Houston We Have a Problem

After such an incredible weekend in New York City, I had quite an interesting trip to Ireland.  My flight was going great for the first hour, until a girl in my row threw up all over her entire family and all over the chairs in front of her.  I felt terrible for the girl because I could tell she was embarrassed, but our entire section of the plane reeked for the rest of the flight.  I was not happy.  The next five and half hours were a sleepless haze of trying to ignore the smell and keep from throwing up myself. 

 

Once arriving in Dublin, I was thrilled to exit the plane and meet all the wonderful people of Ireland that I’ve heard were some of the nicest people in the world.  However, the man at Customs that was checking passports in my line did not fall into that category of friendly Irish people.  He refused to let Madi, Emma and I into the country and proceeded to take my passport and sit us in time out.  After the plane ride I had just experienced and the lack of sleep setting in, I did not take much liking to this situation.  He continued to question our purpose for coming to Ireland and seemed to have a personal motive for keeping us out of the country.  Eventually it was all resolved and the Customs agent reluctantly let us into Ireland, but we were off to a shaky start.  This all changed when we were greeted by members of the Sport Changes Life staff waiting to pick us up and take us to headquarters.  There we were greeted by the SCL family who proved everything great we had heard about Irish people to be true.  Now that we have finally made it to Ireland, I can’t wait to see what is in store next.


#ELKSNATION

Entering the championship games on Sunday, the Junior Elks had the U14, U16, and U18 teams all in their respective title games. It started off with the U14 squad beating the Blackwater Steelers team who beat them twice during the regular season. It was a great win for them and a great coaching effort by fellow #Victory scholars Bryan and Brittney. Later in the day was the U18 Elks championship game  coached by Kerri and I. This game was also against the Steelers and during the regular season we split games, each of us winning at home. Going into the game they had a big height advantage (because its our U16 squad also playing U18) and we knew we were going to have our hands full. 

Prior to the game, we had our normal team talk that we have before every game, but I could tell this one was different. This was all the girls first finals appearance and they all seemed very anxious and nervous to get on the floor. Being in their position many times before, I explained to them that there is nothing to be nervous about. Every girl on the team had been playing basketball for years and years now and has played in hundreds of games. This one was no different. They had practiced and worked for this the moment they started playing for the Elks and Kerri and I told them they know how to play, they know how to win, and they just had to have fun and execute. They did just that. From the tip they started playing great, out-rebounding a much bigger team and executing our offensive the entire game. It was great to see their faces when the buzzer went off because they all deserved to have that moment and they definitely earned it. 

The U16 game a few hours later was a little different. The Elks matched up against the Steelers AGAIN and all the girls were on such a high from winning the U18 championship that they came out sluggish and not very focused. We had to call a timeout early on to try and get them to realize that the Steelers wanted revenge and weren’t going to just hand them the trophy. The first half wasn’t our best half but from the start of the second half all the way to the end of the game they were great. They re-gained focus and started playing as a team again and ended up winning by a comfortable margin. All these championships were a testament to how hard the girls have worked all year and I’m more than proud to have been their coach!! Congrats girls!!

 

#ELKSNATION #VICTORY


Week 10

Hey everyone! It’s been a successful week so far. My team will advance to the cup semi finals with the win on Sunday, very exciting! It was pressure down to the wire with 4 seconds left, NUIG up by 1, And I was sent to the free throw line. I sank both free throws, my team came down and played great defense to win by 3! Great game!! The D2 senior ladies titans team I coach doesn’t have a game until after Christmas but we have been working on proper shooting form and I can already see a difference in accuracy! Just need to keep up the good work and stay focused!

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Cause Everyone Loves Bacon

There are bacon flavored chips, or crips for the Irish folk. I think that is all I have to say to express the Irish infatuation with bacon (aka rashers).

 

Totally kidding, I actually have a lot to say about bacon and it isn’t about the food. Well I suppose I only want to tell you one thing about the food, and then I will get on with it. So, bacon here smells like, tastes like, and essentially is the same bacon as home, however it is thicker and more like meat than tiny strips of fat. Regardless, all you have to know is that it is unbelievable.

 

What I really want to share with all of you is my coaching experience. Jen and I have been coaching u11/u12 boys at Kubs for the last couple of weeks. We have had a lot of fun engaging with them and teaching them all about basketball. It is particularly rewarding because many of them have never played before. Despite this, they are phenomenal athletes who have picked it up very quickly. Just last week I asked them if they knew how to play Steal the Bacon. They laughed at me, like most people do when I say American expressions that have no meaning over here, and told me they call it ‘Snatch’ the Bacon. I then went on to be overly apologetic that I could have gotten it soooo wrong. They even picked up on my sarcasm, which was a big step in our player-coach relationship development. Anyway, the whole point of this story is that we now play it every practice as a way to reinforce, 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, heck even up to 7v7 skills when we have the full team there.  The boys have improved a lot despite our loss in Sunday’s match. I guess for next game I will have to let them in on the foolproof secret to winning, which is to eat bacon for breakfast the day of a game.

 

Until next time folks.

 

Ed countdown: 4 dayzzzzzzzz 


Proud Sister #Blessed

It was about eight years ago when a very respected Division I basketball coach told my sister Erin she would make a pretty decent Division II basketball player.  He told her she would probably not be good enough to compete on the court at a higher level.  On Sunday, Erin will be leading her team in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Storrs, Connecticut against the University of Georgia.

 

Erin is currently a senior captain for the St. Joseph’s University Women’s Basketball Team.  It’s the same school my mom played for, as well as where she now holds the Assistant Athletic Director Position.  We are a year apart in age, and grew up lucky enough to share the same passion in the sport of basketball, along with our youngest sister Shannon.  It probably came with being in the gym since the day we were born, when we used to be babysat at the gym at SJU while my mom was coaching.

 

Although Erin is a year younger, I have always looked up to her in every aspect of life.  She is the most loyal and genuine friend and sister anyone could have; always there for those close to her whenever they need her. She excels in the classroom through her countless hours of studying and dedication, and she has managed to surpass all expectations of a 5’5 women’s basketball player in Division I College Basketball with her hard work and perseverance.  Just to brag about her a little bit, Erin will finish her career among the program’s all-time leaders in points, three-pointers, assists and free throw percentage.  She has been named to the Capital One Academic All-District 2 Women’s Basketball Team, as just one of 43 student-athletes nationally that are now eligible for Academic All-America distinction. She has broken the school record for games played, with 127 to date.  She was chosen to the Atlantic 10 All Conference Second Team, as well as the All-Academic Team.  She has proved to be one of the best shooters in the country.  As humble as Erin is, no one would ever know just how successful she has been in her career, and that is just another testament to why she is such an amazing person and role model.

 

She truly is someone all parents should have their kids look up to.  She is someone who has not only made me a better person and player, but someone who inspires me to be my best on a daily basis.  Every teammate she has ever had could attest that she has made them a better player.  As a leader, she demands the best in everyone, just as she demands for herself.  She has a resilience that is so rare, she refuses to fail. 

 

No one ever saw the hours the girl has put in on and off the court.  The hours she spent when everyone left the gym after practice, or the mornings she wanted to get some shots up hours before practice or a game even started.  The hours she spent working on her speed, agility and strength on her own time, doing anything she could to get ahead.  The success she has had has not been luck, it has been pure benefits of her hard work and dedication.  No one ever saw the nights she stayed up all night preparing for her upcoming exams, or the hours she spent speaking to my father about how she could expand her knowledge on the subjects she was learning.  No one, except her teammates and coaches, ever saw the passion she had during every single practice she played in, and her refusal to give anything less than her best day in and day out.

 

Hawk Hill has always been a home for our family, and I’m so happy Erin has been able to succeed on this ground.  Taking over my mother’s footsteps with staying close to home, and wearing the jersey she once wore.  Hawk Hill has been blessed with her presence on and off the court, and she will leave behind her a legacy that will be hard to follow.

 

It has been an honor to see her grow, and see the person and player she has become.  No one deserves the amount of success that Erin has earned more than her.  I am so proud to call her my sister, and beyond privileged to have been able to share in the success with her.  One of the hardest parts about being abroad this year, and going away to school for four years, has been missing seeing her on a daily basis, and seeing all of her hard work pay off in person.  Even across an ocean, her presence has always been here, making me demand the best out of myself.  I’m so blessed to call her a best friend, sister and teammate.

 

Love you so much Er!

 

Tune into ESPN on Sunday at 5:30 (or 9:30 if you’re with me in Ireland!) to watch her play!  Good luck to all of the Hawks!


Week 13

Well I made it in one piece! It was a long and stressful week. With three consecutive finals on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, it was great to finally sit back and relax! At the beginning of the week, the rest of the week looked like a fish tank of piranhas that I was never going to make through safely. Haha but with long hours of studying and preparation, I was able to handle the exams pretty well!

Now enough about my exams, I don’t want to think about anything related to international management until after Christmas.

As for my week, one conversation really stuck with me that I had with one of my u20 players (“Ryan”). Ryan had ask me what it took and what he could do to play in the NBA. It was a difficult question for me to answer without fully discouraging him for trying. I mean who am I to tell someone that they can’t make it to the NBA? So without saying those words, I thought it would be better to just tell him how much work has to be 

put in. I mentioned those players that he looks up to, like Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and Derrick Rose all put in so much work to get to where they are. And that it wasn’t just the times they were in team practices that got them better, but the work outside of those practices and games when no one was watching. I told Ryan that he needed to be trying to out work everyone who is trying to get to the same place that he wants to go; ultimately the NBA. 

At the end, I mentioned to Ryan that just because you may not make it to the NBA necessarily, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t put in as much effort into your game. Reason being because basketball can still open up doors and opportunities to other things outside of the NBA. Like myself for example. Basketball was able to provide me with this great opportunity to be in Ireland. Anything can happen! Ryan understood what I was trying to say, and I truly believe it has opened his eyes to see how basketball can be his tool to great opportunities.

I want to continue to see him grow and get better as a player and person. Thank you for reading my blog, check in at the end of the week to see how my final week before Christmas break went!

 

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Paddy’s not Patty’s

My weekend started off Friday night when Michele and I went to a white collar charity boxing event in Galway to see our classmate Conor “Hurricane” Halloran throw some haymakers. This was the first boxing event I have ever been to but despite most being first time fighters it was very entertaining. My favorite fighter was Tommy “Beefcake” O’Brien…5 foot 7 and a generous 260 pounds. This dude had the reach of a raptor but when he landed them, WATCH OUT!

Saturday afternoon the town was buzzing for the rugby 6 Nations final. Over the course of this 6 Nations tournament (Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, France, and Italy) I have really taken a liking to rugby and have watched every match. The Irish won in dramatic fashion and the place was going wild. So if we are keeping count at home I am taking an interest in boxing and rugby, my mother is loving this I’m sure! 

Back to the sport I am actually decent at and will keep my brain cells intact. On Sunday we hosted Bord Gais Neptune, last years National Cup Winners and 3rd place in the premier league. Since we won the National Shield we were bumped up to play in the Premier League playoffs. This is the first year they are using this system and Basketball Ireland thought it would just be a nice gesture to let the little guys from Division 1 play a game against a Premier League team. However, we were having none of that. Talking to people in the basketball community they listed us as 15-20 point underdogs but I liked the way we matched up and we were saying all week that we were going to win. We opened up the game on fire and took a 16 point lead at one point in 1st quarter. Neptune started playing a Box and 1 on me, which I haven’t had done since I was in the 8th grade playing for Good Shepherd CYO. I took it as a compliment and the other guys kept on rolling. They chipped away at the lead but we hung right in there and pulled out the victory 86-82. We are now in the Premier League Final 4 on Friday night in none other than Neptune Stadium against this years Cup Winners C&S Blue Demons. It is going to be a tough game but the way we are playing right now no one can stop us. Sort of the way my SJU HAWKS are playing right now. A10 Champs and a first round matchup vs UCONN on Thursday night. 

Oh, and then there was Paddy’s day in Dublin. That was fun too I guess…


A Bit of Irish Slang

I think it is about time I focused on a common struggle for a foreigner in Ireland: understanding Irish people. Not only do their accents differ drastically from county to county (mind you, Ireland as a whole is smaller than the state of New York), but their slang seems like another language in itself. Too often I have found myself saying “wait, what does that mean?” to my Irish friends because what they said literally made no sense. 

 

So forgetting the words that everyone has heard before, such as “lad” or “mate”, “crisps” and “chips”, and “cheers” or “cheerio”, I have made a list (with the help of my good ol’ Irish friend, James) of some of my favorite Irish words and phrases:

 

You’re some craic = You’re good fun. (Craic = fun; so if someone says “where’s the craic?”, they’re actually looking saying where’s the fun?.)

 

Your one there is gas = That person is funny. (Gas = funny; someone called me a “gas girl” and I was a little confused because, well, I wasn’t actually gassy that day.)

 

I’m just sponging at the gaff = I’m hanging around aimlessly at my house. (Perfect example of one of those statements that made no sense whatsoever.)

 

Would you fancy a cuppa? = Would you like a cup of tea? (Everything in Ireland pretty much revolves around drinking tea, so I’ve been asked this numerous times while at friend’s houses.)

 

Story? = What’s up? (When I was asked this through Facebook chat, I was literally sitting there confused, trying to think of what story my friend wanted me to tell.)

 

Gwan ya good thing! = Keep going lad! (Gwan = go on; you will hear this being screamed numerous times during matches, whether it’s Gaelic football, hurling, or soccer.)

 

Are you going on the lash? = Are you going out drinking? 

 

That’s deadly = That’s good

 

I’ve only scratched the surface of the different things that I have heard in Ireland; the lingo itself even differs drastically from down the South to up North. I love the fact that there are so many unique words and phrases here, further adding to the culture in Ireland and to my experience here in general. Can’t wait to come home and have my friends not understand what I’m saying! Until next time, readers!


Week 8

It is the start of the final week of school for us up here at the University of Ulster – Jtown! Papers are due and exams have been set. There is nothing like a little pressure before the holidays, it only seems natural. Yet, I have noticed that many of us just seem to put pressure on ourself, it doesn’t come from anyone else. Being a Victory Scholar, you want to be the best you can be for the young people who follow your ever move. But going to Elks practice every friday night I have learned to embrace my inner youth and let go of all the pressure for a while. I have to thank the U14 & U16 girls for helping me do so, and reminding me that basketball is a game but what makes it special are the people you are with – the team you are apart of and in the mist of the holiday season there is nothing else you want more than to be with the people you enjoy the most! So for those who feel the pressures of papers and finals go hangout with some young ballers for an hour an or two and they will remind you of what it’s all about.

 

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Tourist

As we wrapped up our week of training at Ulster, the other Victory Scholars and myself were taken on a tour of Belfast by our very own Marc Mulholland and Aimee Shiels. We were taught about the sectarian issues, how it relates to parts of the city and the progress that has been made. Having a Catholic upbringing with roots in Ireland I found all of the conflict and history behind it wildly fascinating. As you may have seen on some of the SCL social media (@sportchangeslife) we took some pictures along the Peace Wall, I also took a time lapse video (below) while I walked along the wall however be warned it is a lot of colorful artwork crammed into a short video so it can be a bit disorienting.

We also had the chance to visit the Titanic museum and see the original site where the legendary ship was built. For me this was uniquely timed as I had recently read a book by Erik Larson titled “The Devil In The White City” (would highly recommend) which has a chapter that discusses the famous painter Francis Millet and his unfortunate ending on the Titanic. To see his name amongst the other 1,503 who perished in the tragic accident was extremely moving. As we stood outside the massively ornate Titanic museum Marc said something along the lines of “[This museum sums up the Irish spirit to turn a tragedy into something good]” This stuck with me because it is something I have always tried to do in my own life, take whatever situation you have been put into, whether good or bad, and find the way to make the best of it.

After arriving in my new home of Letterkenny in Co. Donegal it was only about 48 hours before I set out to see more of the Isle. Fellow Letterkenny Scholar T John and I hopped a short 4 hour bus down to Dublin to see what everyone has been talking about. After meeting up with Victory Scholars Kelsey Ellis and Jess Porter, T John and I took to the streets to explore. Though Dublin was quite diverse and felt more like an American city than Belfast or Letterkenny it was great to see some of the main attractions we’ve heard so much about. After a quick tour of the Guinness Storehouse and a stop by St. Patrick’s Cathedral we continued to explore the city with no set plan. I’ve learned that the best way to take in the sights is to just go outside and figure things out from there. The architecture and stone work throughout the city blew me away, we were lucky enough to get a beautiful sunny day to sit outside a Grafton Street cafe and do a bit of people watching as well. The energy and vibe of Dublin was very unique as most people seemed busy with places to go but at the same time relaxed and content. I will definitely be back sometime in the not-to-distant future, however for now I have some exploring of Letterkenny to do, cannot wait to see what my new home has to offer.


Mission 29: March 17th

St Patrick’s Day is celebrated in many parts of the world, especially by Irish communities and organizations. Many people wear an item of green clothing on the day. It’s all to remember St. Patrick. I’m not going to lie, I was never one to really celebrate St. Patrick Day. Besides, of course, having on green so I wouldn’t get pinched at school when I was younger. Every year on March 17, the Irish and the Irish-at-heart across the globe observe St. Patrick’s Day. Well, this year was my time to observe St. Patrick’s Day…for real; and what better place to do it in than Dublin? Dublin was full of people from all over the world! When I say everyone, I mean everyone had on green. St. Patrick’s Day started off with the annual parade and carnivals all around town. All of this was followed by everybody enjoying themselves around temple bar area with Irish music. Speaking of “everybody” I am pleased to say that all 11 scholars were finally united again. It’s always good when all the scholars come together. Moments you want to last for a lifetime. #victory


Dedication makes Champs

The Elks had another preseason tournament this weekend at Queens University. We went undefeated and ended up winning all seven of our games to win the entire tournament. The best part about it was how dedicated the girls on the team are. We won because  we have a group of girls that want to be there, want to play, and want to get better. It’s inspiring to me because these girls want to not only win but to improve their game of basketball.

 

How you may ask? Well one of our players has work on Saturdays. She came before work to squeeze two games in, then went to work, only to rush back on her lunch break for a game, went back to work, then closed the shop early so she could make the championship game. That’s dedication and that’s only one example. Next we have some very energetic 16 year old Basketball Northern Ireland players who were committed to BNI training on Saturday 1-4 pm. These girls came at 9 am, played as many games as they could squeeze in before they rushed back to University of Ulster for BNI training for three hours. Then they shuttled back over to Queens so they could help us win the championship. We may have won all the games, but to me the commitment to play, improve, and heart my teammates have shown makes me want to improve myself. #ElkNationOnly


Paddy’s Day!

This semester is FLYING by at warp speed, but I was finally able to take a few days from class/studying/training/coaching/working out/making food [repeat] to enjoy Mai-Thy’s birthday, a Meteors win and Paddy’s Day in DUBLIN!

 

Paddy’s Day was one for the books, Dublin city centre was packed with tourists (as most of the locals get the heck out of town!) but it was a magical atmosphere. Everything was green, most people were jolly and it was a good time with good friends. Definitely one of those “once in a lifetime” experiences I will be talking about for Paddy’s Days to come! Oh and of course I had the pleasure of seeing and catching up with Christine, one of my high school friends from Needham J

 

The highlight of my weekend though was my lazy Sunday with Susan and Fiona! As all good things do, it started with a Snapchat conversation around what to eat for lunch. The entire day turned into an adventure including driving to Wicklow, tea at the Powerscourt Hotel and then dinner with her high school teammates (including Fiona!). Long story short, we ate tons of good food, told stories for hours and then watched random things on the TV. It was literally like I was sitting at the table with Christine, Katherine and Maddie, picking up right where we left off from high school.

 

Sports are great—obviously that is the moral of this year. But with each new experience, the impact that sports have had on my life becomes clearer. Great friendships, hours laughing, learning not to sweat the small things, the list just goes on and on.

 


An Eventful Weekend

It was quite the weekend here in Dublin. It was our first Paddy’s day experience in Ireland and it did not disappoint. The entire city was abuzz with tourists and there were people donning their green proudly throughout the streets.

Before Katie and I could do some celebrating for Paddy’s day, we had business to attend to. We played our last game of the year as opponents in the Shield. Unfortunately for my squad, we came up one point in a tough battle, ending our Premier league season. It seems like yesterday I arrived at my first training unsure of whether or not I could handle playing another year of basketball physically or mentally. I can honestly say, it was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life and I am ridiculously thankful to everyone involved, especially my amazing teammates. They made me feel like a real part of their family over the past few months and their generosity and sincerity meant the world to me.

Although I am sad it is over, I look forward to what the next year may bring. Best of luck to Katie and the Meteors as they move on to the Shield final next weekend.

After the business was out of the way, it was time for a bit of fun with friends. The other scholars descended on Dublin for the Paddy’s Day festivities, and it was great to see everyone. A very nice Garda generously gave me 3 tickets to the All-Ireland Club hurling and football finals, which I ended up attending with fellow Canadian friends of Jared’s. It was their first hurling match and they were very impressed (and mildly confused).

All in all, it was a great weekend, but now it is back to the grind. I am coming into my last lectures before it is crunch time for exams. Must. Stay. Focused.


Enjoying it While it Lasts

  • This message may have dawned on me from a caffeine craving, but I read it loud and clear…  As I ordered a cappucino from the coffee shop in Eyre Square with a fellow coach before our coaching session, I noticed that the staff at the coffee shop put a lot of time and effort into these drinks.  The presentations were beautiful as I watched the people in front of me receive their lattes with pretty designs such as hearts, flowers, and an aray of stars.  When I was given my cappucino, my drink didn’t have a object designed on the foam, but instead it had cursive letters spelling “Enjoy.”  I was obviously impressed with the syrup design because the littlest things facinate me but I was also just happy at that exact  moment. I was happy to be doing what I love, happy that I was given this oppurtunity to travel, and to be around great people in city of Galway that are always looking out for me.

     

    So I’m going to take the advice from my cappucino and I will enjoy my time here.  I will enjoy this unseasonably warm and sunny weather that Ireland is currently having while it lasts. That being said this past Sunday was so gorgeous that I was able to jump into the ocean at Salt Hill Beach with some of the scholars that were visiting from the North.

     

    Yesterday I was able to travel to Dublin for the Basketball Ireland season launch and photoshoot.  This was a very cool experience as I was in the audience with other players throughout the country as they announced the drawings for the National and Premeire League brackets.  The announcement was broadcasted live on television and there were hundreds of young students in attendance that helped create an excited atmosphere.  After the drawings the players had a photo shoot for the Basketball Ireland media.  I had to use the restroom before the photo shoot and as I was in the bathroom there were four young hyperactive girls that were goofing off and running around. After thinking those girls remind me of myself at that age I just smirked and continued to wash my hands.  Once these girls saw my jersey that I was wearing they screamed, “Are you a professional, can we have your autograph?!”  As I sign the girls’ notebooks I’m just thinking about how I can’t wait to tell my teammates what happened. But I come back into the National Basketball Arena only to find that I now have to sign about 200 more autographs along with the other Irish players. The feeling was still surreal, and I think the best moment of the day was when I was signing a basketball for this little girl who was gripping her pink cell phone nervously and then asked if I could take a picture with her.  It’s not everyday that kids can make you feel like a celebrity…and that is what I will also enjoy while it lasts.

     

    Without even tasting my cappicuno I didn’t know how it was going be, too bitter, too sweet, too strong, but I knew it looked pretty good, and most importantly I knew that I can always change my drink to make it more enjoyable.  This is similar to life, not knowing how things may go but always knowing you can make changes to better yourself and your situation. And most importantly to ENJOY it !


Traveling to Ireland and Belfast

Traveling to Belfast was insane. SCL through us a curveball and told us we had to find our way to the airports. I was not expecting that one! So everyone was getting UBER and calling cabs and finding trains, and then there was me. With golf clubs that I need to carry around NYC. Not ideal to say the least. But, I went on my phone and started to find some car services that would take my clubs and my other luggage. I ordered myself a black car service to take me to Newark Liberty International airport. I got there, checked into my flight, checked my bags and found my gate. Knowing now at that moment, I was truly heading off to Ireland for the next 10 months. Boarding the plane was nothing new to me, but knowing where I was going, made the whole trip surreal. Luckily I was very exhausted and I slept for about five, five and half hours on the flight.

 

Landing in Belfast, made the whole experience finally real. I was in the city I would call home for the next 10 months. Once I got to SCL headquarters, it was time to wait for everyone else to come in from their travels, and hear some stories about their flights and things that had happened. We talked for a while, quickly made a budget for the week, and headed off to The University of Ulser-Jordanstown. I moved into my place and settled in to my room.

 

It was now time for training to start, and for the opportunity and experience of a lifetime to officially begin!


Win or Go Home

They say its hard to beat a team three times in a row. Well this past weekend we did just that. The U14 Junior Elks secured a spot in the championship game with a 29-26 win over the Lisburn Phoenix. We previously won just over a week ago on Lisburns home floor. So Coach Brittney and I stuck with the same game plan as last week.

 

This was by far the most intense game we played all season. It was hard to tell it was a home game for us because the other team brought just as many fans to the game as us.

 

We saw a 10 point third quarter lead vanish quickly in the 4th quarter. It was a great moment in the timeout when one of our girls stepped up to the challenge to switch and guard the other teams leading scorer. This was key because she did a great job defending her and stopped the run Lisburn had going.

 

We ended up winning by 3 and advancing to the championship game where we face the only team we lost to all year. We lost to them 3 times this season, but none of that matters because its do or die in the championship! I can not wait until championship day! I may be more excited then the girls! lol

 


Starting to Adjust…

Yesterday we had a game against our rivals Moycullen who moved from Super League to our league (National League). It was my second game here in Ireland, so I’m still trying to get adjusted to it. Long story short, it was a great game but we ended up losing. I don’t think that I’ve quite mastered the game here, like I was hoping to by now, but the best part about it is that the season has just started and I have a long journey ahead of me!! I have many more practices and many more games to achieve the level of satisfaction that I’ll be happy with, and knowing this will make me work even harder on the court, in practice, and in games. It was such an eye opener as to how different the game of basketball is played here, more so than the first game! The sport here is much rougher than what I am accustomed to in America. Might sound like I am complaining, but that’s not quite the case. To put it in simple words…It’s just, different. As a competitor all my life, I see this as a challenge…. a challenge that I am ready to embrace.  The only way that I could successfully achieve this challenge is by accepting that sport is different here, and adjusting so that I can set my teammates and myself up for success.

 

I will never forget the quote my middle school basketball coach always used to preach to us at halftime when things weren’t going well. He’d say “Adjusting is a key to success and a key to life: just being able to roll with the punches.” Almost 10 years later, I never thought I would be sitting here in another country quoting him and writing about it…boy was I wrong! That being said… I have to roll with the punches and keep it moving.  The way the game is played here might be a little out of my comfort zone, but I will not let that stop me from being the best basketball player I can be. Not just in basketball, this can be applied to life. There will always be times where things are not quite like what you are accustomed to, and most of the time you have no control over it so your best bet is to adjust and roll with the punches!


Alternative Options

Since my injury, I’ve been contacted frequently by the Titans Basketball Club treasurer and current Wheeler’s player David.  David has asked me to play in the club’s wheelchair basketball league and thought it would be a great idea considering I severely miss playing. I’ve always wanted to give it a try but now it seemed like given the circumstances the time was just right. So after coaching this Wednesday night, I participated in my first wheelchair basketball scrimmage.

I’m not going to lie I was pretty intimidated from the jump, given that I barely knew how to turn in a wheelchair let alone stop and change direction quickly.  Before the tip off David told me the rules with dribbling and pushing the wheelchair and said overall, “Just have fun.”  Well that I did, luckily I caught on fast and was able to work with my team to make some good plays.

 

I couldn’t help but think of the popular Guinness commercial that went viral months ago while I was playing. It was interesting I didn’t know who was actually in a wheelchair permanently and who was ‘able-bodied’ and just wanted to participate. I think it was somewhat ironic that I didn’t know who on my team or who of my competition was physically disabled or not because ultimately that is the entire point.  The greatest and most challenging part about playing wheelchair basketball is that every player is bound by the same adversities.

 

I learned right away how to effectively play defense, as one of the old time players forcefully crashed into me.  It was all in good fun, but completely took me off guard and he seemed to be  everywhere I turned throughout the entire game. I had no idea of the physicality of the game. I’m glad no one took it easy on me because that’s how I will get better.  Playing reminded me of a mixture of ice hockey and bumper cars, as you want to do so many different movements with the ability to coast, but also having the potential to unexpectedly get hit off course.

 

Overall I had an amazing time playing with these guys.  I used muscles in my arms and sides that you wouldn’t normally use and got a great work out.  It was also really awesome to see the comradery of it all, as a few times throughout the game some players flipped out of their chairs and players from both teams would all quickly respond to help the other person up.

 

Although I can’t run I was still able to participate in a basketball game which was rewarding in itself, but overall to know that there are always alternative options for you to do what you want is extremely comforting.  I’m looking forward to more games to come!


Mission 28: I Was Here

I know that I have touched on eHoops in my past blogs, however this session was different. We as scholars were asked to go around and talk to lads who we know of but didn’t know too much about. Along with talking to one of the lads we had to write down answers to selective questions. However, when it was all said and done, that wasn’t the case. I was the one who ended up getting questioned which was fine because my answers opened him up to me. He simply asked why are you here? Like, why do you do what you do? My answer was “Great question! I am here to make a difference in someone’s life. If I could change one…just one person’s life from what I am doing here through sport or just from my background or experiences in life, I will have done my part…” Then he goes on to say, “wow me and you are just alike” I said how is that? He replied, “I love to sing, and with my singing I would like to tell my life stories through song to change someone’s life as well.” He says you can do it with sport and I can do it with song! That right there just made my day. Speaking of which, that day happened to be my birthday. I turned 23 years old, on March 5th.

 

This year’s birthday was great in Ireland! I got the chance to see Beyonce perform in Dublin. I am a big Beyonce fan and I know practically all of her songs. However, what touched me the most about her performance is when she sung the song “I Was Here” because it reminded me of the conversation I had with the lad at eHoops. So I want to leave you with lyrics from that song… 

 

“I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time

Know there was something that, meant something that I left behind

When I leave this world, I’ll leave no regrets,

Leave something to remember, so they won’t forget

 

I was here

I lived, I loved

I was here

I did, I’ve done, everything that I wanted

And it was more than I thought it would be

I will leave my mark so everyone will know

I was here

 

I want to say I lived each day, until I die

And know that I meant something in, somebody’s life

The hearts I have touched, will be the proof that I leave

That I made a difference, and this world will see” 

 

#IWasHere #Ehoops #Change #Beyonce #Inspire  #jordanyear


Making the Most of it

The Sport Changes Life program has offered me many unique opportunities and experiences for this year. One of which is the chance to travel and see parts of the world I may never have been able to reach otherwise. Over the last few weeks, as we prepared to get underway with school, I’ve tried to make the most of that opportunity.

 

Two weeks ago I traveled to Kaunas, Lithuania where my college roommate was back visiting his family. We caught up on things, did some site seeing, and just had a great time for three days. I also got to visit the capital city of Vilinus during my stay, and watched a Lithuania Eurobasket game amongst their crazy fans. By the end of the weekend I was dead tired, but it was a great trip.

 

This past weekend me and some of the other Victory scholars took the bus down to Galway to visit our fellow scholars Chris and Michele. While smaller cities/towns don’t usually do it for me, I really enjoyed the whole vibe of Galway. The pedestrian mall (shop street?) was really cool and a great place to hang out. Not to mention they have a Boojums burrito restaurant right there… Jackpot. Great trip down there and the bus ride wasn’t even too bad.

 

Looking forward to continue visiting different parts of the island and beyond.


Newark to Dublinξ

TRAVEL

I am no stranger to the Newark International Airport, traveling from their on several occasions this summer. However, this was the first time I have traveled internationally from Newark. Everything was similar to the domestic flights, except for the length and the fact that we flew through the night. After not sleeping the entire flight, we arrived around 6am in Dublin, having not slept for about 24 hours. The day we arrived was rough, with a packed schedule, and no opportunity to sneak in a quick nap. I made it through the day, and had the best nights sleep of my life after that.  

The first week in Belfast was a great opportunity to get to know everyone, as well as get crucial training for the next ten months. It was a pleasure getting to know the other scholars, learning where they came from, and sharing our motivation and inspirational stories with each other. While we were being trained most of the time, we also had the opportunity to have some fun in this first week. Probably my most memorable event of the week was visiting Cave Hill and hiking to the top. Some of the sights were once in a lifetime experiences, and some of the pictures I took were breathtaking. We also got to experience the nightlife in Belfast, which turned out to be a great time. Being able to hang out with the other scholars in a less structured environment was an awesome time, and we all had a lot of fun


Charity Week Recap

Charity week was filled with all types of shenanigans, some of which I took part in and others I didn’t have the boldness to do. If you haven’t heard or seen, my bangs are hot pink now. I took part in the shave or dye event. Each participant had to raise a minimum of 25euro to be apart of the activity, and I raised 32.50. I also donated throughout the week to volunteers who covered the campus and walked around with buckets trying to raise money for numerous charities. I wouldn’t have been caught doing the nearly naked mile, but I did donate to sponsor a few people. The paint glow party was my next favorite event. I had never been to a party like that before and it was great craic! I think charity week went well and it’s a great idea for campuses in the US to adopt, if they don’t already have something similar. All of the money went to local Irish charities and students got to have fun while making a fool of themselves.

I kept describing it to my friends as “homecoming with an Irish twist”. Homecoming at NSU was always filled with activities like battle of the bands, Greek step shows, concerts, parades and a football game. Some of my friends were wishing they had come to visit me after I told them everything I experienced. It was absolute mayhem from 12noon until early in the morning, but I still had work to do. I strategically planned my assignments around charity week events and managed to knock out most of my individual assignments. How’s that for multitasking? I’ve also come to the realization that I might be a professional student, but hey if my next college is like UL, then I will have no worries. 


You Never Know Until You Go

Last Sunday I spent the day travelling around Carrigaholt and Kilkee in County Clare scaling cliffs, exploring castles, and mingling with friendly pub owners. It was refreshing to get out of my comfort zone a little bit, meet some new people, and see some unbelievable natural wonders. Straight into Monday, I woke up and went off to St. Munchin’s primary school for boys. It’s always a plus for me when I get to teach 7 and 8 year olds history, reading, and math using Arsenal lesson books.  A bit biased maybe, but always in my favor. Wednesday, I had my first match with UL Men’s Soccer, a preseason match against LIT. The boys were quite impressive, grabbing a handy 8-1 win in the end. A little coach-sponsored team function after the game definitely helped me get to know the boys better, and I can say that I haven’t been part of a friendlier and more welcoming bunch of guys before. I am definitely looking forward to the matches and tournaments ahead with this group.

 

Finally, today I had Baby Blues again! Started off blazing with the 3-4 year olds at 10 AM, but this time it was me alone with 15 of them. They responded way better this week, probably because they were more comfortable with me and knew my name, as well as the fact that I have remembered most of theirs. All in all, it was a blast again, no surprise there, kids are smile machines. After the 3-4 year olds, I went into a session with the 7-8 year olds, who were also fantastic, talented, and super receptive, making me feel like a pretty world class coach. Last, I was privileged with the opportunity to join in on the session with the special needs group. This may have been my most rewarding session of the week, as I have not been in this situation of mentorship with a special needs group in quite a few years. After the sessions, Anne, the coordinator, dropped me off in the city. I proceeded to pick up some Sriracha 🙂 and walk the 4 mile journey back to campus. On the way home I kept thinking to myself about my last session. As open-minded of a person as I may think I am, I question how much I really take a step back and appreciate that other people experience the world in a much different way than I do personally. I think this may apply for all of us in our day to day journeys. I was reminded this morning that there are many people out there with needs greater than my immediate gratifications, people whose experiences are completely different from my own. As a matter of fact, that is every single person to some degree or another. Sessions like these are a blessing, and a reminder that the way in which I experience the world is simply my own. Acknowledging, learning, and growing from others perspectives and realities is true understanding. There’s a little something to think about 😉 have a good week!


Sports-Filled Weekend in Tipperary!

I was lucky enough to spend the past weekend in Tipperary with some familiar faces, the Murphy family. I met the Murphy’s at one of the basketball camps that we hosted in Clonmel, and they invited us scholars to come visit whenever we had the chance. And I’m glad I finally found a free weekend to get over there!

 

I pretty much dropped my bags and headed off to a rugby practice as soon as I arrived. And it wasn’t just a practice for the kids: Polly, the mom, was coaching as well and asked me to help her out. So, I’m not remotely a rugby player and the kids were having quite the laugh at me while I tried to figure out what was going on, but I have the basics down for the most part now! I got the chance to play a little tag rugby during the practice with the under 15 girls and helped coach the Under 7 Coolmore team on Sunday during their game.

 

I would say one huge learning point that I got out of this weekend was that there is room for anyone to help out in sports, no matter if you played the sport all your life or never got the chance to play the sport at all. With all the sports that the Murphy kids play, from basketball to rugby to camogie (women’s hurling), Polly helps coach for the club that her children play for, even though she never competitively played those specific sports before. There is always a need for coaches at the younger age groups, so with a few coaching lessons, lots of enthusiasm, and a love for sports, anyone can help inspire children without being an expert at the sport.

 

I just wanted to say another huge thank you to Polly, Andrew, Thomas, and Lucy Murphy for the great sports (and pancake-filled) weekend… can’t wait to visit again! Until next time, readers!


Reality Check

There’s a famous sentiment I’ve heard that we have to be careful to never meet those people we hold up as our heroes. They inevitably don’t live up to the pedestal we’ve put them on, and really how could they. But once you’ve seen behind the curtain there’s no going back. I don’t necessarily believe that that’s always the case, but I can definitely see the logic. We can only glimpse the surface of these peoples’ lives, while most problems lie beneath.

 

This idea of “exposing” your heroes for what they truly are resonates with me on a different plane. Instead of heroes, I think about dreams. Most people believe achieving a dream is the ultimate in life, but I know better. Over the last two years I’ve thought on and off about this idea of what happens after you finally achieve one of your dreams, only to find that it doesn’t live up to the hype. You reach the pinnacle only to find nothing’s there. You’re suddenly jerked back to reality.

 

That’s what happened to me. I spent most my childhood dreaming of playing in the NBA, and most of my teenage and young adult life working towards playing professional basketball at some level (more of a realistic goal haha). When the day finally came and my contract was signed, I was ecstatic. A dream realized! What could be better. Turns out, a lot of things. Long story short it didn’t go how I’d expected, planned, or hoped it would.

 

But that’s life. So it goes. Things don’t always work out the way you want them to. The real challenge for me was realizing that now I had no dreams at all. Well, no specific dreams at least. No plausible, tangible goal to focus my energies on. And note the word choice: goals. I think it’s important to look at things in terms of goals, rather than dreams. Dreams have that connotation of the outlandish and outrageous… things that seem beyond the realm of possibility. Dreams are great, but goals will keep things in perspective. You’ve accomplished your goal? Great. Time to set new ones. Your goals can be reworked to be ever expanding, while I think dreams have more a finality to them.

 

Even after all this time I’m still working on setting goals for myself that mean something to me. Let me tell you, it’s slow going. It’s not easy changing your perspective on life but I think it can be pretty rewarding, and I’m confident I’ll get there some day (hopefully sooner rather than later of course but hey, who’s counting).

 

It’s great to have dreams. Go ahead and dream big. But I think if you can take your dreams and mould them into achievable goals (even if they’re a long shot) you’ll be much better served. At least you know you gave it a shot, instead of spending your whole life with your head in the clouds.


Easing In

For those of you who don’t know much about my background, I was born and raised as a budding scientist. Whether it was nature walks behind the Newman school with my dad or hanging out in the hospital with my mom, I have grown up questioning everything. I got the Science award in middle school, probably for my gummy bear virus made out of model magic or my creative lab report titles. It wasn’t until college though that I really began to become passionate about my studies. My major was in Integrated Biology, and I minored in Psychology/Human Development because I am captivated by using science and theory to better understand what makes humans different from other animals. I want to pursue a career in healthcare.

 

Katie, then why the heck are you studying business and management? I think everyone in my course, professor included, has asked me that question in the past week during introduction. Yesterday started my first official class at Trinity in the Masters of Business and Management program designed for students with undergraduate degrees outside of business. Perfect. Everyone else seems to answer this question with a variation of, “To better my chances of employment.” And I guess to a degree this is also my motivation for this masters degree.

 

I see two positive outcomes from this course. (1) I will strengthen my understanding of the business world, which like it or not, I’m realizing we all have to live in as adults. This area is a weakness in science undergrad degrees because we get very little practical experience in managing grants, developing companies, hiring the right employees, etc. (2) I will effectively use my unique combination of degrees to try to promote social change. Who doesn’t love a challenge!

 

I’m hoping as the year goes on I will develop a more concrete plan of action for my mark on the world, but Sport Changes Life is a great medium for right now! Luckily, my first course is Management and Organizational Behavior and basically a review of my psychology courses to date. I love it already.


Traveling to Ireland and getting to Belfast

Today was the day, or as my aunt texted me that morning: Game Day. The day I was heading to Ireland, my new home for the next 10 months. So 5 of us scholars squeezed into an Uber with suitcases that were busting from every seam and headed to JFK. Of course I could not leave without eating one of my favorites: buffalo chicken pizza. Once that was done, I was o.k. with zipping up my new Nike sweatshirt and heading to the second to last row for a 6 hour flight. Luckily I sat next to a very friendly American, who was heading to Ireland for a wedding; how amazing is that? The ride could not have gone smoother, for being as long as it was. It was not until customs that we had a bite of a hiccup. A couple of us scholars had a miscommunication with the customs officer, so it took a little longer than we were hoping. But to my mothers dismay they did not send us home (sorry mom you will have to wait until Christmas to see me). The three of us met our Sport Changes Life representative Alan, holding a SCL sign up, and we could finally take a deep breath. We made it! Since we had another two hours to Belfast, we grabbed a ham and butter sandwich…which would be first of many and then were on the bus headed to the North. I wish I could say that I saw a lot on the ride there, but I was a little lame and fell asleep (trying to save up my energy for orientation). I will say this, they say it always rains in Ireland, but there was not a drop in the sky. Only sunrays were shining down on us, so I want to thank Ireland for easing us into the new climate!! Nothing felt better though, than being welcomed and reunited with the other scholars at Sport Changes Life headquarters. We may have only met the day before, but their welcome made it seem like we were long lost friends seeing each other for the first time in a long time. We had all finally made it; now it was time to start orientation, and begin the next chapter of our lives as a Victory Scholar in the Sport Changes Life program.


#AdventuresofKerriandMairead

On Saturday, my good friend Mairead and I took a day trip to Dublin. I had been asked to do guest commentary for one of the Superleague playoff games, so Mairead kindly offered to make a day trip out of it.  On our way to Dublin, we stopped in County Meath to see Newgrange. To be honest, it was my first time hearing about the history of Newgrange, and also the Battle of the Boyne. Mairead is so full of knowledge we didn’t even need a tour guide! 

Newgrange was built 5,000 years ago during the Neolithic period. It is a monument known as a “passage-tomb.” I have never seen anything like it.  There were shapes and names carved into all of the stones. It’s amazing to think that it was all man-made.  I was not expecting it to be such a tight space inside, which made me feel quite claustrophobic, but it was well worth it. 

The views for the day were also incredible.  The prehistoric monument is north of the River Boyne. The Battle of the Boyne, a major battle in Irish history, took place along this river. It looked amazing with all the greenery on a beautiful Saturday day. I definitely suggest anyone traveling to Ireland to stop by this place, because it was well worth seeing.

From there, we had dinner at Clontarf Castle. Where I’m from, it’s pretty abnormal to have the chance to eat inside an actual castle! We sat and watched some Rugby, as Mairead tried to help me learn all of the Irish names I needed to know for the game. I definitely embarrassed her a bit with my pronunciations of the Irish names, but we had some great laughs over it.

We then ended the day at the playoff game, where I commentated from the sidelines on Killester’s Live broadcast. I’ve never done anything like it before, but it’s something I grew up watching my mom do. I think the coolest part was realizing how much I am like my mother, with my tone of voice and my basketball sayings that I picked up from her. It ended up being a great game to watch. I’m really happy I took advantage of the opportunity because I really enjoyed myself. It’s a career I am definitely going to look into. Thanks to Killester for the opportunity, to Mairead for a great day and to my father for tuning in all the way from Philly!


True Melting Pot

Just let that sink in for a moment. For a girl who just recently graduated from Elon University in North Carolina: a university with about 6,000 TOTAL students, it’s amazing to me that UL has such a huge international population. I’ve had the chance to meet students from all over the globe in just my first month! Students ranging from: Ireland (of course), Brazil, US, Venezuela, South Africa, China, Korea, Canada, France, Estonia, Japan, Nigeria, and many more places!

 

Coming from the US, I’ve been exposed to people from different countries, but not at such a rich and high volume. Any day walking down the sidewalk to class at UL, I can hear a different language being spoken on either side of me.

 

It really makes me think about how I’ve been so Americanized from my upbringing. North Carolina isn’t exactly the most diverse state in America to say the least, but I also had the great opportunity to work in New York City a couple of summers ago – one of the most diverse cities in the world! Even while being exposed to the NYC melting pot culture, I still think it has nothing on the international culture of UL!

 

This past week, UL held a week full of free International Culture Festival events – and it gave me a chance to experience all of the different cultures here at once. In short, UL is a true melting pot of different cultures, nationalities, languages, and people.. and I can’t wait to see what the next year in this environment will hold for me!

 


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