Where do I start? 10 amazing days in Belfast, the trip to Letterkenny, and valuing the word trust more and more each day haha.

So on August 22, 2017, I can honestly say my life wouldn’t be the same after that day. Feelings of anxiety, nervous, excitement, exploration, adventure and more (feel free to insert any adjective you can think of). After 10 days in Belfast, there are not enough words to describe my emotions. Coming together with 23 different strangers, who are sharing the same emotions and thoughts as you. 23 different personalities, cultures and futures; all coming together to try to make a change and have an impact on multiple lives. I guess it is safe to say, that those 23 strangers are all 23 new friends, currently residing in the city of Belfast!

Belfast was so beautiful, from the street art to the people. Everybody here is nice, I guess coming from New York you don’t see that as much haha! Everything is so different out here, from the language/slang, food, accents, to driving on the other side of the road. The language/slang component is the most intriguing for me. For example: Wee= little, Boot= trunk or sneakers, Kits= jerseys, stag=bachelor, hen=bachelorette, and etc… It’s going to take me a wee bit of time, but by the end of the year, I will be a natural. Nevertheless, people actually look up to us and value our well being. We are kind of like superstars out here, people are so fascinated with us, it is so cool. It is so amazing how caring and genuine everyone is, especially the children. Knowing you can have an impact on a random person’s life, is what makes sport changes life some important.

Now let’s speak about the trip to Letterkenny. The car ride to Letterkenny was the longest/most crammed trip I’ve ever taken. Our designated driver (I won’t mention names haha), had forgotten to clean out his car. So getting our luggage inside of the car was the ultimate workout. However, 2 hours later, I arrived in one of the cleanest, most beautiful cities I’ve ever come across. The people here welcomed us victory scholars with open arms, even making us an amazing lunch. Our landlord is a great lad, one of the funniest people I’ve ever met.

The main thing I’ve gotten out of this journey so far,” is valuing the word “Trust.” Even Though you are with other victory scholars, you’re inevitably on your own. In order for you to make progress each day, you have to trust strangers. Even at the beginning of the program, you had to trust the other scholars in order to develop a bond. Just think about it, 24 kids from various places in America coming to a brand new country. Getting a new start, starting a new journey with new people, trust is key. The other day it really hit me, I’m really trusting people I do not know. I’m getting into random cars, going into random homes, getting food with random people, not knowing them from a fly on the wall. However, that’s all about growing up, you must step out of your comfort zone. When stepping out of your comfort zone, you must trust the process and as of now, I’m doing really well!  Whelp, enough of my babbling because I can keep going.  Check out my blog post next week! CHEERS!

Fun Fact-Since Faith, Mak and I are all from New York, we received the nickname “the yanks” haha. So whenever we’re in public, or a huge group chat we’re known as the yanks over here (like the Yankees)! I don’t know, I guess it’s kind of cool!

As we drove out of the Ulster University driveway, waving goodbye to the other victory scholars, I was overwhelmed with emotions. I was excited, scared, and surprisingly sad, all at the same time. I was excited to get to Limerick and get acquainted with my accommodations for the year. I was scared of the unknowns that this new journey brought. These emotions were ones that I was prepared for, but being sad was something that I hadn’t seen coming. I was so sad! It is hard for me to believe that I could’ve became such close friends with 23 strangers after one week together.

We spent the week together on the University of Ulster’s campus in Jordanstown, just outside of Belfast. We spent much of the week training and preparing for our responsibilities of the coming months. We worked with local children through a two day basketball camp and two nights at local youth centers. I wanted to learn as much as I could about their lives here in Northern Ireland. I wanted to learn about all of their favorite places to eat, favorite sports, and their Irish slang. What I’ve learned is that many of them said their favorite restaurants are KFC, McDonalds, Dominos, or Subway. It wasn’t exactly the Irish flavor that I was searching for. However, they taught me a lot about Gaelic Football, Hurling, and how to understand what all of the Sports Changes Life leaders have been saying all week. (A “wee bit of craic” means a little bit of fun). Even with all that was accomplished through training, we had plenty of time to explore the sights of Belfast and the surrounding areas as a group. We explored downtown Belfast, checked out a few local pubs, and hiked up Cavehill overlooking the Irish Sea and all of the surrounding towns. The area was beautiful and we just soaked it in as much as we could. No matter what we were doing, we were having a blast. I have never laughed as much as I have laughed this past week. Whether it was because of the other scholars, kids, our bus drivers, or just people we met in the street, stories were made that will be told throughout the scholars for the rest of the year. As we pull into Limerick, all of the unknowns and fears come back, but it is easier to deal with knowing I have already made 23 friends here in Ireland. I am excited to get settled into the Limerick community!

It’s been about two weeks here at Ulster University and it has finally hit what I am doing. Before arriving here, I received stacks of information, googled my way through the city with questions like “Where to go in Belfast”, and talked to the Victory Scholars who have walked in my footsteps before me. Given this information, I believed to have everything figured out and was prepared to hit the ground running. However it was around a week into the program walking up Cave Hill (shown in the picture) that the dream became a reality. The introductory stages were over and it was time to start performing as a Victory Scholar on all levels-academically, mentoring, and athletically.

As I wait for classes to start the 25^th of September, I continue to settle in and become acclimated before the work really picks up. Thankfully it is not too hard though because the people here are all friendly and willing to help a sometimes clueless tall American. Typically this happens with the new Irish lingo I am learning like “what’s the crack”, which a young Irish lad asked me and I stood puzzled for a minute until he explained that meant what’s going on. All in all, could not be more thankful for this opportunity and I am eager to see what awaits in the upcoming months!

 A week after my Siena College commencement, I received my acceptance email to the Victory Scholar Program through Sport Changes Life. I was relieved knowing I would have the opportunity to do something impactful for the next year; helping kids and young adults gain confidence and a positive outlook through various sports. I also knew I would be making more of a difference than if I was working a 9-5 desk job five days a week.

Our first week here included a lot of basketball, both playing and coaching. Most of you know that basketball is not my forte and that I tend to stick to golf since it’s something a bit more my speed and a sport that I have more knowledge in. When Aimee told me I would be playing with the other Scholars in a pick-up basketball game I was understandably apprehensive. Like most athletes, I’m competitive and like being good at my sport. Playing with former collegiate basketball players took me outside of my comfort zone. Luckily, the basketball Scholars helped incorporate me in their plays and included me in the games making me feel more comfortable on the court simply through their inclusiveness and encouragement.

Even though my basketball skills haven’t improved tremendously (yet), I’ve become less reluctant to play, I feel more comfortable and it’s given me the chance to connect with others and ask questions about their collegiate athletic experience.

After our first eHOOPs session, a program that engages at-risk adolescents and young adults through different sports and mentoring, I realized that it didn’t matter that those in the program don’t want to play basketball at a high-level or even join their local club team. Instead, I learned how important it is that they’re participating in a program that will help keep them on a more focused, positive path. Similarly to how it didn’t matter that I wasn’t a college basketball player, but I still participated in pick-up games and attempted to be involved. Watching them run, pass and shoot was such a humbling experience because they were engaging and working together in an effective manner, which may not always be the case in their everyday lives. In America, we are taught at a young age that winning in sports isn’t everything, but it definitely generates a better feeling than losing does. The underlying skills of communication, confidence and teamwork are what actually matter in sports over here because that’s what will have the most impact in a young person’s life, not winning or losing.

I’m thrilled to be a part of an organization that will work to help strengthen the goals of young people and guide them to a more uplifting life path. I’m excited for the next eHOOPs and the future coaching sessions so I can continue to play an important role as a mentor and leader as we will help to develop a more positive mindset for the kids and young adults. I’m so fortunate to be a part of the Victory Scholars program and I will keep my blog and video blogs up-to-date so you guys can follow along with me!

I awoke on the 22^nd of August with a mix of excitement and nerves as the day of the commencement lunch had finally arrived. Later that day I would be saying goodbye to my parents, family members, and friends and boarding a plane to Northern Ireland with a lot of uncertainty. I had never traveled out of the country or lived more than an hour away from home and was now going across the Atlantic to live in Northern Ireland for a year.

This huge change has been such a great experience so far though and I have enjoyed every second of it. The people of Ireland and Northern Ireland have been so friendly and welcoming to all of us. Although they speak the same language the slang is totally different and it’s been fun learning all the new terms such as “what’s the craic”. Another big relief for me was the fact that Belfast has a burrito chain because I love Chipotle. The chain is called Boojum and is extremely popular in Northern Ireland. It’s no Chipotle but it definitely surpassed my expectations and held its own with the other Mexican places we have in the United States.

Last but not least we had our first eHoops session and have had a lot of basketball the past week. After doing about a week of orientation it was great to get started on the eHoops program and meet all the young adults we will be working with for the rest of the year. Kristen and I also got to watch two of our roomates Luke and Matt play their first game for Ulster University. It was great to see them in action and I am really looking forward to meeting the golf team at Ulster.

Greetings everyone and welcome to my blog for this amazing year as a Victory Scholar with Sport Changes Life! I want to start off with a huge thank you to everyone involved in getting me here, from the basketball community at Holy Cross, my family and friends, and of course to Sport Changes Life and the Rory Foundation. We’re just about two weeks in to our time here across the pond and the experience has been great so far – a week and a half of introductory training and coaching in Belfast with the entire group of scholars, and a couple of days at our respective cities meeting our great site directors, coaches, and kids that we’ll be spending the next 10 months with.

While my journey here has been exciting, fulfilling, and already stocked with great memories, it has definitely not proceeded without healthy doses of uncertainty and apprehension at each stage. From the moment I applied to Sport Changes Life back in February of senior year, my hopes for a year of adventure, community service, and self-discovery abroad were met with an overwhelming sense of ambiguity. Would I get too home-sick? Would I enjoy my time in Ireland for a whole year? Would I be an effective coach and mentor? And most prominently – would I even get into the program? With increasing questions from fellow seniors with jobs lined up already, professors, and family members with the jarring phrase “what are you doing after graduation?”, the longing for a concrete sense of direction only intensified.

However, on a beautiful day I will always remember, the questions racking my brain were finally answered. In a seemingly perfect turn of events, while watching the Holy Cross baseball team win the Patriot League Championship against Bucknell AND eating Chick-Fil-A (my favorite fast food – a life-changing must for anyone who hasn’t had it) on Saturday, May 20th, I got the confirmation email that I had been accepted as a Victory Scholar. Overwhelmed by excitement for the baseball team getting the PLC and for this coming year in Ireland, the happy tears were flowing. 

Throughout the fast next three months of summer, my “can’t wait” vibes surrounding being a Victory Scholar were naturally balanced with their own apprehensive counterparts. The Ganser family made-up word “upsited” (a mix of excitement and nerves) was taking on a whole new meaning for me. The commotion of packing, figuring out which precious pairs of shoes and sweatshirts I would have to part with (thanks Katie, Chris, Alyssa, and Jacqui ;)), and of course saying goodbye to all of my loved ones, was a lot to grapple with. After a great day with the family seeing a musical and getting dinner in NYC (thanks Mom and Dad), all of the frantic, excited, and nervous feelings culminated at the SCL luncheon – it was finally time for the adventure to begin!

Despite my uncertainty, and now after spending just two short weeks on the beautiful island of Ireland, I’ve quickly realized that it’s that discomfort and doubt – recognizing it and tackling it – that has and will continue to lead to the most meaningful experiences throughout my year. Primarily, my concerns at the beginning were met by a welcoming SCL family with open arms – extremely supportive, friendly, and inspiring SCL staff, in addition to 23 other scholars going through the exact same thing. The experience of getting (and sometimes being tossed) out of my comfort zone with these people has made me realize the value of embracing the ambiguity.

My understanding of this was solidified during our first eHOOPS session at the University of Ulster Jordanstown. Chatting with an 18-year-old kid while throwing around a basketball, he shared with me that he had been in and out of group homes throughout his childhood in Belfast. After pointing out how he had always looked up to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, I asked if he had any other role models or people of influence in his life. He promptly answered, explaining that aside from The Rock, he really only had himself to trust and “look up to” in a way. From a young kid having such a tough upbringing so far, his conviction and faith in himself was both impressive and inspiring. Though my own concerns and worries paled in comparison to his, it was his self-assurance in the face of his adversity that eased any insecurities I was experiencing and confirmed that I was where I belonged – in the ideal environment SCL has created where we can both help and learn from young people.

So ultimately, despite only being here for a short time, I’ve already learned so much. From asking everyone speaking with an Irish accent to repeat/spell what they’re saying maybe 3-4 times (and sometimes just smiling and nodding), making green teas with milk for my coach and I only to realize that only black or “regular” tea goes with milk (sorry Francis), going to the wrong side of the car, to getting lost multiple times already, I’ve dealt with quite a bit of ambivalence. Going through, and mostly laughing through, these trials and tribulations have been experiences of growth that I’m sure will continue throughout my entire year, and I’m so excited and grateful that it is only the beginning!

The time finally came! I packed my bags, had dinner and went to sleep. The final night in the United States was over for a year.  The next day I would be going on “The Journey”.  Now sport, specifically basketball, has taken me all around the United States, has taken me to the Dominican Republic and now it was leading me to the rolling hills of Ireland.  I was nervous, excited, anxious and had so many more feelings swirling inside of me.  When I found out that I had this opportunity of a lifetime to work with Sport Changes Life as a Victory Scholar I was ecstatic. To be in a program that allows you to carry on your basketball career, coach and mentor youth, receive a masters and live in Ireland, was an absolute privilege.

I arrived at the Ace Hotel in New York City, not knowing what to expect.  I was greeted by warm and friendly smiles as I put on my orange SCL golf shirt and started to mingle with my fellow scholars and the board.  It was a tremendous luncheon and everything went so well, until the hard part… saying goodbye to your family.  There were a few tears shed by some members and it was difficult, but I grabbed my two under 50 pound bags (the bags had to be under 50 pounds for the flight, and that caused some laughs and troubles with packing but that is a story for another time) and my backpack and boarded the bus to JFK.

The days leading up to my ten months stay in Northern Ireland, I was at home waiting anxiously for this new experience. Every time somebody would congratulate me, the first thing they would say is something along the lines of “Wow! that is amazing you get to play basketball in a foreign country that speaks the same language.” I’ve now been here for over a week speaking english and playing basketball, it is very different than what I am used to in America.

The first difference is Irish lingo blows America’s out the water, I can almost guarantee if you hear a native say the word “aluminum” it will immediately bring a smile to your face. In no way am I making fun of their accents, but more about just having some good craic. Craic basically translates to having a good time and enjoying the company or situation. As for basketball, it is still mostly similar. Two pointers count as two and three pointers still count as three, but a couple of rule changes will take awhile to get used to. Getting a grasp on the intentional foul rule and back court violation will be tough, but I am up for the challenge.

I’ve enjoyed every moment so far, and i’m looking forward to a great year!

As we reached the top of Cavehill just as the sun was setting I couldn’t help but think, “Wow. I’m really here. This is actually happening.” It was an a-ha moment amidst a jam packed week full of new faces and information. It was in that moment that I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be. I had anticipated what it would be like to live in a foreign country all summer long, but the sight of rolling green hills overlooking the city of Belfast surpassed any emotion I could’ve expected. This was Ireland, and it felt like home.

I searched for a word to describe my innate longing for my Irish roots and I came across the German word ‘fernweh’, meaning, “a crave for travel, being homesick for a place you’ve never been.” Everything about this program and this place felt like home from the moment I arrived. On the edge of Cavehill I was surrounded by twenty three other people I had never met before, each one with their own story and unique journey that brought them to this exact moment. And yet, we felt like a family. We had traveled across the world for similar reasons, with the same intentions, and a collective understanding of the legacy we hoped to leave behind. We had fears and anxieties, doubts and hesitations, but once together those uncertainties seemed to melt away.

Every day since being here has been a new adventure and a chance to learn. Things that I once took for granted (checking the time, paying in cash, getting from point A to point B) now require a tad more effort and innovation, but I can already feel myself growing in the process. Throughout our training week we were told to be our authentic selves this year and to leave a footprint behind. Just as I hope to touch the lives of so many here, I can already say that every person I’ve met thus far has left a lasting mark on my own journey. From the thirteen year old girl at the Cremlin Leisure center who explained the history of the catholics and protestants to me, to the traditional Irish band who welcomed Kenzi and I with laughs and good music on our first night in Dublin, to our Dublin Meteors team and coach Greg who spoke to us in a common language through basketball, my experience thus far has been weaved together by the people I’ve encountered. The best part? The journey has just begun. I’m so incredibly grateful to be here, to be home. Cheers!

Excited, nervous, overwhelmed, relieved, grateful, blessed. I remember those feelings like it happened yesterday. On May 20, 2017 an email came through to my phone that would change my life forever. It read, “I am delighted to inform you that you have been selected to the Victory Scholar Program 2017-2018…” I didn’t even bother to read the rest of the email, I immediately dialed my mother’s number to inform her of the great news. As I stood there watching my best friend walk into her graduation ceremony I shouted four words into the phone, “Mommy I got accepted!!!”

For a few seconds there was complete silence on the phone. I could hear her crying. She then uttered the words “Tiffany I am so proud of you.” My heart was beating uncontrollably and I couldn’t help but to smile for the rest of the day. You may think that I’m over exaggerating but see, where I come from opportunities like this don’t happen. Getting into the Victory Scholar program wasn’t for me but for my family and community. I wanted the young people in the community to see that hard work does pay off.  After everything that I’ve been through, I was finally going to be able to give back to the game that means so much to me and on an international scale! Boy, was I excited. I live to work with kids and my dream job is to become a coach. Working as a Victory Scholar is just the first step on my journey to put these dreams into reality and change the lives of kids in the same way that my own life was changed. This next year will be full of adventure and I hope that you continue to share this experience along with me! May 20th, 2017 will always be a special day to me. Thank you Sport Changes Life for believing in me !

Bless up

-TC3

May 26^th. 7pm.

After a long day of work, I decide to check my emails as usual. I have been waiting since January when I applied to the Sport Changes Life Program for a final email of acceptance or rejection into the program! For the last five months I had been day dreaming what my life would be like if I got accepted into the program- running around Ireland, getting to work with kids, getting to play basketball again after a year of being in the “real world.” I would also think to myself, what if I didn’t get into the program? My life would remain the same, status quo, but I would make the best of that situation. So I waited and waited until finally May 26^th came around and I got an email saying I WAS ACCEPTED! Was this another one of my daydreams or was this reality? Well fortunately, it was reality!

The next three months, were a lot of what ifs? What if this program wasn’t what I thought it was? What if I wasn’t as good at basketball as the other scholars? What if something happened to my family while I was away for so long? I have always worried about things, often things I can’t control. However, I also love to take risks and chances having a firm belief that things always work out how they should. So I continued to work out, prepare, and enjoy spending the last couple months I had with my family! As August 22^nd got closer and closer, I became more and more anxious about the unknown, but also excited for what was to come next!

Saying goodbye to my incredible support system of my family and friends was very hard, but arriving in Ireland was incredible. We first drove to Belfast to do a ten-day training with the other Victory Scholars. Getting to know each of the Victory Scholars was great. My favorite part of the entire training was when several of the scholars and I got to share our personal stories- our basketball journey and what lead us here to this moment. Hearing these stories were incredibly moving, and I was once again reminded that we are all fighting our own individual battles, but basketball is something that can always bring us together, and something that has given us this amazing opportunity to spend 10 months changing lives in Ireland. By the end of the session, we were all crying and hugging. I then began to think to myself- what if I was made to come here for a reason? What if I was supposed to be here in this moment to share my story with others, with kids who needed to hear it the most at a crucial time in their young lives. What if I can be that one person who just makes a small difference in the world?

With this new positive and inspired way of thinking, it was time to head to Letterkenny, my new home for the next 10 months! My amazing roommates are Chaz and Faith who make this whole journey a lot more fun with our conversations and laughs! After “technical difficulties” of getting all our large bags in to the smallest car, we were off to Letterkenny. When we arrived, we were greeted with the most open arms I have ever seen. Our landlord, Ed, our team mom, Attracta, and our coach, Niall have all been so warm, welcoming, and amazing. We certainly felt right at home! We were so excited because our house is awesome and for me especially because it is 15 minutes from the beach!! (YAY, you all know how much I love the ocean!) Letterkenny and the County of Donegal is just absolutely stunning, I have to keep pinching myself that this is real life and not one of those daydreams! Over the past couple of days, we have gotten to meet some of the people and kids we will be working with for the next year, and I am beyond excited to get to know them and start making connections with them! Now, all I can think is WHAT IF THIS IS THE BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE…

Thank you all for making this possible! Stay tuned for more adventures.

It was a typical Saturday morning for me and my family, at least at the time I thought so. My dad was at the grocery store and my brother, Sean, was working. I was sitting on the front porch with my Mom and second little brother, Christian (he actually towers over me in height– not so little!). My Mom and I were talking about taking a spinning class together when my phone notified me that I had one unread email from Aimee Shiels. I’m almost certain my jaw hit the floor when I opened the email and read that I was accepted into the Victory Scholar program for the 2017-2018 school year. Like any Mom, mine started crying tears of joy and Christian gave me the biggest hug. A hug I will always remember.

Now let’s flash forward three months later to the day of the Victory Scholar Launch in NYC! I woke up that morning excited to meet 23 new faces and begin our year-long journey to Ireland. The lunch was great. It was a nice gathering to enjoy one last meal with our family and friends before traveling over 3,000 miles across the Atlantic. After saying our goodbyes to our loved ones, we headed to JFK airport. We had an overnight flight so I slept most of the way which was nice because we landed in Ireland at 8 AM. When we arrived in Dublin, we immediately traveled to Belfast. For the next 10 days, we stayed at Ulster University. Over the course of this time, we did a lot of different training certifications for the program and we also were able to tour a little of Belfast! As a group, we did a hike up Cave Hill (its peak looks over the city of Belfast—the view from the top is truly indescribable!) and we were able to visit a few of the local pubs. After spending 10 jammed-packed days getting to know one another, it was very sad saying our goodbyes as we all departed for our respective University and Institutes.  I loved getting to know everyone and hearing their stories. I can’t wait to stay updated with everyone’s individual journeys and their community involvement!

Chaz, Mak, and I have settled into our house in Letterkenny. It’s down the street from LYIT and the town is only about a 10-minute walk away! Everyone who we have met so far within the community has been so welcoming and kind. They have welcomed us with open arms and have treated us like family. I can’t begin to express my gratitude to everyone in the community. They’ve made being so far away from home seem like I never really left. Mak and I had our first National team practice the other day. The girls and coaching staff are great. A few girls on our team actually took us on a drive after practice and showed us around town. This past Friday, we attended a coaching session. Here, we were able to meet some of the local youth coaches and interact with them about their upcoming seasons. I can’t wait to help out with the club teams and work with the community leaders. This year is going to be a blast!

It is an honor to have been chosen for this opportunity. I am so grateful for the Sport Changes Life program and the Rory Foundation for believing in my ability to positively impact the local disadvantaged youth. Whether it’s teaching basketball; working with the community; or mentoring the local youth, I cannot wait to start this amazing journey and create long-lasting relationships with the Letterkenny community.

“How can you tell if an Irishman is having a good time?”

“He’s Dublin over with laughter!”

My grandma and grandpa would tell me since I was a little girl stories of their experiences growing up and livingin Ireland. Now I see what my grandma was saying when she told me “it’s the most beautiful place in the world”. Even though I’m miles away from home this already feel like my new home in just a matter of two weeks. In just that short amount of time I got to travel through Belfast, Dublin, and Carlow. From hiking Cavehill in Belfast, to seeing all the cows and sheeps driving through Dublin, finally relaxing and looking at the incredible views at the Carlow Castle. Cojack couldn’t stop laughing because I thought seeing cows and sheep everywhere we drove was the coolest thing ever! Coming from New York its not everyday you get to see a cow cross the street. Not only did I get to travel to these amazingly beautiful places, (Carlow being my favorite so far of course!) but I got to meet some of the greatest people along the way. Not going to lie,I might have cried a little bit when all the Victory Scholar departed all throughout Ireland. Although I wish I could take them all to Carlow with me I’m so excited to hear about everyone’s personal experiences.

I really am so grateful to be a victory scholar. I can’t wait to start working with the kids and hoping I can be the positive role model that I had in my life growing up. I truly believe sport changes life (it sure changed mine back in America) and I’m ready to give back everything this game has given me!

I am so ready to make memories that will last a lifetime. Keep checking out my blogs to follow my journey these next 9 months!

Carlow here I come!!!

After saying goodbye to my dad and walking onto the bus, I was beginning the start of a year long journey. We had a wonderful send off meal at the Ace Hotel, where I got to meet some of the other Victory Scholars and listen to some of the heads of the program speak. On the bus, I got to meet even more scholars and make connections with them. It was surprising the amount of overlap that there was between people that we knew. This led to very easy conversation. About the same time the next day, we would be arriving in Belfast.

We dragged out suitcases out of the bus and in through luggage check in JFK. All of us were fairly certain that our overstuffed suitcases wouldn’t make the weight limit. To our pleasant surprise, we were able to check two suitcases for free which kept us under the weight limits (shout out Aer Lingus!). We had about 4 hours till our flight left, so we all walked around looking for food. This turned out to be an important time for us to bond and become more familiar with each other. Maybe I could at least make one friend! I started to become more comfortable with everyone, and this made me more excited for the year. After a long 7 hour flight, we touched down in Dublin. After watching Caddyshack on the plane, I was able to get about 2 hours of sleep. I had successfully survived my first transatlantic flight! Once we made it through customs and located our luggage, we all dragged our heavy suitcases to another bus. After making it on that bus, we all fell right asleep for the 2 hour ride to Belfast. Then from Belfast, we squeezed, and I mean squeezed, into a smaller bus to bring us to Ulster University in Jordanstown. We settled into our rooms in Jordanstown a little after 2 p.m. local time. All we wanted to do was sleep, but we had to stay up until the night to avoid the jet lag. Somehow, we all managed to make it to the night. The whole trip was a blur, in and out of sleep, but we made it. Once we got on a normal sleep schedule I was ready to find out what our week in Belfast would entail!

This pass Friday, the Ulster University crew (all six of us) had the pleasure of attending the Maguire’s home where they invited us over for some pizza and a wee bit of chit-chat! To say we had fun with this family would not do any justice! There so down to earth and warm-hearted that it’s hard not to like them in my opinion. Gareth educated us on the impact and busy schedule we will have but the many benefits wewill have and the impact we will have on the kids we will come into contact with. Deirdre educated as well on school related stuff as well as many other things.

To say we will have a busy schedule is no exaggeration because we probably will but it will be filled with worthwhile experiences and memories. Getting a chance to develop a strong friendship with the kids while mentoring them will be an awesome experience and even sometimes challenging. But I am definitely looking forward to trying my best to help out all the kids I will encounter whether it be off or on the court! I have a feeling I will enjoy myself either way!

On Thursday morning, my roommate Shannon and I arrived in Dublin, and could not be more excited! We will both be attending and playing at Trinity College, where I will be receiving my masters in Financial Risk Management and Shannon will be receiving her masters in Business Management. I am amazed at how beautiful our campus is, and the picture above is enough to prove it! On our first day exploring, we got caught in the rain (of course we were not wearing anything water repellent), but we were completely content with it because we captured an awesome view.

So far school and basketball hasn’t started for Trinity, but we have had a couple practices with the Meteors, which is the club team Shannon and I will be playing for. The girls are SUPER friendly and generous. Teammates have been picking us up and taking us home, and some of the coaches and parents affiliated with the club have also taken us to lunch/dinners and offered rides to and from practice. On top of playing for the Meteors, Shannon and I also had our first practice today as coaches for a younger Meteor’s team, who seem to be a great group of girls as well.

In between the studying, playing, and coaching, we will soon be working with younger children in the area through clinics and camps for Sport Changes Life. My goal by the end of the year is to leave the community as an influential mentor to many, if not all, that I help coach and work with.

It’s safe to say I am obsessed with Dublin, and I’ve only been here for 3 days. I cannot wait until everything starts up, and I get the full experience!

    FAMILY IS EVERYTHING!!

So I don’t know if you can tell, already but I am very big on family, I am the oldest of five so I always had a mini-crew beside me. (Younger-twin-sister and three younger brothers) I enjoy their company and we just have tons of fun being together. I have a bond with my mother like no other, seriously she is my second best friend besides my twin. Then there is my brothers; they keep me active and on my toes at all times. Being the oldest comes with many challenges, but I embrace them and love being the oldest. Outside of my relative family I have a large Tennessee family as well, even after graduating, they can continue to show me love and support me in my endeavors. Now my Tennessee family consist of my teammates (which I call my sisters now) all of my coaches, staff, and the incredible fans/supporters. The Lady-Vol experience in my opinion for me was incredible, I received so much love and support from these people that they became my extended family throughout college. They would always invite us over for dinner, or take us out, as well as a bunch of summer events that they introduced me to like tubing in the lake! So when I say Lady-Vol for life #VFL I truly mean it. Then there’s my friends from back home, meaning those who I grew up with throughout grammar school and high-school as well as my coaches. With them its the same, I have made memories that will last a lifetime and even though some I haven’t seen in awhile, when we connect, it’s like we never left! Now being able to add to my already distinctive family bunch with the #Sportschangeslife family, I couldn’t be more excited and honored! There is a saying that” it takes a village to raise a child,” which basically means a lot of people put in the work to make one outstanding human being. For me my foundation has been my family, they are the reason I am the way I am today, because of how I was raised. With all the new faces form Sportchangeslife that I will meet, I am sure to become an even better person, I definitely will grow as a person because of this experience! Stay tuned to hear more about my journey Ireland!

Hey everyone!! Welcome to my blog!! So, throughout this whole year I will be blogging my experiences as often as possible. I will be studying Business Management at Waterford IT and playing basketball for the Waterford Wildcats this year. Along with studying and playing basketball, probably the most important part of my time here in Ireland will be mentoring and coaching young kids in my community. Thank you in advance for reading, and I hope you enjoy taking part in this journey with me!
After a summer full of anticipation I have finally landed in the beautiful country of Ireland. It was a little stressed at first getting everything ready to go, having all of my documents and forms together, making sure my luggage met the weight requirements (barely!), driving from Ohio to NYC for the Victory Scholar launch, and finally saying goodbye to my friends and family. It was a hectic few days but I made it safe and sound to Ireland and am ready to hit the ground running!

We spent a week in Belfast to train and learn more about what Sport Changes Life is all about, and what will be expected of us as Victory Scholars. We got a chance to meet everyone involved with the program, and honestly the more people I meet and talk to, the more excited I get to be a member of this program. This program is all about having sport play a part in changing the lives of young people and I cannot wait to meet the local kids in Waterford and get started being a mentor to them. This is going to be one of the most challenging, hectic, amazing, and exciting years of my life and I hope you all enjoy following this journey with me!

Stay tuned for more blogs and videos!! (You can find all of the scholar videos on the Sport Changes Life Facebook page)

Talk to you soon!!

-Meg

A view that is breathtaking.

Us scholars had been dying to hike Cavehill since we arrived in Northern Ireland and we finally got the chance. Cavehill is a huge mountain that over looks the City of Belfast and once you reach the top the view is amazing. However, I was not expecting the difficulty it was to hike that mountain. I am pretty sure 5 minutes into walking up the mountain I was huffing and puffing, it was so steep and it just kept going and going. But you tend to forget the struggle it may be to get up the mountain because the scenery you get to see while making your way up is breathtaking. We would all get to one part of the mountain look out and see the view and think we were at the top but nope it kept going up. We would get to another part of the mountain and think once again we have to be at the top by now because there was no way the view could get any better than this. Well weren’t we wrong, it kept going and finally we reached the top and I couldn’t put into the words the amount of beauty we got to look out and see. The whole city of Belfast was right in front of you. You could see the cars riding on the streets, the beautiful green playing fields (“pitches” as they’re called in Northern Ireland). The view was just brilliant! One of the most awesome parts was a rainbow that came across the sky and right where the rainbow sat was the horizon of Scotland. It was insane definitely something I’ll never forget.

Being able to go on this hike put the opportunity I was given by Sport Changes Life and the Rory Foundation more into perspective because without them I would not been able to see the views I was able to witness. I would not have the pictures I was able to take to keep for memories for the rest of my life. I have so much gratitude for both foundations that I don’t think I could ever express fully. These two foundations are amazing and I can’t wait to see and explore more of the Island as a Victory Scholar!

Lots of Love

Natalya