Big story coming out/out right now is that the owner of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers has allegedly been caught on audio tape saying racist remarks. The meat of the rant was him supposedly admonishing his girlfriend for inviting NBA legend Magic Johnson to a Clippers game, for publicly associating with minorities (though she is a minority herself), and for broadcasting it on social media.

 

Obviously it’s a pretty big story and it’s getting a lot of attention both in the sports world and nationally as a race-relations hot topic. Nevermind the fact that the majority of Sterling’s Clippers are black, it would be just as bigoted if any random person had such negative things to say about minorities. I don’t really think that’s up for debate.

 

What I wanted to comment on instead is the naivety of some of the reactions I’ve read, and the self righteousness of some people’s commentary on the issue.

 

Do people really think racism doesn’t still exist? Everyone is going to act like this is so shocking? Grow up. You’ll see comments like “in 2014 this kind of thing shouldn’t still be going on” blah blah blah. Racism is still a huge issue around the world. Racism, sexism, classism… humanity has a lot of issues. I’m glad to have grown up in a place that exposed me to different cultures and taught me to see people for who they are, not the label they fall under. The public can’t really be so ignorant as to be surprised someone is a racist just because they have a position of power, or just because one of their ‘top earners’ is mostly populated by minorities. The NBA is a business and Donald Sterling is out to make money. The only thing I’m surprised about is that he put himself in a position for the rant to become public.

 

The other thing I wanted to say was that it’s so typical of our society to go into some huge uproar over a story like this. I’m not saying people shouldn’t be upset about it or that they shouldn’t stand up for what they believe in, but if it takes a billionaire telling his girlfriend not to hang out with black people for you to ‘start caring’, then you probably don’t care that much in the first place. In the next week there are going to be 10,000 half assed blogs written about how Donald Sterling is the devil incarnate, and to be sure, if this is true he’s pretty terrible. But my point is that I think people write these articles because they are easy rallying points to a cause, not because they actually care. It’s an easy Facebook share, an easy retweet, an easy way to get your name out there as a ‘writer’. If you really care go do something about it. The world doesn’t need a million people pretending to be distraught for a week over this, it needs a handful of people who actually care and are willing to do something about it.

 

If this story inspires someone to work to better our society then it will be totally worth it. Hopefully there are people out there who are up to the challenge. But if you’re just looking for a few Facebook likes and a pat on the back then you might as well just move along.

We are all Victory Scholars, understandably here to transform, invigorate, and inspire lives through sport. So with every training session, match, workout, tutoring session, etc., the focus is on the transaction between the changer (Victory Scholar) and the changed (person whose life is positively affected through sport).

A great deal of the time this is indeed the case. I mean, it is precisely the reason that we are all in Ireland: to inject positivity and inspiration into lives, using sport as the primary vehicle of change. But what I am increasingly noticing is how much I am being changed. I played my first match today with UL Men’s Soccer and my first match this weekend with Hillceltic FC, and in my head I am still Jonathan Nelson, Victory Scholar.

So I am meant to be the example, the one who is an inspiration for a change in life, right? Wrong. The name of the game is SPORT CHANGES LIFE. Not, Victory Scholar Changes Life. Therefore, inherently, the sport is the matter of importance. The sport is what changes all who are involved, and sport is in no way selective. I find myself smiling a bit more. I find myself smiling a lot more. I find myself removing inhibitions, letting go of the fear of being judged, and embracing the uncertain and uncomfortable. And to my pleasure, the warmth of those who are in my sporting environment has reassured me every single step of the way. The relationships I am building are unexplainable, in that I feel such a sense of genuine sincerity all around me.

The vibrations are just plain good. Maybe I am feeling a reflection of my own positivity, maybe I just love being social and am thriving, or maybe sport really is changing lives on both sides of the bridge. #SportChangesLives

There was no better way to spend my week off from classes for Easter break than to spend it exploring Ireland with my parents and Grandma! The countdown for my family’s arrival started months ago, as I had not seen my parents since I left America in August, and I was brimming with excitement by the time they finally arrived. Of course my Mom started crying when she saw me for the first time in our hotel in Dublin, so of course I started crying too… I’m sure the hotel people were looking at us like we were mad, but neither of us were too worried about it.

 

I had a jam-packed week ahead planned for us, some highlights starting in Dublin with the Guinness Factory, Belfast with the Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge (and scaring my Dad half to death as I sat on the edge of a cliff), visiting Dingle and driving around the winding Dingle Peninsula road with its breathtaking views of the Irish countryside, walking around Galway city and taking a ferry around the Cliffs of Moher.

 

It’s kind of shocking how much ground we covered in just over a week, having to stay in about 7 different hotels and B&Bs, and one night at the Butler’s house (my friend Nicola’s family) in Limerick. But we all had a great time, and the weather was unreal the entire trip (it didn’t rain ONCE in a 10-day span, unheard of for Ireland), which made the time exploring the Emerald Isle so much more enjoyable.

 

One of the best parts of the trip (other than all the daily breakfast fry and every dinner with dessert) was the chance for my parents to meet some of the people here that have helped Ireland become a home for me. From visiting with fellow Victory Scholar Jared and the Maguire family in Belfast, to lunch with a few of my MSc friends in Limerick, to scones and tea with the Brophys in Galway and spending the night with the Butlers in Limerick, I was glad my family was able to meet my extended family over here in Ireland. It was hard saying goodbye to my parents and Grandma, but I think it is safe to say they know I am in good hands over here. Until next time, readers!

Just to think, this time last year I imagined it would be my last college game. Lucky me, with going to University of Ulster, Jordanstown, I got one more shot at it. Ever since arriving in Belfast it’s been “all the hype” to get into the college basketball Tournament called Intervarsity. It’s where Universities/Colleges come together for a big tournament of basketball. 

Going into the tournament, my team knew we had a good chance of winning it all, but it wasn’t easy. Friday we had two games and won them both, which means two more games to play on Saturday before the Championship Game on Sunday. Well, we made it to Sunday afternoon and matched up against the likes of Katie & Shelby, the two scholars at Trinity. The game was a close one but we ended up winning by 5 points. And now that I think about it, after winning this championship it will probably be the last time I play basketball for any team. Trading in the jersey for a Chick-fil-A polo. More details on that to come on a future blog…

Shock to the System

With week 1 of class in the books and week 2 underway,  I would be lying if I said it has been easy. A grueling timetable, including 6 hours of class daily (that’s right, 24 hours per week), on top of training and coaching has left this girl, from little old Iowa, wiped out. That being said, the first official week of class went quite well and it feels good to get back into the books. Having a week of class under my belt is sure to make this week go smoother as I get my routine down and into the swing of things. I am looking forward to what promises to be a challenging and enriching academic year here at Trinity College.

Seriously studious thoughts aside, I am also extremely excited for our official coaching and playing seasons to start this weekend! Our KUBS U-17 girls team has their home opener this Saturday and my own Liffey Celtics team kicks off this season on Sunday. I am sure to be a ball of nerves and excitement by the end of the week, but look forward to getting on the court with two great groups of people.

The NCAA Tournament fields the best teams through the country to complete for a national championship. Well the ALL-Irelands does just the same thing. The best club teams in throughout the entire country of Ireland  complete to see just who the best team is. Seeing how the Ulster Elks is a small club every game we were the underdog, however, we finished 7th place overrall which is a great accomplishment.

 

Although we lost a couple games the girls never got down on themselves, pointed fingers at whose fault it was, or gave up on any game. I believe that was a sign of how much of a team we were. It showed off the court as well how the girls got along throughout the whole weekend.

 

I myself had a great time bonding with the girls and the parents that came along to support us. I learned some valuable coaching lessons over the weekend that I will always keep in mind for my future coaching career. I am definitely proud and honored to coach a great group of girls who are the 7th best team in Ireland! Look out for them next year, if they continue to work hard and stay together as a team they will do alot better then 7th place!

 

#ALLIrelands #ElksNation

During my last few months in America, I worked hard to become a certified vinyasa yoga instructor. I definitely didn’t think my efforts would come in handy so quickly, however, during my stay in Ireland.  

 

Just about everyone here is aware yoga is a passion of mine… I don’t attempt to hide it, as I’m usually doing all kinds of poses for no reason throughout a given day without even thinking about it. A few brave staff members at SCL thought it’d be cool to have a ‘team yoga day’, with me as the instructor.  It was fun to plan out a beginner’s practice and take myself back to when I started. Remembering all of the poses that were once difficult for me gave me a sense of accomplishment but also greatly humbled me because I realize there is so much progress yet to be made. As with anything in life, I’ll forever be a learner when it comes to yoga.

 

I knew most of the staff were new to it, so I set the intention of our first class with a reminder that one does not need to be flexible to do yoga, and there is no such thing as being good or bad at it. I know most of the staff come from competitive backgrounds in sport, and I feared some of them would not have fun if they weren’t “successful” in practicing the sequence. It turned out everyone came with a great sense of humor about trying something new, and there was really nothing to worry about at all! They all seemed to have a lot of fun with it, and hopefully got a little relaxation out of it too. Now there is talk about having team yoga at least every other week, and I may even be teaching it to some of the kids at our Shehoops sessions!

 

I thought when I moved here my focus would be put back into basketball, but SCL has recognized yoga as something I really care about and now given me an opportunity to keep it at the forefront of my activities and make it something we can all do together, and I couldn’t be more grateful. After all, yoga changes life too. :p

My assistant coach of the Mystics, Terry had asked me to make an appearance during some training sessions in Ballina this past weekend. I had never been to Ballina, and it turned out to be a nice scenic 3 hour bus ride through County Mayo. Within an hour of my arrival everyone was informed of the great news that Terry had become a grandfather for the first time as his daughter just had a beautiful baby girl!  I joked to the family that I came to town at the right time because everyone I met seemed to be in an amazing mood and just so happy about the news. I was able to meet and spend time with Terry’s wife Trini and her sister Trisha who both currently coach teams in Ballina and were really great players in Ireland as well. These women were powerhouses in the women’s league years ago and Trisha started playing in the national league when she was only 13 years old! I’m not sure if it was because I was surrounded by such a great large family (Trini and Trisha are two of twelve children in their family) or if it was because they were all just as obsessed with basketball as I was, but either way I felt so welcomed and had an amazing time getting to know their family.

 

I knew Terry had a lot of connections in the basketball world from coaching and playing in Ireland for many years in addition to his wife’s basketball family too, so as we went out around the town I was able to meet yet another basketball legend. If you recall my blog from earlier in the year “A Timeless Sport” which described my experience working at the Galway Masters Tournament I spoke of a man named Deora Marsh. That night Terry introduced me to Deora who was a basketball legend in Ireland in the late 1980’s during a time known as the Golden Age of Irish Basketball. It was so awesome to be able to talk to him after seeing him appear in the popular documentary. It was a great night on the town with a full crew of Ballina ballers!

 

After a great skills development session in Ballina I returned home to Galway on Sunday night and was able to have dinner with scholar Kerri Shields and her parents who were in town visiting for the day. It was only fitting that I was able to end this basketball filled weekend sitting next to another local legend Reenie (Dunne) Shields. If you are from Philadelphia and played basketball you’ve heard this name as Kerri’s mom was inducted into the Philadelphia Big 5 Hall of Fame. Reenie was a phenomenal multi-sport athlete at St Joseph’s University and ironically was a teammate of my Aunt who played basketball at Hawk Hill as well.

 

I felt so fortunate to speak with all of these living legends I encountered this weekend and learned that the basketball community in both the US and Ireland are so welcoming, inspiring, and full of great people. I continue to look up to all of these people as they are great role models and provide positive influences in their communities.

 

Cheers to you living #Legends that continue to contribute to the sport that has brought us all together!

This past weekend was a great experience and one I will remember for a very long time. It was the 62nd Annual Intervarsities Basketball tournament and this year it was held at DCU in Dublin. Basketball wise, it was a great tournament for us. We played very well throughout the weekend and ended up going 5-0 and winning the whole thing. During tournaments like this the basketball is always amazing because obviously I love the game but besides the basketball memories, hanging with your teammates off the court is just as memorable. This year has been awesome because of the group of guys that are on our team. We all get along so well and are constantly together. The hanging out, the laughs, the nicknames, those are the memories that will always be remembered. With a team like this, it was only fitting to have a successful tournament like this one and go out on top! Also, we had to get the win for Dr. Paul Cummins, who is hanging up the jersey after this weekend. It was great to get the win for him and for the University of Ulster. 

 

 

P.S. Congrats to the Ulster Women’s team who also won the tournament and to victory scholar and neighbor Kerri on her MVP award #buckets

 

 

#Elksnation #Victory #Varsitieschamps

I am not going to lie and admit that I was really nervous about the first week of classes because I did not know what to expect.I knew I would be studying to get my masters in Business Management… That’s a big deal especially since it’s only a one year program. My nervousness has now gone away as I know what is expected. It’s more of group work and papers. Speaking of group work I am looking forward to my group assignment in Enterprise and New Venture Creation. I am in a group with the other scholars Jared, Brian, and Bryan. Now how lucky am I. So the project is to come up with something and then sale it. It’s our only project/ grade for the class. I am very happy about that. So we thought of the idea of tie dye socks, and since the sale is around Christmas time it would be a great stocking stuffer. All we have to do is come with 80 sterlings for our pod in the mall. To make things even less costly we are asking Wingfoot, who is the sponsor of Sport Changes Life to donate socks to us and some of what we make will go back to SCL.  I am looking forward to this week of classes because we will go into more planning of the assignment.

This past week, I was lucky enough to have my parents come across the ocean to visit me! Having not seen them in months, it was great having the opportunity to spend some quality time with them, and share with them the life I have led this past year.

 

We spent our first two days exploring the south.  On Saturday, we drove to Tullamore to visit a friend of our family’s bed and breakfast.  For those who know Susan Moran, a basketball legend in both Ireland and at St. Joseph’s University, she grew up in Tullamore.  We were lucky enough to be invited to the bed and breakfast her family owns for a delicious lunch and tea.  I don’t think we stopped laughing from the time we walked into the house until the time we left.  We were told stories of their history, of Susan as a kid and many stories of Ireland.    Mr. Moran also took us to some popular landmarks in the town.  We had such a great day with them, and were very grateful they took us into their home and let us feel apart of the Irish culture for the day.

 

On Sunday, we decided to take a journey to Kylemore Abbey.  Since this was my mom’s first time driving on the opposite side of the road, the opposite side of the car and around all of the many round-abouts, it’s easy to say my dad nearly had a few heart attacks.  Low and behold, we did survive, and it ended up that driving was the best decision we could have made.  We stopped in some small Irish towns, visiting different monuments and historic sites, as well as walking into the small Irish shops. We took in the views of the mountains and the beautiful green land, full of sheep, horses and cows.  Exactly what you would think of the picturesque views of Ireland!  They were really able to see the heart of the south, and it was truly something to see.

 

Kylemore Abbey was absolutely breathtaking.  For anyone coming to visit Ireland, I definitely recommend taking the journey out there.  It was a gorgeous castle that was once used as a boarding school.  It sat right on the water, in front of the mountains.  A perfect place to take some beautiful pictures.  At night, we had dinner in Galway with fellow scholar Michelle! It’s always a great time when fellow Philadelphians spend time together!

 

On Tuesday, we had dinner at the Dick’s home (Breda Dick is my coach, and her daughter Susie is one of my closest friends).  They invited all the girls on the team and many people I have become close with over this year. As usual, everyone was extremely welcoming, and made them feel just as much at home.  I was also able to show off my new cooking skills!  My parents have never seen me cook anything, so they were very impressed by how far I have come!

 

Needless to say, it was an incredible few days with my parents.  I was so grateful to have the opportunity to share my life of the past year with them, and have them meet the people who have been so great to me.  They were really able to see the life I have been living, as well as the beauty of the north and the south.  It was also a great reminder of how blessed I am to have such supportive and loving parents, who make me laugh harder than anyone.  I miss them already, but am so excited that I will be seeing more of them this summer! 

 

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I owe my parents money. I owe Davidson money. And my wee brother Drew has always told me I owe him money, regardless of the time or situation. Often times I give in and will accept this false reality he creates, but I guess that is why he is majoring in business and I chose psychology.

At Davidson College, we had a remarkable Honor Code that established a way of life on campus, and an innate honesty among all students, faculty, and staff. If someone found money on the ground, they would often post it on the nearest bulletin board with a note.
On the rare occasion that I forgot my wallet when trying to purchase a meal on campus, I would run and get it before leaving with the sandwich or snack I was trying to buy. They knew they could trust me to return the money I owed.

A few weeks ago, Ashley, Khalid, Caroline and I walked a mile and a half down the road to Tesco Express, and on the way we noticed a produce shop. I decided to pick up some items there on the way back. As I checked out, however, I realized I had used all of my cash at Tesco and had no way of buying the produce now. The women at the register surprised me by simply writing the total on a piece of paper and saying to just pay it next time.

The same situation occurred at the campus shop, and again I was trusted on my honor to return to the store with the amount I owed. And each time they assured me that I didn’t have to do it today, or even tomorrow, rather they trusted that I would repay my debts at my convenience. Like a Lannister, I always repay my debts (Game of Thrones), but it is refreshing to have people instill an almost unwarranted level of trust in humanity.

It has been a grind of a week with all the study and review leading up to exams, but this weekend promises to be one to remember.

With lectures finished and exams looming, I have been nose to the grindstone all week trying to get everything in order. That being said, I have been sooooo excited for this weekend I could hardly sit still.

Not only is this weekend our big Varsities tournament (all the colleges in Ireland come together in one place, this year it’s Dublin, and play a basketball tournament) but it is the Trinity Ball! Who doesn’t love a good ball?

Not to mention, it is supposedly the largest private party in Europe with tons of musical acts. I believe 9,000 tickets sold out in less than 24 hours. It is sure to be full of friends and fun. It should be a wonderful last blow out before the studies really hit hard next week. Wish us luck! J

Not often do you get a chance to be apart of one of the “Grande Partenza”, which means the Big Start. The big start of Giro d’Italia. It is a multiple stage 

bicycle race for professional cyclists, lasting over three weeks. It’s just as big as the Tour de France! I have known for just about a month that I was selected to be apart of the volunteer team, but didn’t know my role yet, and last week I had to attend a training session to find out. 

At this session I found out my role is Marshalling. I will be advising members of the public about race routes, assisting with the coordination of spectators to help ensure safety for all, and alerting key personnel if anything unusual happens. Marshals are Basically the eyes and ears of the event. Well, that’s all the information I have right now on it, but I am looking forward to it! Be on the watch for my first blog in May and I can tell you all about it!

Last weekend Brian, Jared and Kerri came down from the North to Galway for what was an amazing time. The weather was HOT, a sweltering 70 degrees, so we decided to go jump off the famous black rock diving board in Salt Hill, Galway. After a 30 minute walk, one in which I got a nice little tan, we arrived only to see that the tide was all the way out and taking the dive was not in our cards. We didn’t let that deter us from a nice Sunday morning swim in the brisk Galway Bay. The scenery was straight out of a postcard as we overlooked the gorgeous west Ireland mountains. I will remember to check the tides the next time its 70 degrees (21 celsius for my Irish followers) in Ireland…I will probably be back in NY by then! 

 

This week I attended the Basketball Ireland Launch in Dublin. They basically drew the matchups for the National Cup and had a photoshoot session for the players. There were about one hundred young students at the launch, in which I signed about one hundred autographs. My wrist felt like it did after taking an essay exam and the teacher tells you that there are five minutes left and you still need to two more pages front and back. I am sure I am not alone with that, i bet you are all stretching out your wrists thinking about it! It really was humbling though to see how genuinely excited these kids were to meet their favorite players. One young boy came up to me and said, “you’re awesome, can I have your autograph?” I replied by saying, “you just met me, what makes you think I’m awesome?” He said, “because anyone who is from America and is a basketball player is always awesome.” Good to know us Americans are leaving a lasting impact on the youth over here, can’t wait to continue this legacy of awesome! I will blog next week about our rivalry game against Maree, until then I’ll just continue to be awesome…

It’s scary how quickly time is flying by here in Ireland. This past weekend was my last time playing with the UL Women’s soccer team in the competitive Intervarsities, hosted this year in Dublin. It was a tough weekend and things didn’t go as well as we would have liked, but we still managed to have a fun weekend away together. From watching the movie Frozen together the night before our last match (watching Frozen and singing ‘Let It Go’ for the rest of the weekend, and the first experience at Nando’s were definitely the two highlights).

 

At the end of Intervarsities, I couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic of my last game playing with La Salle Women’s soccer. It was in the NCAA tournament, so I knew going into the game that it could possibly be my last. I cried at the end of it (of course) for a while. It marked the end of a very long, hard fought yet rewarding chapter of my life and I was more or less afraid to see it finish. Of course losing hurt, but what I think hit me the hardest was that it was the end of the road for me with playing soccer (or so I thought…); I just had no idea what was next.

 

I am coming into familiar territory again: it is approaching the end of a journey and I am sincerely unsure of exactly what is to come in the next chapter. Before I know it, I’ll be finishing off my Master’s classes and packing my bags. But unlike last year after the end of my soccer season, and post graduation, I’m not really scared of the unknown. My experiences have helped teach me to prepare for and embrace the unexpected.

 

As you never know whether you are going to go into a game and win it or lose it, you really don’t know what type of ball is going to be thrown your way in life. Abroad here in Ireland has been such an unreal experience, and even though I am not too sure where the next road leads to, I’m looking forward to the journey. That’s the thrill of it all, anyway! Until next time, readers! 

The other day I took a cab to a shopping mall and I had an interesting conversation with the cab driver. He told me about his sister who moved to Cape Cod, Massachusetts and how she comes back to Ireland every year around July 12th to celebrate with families and friends the equivalent to America’s July 4th (Independence Day). He also told me how he wanted to save up enough money to move away from Northern Ireland to live in Australia. As I was getting out the car, he something really that resonated with me. He said, “Ever since I picked you up you haven’t stopped smiling, why?”

 

While I wasn’t able to give him an answer, as I walked away I couldn’t help but think about this question. Why was I happy and why am I doing something I enjoy so much? What objective am I trying to fulfill?

It can mean so many different things to people because everyone has a different journey/path. Having an effect on a person is what keeps me driven. Seeing a smile on somebody’s face or knowing that they are proud of me because of something I have done for them or helped them accomplish is the most satisfying thing in life. Knowing someone is smiling because they are proud of you. That’s my purpose. It is what drove me to graduate from college. It gave me reason to travel 3,000 plus miles to Northern Ireland to have a chance to connect with youth in areas that have little to look forward to.

It gave me life, a happiness or a fulfillment of knowing that I am doing something good.

Ben had a different reason for “Life”. He wanted to work so hard so he could one day experience a new culture and live a dream of his. I don’t think I want to change the world. However, one day I hope to inspire a young person to want to change the world. That’s just my dream, my purpose, and my objective in “life”.

So I’ll continue to smile and I’ll continue to dream, because when you dream it gives you the chance to turn something so phenomenal and so impactful into reality. So I challenge all to never stop dreaming, whether big or small.

This past weekend I went to Amsterdam with a few of the lads and it was awesome…I could end the blog with that, but I guess I’ll go on. Yes, there is a Red Light District. And yes, there are “Coffee Shops”. Okay great we got that out of the way, because Amsterdam was certainly more than the city of sin that pop culture instills in our minds.

We decided to rent a houseboat on a canal right in the heart of the city. What a fantastic decision that turned out to be, especially with the weather being 70F (20C) we were able to lay out on the couches of the roof and people watch, such interesting characters walking around. Sorry did I say walking, my bad. EVERYONE cycles! Literally thousands upon thousands of cyclists, not one wearing a helmet or braking if you get in their way. It was very cool, being the cyclist that I have become over here, to see people in suits to infants in the front basket getting where they need to go.

We did some of the touristy things such as the Heineken Factory and the Van Gogh Museum, both very cool in their own respect. My classmate Dave and I decided to get up early to beat the queues for Ann Frank’s House, but I guess everyone had that brilliant idea and the line was 2 blocks long. I needed to try some local delicacies, so I went with the raw herring on a roll with onions. None of the Irish guys liked it or even tried it but I guess being a sushi lover I found it pretty tasty.

I will end with a quote I saw painted onto a mural that I found interesting. “Some tourists think Amsterdam is a city of sin, but in truth it is a city of freedom. And in freedom, most people find sin.”

As most of you know this time of year called March Madness is one of the most exciting times in basketball as college teams across America compete to “survive and advance” in the NCAA tournament.  The greatest and most entertaining aspect of this tournament is that any team that qualifies for the tournament has a chance of making it all the way to the championship round despite their initial ranking/seeding in the start of the tournament. This tournament provides the opportunity for the underdog to prevail and upset the teams that were originally ranked highest in the country. This tournament in addition to the training sessions I have been coaching has led me to believe that everyone just needs one chance or one person to believe in them in order to succeed.

 

Since my injury I’ve taken on more coaching roles within Galway city as I try to encourage and explain my knowledge of the game to young people who are not as familiar with the sport. I learned that it was not just the children’s lack of knowledge about basketball, but it was really their lack of confidence in taking initiative. I found most children in particularl, girls, were just in need of positive reassurance in what they were doing. Once I expressed what I needed done in a particular drill or how I wanted them to play, it was a matter of me encouraging them to keep working hard and letting them know they’re were on the right track.  The progress that has been made across all of my training sessions I’ve coached has been remarkable. I told my players that they should be exuding this confidence not only on the court but with everything they do in life.  You have to believe in yourself and know that you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

 

In high school I was not really recruited by many colleges because I never played on AAU teams growing up, never had any proper basketball or fitness training, and statically didn’t have any sort of outstanding high school career. Nevertheless, I absolutely loved this sport and the challenges that arose from trying to get better. I feel the reason I was able to push myself and the reason why I believed in myself so much was because I was told growing up by my parents that I could do anything I wanted to and be whoever I wanted if I worked hard enough. I had people believe in me from the start which provided a sense of self confidence that I needed to partake in future endeavors. This involved getting the courage to walk into the basketball office at LaSalle as a new freshman on campus and asking to try out for the team. After playing in pick up games and going through try outs, I had yet another person believe in me. The head coach at the time Tom Lochner said that he wanted me on the team as a walk-on player, meaning I would rarely see any court time and was on the team more or less for practice purposes. I was excited to even be a part of a division one program and to get the opportunity to travel the country to different arenas and wasn’t even bothered by the fact that I wouldn’t have significant playing time. 

 

After my two years under Tom Lochner, LaSalle’s program underwent many changes with a new head Coach Jeff Williams and many new additions to the team by my junior year. With a new head coach that said at the start of the season regardless of your history in years past, “if you work hard, you will play,” I felt like this could be my chance after watching from the sidelines for about two years I felt like I knew what it took to be a good player. I worked tirelessly to condition and work on my game while working full time jobs each summer and kept pushing myself knowing all of the scholarship players on my team were in summer sessions and getting trained. By my senior year at LaSalle, I was named captain, getting playing time, and starting games as well. My hard work had finally paid off.

 

I was able to succeed because I believed in myself because someone else believed in me. Once you obtain the faith and confidence in yourself, all you really need is one chance to prove it. Everyone deserves one chance, whether it’s the #16 seed playing against the #1 seed, a little girl who’s not confident enough to take a jump shot, or someone who is crazy enough to take a chance on their dreams. Just #BELIEVE

Before arriving to Ireland the last thing you could have called me was a “cook” or anything close to it. I’ve been forced to attempt to learn how to cook more and over the past month I have learned through trial and error and with some help from my coach/teammate/friend (Mr. Everything) Jared. After some of my friends and family read this they are going to be pretty surprised that I managed to complete a meal other than cereal for breakfast. 

The first time we went shopping I was hesitant to buy anything other than microwavable meals or deli meat for sandwiches. I started to get sick of eating the same food over and over so I decided to mix it up and purchase wings, pork chops, pasta, etc. The first time I went to cook some of these I went back and forth from the kitchen to Jared’s room asking him questions about  but eventually managed to pull through making the simplest meal….pasta. Most people would not be proud of that but I was!! That built up the confidence to move on to the pork chops, wings, etc. We’ve been making meals as a group now and it feels good to contribute to the cooking success. I’ve even helped out fellow scholar Kerri with her cooking! I might have to go into Culinary Arts now! 

On another note, we have a big bball tournament this weekend here in Belfast! look forward to getting on the court with the lads! Wish us luck

 

Master Chef,

Brian

This past Friday I spent the day at ITB, working at a program for girls in fourth through sixth class at schools in the Blanchardstown area organized as a final project for my friend Laura’s class. I first want to congratulate her on an incredibly successful program and thank her for letting me be involved!

 

The session began with some serious skill work with the 60 players, and as the day progressed I got to know quite a few of them. My favorite questions of the day were, “Do you live in the same estate as Beyoncé?” and a “How do you manage to get along with your sisters?” At the end of camp I gave a short little talk reminiscing on the impact that sports have had on life, and I think a number of the girls left the session encouraged to join club teams in the area (and to eat broccoli).

 

The highlight, however, was the tournament final. The 5 teams played 10 games throughout the day and the teams with the highest points made it to the final. Two teams were tied for second, so we determined the finalist in a soccer style shoot out (via free throws). The games had been relatively exciting all day, but the final was something else. The other teams were cheering in the background, the players were standing on the their benches screaming and two of the volunteers placed a €5 bet on the game and were going crazy on the sidelines. At the end of the game, the score was tied 4-4. First overtime ended in a draw. Each shot in the second overtime was to exciting to watch, and the game was won on a clutch 1/1 from the free throw line.

 

It was so amazing to see a group of girls, of whom a few had played an actual basketball game before, develop skills so quickly. Their competitive nature was encouraging, and there were tears shed by the losing team. Great start to my weekend!

 

#VICTORY #INSPIRE 

Though we didn’t get the outcome we wanted (we lost by 8 points to the Waterford Wildcats), we learned so much about our team’s potential for the season.

 

The preseason started off very rocky for us, as we are a very young team with most of our players having little experience playing in the SuperLeague. We’re pretty much starting from the ground up: but like a wise person once said… age is JUST a number! 

 

Saturday night was our first real chance to see how we meshed together as a team in a real game situation, and we were able to show what we can do! It’s always amazing to see how people can come together for a common goal no matter the obstacles – the true essence of a team.

 

The best part of the night was seeing the 14u Huskies team supporting us in the stands and selling cupcakes to fundraise for the upcoming season. As soon as the final horn sounded, they were running up to us with the biggest smiles on their faces – and thrusting cupcakes into our sweaty hands (awesome post-game snacks). Seeing them at our game reminded me again of how we serve as role models to the local community, and how awesome it feels to have a group of children look up to you!

 

One thing that I’ve come to learn through my years of playing sports is that the actual season is a journey in and of itself. Whether you are coaching or playing, it’s important to use the ups and downs as a way to grow into a stronger person. As the 12u, 14u, and 18u Huskies games start up in the next coming weeks, I hope to pass this same mindset on to them in the hopes that they too will see the same connection between sport and life.

 

Be on the lookout for my next blog! And to keep up with the UL Huskies Premier League (SuperLeague) team – check out Basketball Ireland’s website! 

My elliptical book this week is “I Am Malala”, the autobiography of 16-year-old Pakistani Malala Yousafzai who found herself front and center of the women’s rights and equal education campaign when a member of the Taliban shot her in the face on her way to school. Procrastinating writing my essay for Business Ethics (ironic), I watched her speech (on her 16^th birthday) to the UN Youth Assembly this past summer.

 

Her message is an important one: a pen and book are our most dangerous weapons. Malala and her family’s story is an inspirational one that opened my eyes further to the injustices in the world. It also is very enlightening reading her perspective on the US’s role in the Middle East. I have few other words than to suggest you watch and read about her life and efforts to promote education for children across the world, they will leave your mind spinning.

 

Despite the lack of support in their community and the imminent fear of the extremist groups in power, Malala and her father continued to speak up against the Taliban. Her father references this poem about a man who lived in Nazi Germany:

 

First they came for the communists,

and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.

Then they came for the socialists,

and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,

and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,

and I didn’t speak out because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Catholics,

and I didn’t speak out because I was not a Catholic.

Then they came for me,

and there was no one left to speak for me.

 

Lets all make a conscious effort to speak out against injustices we see in our DAILY lives, value our own educations and take advantage of them to promote unity and social change.

 

#INSPIRE

Even though time is going by fast, it is not school finals until May 15, but basketball finals this past weekend. It was an almost close-shield one for the Ulster Rockets, the premier league team that I play for. Going into the game we only had 5 players-due to injuries, and with numbers not on our side we just couldn’t pull it off. However, I would like to say a season well played and I am truly thankful for the opportunity to have played with some great women. The bright side: with some failures come success. With that being said, it was also finals time for the Jr. Elks- the team that myself and scholar Bryan Wilson coach. We ended the regular season by loosing to this opposing team twice, but the third time was our time to shine! The steelers went on a 6-0 run to start the game, nevertheless by half time we were up by 12 points…and the rest is history! On behalf of myself and Bryan Wilson, we would like to say a job well done, girls. We are honored to have been your coaches for this season. #elksnation