say America and most people do not experience this)

What an American believes to be an Irish accent vs. an actual Irish accent- totally different. No one says “Top of the morning to ya!” Well at least not that I’ve heard. There are parts of Ireland that definitely have a stronger accent and are much harder to understand. In my experience so far, Belfast seems to have the strongest accent and talk a little faster than the rest of the places I’ve been in Ireland.

On that note, Rule #2: When you’ve asked someone to repeat themselves more than two times and you still don’t understand what they are saying, just smile and nod.

Onto the lingo…

SO GREAT. Some terms, sayings, reactions, etc. that are just good to know, or you can go the extra step to add it to your own vocabulary (I certainly am)

1. My favorite- “Brilliant”. If someone does/says something funny, you might hear an Irish person say “Oh my god that’s brilliant!”
2. “It’ll be good craic” (sounds like “crack”) No, this isn’t talking about doing drugs. It means it’ll be a lot of fun or a good time.
3. The reply to “thank you” is “no worries”
4. Everyone says sorry about everything, and now I find myself doing the same. I must admit, it does sound more polite when you add in a “sorry” to every question.
5. “Mental”- Directed towards a person, place or thing, but it means crazy or insane. For example, it’s not usually a compliment when a person says, “(Insert name here) is mental!”
6. “Cheap and Cheerful” – Could be talking about anything from an article of clothing to going out for a meal, but basically it’s self-explanatory.
7. If it’s 5:30 pm, its not “five thirty”, it’s “half five”.
8. “That’s class”- Equivalent to an American saying “That’s awesome/amazing”. To give a better context, I heard a girl on my team say “The pictures you can get from that view are class”
9. There is this great store called Penney’s, and it is the same as Primark in America. The store sells EVERYTHING from clothes, shoes, and accessories to home goods and it is dirt cheap yet good quality. I’d say this store defines the saying “cheap and cheerful”, but according to the Irish, you never brag about owning something from Penney’s. I made the mistake of showing off my cute, 11 euro, Penney’s jacket to a group of Irish girls and was laughed at. Therefore, if someone compliments the shirt you are wearing, and it’s from Penney’s, do not say “Thank you! I got it from Penney’s!” Instead, you reply modestly, “Oh this cheap shirt? I just got it at Penney’s.”
10. An alternative to “thank you” is “cheers”

I know 10 isn’t much, but I’ve only been here for a little over a month so I only hope to build. There are a couple sayings and terms I’ve heard in conversation, but still am not sure of the meaning. The other day I heard my coach say “the kids are gas”, which I think means funny? If anyone from Ireland is reading this blog, please confirm or deny in comments below!

I hope this little guide gave you a little taste of Ireland, and helps if you ever get a chance to visit. On that note, if you do get a chance, VISIT! It is a trip you won’t regret!

Another week here in Cork and it is hard to realize that we have already been here for a month.  The time has flew because of all the incredible but tiring work we have accomplished. There was one thing my friends from Ireland told me before I left.  They said that the Cork accents are the hardest, most difficult accent to understand in Ireland… and boy were they right.  Their accent is so rapid and it sounds like every word is pushed together in a sentence so that it is creating one giant word.  In class one day, the professor said a word and I had no idea what he said.  So without being the American that can’t understand and disrupt class, I asked my buddy next to me what he said.  My buddy then goes on to say it and I have no idea what he said. So then I finally blurt out in class, “a few words back, what was that word you said?” and everybody cries out laughing at me (even the professor).

So now a month in I have started to slowly but surely understand their accent. My favorite pronunciation though is thirty as “tirty”, it sounds funny when reading the score.  One day during a break in class all sixteen of my classmates came up with a list of names, cities and words in Ireland that they could laugh at me with because I had no idea how to pronounce them.  Surprisingly I didn’t do so bad with the cities, but the names of people I struggled.  For example they gave me names like Aoife, Seonaid and Saoirse.  My classmates got a hoot out of the mispronunciation of these names by me.

Now that I believe I’m starting to understand the Cork accent, I am trying to understand all their lingo.  They have so many different phrases and words for certain items than us Americans.  For example, my teammate was yelling to sub him out because he had a “stich”. Can you guess what that is? If you guessed cramp, ding ding ding you’ve got it.  Other words such as “boot” can mean both sneaker and trunk of your car.  Also everything is a sesh or session here.  If someone is going to lift weights, it is a gym sesh, if someone is going to go out to have a drink, it is a drinking sesh, and if someone is going to shop, it is called a purchase sesh.

One aspect that I have finally figured out, I believe, is the bus system.  I keep saying I believe I have figured it out because the next day after I think I have, it all changes.  For example one day I was outside my apartment for 50 minutes on the sidewalk just casually waiting for a 5:20 bus that came at 6:10.  Then returning from training one night I arrived at the bus stop in the city center at 10:05 so I was perfectly in time for the 10:10 but of course it couldn’t work that smoothly.  I waited there till 11pm for the 10 minute late 10:50 bus. Once I was all settled on that bus, they made everyone get off that bus and wait for the 11:20 bus because the driver was just getting off duty. All these mishaps occurred though before my ground breaking news that there is a real time bus tracker app.  The buseireann app has changed the game completely in a positive way. So far this app has told me when the bus will arrive in plus minus 3 minutes which is phenomenal.  So hopefully it stays on this track and I can keep on time!

Thanks for reading again! Everyone have a great week and check back in next week!

For any male/female that played AAU growing up you can relate when I say, we all loved when it was the weekends or traveled out of state for an AAU tournament because that meant 2/3 days full of games! We would have games in the morning and then be able to lay around with our team watching other games, laughing, and joking, or maybe even sleeping while we waited for our next game. Those were the best types of weekends growing up as a basketball player. Well, I got to relive that style of my life again and boy was it not the same.

My team and I would play five games in two days. You would think five games in two days, that sounds like any basketball player’s ideal weekend, right?! No practice, just games, what basketball player wouldn’t love that idea?! Well let me tell ya, when you’re not 13, 14, 15, or 16 years of age anymore, or have played in basketball games consistently, it is not the most ideal weekend for a basketball player haha.

So last weekend I had the privilege of playing in my first Pre Season Tournament down in Dublin with my awesome teammates.We traveled down Saturday morning for our first game. That was a thrilling game that came to the final few seconds. We were able to pull out that win and receive our first point in our pool. We would then have our second game about 3 hours later. Unfortunately, that game wouldn’t go as well as we would have liked it, but that would be okay, because we would have more games the next day(yay). Sunday, our first game was in the morning we played pretty well, got the win and secured our spot in the semifinals. We would wait about a hour and half and play yet another game, our semifinals game. Once again that was a thrilling match and we would pull out the win. With the team and I winning that game we would move onto the finals. Which would be PLAYED ON THE SAME DAY just 40 minutes after we just finished playing our semifinal game. So yes, three games in one day. At this point my body I think was legit yelling at me to stop. So when I tell y’all I’ve never stretched so much in my life I’m not lying. I stretched before, after, and I think a little during when I was on the bench. Which is ironic because when I was younger I would have to get told to go stretch because I hated it, I just wanted to play. However, this past weekend I didn’t want to play unless I stretched. Although this experience may have been tough on me I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. It reminded me of AAU all over again with all the teams lounged around the gym waiting to play and especially when the team and I were back in our hotel room playing games. It was all and all a great time.

The team and I wouldn’t pull out the win in the finals but I’ve learned from my teammates we’ll have plenty more tournaments set up like that throughout the season. So hopefully we’ll be able to redeem ourselves and I think I’ll be more mentally prepared for five games in two days next time along with doing a lot more stretching!

On Sunday I experienced my first ever Gaelic game and needless to say, it was definitely one to remember. My friend Steph another Victory Scholar hit Alex and I up asking if we wanted to go to a Gaelic game that she had tickets for. One thought automatically crossed my mind, “What is Gaelic?” But there’s no way that I could pass up a free opportunity! I replied “I’m down” and immediately checked Google to see what I was in store for at my first game. If you asked me, from the internet clips it just looked like a whole bunch of traveling but that’s probably the basketball side of me.
Sunday arrived and Alex and I were headed to stadium to meet up with Steph to watch the game. The bus was jammed packed full of people with flags, headbands and everything else to show their support for their team. Despite this, I still didn’t understand the magnitude of how big this game was until we got off of the bus. That’s when it all changed for me. There were hundreds of people walking down the street chanting “Go Mayo!” and “Go Dublin!” You could just see the joy and happiness on everyone’s faces and it started to get me excited. We found Steph and tried to enter into the game but we were rejected! They wouldn’t let us in but not for why you probably think. The reason? We had FLOOR LEVEL seats! Therefore we had to enter through a different area. As we entered into the stadium and made our way to Section 326 the noises and chants just continued to get louder, the atmosphere was one of a kind.

Thousands of flags waved in the air as the two teams took a lap around the field before the start of the game. The game itself was pretty close up until the end when Dublin blew it wide open with a final score of 23-10. Overall a total of 46,000 people were in attendance for a women’s finals game. In America that type of crowd is unheard of. People back in the states really don’t support women’s sports as much and to see all of these thousands of people cheering these women on made me really happy. While it was my first Gaelic game experience, it sure won’t be my last. I’m excited to watch another game and I recommend that you too should try to catch a game at least once in your lifetime because you truly will enjoy it.

 

Bless up
– TC3

FRESHERS WEEK

So I had the pleasure of helping out with FRESHERS WEEK at Coleraine Campus and it was an early start as the program was set to start at 10am and go onto 3pm. My job was simply to help get some sign ups and eager participants, to come enjoy some basketball at Coleraine Sports Centre. It was by far a fun and energetic fair going on.

I did indeed get the chance to go around and browse all the different kinds of stands that were setup, from advertising night-clubs, societies, and a wee bit of everything else in between. Some may argue that the best part of attending the Fresher’s fair is all the cool free stuff you can get and I would have to agree as well. However, I did get the chance to take home a bag of goodies that consisted of items such as; glass mug, candies, chocolates, highlighters, hats, wrist bands, bags, shot-glasses, balloon swords, lots of pens and pencils, water bottles, and a lot of flyers and pamphlets filled with information; that was just naming a few. But in my opinion I also enjoyed going around and learning about all the different clubs and societies as well. One that really stood out to me was SAMARITANS. Now they weren’t given out any free special gifts either, there message was to help those whom are going through personal issues and have no one to talk to, you call them, or you could even volunteer and be the one talking to those in need. I found there message extremely important and it hit home with me because I believe there are a lot of people out there in the world who don’t have anyone to per say vent to and need advice from!

Now some other stands, that seem to garner all the attention of the students were, paintball, nightclubs, gaming clubs, sports clubs, a dominos stand, and etc.. But anyway, I guess you can say myself, Brianna, and David whom were also working the stand did quite the job because we ended up getting 30 plus signups. A mixture of girls and boys so not one-sided either. It was probably our good looks as well as a couple tricks with the basketball that we threw in to show how fun playing basketball could be.

This past weekend Mak and I traveled to Spain with our National League team for our first away tournament. We flew out of Belfast International Airport and,less than three hours later, we arrived in Alicante. Shortly after arriving, we drove to Murcia where our tournament was being held. We played 6 games over the course of two days so it was a lot of basketball in very hot weather, but I truly can’t complain! We won 4 out of the 6 games which is a great start to our season. Throughout the weekend, we were able to interact with some of Murcia’s local youth club teams as well. There was only one “obstacle” – our language difference. I had taken Spanish classes every year until my senior year of high school so I was actually able to have a few structured conversations with the girls. My sentences weren’t always perfect, but they were enough to communicate with them!  It was really enjoyable being able to connect with the young girls and learn more about them and their culture.

Aside from the tournament, we were able to explore the city of Murcia and Alicante. We were personally welcomed by the Mayor of Murcia at City Hall and there was also a radio announcement made about our participation in the tournament! Our host and tour guide, Juan, was incredible. He showed us great hospitality throughout the whole weekend. On our last day, he gave us a map of different sights to see on our city tour of Alicante. The sun was shining and it was a fantastic day to take a tour. We were able to see a beautiful cathedral and botanical garden! It was nice to bond with my new teammates off the court and explore a new country together. The weekend flew by (doesn’t it always?) but this is a weekend I will always remember. I really am so grateful for all the opportunities I have been able to take advantage of thus far. Sport truly does change life!

I can’t describe how amazing it is being able to travel the world and meet so many different people who instantly welcome you like family. The world can feel so unfamiliar and perplexing at times, but meeting people who genuinely care about you and your well-being makes you feel like you immediately belong. That’s why this quote by one of my, and actually Matt St. Amour’s (fun fact!), favorite artists Taylor Swift is one I try to live my life by every day: “No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind.” Remember, all we have in this world is one another!

 

What do you call a big Irish spider?

A Paddy long legs!

“Dublin or Mayo?”

When I walked into into a local school at Maynooth, that was one of the first questions that the 13 year old students asked me. To be completely honest, I had no idea what the question even entailed. They quickly explained to me that Dublin and Mayo were two teams that were competing in the upcoming All-Ireland Gaelic Football Final. To be completely honest, I had no idea what Gaelic football was or how to play. I was still relatively new to Ireland and I was unaware of the significance of one of the most popular sports in the country.

Gaelic football is an Irish team sport, and the best way I can describe it is a combination of American football, soccer, rugby, and basketball (please look it up; it is a beautiful sport and I am not doing it justice). Jim Walsh, my contact at the Maynooth Basketball Academy, taped the All-Ireland Men’s Gaelic Football Final, the game that the students were talking about, so I was able to watch it and start to understand how the sport works. I was blown away with not only the skill of the players, but also the sheer physicality of the sport. The players were hitting each other extremely hard and they did not even wear any pads or form of protection. I was fascinated with the sport and I was hoping that I could see Gaelic football played live.

Fortunately, Jim Walsh got me a few tickets to the All-Ireland Women’s Gaelic Football Final this past week. I went with Tiffany and Alex, two Victory Scholars who attend DCU in Dublin. We were joined by almost 47,000 other fans. Many people equated the Gaelic Finals to the American Football Super Bowl, but what truly blew me away was the incredible support for women’s athletics. I heard that the men typically sell out, but to see a full arena of fans supporting a women’s game really impressed me. Often in the US, sporting events for men are more greatly attended than sporting events for women; for example, the NBA and WNBA. I was so happy to see that people in Ireland appreciated how great female athletes are.

The fans were passionate and enthusiastic, and it was such a great atmosphere to be in. I did not really have a preference of who I wanted to win, but every other fan in the arena did. The Dublin Men’s team had won the previous week, so the Mayo fans were hoping to break their losing streak and get a win for the women; however, Dublin won and the supposed ‘curse’ on the Mayo team continued. We followed a group out of the Croke Park arena as they changed “Mayo for your sandwiches; Dublin for the win.” The entire game was competitive and the players on both sides were tremendous athletes. Watching the All-Ireland Women’s Gaelic Football Final was a truly incredible experience and I am so appreciative that Jim Walsh provided us tickets!

“Hey you should go to Dublin tomorrow, Mayo is playing Dublin in the Gaelic Championship”. These words came from my family friend, Sean Blaney, which immediately triggered my mind to start wandering. From travel options to where to watch the game, it is safe to say that my schedule was open to whatever and by noon the next day I was on a 2 hour Aircoach with nothing solidified.

It is unbelievable what happens though when you go into situations with a mindset of whatever happens make the most out of it. That was my mentality that Sunday afternoon and by an hour into the trip, I was fully suited up in Dublin gear cheering in a pub with hundreds of people. 5 euros for a hat…why not, 2 extra euros for a scarf with the hat…absolutely, being the tall American guy clearly trying to blend in…priceless. Priceless in a way that those who encountered myself were not asking why I was there or not screaming at me, “hey tall guy move out of the way”, instead they taught me the rules of the sport (extremely confusing at first) and the cheers that everyone randomly joined in singing. This is one of the main reasons why I love Ireland; people are super welcoming and enjoy teaching clueless Americans. However in the States if were to walk into a pub or block someone’s view, the response may be more along the lines of “move out of the way tall guy…my daughters can’t see Justin Bieber, why are you even here”.

Overall, could not have planned a better day. Dublin came up huge in the final seconds to win the match, I started my own “we love our boys in blue” chant in the pubs that I like to believe many joined in, and I learned a valuable lesson. Next time you run into someone clueless that is not blending in an electric atmosphere, take a chance to reach out rather than push them aside because in the end you may make their day and they will write a blog about it!

Cheers,

Matthew

After a couple of weeks off to settle into Limerick, classes finally began on Monday September 18th. I am taking the Masters of Marketing in Business Management Strategy program at Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT). After the first week, I am excited about the potential of the class. There are 18 students taking part in the class. The group is very diverse with students coming from many different countries, including Canada, India, Ireland, USA, and Morocco to name a few. We found out that the class is taught through Project Based Learning (PBL). There aren’t any lectures, and our professors assign us problems that we have to solve in groups. These projects can last for weeks at a time and we have to work together with a specific process in order to solve the problem. We have already started our first project on how to segment a market. This is focusing on how to split up market groups in order to identify your ideal target market that your company wants to focus on. We have to use information from three articles to create a process that any company can follow to segment a market. We are presenting our group processes next week, along with a short group essay.

I am really looking forward to the course because it is similar to real life situations. I think it will prepare me very well for the future, as we are also going to work with real companies throughout the year. The course will definitely be challenging at times. One of the biggest challenges will be working in groups because of our differing schedules and educational backgrounds and experiences. However, I really enjoy working in groups and I feel like this is one of my strengths. Starting this course has made me feel very fortunate to attend Middlebury College for my undergraduate degree. I feel that Middlebury has really prepared me well for this course and taught me many important skills that I’ll need to be successful. I am really excited to be a part of this program with great classmates and professors. I am motivated to work hard and see what future opportunities this presents me with.

The streets were packed with thousands of people and fun activities, street performers and food vendors were on every corner and filled every alley way. If you imagine New York City, switch all the cars in the street with people and that basically sums it up. During my time there, I had a long chat with a player a from the Belfast Knights which is team that plays American football in Belfast, watched a guy juggle fire sticks and attended my first every roller derby match. With all the site seeing and things to do around the city, I still managed to make it through the long line at Boojum before close. I couldn’t stay out late because the regular season of the National League starts this weekend!

 

Update: We went 2-0!

I tried a Bap for the first time at the local store they have on campus at Ulster University. My personal favorite is the bacon, egg, and cheese with ketchup. I have become a regular at the store already, so much so that they know my order when I come in. What makes Baps so good though are the bread, its completely different than any bread I have had before. It is a lot doughier and extremely good. No one seems to know why they are called Baps other than it originated in Belfast and they used to be called “Belfast Baps”. It has since been shortened to just Baps but I did learn that Baps come in a variety of different ways. During Culture Night I tried Baps from a food truck called Banjo Baps that was an interesting combination. It was pulled pork with a fried egg on top and a bunch of different sauces. I am not entirely sure what any of the sauces were but I was recommended to try all three. It tasted totally different than anything I was used too but I am looking forward to the future Baps that I will try as the year goes on.

 

 

“You’re from New York…do you love living in such a big city?”

“Do you like Donald Trump?”

“Are you American?”

Each time I’ve been asked the above questions, a further conversation has been initiated between a Northern Irish person and myself, regardless of my response. It’s been fun and entertaining to engage with the locals and to talk about the cultural differences and similarities between us. Politics aside, finding commonalities amongst ourselves has been easier than I expected.

Even though they drive on the opposite side of the road and car (I just got comfortable riding in the front seat without feeling out of place), have a different grading system and slang terminology, it’s all good craic and has been loads of banter. Chances are those two phrases made you raise an eyebrow, but it simply translates to, “It’s all good fun and we’ve been joking around a lot.”  Interacting with junior golfers, engaging in community outreach programs and attending class with local students and players has fully immersed me in the Northern Irish culture despite living with five other American Victory Scholars.

Accents aside, there isn’t much distinction between us. Finding ways to connect with the people here has been key in order to continuously strengthen a positive relationship. By showing the kids we mentor and coach that we’re not that much different than them, we have a greater impact and a better chance at forming a strong connection.

It was only fitting that we ended our fourth week in Northern Ireland at Culture Night in Belfast. We had a blast experiencing more of the Northern Irish and Irish cultures as well as a variety of other European cultures. Coincidentally enough, the first showcase we stumbled across was a Northern Irish American Football team demonstrating drills trying to expand the sport in the area. We approached one of the players and he was delighted to talk to us about the game and how it really isn’t that much different here than in the States.

Attending Culture Night enhanced my appreciation for America and reminded me that it’s okay to miss it, but it also made me love Northern Ireland that much more as they showcased and embraced the various cultures that form their country.

Bringing some of my slang and American knowledge to the locals is just as exciting to them as it is for me to learn about their slang and knowledge. I will always be a proud American, but I have been quick and eager to engage with the Northern Irish people so I can learn, understand and appreciate all aspects of their culture that I will actively be a part of for the next 9 months!

Below are some fun words that I’ve been hearing (and starting to use) pretty regularly and their American meaning–

Cheers: thank you

Banter: joking around

Rubbish: bad, unappealing, useless

Grand: marvelous, fantastic

Mad: crazy, outlandish

Cheers to everyone, keep an eye out for some more updates in the coming weeks about my journey!

So this weekend was interesting. My club team the Mystics, took a trip to Carlow for a tournament. I got to see a lot of the other Victory Scholars and even play against some of them (shout out to Maeve!). We played three games, one of which was against an elite team from Scotland. My coach emphasized that this was a tournament just to see where we’re at as a team. Get comfortable playing with each other, see each other’s likes and dislikes on the court, etc. I didn’t go into this tournament with any expectations but I definitely didn’t think I was going to have the experience I did. This weekend was interesting because I think experienced almost every emotion possible, from being angry and frustrated to content and happy.

Let me start by saying I wasn’t too happy when I found out we’d be playing 3 games in one day. I hadn’t played that many games in one day since my AAU days which was about 5 years ago. The first two games is when I experienced a mix between anger, frustration, and disappointment. We didn’t win and I didn’t think I played well. Both of those games I felt lost and like I wasn’t.. as efficient as I’m used to being. I felt frustrated because I felt as my team already had a grove and played well amongst themselves and I didn’t “fit” in the grove. I was angry with myself because I didn’t score as many points as I know I could have. I was angry with myself because I wasn’t getting many shot opportunities and when I had them, they weren’t falling. I was angry with myself because of how tired I was and how out of shape I felt… After the games coach emphasized that it was okay that we lost but to me it wasn’t. I come from a D1 collegiate program where losing wasn’t okay. Where if we lost we were a disappointment. We would get chewed out for a solid half hour post game. Where if we lost there were consequences. So even though I’m no longer in that environment and my new coach isn’t like that, I was still doing those things to myself internally, I was ripping myself apart in my head. After the second game I called my mom and just cried.

We were only able to talk briefly, but by the end of the conversation I was able to calm down and be around other people without looking like someone just stole my puppy. The third game went differently, we still lost but I felt different. As a team we played better, we honestly could have won that game but fatigue kicked in since it was our third game of the day. I felt as I played better and was more relaxed. I was able to create shot opportunities for myself and actually knock them down… the second game I felt content.

This weekend was interesting. I think it did its intended job of having us get used to each other and playing as a team. By the end I think we started to find our rhythm, our shots were falling and defensively we were getting stops. We got better at passing the ball and making that extra pass to the open person. After the last game we were all dead tired but we were happy with how the day went.

This weekend was interesting because I realized a lot about myself. I realized my body isn’t as resilient as it used to be. I can’t drive through 3 people expecting to actually make the lay up. I can’t dive on the floor for loose balls and think I’m going to bounce right back up. In a nutshell, my body has officially turned on me. But, the most important thing I realized is that I still care about basketball. Not to put down my undergrad, but by the end of my 4 years there I was ready to hang up my basketball sneakers for good. Matter fact not hang them up, I was ready to throw them out. So my love for the game definitely wasn’t where it used to be. But on the bus ride back I reflected on the day and I realized, since I got so angry with myself and with losing shows me that I still care a great amount. If I didn’t care I wouldn’t have felt anything this weekend, I would have just coasted and and got through it. If I didn’t care I wouldn’t have gotten so frustrated and upset. If I didn’t care I wouldn’t cried. Once I realized this, I felt good, I felt happy.

We have another game next weekend. I’m looking forward to seeing how we grow from this weekend as a team. There’s only a couple of little things we need to tighten up on but other than that I think we have a pretty good team. I’m also looking forward to the other American we’re suppose to be getting. It would be her first game with the team, and I’m curious if she’ll have the same emotional experience I had. I hope she doesn’t, I was so drained after all of my internal battles. But, if she does, she’ll have me there as support. I can help shed some light on the situation and hopefully ease some the emotions. But if she isn’t even feeling that…. Then I can help her find a nice quiet spot… where she can also cry and call her mom. 😄

Hey everyone! I’ve officially been on the island for a month and things are going very well. Class is interesting, slightly intimidating, and very very different from my undergraduate studies so I’m excited to see how things go. On the basketball side of things, we played our first “friendly” against another local Cork club team. It felt great to play in a game setting again and shake some of the rust off (aka me not realizing I was subbed out, thinking I was “wide open” and proceeding to call for the ball to then be ushered off the court by the ref). After these first few weeks our team seems to be really coming together! I also coached my first training session with the U12 Brunell girls and one of my players specifically wore joggers so she could “slide in” to the key on her knees when running back on D, so even if we’re not necessarily scoring the most baskets, we’ll for sure blow teams out of the water solely based on style.

While there have been several funny/ embarrassing/ challenging moments over these past couple of days, when thinking of what I should write this week two stories stuck out more than the others. Forgive me for being cliché, but if I’ve learned anything from them, it’s that this experience is going to significantly be about expecting the unexpected and ultimately (note title) – that despite efforts to perfectly time everything, some things just won’t work out. A couple of days ago, feeling (overly) confident about my new handle of the bus system, I decided in my ~4 hour break between class and training I would go to Tesco in the suburb-esque town a couple of miles down the road from my apartment. I leisurely got a coffee, strolled through the grocery store (naturally buying more things than I should) and was ready to leave with two buses going back towards my place to spare. I sat down and watched as the minutes till my bus would arrive slowly approached 1 – getting me back with a generous amount of time before my coach was picking me up at half 6. However, the bus schedule had a different plan in mind and the schedule went from saying the bus was “approaching”, to “due”, and then unfortunately to another solid 35 min wait time – I was now waiting for the second and last bus that would get me back in time for training. With my phone at 3% I slightly panicked and laughed at how I had ironically just bought a portable charger, but had no cord with me to actually replenish the battery. That second bus did not come on its 5:50 scheduled time, and I sat there realizing – with my now dead phone – I had no way to contact my coach or let alone get enough battery to get his number to call with a different phone. As the clock approached 6:15, questions of do I walk, call a taxi, hitchhike, panick, or all of the above, became more and more realistic. After desperately asking a different bus line if it would drop me anywhere near my stop and getting laughably denied, my 220 rolled up. Sprinting off the bus at 6:35 I scrambled to change into basketball clothes and, in the end, MADE it.

On a similar note, the other day I walked to class in be-a-utiful sunshine, enough to be profusely sweating by the time I got to CIT and having to force open the window in class. Throughout the next 2 hours, the sun continued to shine and I looked longingly up from my notes multiple times. However, as soon as class ended and I took ONE step outside, the nonexistent clouds in the sky somehow started to pour down rain. By the time I got back to my apartment, my shoes, jeans, and sweatshirt were soaked through. While wringing out my socks and leaving them up to dry, I glanced out the window and surprise surprise it had completely stopped raining – now that I was inside the weather was (again) laughably perfect.

So, coming from someone who isn’t always on time (@ everyone in my life back home), but from college basketball, knows that *be there at 10* means 9:45 laces tied, a bus at say, 5 will most likely come around 5, and that no clouds most likely means no rain, I have obviously been thrown for a few loops. BUT, while these moments have been frustrating and somewhat panic-inducing, they have mostly been hilarious learning experiences. The life lessons keep pouring (pun intended) in. I’m being forced to expect and accept the wiggle room, adjust to Irish time just like the Shandon Tower, and to relax – because ultimately, it’ll all be grand 🙂

When my family first heard I was going to Ireland, they bombarded me with books, tips, and suggestions. The one thing that kept being mentioned was the Cliffs of Moher. The first week I got to Galway I had the opportunity to do a bus tour and see Inisheer, the smallest of the Aran Islands, and the Cliffs of Moher. Normally I would have thought a bus tour was too touristy and corny but I wasn’t sure when I would be able to get on another one with school and basketball starting soon.

It ended up being a great experience. After a few hours winding through the narrow back roads of Ireland we boarded a ferry. Inisheer was awesome-it was kind of like civilization hadn’t touched it yet and it definitely had a great atmosphere to it. I was able to rent a bike and see almost all of the island in about an hour and a half. Next, the ferry took us to see the cliffs from the water before going back to the bus and going to the cliffs on our feet. They were absolutely spectacular. It’s tough to put into words but there was definitely a feeling of awe and yet being scared of the huge drop and just how close you were to the edge.

In the end, my only complaint was that we couldn’t spend more time at both locations. Ireland truly does have some spectacular sights and I can’t wait to see more as the year goes on.

I have had a lot of first days of class in my lifetime, and a lot of really symbolic ones at that: first day of elementary school, first day of middle school, first day of high school, first day of college, but this past Thursday I had my first day of graduate school. Class was structured differently than I was used to, primarily because I had the same course and professor from 9-5; however, I liked the format of the class because of how interactive it was. We quickly moved past the theoretical content and delved into how business management is applied in the workplace. We were constantly working in groups and actually applying what we learned, rather than just discussing the significance. I am very excited to pursue a masters degree in Business Management while simultaneously taking classes in International Peace Building, Security, and Development Practice and working closely with the Kennedy Institute at Maynooth University. At Maynooth, I will be able to use what I learn in my Business Management program and apply it to how different NGO’s and nonprofits operate.

For my first assignment I will specifically look at the nonprofit law office I worked at last summer and analyze where it succeeds and where it needs improvement at a managerial level. This course offers me a unique opportunity to take courses that are unfamiliar to me, such as international business and innovation and applied economics, and relate it to my undergraduate degree, which was Political Science. Although I will be primarily focusing on business this year, I hope that I will still be able to take a course on conflict analysis and do a peacebuidling role playing course in May. Both masters programs offer great internship programs that I hope to take advantage of later on in the year. I have a unique educational opportunity at Maynooth this year and I hope that my 19th year of school is my best one yet!

When I first got to Galway, I noticed that the streets were covered with maroon and white checkered flags. Every business has a good luck sign and I couldn’t walk two minutes without seeing somebody wearing a Galway jersey. Galimh Abu, which means Go Galway or On Galway, was written all over. One of my teammates told me that the All-Ireland hurling final between Galway and Waterford was this weekend. Hurling is one of the most popular sports in Ireland and it’s not uncommon to see kids playing in a field or carrying a stick around. I had never heard of it before but figured it would be worth it to check it out.

On Sunday, thousands of people gathered in Eyre Square, kind of like a big park downtown, to watch the game on a giant flatscreen. A few of my teammates helped me to understand the game and it was actually very exciting. It’s kind of like a mix of a few American sports. There are elements of football, soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey in it. The score would show at times 1-11 to 0-14 and that really meant that it was tied at 14.

 

Anyway, Galway ended up winning their first title in quite some time and the city erupted. It was basically like a city winning the Super Bowl in America. Everyone had a great time and there was even talk of work and school being shut down the next day. Overall, it was an unbelievable experience and one that I could not have pictured myself in a year ago.

So, we have had a couple of practices, the Ulster University Elks Club basketball team, but this has by far been the most fun in my opinion. I believe we get better each practice of course, but this practice, this past Thursday, we had the joy of welcoming the presence of Adam from Ulster’s strength and conditioning. Adam in Coach Pat’s words, was present at today’s practice to take on the first hour, and, “Teach us the correct way to run.” So obviously there is a wrong and right way to run indeed, but I had never actually had a lecture or in this case a full out, instructional practice dedicated to running the right way. So we started off with a couple of warming up exercises and stretches which had some or all of us a little sore in different parts of the body because we had not stretched them before, but it was definitely good for the body. We also did some exercises against the wall, which made us look like we were actual track stars but we were really working on our balance, driving into the ground and stances. So fast forward a wee bit, and we have learned a couple main points to think about and master when running and trying to increase your speed most importantly. First off, put your strongest foot forward in your beginning stance. (Insider- How do you know which is your strongest foot?- was one of the questions asked actually-answer: usually the stronger foot is the one you jump off of first in a stride or the one you feel most comfortable when balancing on) Second key is while you are in your beginner stance with your strong foot out forward, have your opposite hand up, so when running you maintain- the opposite hand opposite foot combination.Third key is to start in a low stance and maintain that for as long as you can, don’t come up too early or too late. Next key is to maintain your balance and drive into the ground pushing your feet down into the opposite direction you are running too. We managed to get the hang of this after a couple of tries. Our main focus was not starting backwards when running, as many people occasionally do, that one second that you glide backwards to go forward can make a huge difference in your acceleration. Bravo to Adam for sharing his knowledge, and teaching us some main components that could definitely help us out when running the basketball court. We finished off practice with some up and down pick-up and you could see we tried in the beginning to incorporate what Adam had just taught us but at times, it seemed to just go a wee but yonder for all of us. But Practice makes perfect and we will definitely keep pushing and trying as a team and individually! Who ever knew I would be learning how to run the correct way to run in Northern Ireland haha! Life is full of surprises indeed!

The first day of graduate school has begun and it feels a bit weird going back to school after just recently graduating. I must admit today was the first time it has really sunk in how long we will be in Northern Ireland for and how much I miss my family and friends. It also felt odd going back to school without seeing any familiar faces or friends. There is also definitely going to be a huge adjustment with school itself as it is run very differently in Northern Ireland. Our Masters program is being taught in blocks, meaning we only meet twice a month for in person lectures. This is totally different for me as all four years I had class every single day of the week. The grading system will also take a bit of time to get used to, as there are far fewer assignments per class or module as they call them. The teaching style is also very different as there is less lecturing and far more open discussions, with group learning. So far I really enjoy this approach and have found it to be far more engaging. Above all I feel really fortunate to have the opportunity to get my masters and apart of such a great organization.

I did it!

I made it through my first week of Graduate School. I still ask myself why did I do this to myself because I have always had a love hate relationship with school. There was never an ounce of joy that ran through my body when I was woken up by alarm clock everyday to get ready to go to school. If I ever had excitement in me, it specifically was because it was game day. I still had to get through the school day but at least I knew I was getting rewarded with a game that day.

So now you may ask, well why did I pursue this opportunity?

Well as much as I have always DESPISED school I still understood the importance of an education. Ironically, I would get so upset with myself when I didn’t receive the grades I set out to achieve. It would be a bitter pill to swallow that I would find myself studying a little longer or reaching out for help from tutors and teachers. Which is what brought me to Ulster University of Jordanstown, to accomplish my Master’s degree in Sports Coaching. I understand the value of having an education, and if you have or are given the opportunity to further that education there’s no reason to give it up. I was just a lucky one that I could continue to play the sport I love and give back to the community all in a different country while gaining that education.

I have a few barriers to get through while obtaining my Master’s such as being out of school a little over a year so I have to get back into the swing of things. A different education system, I am in a new country so of course they do things a little different. One of those differences is only having class twice a month which y’all probably think I would love that part (which I do a little shhhh…), but this requires me to stay extremely focus. I can’t allow myself to get side tracked with the fact that I am in a different country and there is a lot of different things to do.

However, it’s a new challenge for me that I am excited to be taking on, it can only help me grow as person and better prepare me for the work force! Anyways, stay tuned to hear more about what I’m doing over here in Northern Ireland in my next blog.

This week has been an incredibly busy, but exciting week for me. It was my first week of classes at Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT), but I am going to save that for my next blog. Coming off of a big first game at Sligo over the weekend, it was good to receive some publicity for both the Limerick Celtics and Sport Changes Life. I am proud to represent both of these organizations and hope that I can do it to the best of my ability and make them proud. I am starting to feel like a member of the Limerick community. The amount of people that talked to me about or congratulated me on the game this weekend has really made me feel like an important part of the community. A family of the club also took Liz and I out to lunch to this very nice restaurant just outside of Limerick. Then we went and had tea at the Dromoland Castle and walked around the beautiful gardens surrounding the castle. It was so nice to have an Irish experience and see some of the beauty that Ireland has to offer. We’ve been so busy with playing, coaching, and getting settled that it was nice to have this afternoon away!

Coming up this weekend we have our first National League home game for the Limerick Celtics. We are trying to promote the event and make it a huge event! I have been trying to help the members of the club by doing all I can to try and promote the game and I have a great feeling about the weekend. We had to move our game to a bigger gym in order to fit more people. I am really looking forward for the community to all come together for the game. It will be awesome to see a lot of the kids that play for the club come out and support the National League squad. Hopefully we won’t let them down and we can put on a good performance! Make sure to check out the results!

Heyy everyone!!

So Jas and I decided we were going to take our off day and go on an adventure!

For those who don’t know, Tramore is a small town about 10 minutes drive from Waterford City on the southeast coast.  We decided for our adventure we would go to Tramore and jump in the water since it seems to be the popular thing to do around here.  Apparently a lot of locals will go and have a daily swim there all throughout the year, so I guess “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” (or in this case Waterfordians).   We put or adventure caps on and took the plunge!

When I say the water was freezing….it was REALLY cold!! It took me about 5 minutes to convince myself to jump in.  I’m glad I jumped though because Jas did a crawl in and it seemed to be worse than just taking the leap and being cold all in one rush.  But we both braved the cold and it was actually a pretty awesome experience.  I don’t quite know how people swim there throughout the year, though, because we went in September and the water was freezing. I cannot imagine how it is in winter.  Maybe we will gather some courage and do a Christmas plunge to test it…(probably not likely though haha).

I think Jas and I both agree that it was great to do, and we see why the locals are attracted to swimming here.  The scenery alone in the town of Tramore is breathtaking, so to have the chance to swim there was pretty cool.  We also found out you can take surfing lessons, rent kayaks and paddle boards as well in Tramore.  So maybe we will try that one day!

Overall, the little town has a lot to offer with water activities, scenery, and cute little shops and restaurants.  So if ever you find yourself in Waterford, definitely take some time to spend in Tramore, it is well worth a few hours!!

Stay tuned for our videos of the plunge, and of course more blogs to be coming soon as well!

Talk to you soon!

-Meg

When you are from a big family, it is safe to say that you are never far from home. Only three weeks in and I had the pleasure of having my first visitors. I would like to say that the trip was created with myself in mind, however it was a coincidence that my aunt and uncle, Nancy and Rich, had a Belfast tripped planned months in advance before I was allocated to Ulster University. Luckily our schedules allowed us to take advantage of the opportunity as I was grateful enough to spend an incredible Saturday with them and a close family friend, Sean Blaney, who happened to be visiting his family in Belfast that very weekend.

What’s the best way of going there? What building is this? Where are your favorite pubs and restaurants? Safe to say that after asking me a variety of questions, my visitors came to realize that their “tour guide” had a similar knowledge level of Belfast as themselves. Thankfully Sean was able to answer the questions so hopefully by the next visitors I will be quick to answer any question that comes about.

The itinerary of the day had an underlying theme of see where the city takes us, which I always enjoy because it typically results in memorable experiences. Highlighting this was a walking tour of Falls Road led by an ex-IRA prisoner, Joe. Without getting deep into the politics, Joe brought us through the republican community using his own stories to bring the history to life. 16 years in prison, friends/family murdered, relationships with well-known republican figures like Bobby Sands; Joe had a background that he was willing to share to represent the struggles of Belfast. Although I was unable to go, Nancy and Rich did a similar walking tour of Shankill Road, a loyalist community that according to my aunt and uncle painted a different picture. So to all who visit, I highly recommend both tours in order to get an understanding of both sides. Overall, incredible time with familiar faces and could not be more excited to see who comes next!

Cheers,

Matthew

 

Joe

 

 

Hello World, it has been about 3 weeks since I’ve arrived here in Letterkenny and it is safe to say, I LOVE IT HERE! Everything in Letterkenny is really close and within walking distance, which is clutch because I’m not a fan of long walks anyways haha. Recently our house has been really chaotic because the rest of our roommates have moved in… all 5 of them. We currently have 8 people living in our house, males on the first floor and all of the females are on the second floor. I guess you can call it a “half mancave/frat, half sorority house !”  Our new roomies (in Faith’s voice), are really cool and chill, but a little shy obviously. The diversity is insane, we have 2 Italian boys (Val and Frederico),  1 German girl (Rebecca aka Becks), 1 French girl (Anice), 1 new American (Jon); along with Faith, Mak, and Myself. It’s kind of funny that Jon is here because I actually played against him this year in college. Unfortunately, his team beat my team and knocked us out of the top 25,  so I don’t think I can fully forgive him. But we’ll work something out since we’re teammates now haha! Jon is definitely a cool, laid back person and I can’t wait to see the damage we’ll do on court together!

 

At 8:54 am, I hear my alarm constantly buzzing on this wonderful Tuesday morning. I dread the sound of the alarm because I know I definitely have to get up. The only thing running through my mind is “WHY DO I HAVE TO GET UP RIGHT!” Welp, these are all of the thoughts I’m having on my first day of grad school. It’s crazy to say, “My First Day Of Grad School!” I was filled with many mixed emotions, to the point that I didn’t know what or how to feel. But sitting in my first class reassured everything, kinda sorta. I only have classes on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s which is a bonus. However, six hours of school, three Classes, each class is 2 hours and I have an hour break between each; along with practice at nights. So to say the least, My Tuesday’s and Thursday’s are jam packed! I can’t wait to see what this year has in-store for me. I was blessed with this opportunity from Sport Changes Life and the Rory Foundation, so I’m definitely going to take advantage of it!

– Chaz Out ✌🏽

Today marks my one month of living in Ireland. One month ago I was saying goodbye to my family and friends. That day I had so many mixed emotions. I was extremely happy one minute, sad the next, then super excited again. It was a roller coaster of emotions the days leading up to me leaving. For people who know me, know how much of a “home body” I am. I basically went to a college in my back yard, I was a quick 30 minute drive away. Any chance I got I went home to spend the night hanging out with my siblings. Other nights I would take the trip home to go out to eat and play our favorite game of backgammon with my best friend. Yes, my best friend is my dad. Needless to say moving to a different country on my own was a big deal for me, something I thought I could never do. Now one month in Ireland I already feel like I’ve grown positively in so many ways.

Thinking back to when I was at Manhattan College I’m so grateful Coach V, Coach Sahar and Coach Allie encouraged me to apply to the Victory Scholar program. We read this book as a team in the beginning of our season called “The Energy Bus”. I’ve learned through this book that I am the driver of my own bus. Each of us are responsible for the direction of our lives and it is shaped each day with everything we do and every thought we have. I want to take this experience and ride my bus full of positive energy. I tried to associate myself with Joy who was the main character who inspired members on her bus to be positive and live life to the fullest. I had a poster in my locker simply saying “I am JOY” to remind myself to live each day the way she does. One thing Joy said that really stuck to me was, “you have only one ride through life so give it all you got at enjoy the ride”.

I remember back in the beginning of this year Coach Sahar telling me she thinks moving to Ireland would be an amazing experience for me and I would fit right in (at the time I thought she was crazy and thought that would never happen). Coach Sahar messaged me last night saying “I’m so proud of you branching out & taking this leap…you will (& already have) grow so much this year.” That’s exactly what I needed to hear. Thinking about it I feel so lucky to have my parents, siblings, grandparents, coaches, Tyler, Kelly, all my parents friends, and of course the best godparents ever (Uncle Mike and Annabelle) supporting and encouraging me to take this journey and step out of my comfort zone. It has been one of the best decisions I have ever made so far and I still have 9 more months of this amazing journey. This year is for growth, change, and to inspire. One month in and Ireland already feels like a home away from home for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eachtraíochta! Is the Irish word for ADVENTURE! And that is exactly what we have been doing here in Letterkenny so far! Thankfully, with the help of some amazing community members, especially our landlord Ed and his family, and our community mom, Attracta and her family, we’ve been able to see so much of this amazing country! What amazes me the the most is that Ireland is such a small country, yet there is so much adventure and so much beauty in it! Everywhere I look, it’s just beautiful, I have to keep pinching myself that this isn’t a movie, this is real life! Our adventures started off simple. Our first adventure was taknng Ed’s dog, Buster, to go for a swim at Rathmullan Beach! On a series of very narrow and windy roads, Rathmullan Beach sits only 15 mintues away from our house! If you know me at all, you know I am obsessed with the beach, so going to the beach was amazing for me! We played with Buster and took in the amazing scenery! On our next adventure, Attracta and her family took us to Glenveagh National Park, only 20 minutes from our house! This place was literally NARNIA!! There were beautiful mountains, an incredible castle(once owned by an American),and amazing gardens surrounding the castle. I happened to be wearing a green sweatshirt, so I basically looked like a green gremlin amongst all the scenery!They even had a little cafe outside the castle, with chocolate brownies! (MAN DO I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!) Following this, Attracta knew about my obsession with the beach and my dream to be a mermaid-so she decided to take Faith and I to Portsalon aka Ballymastocker Bay to go boogie boarding! It was absolutely freezing and even down-poured as Attracta and I were putting on our wetsuits!
Once we got down to the beach, it was amazing, we were the only people there and there were multiple caves you could explore! Attracta and I ran into the water and caught some incredible waves! I was literally so happy I could cry! I then found out that Ballymastocker Bay was voted the second best beach in the WORLD! How unreal to ride waves and have the beach to yourself!! (CAN THIS GET ANY BETTER!) After those amazing adventures, we then set of with our man Ed for an adventure to the Fanad Head Lighthouse. We always joke with Ed that he drives like a maniac, but he insists that it is the roads, not him! Between the roads and the driving- I have felt car sick on all of our amazing adventures! But hey-it’s worth it right?! After navigating the roads we get out to the lighthouse which is just stunning! Faith and I missed our tour time-so we ended up getting our own private tour-where we learned the history of the lighthouse and about the tragedies that have occurred there! We even got to go all the way up to the tower and see the massive lightbulb! For our final adventure (so far!)- Ed took all of us scholars to the cliffs at Slieve League! The drive there was yet again very crazy and I actually almost threw up this time! However, the view was just unbelievable! We had no idea that you can actually hike these amazing cliffsso we weren’t exactly wearing the proper footwear! We climbed very high up and got to explore all around the cliffs, you can even walk up right to the edge! Just don’t slip! After the hike down, we got some delicious, homemade ice cream from a nice man who had an ice cream cart at the bottom of the cliffs! All in all, traveling around Donegal has been incredible! Even though I feel sick almost every single trip, it’s so worth it! This has to be one of the most beautiful countries I have ever visited! Huge thank you to Ed, Attracta, and their families for these amazing adventures so far! Sport Changes Life and The Rory Foundation are making this a year to remember already! Stay tuned for my next blog about my national league team- TEAM NORTH WEST and our trip to Spain this weekend!!

 

                                         

Giants Causeway! Just one of the many beautiful places to visit in Northern Ireland and I am so glad I got the chance to see the gorgeous scenery up close and personal. One of my teammates from my Ulster University Elks club basketball team was oh so kind enough to drive myself, Nat, and Kristen an hour up to see this beautiful place. So first and foremost shoutout to Seana for the hospitality and kindness of her heart for spending the day with us. She was indeed our official tour guide for the day. So back to Giants Causeway, which was full of all types of rocks somehow fitting together like a puzzle (the result of a volcanic eruption) was beautiful, right off the water, the place was so calm and relaxing. I definitely would recommend this as a place to go if you are trying to clear your head or just have a lot on your mind. It’s peaceful and you’ll get the opportunity to just enjoy the simple things in life, like the sounds of waves of water hitting against rocks. Not to mention the tons of gorgeous pictures you will be able to take. We indeed got lucky and went to this place on a perfect day where the sun was out and shining. So of course a couple photoshoots were taken place at Giants Causeway as well for us! But even if your not the picture taken type you can take my word for it Giants Causeway should definitely be on your bucket list of places to see! P.S. We also grabbed a little bite to eat at Lily’s Café which was not far from Giants Causeway so I recommend you check them out as well, very cute café with good food! Until my next blog, see you all later!

Walking across the stage last May at Elon University to accept my diploma I thought to myself, after all these years I’m finally done with school. Then about 30 minutes later I received an email from Amiee Shiels saying I have been accepted to the Sport Changes Life Program. So in the blink of an eye, I went from an unemployed graduate, back to being a full time student. Tomorrow is the day I start the journey of earning a master’s degree in Sports Coaching from Ulster University. As the late and great Billy Madison once sang, “Ohhhhhhh Back To School Back To School To Prove To Dad That I’m Not A Fool” plays through my head, there is one thing I still need to do. That is to thank Sport Changes Life, The Rory Foundation, Ulster University and last but not least my family for making this all possible.

PS: My lunch is packed, my boots are tied tight & I promise I won’t get in a fight.

With the first tip-off of the season and the first lecture completed, it is hard to believe I am just about a month in to this great journey. I already know that these next 9 or so months are going to absolutely fly by.  The people I am constantly surrounded with and the friendly faces I have met and befriended have made this a month to remember, making the fact that I am a few thousand miles away from home (almost) negligible.

Unfortunately the start of the season did not go as planned, suffering a sizable loss.  However, there is no where to go but up and the best lessons in life come from these failures.  It has delighted me to see how resilient and determined my coach and teammates are and the commitment to competing at a higher level. Coming from a close Emory basketball family, the level of respect for the game my new teammates and coach have is a tremendous plus. We have a game coming up this weekend and I am confident we will come back stronger.

Now to the classroom!

This week I finally got a taste of what the postgraduate life will be all about.  We were welcomed by the head of the Business department and from the very beginning we were greeted with friendly faces as our professors introduced themselves.  They each told us about the rigorous schedule ahead of us, but with the topics we covered and the captivating information that each subject will provide, I am eager to begin. My classes are in a very intimate setting, in a small room with only 9 other students.  This will give me a very good chance to build a relationship with my professors and work closely with my fellow pupils.

This time next week I hope to put a W in the scorecard and some new school textbooks in my backpack.