As I get older, it has become evident that the only relationships worth having in life are ones that bring out the best in you, the ones that are genuine and make you want to be a better person. It’s something that has taken me a very long time to figure out, and something I’ve been trying very hard to live by. I don’t want to say that relationships that do not do this for you are a waste of time, because I have learned a lot from my relationships that have not done so. It’s more realizing that as you get older, it’s important to invest the most time and energy into relationships that are genuine and real. My parents have always tried to instill this in me, but I believe that it’s something only experiences will make you believe to be true. If you’re lucky to have a few real relationships in your life, you are truly blessed.

This past week, I was reminded that I am beyond blessed. I was lucky enough to have one of my closest friends come visit me here in Belfast for a week. Shannon and I met when we were Orientation Leaders at Boston College after our sophomore year, and instantly hit it off with our Philly connection. We both come from great families, have a strong faith, are independent and believe in the power of making a difference. For this reason, I was extremely excited to have her experience the life I have been living the past eight months. She most certainly got to experience this, in the best of ways! After a long day of traveling on Tuesday, Shannon spent the day exploring Dublin on her own. By the time she met up with me, she was definitely on a high because she had an amazing day exploring on her own. At night, she met up with me in Belfast, where she had the chance to bond with my fellow scholars. On Wednesday night, she joined me at our eHoops session with the West Belfast group. It was our tenth week with the group, and everyone was extremely welcoming to her. Marc even let her run her own group discussion, which she obviously took in her stride and did a great job doing!

On Thursday, my assistant coach, Carla, took us on a tour of Belfast. It was not the type of tour you would have on a regular bus, rather, we were able to get up close and personal in most of the areas. We both loved hearing the stories of her past, and what it was like growing up during the Troubles. From there, we stayed at the Dick residence to celebrate Breda’s birthday. For those who don’t know, Breda is my head coach, and her and her family have gone above and beyond to make my experience here a great one. To no surprise, they did the same with Shannon’s week long trip. On Saturday, we were able to spend the day in Dublin, where Shannon and Susie were able to see the Guinness Factory for the first time. We also were able to see Belfast Star win a big game against Marian, and have a great night out in Dublin with everyone.

On Sunday, we made a trip to Galway to see fellow Scholars Michele and Chris with Diana and Jared. The time spent with fellow scholars is always bound to be a great time, especially when the weather is beautiful. No surprise, Galway ended up being Shannon’s favorite place. It was everything she thought it would be, and I’m so happy she was able to experience it while the weather was gorgeous. It was a great way to end her trip.

Overall, I don’t think either of us could have asked for a better week. It was great having Shannon experience my daily life abroad. With all of my loved ones from home, I try my best to explain where I live, what I’m doing and who the kids are I’m working with, but it was really meaningful having someone from home experience it in person. Even more so, to make me realize how lucky I am to have met so many wonderful people on this journey. It meant so much to me to have these people I met just months ago to not only want my guest to have a great time on her visit, but to really make her feel at home. For a lot of the week, I had class work or volunteering to do, but two of my closest friends, Mairead and Susie, went out of their way to make sure Shannon was taken care of. It sounds crazy, but I really do feel like I will always have a home in Belfast with people who really care about me and the people I love. It’s more than I could have asked for out of this journey, and I could not be more grateful for the people I am fortunate enough to have in my life. These are the relationships that are worth investing time in, and that is why I am truly blessed. I thank Shannon for reminding me of this, and for sharing in my life here abroad! I know it will be a week we will always remember!

Had to go back to what we know works, this past weekend. It was a must-win game for the Jr. Elks U14, coached by me and Bryan Wilson. As Bryan and I were deciding the starting five and the girls warmed up, Deirdre (co-founder of SCL and head of the Elks Club) came up to us saying that we need to win this game to be second in the league. Not only second, but also to have home court for playoffs. Let me remind you that Bryan and I have been coaching the girls since September, so we knew what we had to do. It was time to set goals again, but this time we did it a little differently. We needed goals to be hit by half time. So here we go… Goals: 1) 10 rebounds 2) 10 steals 3) 10 assist 4) 5 fast breaks points and the most important one, number 6) 10 have funs, since it was 10 players on the team… It was the best plan Bryan and I could come up with. Half time score? Drum Roll Please…. 29-11 with 4 out of the 6 goals completed! As the game goes on we get closer and closer in meeting 100% of our goals. The final score was 43- 34 with all goals successful completed. 1) 10 rebounds? had 17. 2) 10 steals? had 15. 3) 10 Assist? got all of them. 4) 5 fast break points? had 8; and the most important one, number 6) 10 have funs? Well, we had overwhelming comments from them about having fun. Great Jobs Girls! It’s playoff time! Elks Nation.

First scrimmage without my knee brace felt alright. It was a win, a good win, but one to learn from. I scored a little, grabbed a few steals, and snatched major boards so it was a decent effort. The chemistry is great amongst my teammates; I’m just trying to fit in and find my role within the system. It’s a good system too! I probably should have worn my brace, but it’s so big and bulky, so I need to look into a smaller, more comfortable one that offers me more mobility. The solution will be ice, ice, and more ice.

I’m not just on a basketball team though. I’m on three different academic teams as well. I have 3 group projects this semester with many different people, some of which are located in New York! I’m looking forward to working with all of them. This past Friday my program had a dinner and then we hung out in Limerick city. We have grown so close these past few weeks and I really enjoyed it.

I also had a pre-season tournament this past weekend that has left me sorer than ever. I find my competitive spirit coming back to life and we won all 4 games so it was a grand effort. We also played against Katie and Shelby’s teams and I was so happy to see them as well! Basketball is a little different over here, but it’s nothing I can’t get used to. After all, my dad always taught me that the game of basketball is about making adjustments so I will make proper ones. Being on all these teams and making sure everyone is successful, while making substantial contributions is key in academia and basketball. My message in this blog is teamwork makes the DREAM WORK! 

My first Thanksgiving in Belfast was class as the locals would say! Deirdre, Gareth and my teammates on the Ulster Elks team surprised the Scholars by showing up to the dinner in their best ‘American attire’. My one teammate had the middle school look down perfect with his fitted cap, sweatpants and swooshy Notre Dame Starter jacket. The only thing that threw his look off was his Movember ‘stache, which is his new excuse for why women are not talking to him 🙂 

In all, over 20 hungry people were in attendance and the layout was everything I could have asked for and more. Sport Changes Life and the Elks made us Scholars feel like family and the cherry on top was a surprise video from our actual family and friends back home. The videos were funny, touching and made us feel at home even though we were across the Atlantic. 

Even though we were sweating out the turkey, gravy and potatoes from Thanksgiving, the Men’s Elks team was able to take care of business and get a comfortable win in Donegal on Saturday that kept us on top of the Northern Division. Thanks for reading!

 Kubs win 38-36 over Templeogue to win the Dublin Cup!

My previous blogs have detailed our U17 Kubs girls incredible first and second round wins in the Dublin cup over the Meteors and Killester. This past weekend we played Templeogue in the final. In our games against them earlier in the season our girls had lost by a sizable margin. But if our first and second round wins taught us anything, it was that we have the work ethic and passion to beat the top teams in the league.

Earlier this year I read Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath. In this book, Gladwell argues that the classic underdog story we have become so accustom to—routing for the team less talented, with fewer resources, etc. to defeat Goliath—is more so a fantasy western society has developed. The “underdogs” prevail significantly more often than we recognize, and it is often when underdogs prepare in different ways from Goliath (great book I recommend to everyone!).

Our team has been working so hard since the beginning of the season; they do aerobics as a warm up every Saturday, have strength and conditioning sessions with Hugh 2-3 times a week, court time with Shelby and I every Thursday and Saturday and an additional session on Mondays with Mucky! This combination of pushing them to their peak, positive reinforcement, and preparation for the big day is the reason we were successful this past Sunday.

Templeogue scored the first basket of the game. Second possession Hannah swished a short corner J, and from there we steadily extended our lead to 10 with two minutes to play in the game. They made a strong attempt in the end to bring the score within one, but Laura hit a free throw for the 2-point lead and Templeogue couldn’t convert in the last few seconds.

Kubs win their first girls Cup ever!! I am so proud of everyone and all of the hard work that went into preparing for the big day. A special thank you to my dearest mother Connie for being there and taking some great pictures 🙂 

Happy days!

“Believe in yourself and anything is possible”

This past weekend my U16s/U18s team showed a lot of toughness and confidence. The girls played in a tournament in Thurles, and after two tough losses on Friday night, the girls came back on Saturday morning to win a close one against Galway. We were down by 8 points at halftime, but the girls never gave up. Throughout the entire game, everyone on the team, from the girls on the court, to the ones on the bench, kept a positive attitude. No matter how much we were trailing by, the girls encouraged one another to keep playing hard, and with 3 minutes left in the 4th quarter, the girls had fought back to take the lead! 

We were up by 2 points and I kept emphasizing how important defense and poise were for the rest of the game. I was so proud of the tough defense the girls played in the final minutes/seconds and was even happier that we came out with the win! I’m hoping this will be a turning point for the team and boost their confidence. They have a lot of potential to be talented players, but sometimes they lack the confidence commitment. Hopefully now they realize that once they believe they can do something, they will see positive results. With some more hard work and practice, I hope to see a big improvement in their skill level over the coming weeks!

I have to say the feeling has not worn off and the smile has yet to leave my face. Yesterday, against the odds, our Under 17 KUBS girls were crowned the Dublin Cup Champions!

After watching the Under 13 Liffey Celtics girls claim the 5^th Cup title for the club in just two days, it was time for us to take the court. The girls were absolutely buzzing and their nerves were apparent. What they probably didn’t know (or maybe they did) we were just as nervous as they were. This has been my first experience coaching, let alone coaching in a championship game.

Following our semi-final upset of rival Killester, the girls had been working their butts off in preparation for this cup final. We knew it was going to be tough as we had lost to the team we were facing, Templeogue, by more than 30 points in our regular season league game.

The girls walked onto that court with nothing to lose and played with tremendous heart and hustle. I was so proud of their fearlessness and determination! Words cannot begin to explain how amazing it has been to watch this group of girls grow and develop throughout this year.

Tears were flowing from the girls all around after the win and I am so happy to have been a part of a day they will likely remember for the rest of their lives. It was a truly amazing atmosphere that I am extremely thankful I got to share with a great group. It is the first Cup championship ever for the girls in KUBS, and I only hope that this will #INSPIRE many more!

Evening everyone, 

While I was deprived of the annual opportunity to contribute to America’s obesity problem, my Thanksgiving was, on the whole, a delightful one. In fact, it was probably as rewarding as it could have been, 3000 miles from home. Having arrived in August, up until Thursday, I had gone three months and 5 days without having played a full competitive match. Sure, there were many practices, and even partial games, but a recovering knee injury and a nasty recurrence of pulled hamstrings left me sidelined for the better part of my first semester here.

Having never had a knee injury in my life, I tried not to publicize too much that I had been struggling with an injury since December. I first felt a pop in my knee in our National Cup Quarterfinal game. I somehow continued playing and afterwards made a major effort to strengthen and rehab my knee on my own. When I went home for Christmas I was able to see my doctor and he gave me a large brace to wear while I play.

Just a couple of weeks ago my team the NUIG Mystics were playing in the UL Arena and right from the jump I felt like I was finally playing my game. Within the first five minutes I already had ten points and was feeling great. After I scored my teammate and I went right into our full court press and my teammate Siobhan stole the ball in the backcourt and passed it to me. I was running full speed to the basket, crossed over to my left, and went up for a lay up. When I took off for the lay up I heard the same loud pop and my entire knee shifted to the left as I immediately collapsed on the floor. I was paralyzed with pain for a solid 5 minutes before I could even process what had happened. I was finally able to walk to the bench and sit with my team. I was still shaking and everyone kept asking me how I was doing and of course the only thing I responded with was “Did I make the layup?” To my avail I still made the basket and once the shock and pain subsided I asked to enter the game again. I was on the court for about ten seconds and only jogged up and down and that is when I knew this was more than I could handle. It felt as if my knee was going to give out at any second, so I asked to be subbed out immediately.

After icing and resting all day the next morning I couldn’t bend my knee at all. I couldn’t even ride my bike to class without excruciating pain and was also walking with a terrible limp. My MRI results came back about a week ago and the results were something the University doctor and physio had never seen before. My doctor said it best when he said, “This is the best worst news I can give you.” I have a completely torn ACL….and that’s it. To everyone’s surprise my MCL, LCL, meniscus, and cartilage are all perfectly intact. It’s usually unheard of for the other ligaments and cartilage to not be affected after such a traumatic injury. The fact that aside from the ACL, the only other result shown from the MRI was bone bruising from the impact. The doctor couldn’t believe the results and then concluded that I had initially tore my ACL in December and since I had been strengthening it and swimming constantly, in February when the ligament completely tore, all of my surrounding ligaments were strong enough to withstand the blow.

Well needless to say I’m devastated by the news about my knee. But I’m still trying to remain positive about everything. I wont be playing basketball for a while and will need to get surgery in June when I return home. Although I can’t play ball there are still so many things I can do and so much I am thankful for. I realize that I am in this country for more than just playing a sport, I’m here to learn and to help inspire others to learn. 

People that know me, know that this bump in the road will not hold me back. Adversity is something that I’m not afraid of and actually makes me work harder. I have had amazing support from my friends, family, teammates, and coaches throughout this whole process. I am just so fortunate that I’ve been able to play for as long as I have. Don’t you worry, I’ll be back.

What better way to spend a sunday afternoon then to enjoy a game of basketball. We took a trip to Dublin for a “friendly match” against the Kubs. It was great to see some of the kids we worked with a couple weeks ago at the camp in Dublin. But after our intital greetings it was time to play.

The girls got out to a slow start, and with it being my first time coaching the team I was nervous about not only losing but getting blown out. We were down by as many as 18 points early in the game. I constantly reminded the girls that it’s a long game, don’t give up! The U14 Junior Elks never gave up! The second half they played with so much energy! Sending the game into overtime and defeating the Kubs U14 51-46! I was so proud of the girls and to see the smiles on their faces was priceless. Who wouldn’t smile after a great win like that and our competition from the Kubs was fantastic. I hope they are still smiling at our next training session, as we have more work to do! We will get there…Road to #VICTORY

This afternoon, our U16 Elks girls team were in there last regular season game of the year with a chance to finish undefeated. This is an amazing accomplishment by itself but this would mean its the THIRD straight year in which they finish the regular season on top of the standings. Throughout the year they have improved every practice that we’ve had with them and they have taken the advice and coaching we have given and implemented them into the games. It’s been amazing for Kerri and I to look back and think about where they were when we started in September and where they are and how they are playing now. It’s amazing how teams develop over a course of a season. When it all starts, everyone doesn’t have a firm grasp on what their role on the team is and the basketball play is a bit chaotic at times. Throughout each practice and weekend games you start to see the pieces fall into place and by the end of the year you see them playing team basketball, communicating on the court, being unselfish, and most of all winning and having fun. It’s been a great season for the U16 Elks team thus far and we look to continue that success into the playoff rounds! 

On a totally different note, our University of Ulster College team is in the Semis this Tuesday against Cork so wish us luck and I’ll keep you posted!

#3PEAT #VICTORY

So the latest thing that has happened to me that you will all probably find amusing is my “trip” to Carlow. A bunch of the scholars were playing in a preseason tournament at Carlow IT last weekend (see their blogs for more details!) so Katie and I decided to head down after coaching on Saturday afternoon. We were going to be able to see 2 games of basketball as well as our friends (yes to those people at home I do have friends!! Wahoo!). What could be better? We should have known from the start our cards were not aligned when our initial bus leaving at 3:00pm just didn’t show up. Still optimistic, we walked to another bus station, found another bus headed in that direction and enjoyed a beautiful ride through the country. It was only about 1 hour and 25 minutes, so not long at all compared to the bus rides to various Patriot League schools that I am used to (ehem Colgate trips when it snows and takes us 9 hours to get there). The bus stopped in Carlow and a very nice man in front of us said it also stops at the university, so we stayed seated. About 5 minutes later this nice man casually points out the window and says, “Oh that’s your stop.” So I run to the front of the bus frantically and asked if the bus driver could stop. I even suggested he just let us make a running exit if he would just open the door. Thinking safety first of course, he stopped the bus and let us out.

We were walking to what we thought was the athletic center and I got a call from Jen saying her game had been cancelled. Her teammates had planned on driving us back, but were now leaving early because of the cancelled game. So, I’m sure you can guess what happened next…we immediately got in the car with her teammates and drove right back to Dublin. It was rather comical to say the least. But not to worry, Katie and I went back to her house and made brownie Sundays that rocked my world. This I guess was a true “topper offer” (what my coach from home calls desserts) as it topped off my Carlow trip very nicely.

Just thought I should share yet another one of my adventures. Stay tuned for my next blog. I will give you an update on how large my brain has gotten in just 2 weeks of class!

Ed countdown: 9 dizays 

My Canadian buddy Ashley is too cool. We go together like peanut butter and jelly. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I signed up for UL’s International Buddy Exchange Programme, but everything has turned out really well.  A few nights ago we were on Skype with Mrs. Harvey (Ashley’s mom) until 3am hysterically laughing about the most random things. Ashley thought she was going to end up with an Irish buddy, but I guess I’m close enough since I’ve been here since last August. We both love food and Ashley went to culinary school so I really scored big with my buddy assignment. I’ve met some pretty amazing people in the program and quite a few of them have already been supporting me at our home basketball games. I would like to give a huge shout out to Nekeisha, Caitlin and Carmella for cheering me on at my basketball games like they have known me all my life. Also, I recruited another basketball player for the college team, who also happens to be Canadian. Her name is Madison and she has brought such an enormous amount of positive energy to the team.

Needless to say, there is nothing like a home crowd and nothing can compare to looking in the stands, and knowing people who wholeheartedly support you. I am a firm believer in home court advantage and I appreciate my friends for supporting me right through to the end of the season.  One of the best parts about being abroad is making friends. I’ve already been invited to come to Canada, and before coming to Ireland; I never thought I was going to leave the United States. I can see myself growing culturally and personally. I’m becoming a better person day by day and I am looking forward to building more friendships and traveling the world to visit them all. 

If you read my blogs on the regular you will notice that I don’t say much about my personal life, but this time I am going to change it up because most recently I had the most important person in my life right now, my mom, to visit me here in Belfast. George J. Mitchell once said, “I really owe everything to my parents and their devotion and drive to see to it that their children had the education which led to the opportunities that they never were able to have”. Growing up I didn’t have both of my parents, I had my mom. She played her role excellently. It is because of her devotion and drive, as a mom, that everything I have today is made possible. It is hard work being a single mom, however I know I can always count on “Bridge”. To imagine, she even took a whole week off from work to visit me in Belfast. On her trip here, she brought along my twin brother Branden. They had such an awesome time that they want to come back and see what more Belfast has to offer. They did get a chance to tour the Giants Causeway, walk on the rope bridge, tour Bushmills whiskeys, and even catch my last home premier league game. Thanks so much Mom!…for EVERYTHING. I Love You!!

This week’s mission was suppose to just be about orientation which happened to be a three day, two night stay at Clearsky Adventure. While at Clearsky Adventure, I had the opportunity to connect and meet my classmates that are studying MSc Management through competitive team challenges. Some of the challenges included the blindfolding climbing tower, target archery, rocket launch, and other team building challenges. I had  an awesome time! The title of mission comes from something that I wear around my wrist everyday supporting the Prostate Cancer Foundation, from which my late grandfather had. On the band it says, “NEVER GIVE IN”, and this weekend it is exactly what the Jr. Elks 14 & under team did.

Bryan Wilson and I  coached our first friendly game this weekend, and going into the game it looked like we were playing girls that were much older then us because of their size, but they really were the same age. The other team was up by 20 at half-time. At our half-time discussion, we knew that adjustments were needed. With these adjustments, we felt our team could get back in the game and possibly come away with a victory. There was no doubt at all about this and you could tell by the girls faces. We knew that we had to get within 10 by the 3rd quarter and so we clawed our way back. One 24 second cloack at a time we worked hard on offense anddefense. By the time we came up for air, it was a rap as they say. We just couldn’t stop making shots, getting rebounds, and stealing the ball. Because we never gave in… We came from behind to get our #Victory in OT 51-46. To see how happy the girls were after this Win was amazing & priceless. As their coach, I was so happy and proud of them. It was one of the best highlights of me being here since August!

A lot has been going on in the Dublin front the past few weeks. I’m just back from a three-night adventure to London—my first solo traveling experience, and I have to say it was a great place to start. London is HUGE compared to Dublin, but after canvasing the city Sunday night and Monday morning, I had a good feel for things. I met so many interesting people, and got to meet up with some special old ones as well! The highlight of my trip was being able to see Wicked AND Lion King (thanks mom!). My family does Broadway in NY every Easter and this year I will be in Ireland, so this was a great way to make up for it!

After getting back Wednesday night, I got a nice shiner at my Premier League training. Definitely the most impressive so far—something about Ireland, in my 20 years of playing basketball I had never once had a black eye, and in the past 4 months I’ve had 4… Shelby and I were thoroughly entertained throughout the day seeing everyone reacting to it. We had another clinic with the Trinity NIID group this afternoon, and one of the guys reassured me that his brother had suffered a black eye earlier this year and he had recovered—so there is hope yet!

Two highlights for this coming weekend: first and maybe the most exciting, my mother is boarding a plane right now to come visit me!!!! I am so excited to show her Dublin and get to bring her through my daily routine! Yet this weekend isn’t normal for us—the second highlight is that our U17 Kubs girls play in the Dublin Cup final this Sunday!!

So much excitement and lots of blog inspiration, I will keep you updated! 

What is the true meaning of a team? Are there specific rules and relegations? Is there a common goal to strive for across all teams? Can you call a group a team? What makes them a team? Was my Bridgewater College basketball team really a team? If so, why? I ask myself this and I stare off wondering the answer. The word team is vastly complex. Never simple and never meaning one thing.

I have begun to find myself on multiple ‘teams’ while here in Ireland, between Sport Changes Life, basketball clubs (coaching and playing), class projects, and Victory Scholars. In all places the meaning of team carries weight in a different way.

With Sport Changes Life and Ehoops programs, we come together with multiple things on our agenda. We aim towards the youth that usually are unemployed by helping them with resumes, mentors, relationship building, and just having some good craicc (fun). When working with basketball teams, we are striving to become better players, teammates, and become one as a unit. We ultimately have a range of goals from winning championships to maybe finishing in a specific place in the tournament. I have started group projects in my Master’s courses and we are meeting to decide on the best way to develop a business by picking an item to sell and figuring out how to create it, market it, and generate a profit. Then as Victory Scholars, we are a group that all come from the same country and have been placed into a new surrounding and culture. So it is good for us to lean on one another at times for support through the process.

In those 4 different realms, these teams all have different goals. The joining factor: working together to reach a certain milestone. They use one another for encouragement, motivation, constructive criticism, laughs, fun, exercise, and support. Nobody can say what exactly makes a team great because it has to be created within your group dynamics and your core leaders.

It’s the letters that spell the word “team”. However, it’s the small details inside a group that create the meaning of the word.

I challenge you to think outside of the box. Something so small and simple like the word – team – can be so complex and have a vast meaning. Something as simple as a smile can change a person’s day. Just being part of a team can change someone’s life. Something so small and so minor can be so great and so powerful.

This past Monday was my first time in two weeks coaching my first years(12-13 years old) at Saint Mary’s because of exams and a mid-winter holiday. You remember these first years I mentioned a couple of months back? The ones who asked me if there was offsides in basketball and I had to show them where the out of bounds lines were. You remember them? Well those lads can now make 96 right handed lay ups in two minutes. They can also take a charge. Make it the length of the court in 5 dribbles. And they all think Saint Joe’s is the best college basketball team. Boy have they learned a lot in 5 months. Okay I will stop with the cheesiness. But being completely honest when I was first assigned this group, there were days in the beginning where I dreaded my cycle to St. Mary’s on a Monday afternoon. Then slowly the boys started to get what I was saying and started making progress. Wins and losses are great but as a coach seeing your team progress is something really special. The enthusiasm was there, if I was one minute late they would all be huddled around the equipment closet waiting for me to come with the key.

Anyways, back to this Monday and the boys were being very (choose your words wisely Chris) energetic. I figured because it was the first day back and they needed to let out some steam. I saved ten minutes at the end of the session to let them play a match, but the lads had other plans. So I decided we should get our conditioning in for the day 😉 They had to run 4 sprints and then I chose someone to shoot a free throw, if he makes it they are finished but if he misses they run again. The first guy missed and just as they are about to run again 3 of my favorite younger Titans walk through the door for their training after. One of the boys screams out “Titans Stink*!” Now the 3 titans boys are only 8,9, and 12 but they can really play. So I call over R, J, and D (they know who they are) to have a shootout from the FT line verse the 3 best Mary’s shooters. Some good natured banter was exchanged back and forth and then the shootout began. The first round ended in a tie so they had to choose 3 new shooters to go against Titans. Now we are all tied up 2 shots a piece and young R steps to the line, he is only 8 and all these guys yelling at him to miss are all 4-5 years older. He looked at me, his hands sort of trembling, I gave him a head nod reminding him that he’s got this! The shot goes up…and he missed.

This reminded me of when I was 8-9 years old and my older brother Eddie who was around 17 at the time would take me down to the park to play with him. I remember him asking to play 3 v 3 with some young teens and saying he only needed one more and they laughed at him because he was choosing to play with me. I vividly remember my brother saying, “I bet you we win and I bet you my 9 year old brother is better than all of you.” I know he is reading this and is saying to himself this probably never happened but this was a big point for me even if he brushed it off. Someone nearly twice my age instilling the confidence in me that I was better than these guys even if they were older and bigger. I couldn’t tell you whether we won or lost that game of 3 v 3, just like R might not remember if he hit or missed that shot. Since I don’t have any younger siblings, I look at all these kids as my little brothers and hope to give them the confidence my brother gave me. He likes to compare himself to Jake Shuttlesworth pushing young Jesus in “He Got Game”. I wouldn’t go that far Eddie!

It’s been an eventful past few days with the UL Women’s Soccer Club. My team had our final game of the regular season last week in Sligo. We knew it would a tough game, going down with exactly enough players to fill the pitch and going up against one of the top teams in Ireland. The downside, we lost in the League Semi-Final, knowing we could have really competed if we had our full team. The upside, now we know our competition for the Intervarsity Tournament at the end of March, so we are definitely up for the challenge.

To let off some steam, we had a UL Soccer Club Fundraiser event the next day, a collaborated event with all the different UL soccer teams. The fundraiser was focused around a game show called ‘Take Me Out’, which is basically a British dating game show panel with the objective of a single man trying to get a date with a panel of women who vote in rounds whether or not they’d chose him.

Our team served as the panel, in one of the bars on campus, up on a stage, filled with a few hundred people, including a bunch of my classmates and friends. It was a fun, yet extremely embarrassing night for all of us (which is pretty much the entertainment of it all.) Highlight of the night was probably when I actually fell off the stage after accepting a date with one of the guys; in hindsight, it was definitely a terrible idea to wear heels.

The fundraiser was a fun night for my team though, and a good way to put our last game behind us and get ready for the biggest competition of the year in a few weeks, Intervarsities. I’ll be sure to keep you all updated on the competition! Until next time, readers!

I can’t believe it has been over a month since I first arrived here in Belfast! Time has truly flown by.  It’s been pretty difficult for me to write these blog posts because there’s so much I want to share about my experience.  We have yet to start school, so a lot of our time has gone to volunteering in different areas around the city.  We’ve spent full days in primary schools, which here is like grade schools in the states.  I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of hearing the ‘wee’ kids with their adorable accents.  We play relay races, different games and drills, then have time for us to speak about our experiences in our life and how we got to where we are.  Some of the questions I have received range from “Do you live in Disney World?” to “Do you know the Fresh Prince of Bel Air?” to “Who has inspired you?”.  At one school, Brian got everyone to chant for me to Irish dance.  So, embarrassingly enough, I had to do the jig that I remembered from when I was 12 years old in front of everyone.   Needless to say, there’s always some good laughs throughout these days.  Many of the kids have never even touched a basketball, and it makes me so happy to see their excitement when they finally put the ball in the hoop!

Last Thursday, we spent the day at a Juvenile Detention Center.  As we were being prepped for what to expect during our sessions, I was pretty nervous.  They, of course, gave us the worst-case scenarios and stories as to what kind of incidences have happened in the center.  Nothing of sorts happened on our visit.  We spent the whole day in 45-minute sessions with about four kids each, all ranging from the ages of 14-17.  We spoke to them about how sports have changed our lives, how having something we love in our lives has inspired us to stay on the right track.  We spoke of the importance of doing your best to surround yourself with the right kinds of people who want to bring out the best in you and who want you to succeed.  Brian and I spent our lunch time in one of the houses with a handful of kids and those who watch over the house.  Often forgetting I was in even in a juvenile detention center, I really enjoyed the conversations we were able to have.  At one point, we asked if the kids liked it here, and one of them turned to us and said that he would much rather be here, for it’s way better than anything he had at home. 

After talking to Gareth, he informed me that it’s a good thing we spend days there because it helps to open up a relationship between our foundation and for when the kids get out of there.  Our EHOOPS and SHEHOOPS programs are designed to help kids who have been in trouble, who are from some tough areas in Belfast, and who could use some positive people in their lives to get them on the right track.  Unfortunately, this same week, the computers from the Sport Changes Life office (which the kids come into use for anything from school work to helping them build resumes) were stolen.  The good that came out of it was that the New York Stock Exchange offered to donate new computers.  The CEO of the NY Stock Exchange announced this at a big tech conference on Friday at the Titanic Headquarters, which I was fortunate enough to attend.  

All of the experiences I have had working in the community thus far have been truly humbling, and make me appreciate all that I have in life even more.  The fact I have had a home I was happy to go home to everyday, a place where I felt safe and loved, is something I know I often times take for granted.  I’m so fortunate to have had good people in my life to support and inspire me as I work to accomplish my goals, and to grow up with parents who raised me with a strong faith.  These are all things I think we take for granted in life, and I’m grateful I’ve had daily reminders to appreciate all I do have.  Miss all of my loved ones in the states!

Mentally, it has been a tough couple of weeks for me. Though I am well on my road to being able to play again very soon, having to take the time off and truly rest has been a major test of my discipline.

I am not used to extended rest to say the least. I always try to sweat at least once a day. Slight digression—my fellow student athletes, current and former will absolutely relate—on days off it is very confusing for athletes as to when to shower. Such a small thing, but causes great confusion.

Back to the main point: rest is essential for recovery, no matter how frustrating it can be. As I continue to rehab and recover my injuries I have returned to one of my favorite recovery workouts to get my sweat on and refocus: Bikram yoga. Anyone who doesn’t think yoga is a good workout, I encourage you to give this variety a try. It is humbling and intense, but I have fallen in love with it again—smelliness and all.

Returning to my mat has been a great reminder that the body takes time to heal and grow. My first class last week I looked like a complete rookie as I hadn’t practiced yoga for nearly 6 months. My legs didn’t want to cooperate, my balance was terrible, and my mind was screaming at me to give up. Almost a week and 5 classes later, things are starting to flow a bit better.

While there is still healing to happen—and still major improvements to be made to my eagle pose—little by little improvements are happening. I just need to keep my eye on the prize and give it some time. Patience and focus will prevail!

Earlier this week Patrick and I worked with girls at St. Leo’s secondary second. This was the third time that we worked with the girls. Compared to the previous two times, the girls are slowly starting to improve and are getting better each week. Most of them have never played basketball before and some just play for fun. One thing that stands out the most about this group of girls is how well they all listen and how eager they are to learn. I really enjoy teaching and working with them every week and watching them grow and improve each session.

Besides working with the girls, I also had another preseason game versus another super league team (DCU) on Wednesday night in Dublin. We came out to a very slow start that had us down 16-1 within 5 minutes of the game starting. We eventually were able to scrape our way back into the game and we were only down by 4points at half time. Once we finally all started working together as a team we were able to keep the close, but ended up losing by 14 points in the end. This game we improved a lot more in communicating as a team, however we need to work on getting off to a better start. We gave DCU a huge lead which made it hard for us to come back after being down by so much. No the less, we gave another great effort and performance overall.

We also had another great weekend during the National League Pre Season Tournament in Carlow. We had two great wins on Saturday against UUJ and Castleisland. After the games on Saturday, fellow scholar Jen came to stay the night at my apartment. I made a nice dinner (homemade meatballs and pasta) for us. It was great getting to catch up and hang out together since we haven’t seen each other in a while. My team made it to the semi’s versus NUIG Mystics on Sunday where I played against fellow scholar Nicole. Unfortunately we were down numbers and ended up with four players on the court with 6 minutes left to go in the game. Even though we didn’t win the tournament we still gave a great effort despite our situation.  It was great getting the see the other scholars this past weekend and it was great craic.

Such a big week ahead for us here in Dublin. Not only am I closing out my regular season with my premier league teams, Liffey Celtics (where did that time go?!), but it is CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND!

That’s right, this weekend is our KUBS Under 17 girls’ big Dublin Cup Final game. We have been training very hard for the past few weeks in preparation for the big game including some good scrimmages against a few of the boys’ teams in the club.

We have 3 more training sessions until the big game and will need to stay sharp in all of them leading up to the weekend. It has been such an amazing and exciting season and the girls have grown and improved so much. I am so proud of how hard the girls have worked and cannot wait to put up one heck of a fight this weekend against Templeogue!

My Sports Management instructor hooked the class up with tickets to the Belfast Giants game. The Giants are the Belfast ice hockey team that competes in the Elite Ice Hockey League in the UK. It so happened the night before we went to the game they clinched the league championship. *long sighhhhh* They could have waited one more game to clinch it so we could witness it in person! lol

We had great seats, about five rows up from the ice so we were able to see all the action on the ice! But before the game I was shocked and impressed with the general manager of the Belfast Giants. An hour before the gates open up to the arena he does a question and answer at the bar with season ticket holders. It was shocking to hear him answer some outrageous questions regarding player contracts, coaches contacts, etc.

You will never see that from a general manager in the major sports in America. GMs typically watch what they say and who they say it too. The way the Belfast Giants GM opens up to the fans of the team was amazing. And it showed during the game with nearly a sellout crowd cheering on the Giants from start to finish. Thats saying alot seeing as though Ice Hockey is not a big sport here in Ireland.

I can check Ice Hockey off the bucket list, next I’ve got to catch a Rugby match live!

I once had a management professor tell me: “You must get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” Life is full of uncomfortable situations, no matter what your age. It is nearly impossible to avoid all situations that make you uncomfortable, so you may as well get used to those butterflies in your stomach, right? Easier said than done.

These past two weeks have been full of situations that have made me slightly uncomfortable. I have started preliminary classes as well as orientation for my MSc of Finance program here at Trinity College. Up until this point, Katie and I have been able to lean on each other. We have always known one another when entering into group situations, but not this week.

This week has been full of cheery introductions, sometimes-awkward small talk, and hopefully, the foundation of some wonderful friendships. Without Katie to talk to in my classes/orientations, I have been forced out of my comfort-zone and to meet new people. Although I love meeting new people, walking into a room full of strangers is still a bit unnerving. Rather than turning around and running away, I am taking Dr. Decker’s advice and embracing my butterflies. With what promises to be a challenging  and intense academic year ahead, I know the relationships I begin to build now can and will be an integral part of my overall experience and growth, both as a student and person. While I don’t think I will ever be fully “comfortable” with being uncomfortable, this week has helped me take steps toward that ultimate goal. Looking back, I don’t think I realized just how powerful it can be to “get comfortable with being uncomfortable,” but now I certainly understand.

On a separate note, Katie and I have been up to plenty of other things in the past couple weeks, including finding our new favorite burrito place. Check out her blog here to read about it!