This weekend was a learning experience for myself and the Junior Elks. Friday I thought we had a great training session. All the girls were focused and ready for our big game on Sunday However, we took a tough overtime loss on Sunday. Even though we lost, Coach Brittney and I were very pleased and proud of the effort the girls played with. Like my college coach, Coach Brooks always said “You can’t coach effort”! Thats something we never have to worry about with our girls. They always play with alot of effort.

 

This was the first experience for us in losing a close game. We normally find a way to win the close games. Alot of little things that we normally take care of we lost sight of in the game such as making free throws and rebounding. So you know what we will be doing at our next training session? Thats right you guessed it free throws and rebounding drills! So “Back to the Lab” we go Friday!

 

#SCL #VICTORY #ELKSNATION

 

Ehoops is underway and new relationships are starting to form. Last Wednesday with the girls Ehoops session, which I will now consistently be working with weekly, we put sport aside and worked on some team building. In my eyes it was the best session we have had yet and the girls absolutely loved it. We did activities like carrying a bean through a straw, egg toss, toilet paper mummy wrapping, and blind folded relays. We didn’t stop laughing the entire time. My team ended up wearing matching toilet paper headbands for the entire session and couldn’t stop laughing. Our lovely PSNI officer tricked me and told me the eggs for the egg toss were hard-boiled. My team got overconfident and quickly found out the egg was raw and splattered on the gym floor! We also played blind soccer, which was a first for me. You kneel, blindfolded, and listen for the ball that has a bell in the middle to roll near you. So you are relying on your ears more then your eyes. This was comical to say the least, with everyone flopping and missing the ball. The girls got a huge kick out of it.

 

We then ended the session with an hour in the classroom talking about our community. The girls are from a few different communities but mostly Rathfern. We asked them to Google images of things that remind them of their community and then write a sentence why. Then we asked them to Google images of things that they believe other people associate with their community. This simple exercise got the girls talking about their feelings of their home and how they feel outsiders perceive them. I look forward to carrying on next week on the same topic now that the girls have had a week to think even more into it. Overall, I’m excited with how the girls are really opening up and I feel like with each week I make a stronger and stronger connection!

 

No one person is better than the next. Since returning to Belfast, every Wednesday we have been having Ehoops sessions composed of not one, but three groups. I am not assigned to only one group, which I enjoy because I get to see what goes on in each session each week. During each session there is an hour of discussion an and hour of sport. We have been discussing the importance of being a Team and learning that it’s not about one person. With this being said, we always try to relay these sports lessons into every day life. After all, our whole theme is “Sport Changes Life”. We often discuss people like the great Michael Jordan. A phenomenal player who had a secret weapon. Well, of course Marc brought up the Movie “Space Jam” will tell you that “Michael’s Secret Stuff” is actually water (lol) and after drinking it the whole team transforms. However, the real secret is that even the great Michael Jordan wouldn’t be “MJ” without his TEAM. We always remind Ehoops that it takes at least 5 players to play a match. Examples like these allow us to really drive home to them how we are a team and no one person is better then the next. The point is, we need each other to claim the victory in sport and in life!

Our Saturday was CRAZY! It started bright and early with a Dart ride to Kilbarrak. Rocking the Sport Changes Life t-shirts Shelby and I got the girls for Christmas, our U17 Kubs girls came out strong against a good Killester team. In true playoff fashion, it came down to the last few seconds of the game. We pulled off the win by 1 point, 45-44. There was screaming, hugging and lots of tears as this is the first time this team has advanced to a Dublin Cup Final. The final will be played March 8^th, so lots of time to prepare!

 

With our adrenaline still racing, we headed to the National Basketball Arena to watch the U20 Kubs boys team, coached by Eoin Chubb (our Trinity basketball coach!), play against a very good team. Much to our surprise, they held their own from the tip, and in the second half pulled away with about a 10 point lead. It seemed like the final 5 minutes crawled by, their opposition making valid attempts at a comeback. Kubs held their own and with hot shooting from 3-point range, won an exciting game!

 

Now two incredibly exciting games in, we stayed to watch our fellow Galway #VICTORY Scholar Chris play in the Division 1 final! After a slow start, the team made a dramatic comeback led by two key three’s from Chris—and again we were up on our feet cheering! The game went into overtime, Chris fouled out, and his team managed to pull off the comeback with an exciting finish! It was a great weekend for basketball in Ireland.

 

Finally back in our apartment, I found out that Merrimack had a huge win over #20 Adelphi. Holy Cross was down about 15 when I turned the game on, but with 30 seconds left, they were down 3! I thought my luck from the day was going to help them pull off the upset, but they are saving that one for the championship.

 

Overall, it was an incredibly exciting day that was tough to be on the sidelines for. My Meteors are back in action this Saturday when we play Shelby’s team again, going to be an exciting week!

So I have good news and then I have weird news. The good news is that I’m still over the moon from Katie’s surprise visit with her parents. I admire their love for one another, her dad’s humor and intellect, and her mother’s caring and kind-hearted ways. They recently celebrated their 24-year marriage anniversary, now that’s love! Y’all are a beautiful family and thanks again for the lunch. I also found out that I’ll be able to play on the superleague team so things worked out.

Now it’s time for the weird news. At one of the typical campus parties me and Diana ran into a guy named David, from Scotland. He decided to start telling people that I was “Marion Jones, the disgraced Olypmic sprinter from America,” and that “Diana was named after the Michael Jackson song Dirty Diana.” He then challenged me to an extremely short sprint and he won, of course. His winning pose was the exact same as Usain Bolt and it was absolutely insane.  I’m sure he won’t be the last of the many characters I will meet. He definitely cracked the top 10 list though.

On a lighter note, classes are going well and I joined the International Society. I’m all about campus involvement, but I can’t get too involved with lengthy reading assignments, group projects, and a 15,000+ research paper that will creep up on me so fast even though it’s due next September. Oh yea, I’m still coaching and I have a feeling more tasks will be added to the list soon. Time to show off my time management skills and as my mother says “adjust accordingly because I am her child,” completely disregarding that I’m my father’s child too..haha. Anyways, speaking of time, I can’t wait until I’m reunited with the other Victory Scholars. See y’all soon!

What a weekend for basketball here in Ireland. It kicked off with a thrilling Women’s Premier League over-time battle between fellow Victory Scholar Marian Brooks and the UL Huskies against Glanmire. UL came up short, but the game was one of the most entertaining I have seen in a while on the biggest stage in Irish basketball.

The next day, Katie and I were up bright and early for our Under 17 KUBS girls’ Dublin cup semifinal game against rival Killester. It was an intense, emotional game, but our girls kept their heads and pulled out the victory by 1. WE ARE GOING TO THE ‘SHIP! Such an amazing feeling.

After our wonderful victory, we headed back to the National Basketball Arena to support the Under 20 KUBS boys in the National Cup final. Even though they were the heavy underdog, they came out with the commanding win over Neptune. I was extremely impressed at the heart and composure that those young men showed (many of them were playing two years up).

You would think that would be enough excitement for one day, right? Wrong. After the KUBS boys took home the cup it was time to watch Victory Scholar Chris Coyne and the Titans in their elusive quest for the Cup. After a rocky first 3 quarters, the Titans fought their way back to claim the cup and Chris was named MVP. Needless to say, my lungs and voice were shot after 3 games and major emotional rollercoasters.

It was a great weekend for Irish basketball, KUBS, and Sport Changes Life! #VICTORY

Anyone who really knows me from back home knows that I can eat – and I’m definitely not shy about it. As a collegiate athlete, food is an important part of the equation to be successful! While I’ve been in Ireland, I frequently get the same question from my friends: “How’s the food?”

 

Quite honestly: it’s not that different from the US! 

 

There is virtually every type of food restaurant around Limerick City – from Chinese, Italian, Indian, Thai, classic Irish and more. However, there are certain foods and combinations that are different here from back home. “Chips” here are the same as French fries back in the US… and they’re also eaten with salt and vinegar on top! Also, a “full Irish breakfast” is complete with eggs, sausage, bacon, baked beans, black and white pudding, tomato, mushrooms and toast. I’ve also noticed that the vegetables, fruits, and especially the bread all seem to taste better over here and are always very fresh. Lastly, every meal isn’t complete without a cup of hot tea!

 

Of course, I do get my random cravings for my favorite foods from back at home. For example – Chipotle, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and Mexican food in general (specifically La Fiesta in Burlington, NC) just to name a few. Traveling around Limerick City I have found some great go-to spots that I’m sure I will be frequenting more and more (particularly a restaurant called Bad A** Burritos).

 

Let’s be real here – I was pretty spoon-fed back at Elon. I took full advantage of my meal plan and never had to think too much about my next meal since all I had to do was walk to the dining hall or café literally down the street. Here, I’m finally being forced to step out and cook on my own as much as possible. Jon and I have been doing pretty well so far, if I do say so myself! I think we could rival some of the Top Chefs once we really get in our weekly cooking routine.

 

We might even have to make our own cooking show out of it! 🙂 

 

After an eventful couple of days of basketball, I was excited to run my first race of the year and first ever in Ireland. I started to get pretty nervous on race day as I had no experience at this distance whatsoever. I have run several 5ks and 10ks, but never an 8k. I began to doubt my training and question if I was ready.

All of that anxiety fell away as soon as that starting buzzer went off (they didn’t use a gun, which was interesting for me). I went out quite quickly, probably a bit too fast, and started to struggle between miles 2 and 3. Once I saw the sign for the 3 mile mark, I regained my focus and pushed it out. It was windy and cold, not ideal running conditions, but I was able to cross that finish line 430th in 34:09. My goal was 35:00, so needless to say, I was very happy with it. The overall winner ran an amazing 23:57. I’m not sure I could cycle the course that quickly!

There were a record number of entrants in this year’s. There were somewhere around 3,000 participants of all ages and abilities. It was rumored that the first few ladies to finish were well known former Olympians. How cool that I got to run against Olympians?! That doesn’t happen every day. All in all, I am very satisfied with my performance and happy I entered the race. I look forward to my next one, although, next time I think I’ll stick with the 5k!

For as long as I can remember, the sound of Irish music has always put a smile on my face. Both sides of my family come from very Irish backgrounds, so growing up we have always loved all things Irish.  It was because of this all of the kids in the family started Irish dancing at an early age.  We used to have a teacher come to one of the cousins’ houses, and we all had to practice our Irish dancing together.  We all had to promise we wouldn’t tell our friends the boys were partaking in this (something we still laugh about!). It was something that always brought us together, and memories that I will never forget. I continued my Irish dancing until my teens, dancing in many of the St. Patrick’s Day Parades, as well as some competitions. I used to be mesmerized watching the older kids dance, in their beautiful dresses and their big, curly wigs, all moving with such precision and beauty, never missing a beat. 

 

Basketball soon took over this dream, but this past weekend I was brought back to feeling like a kid again when I was fortunate enough to see Riverdance performed live at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast. Lets just say years later, I am still absolutely mesmerized by these performers.

I loved everything about it, the way they all moved as one team, the dresses, the curly hair and the sound of some incredible Irish music. The performers were brilliant. The speed and the precision of the dancers were incredible. The whole crowd sat quiet the whole time; captivated by the performance they were seeing.  At the end, the whole crowd gave them a well-deserved standing ovation.  Needless to say, if anyone ever has the chance to see this live, I would highly recommend going! It will not disappoint you.

 

To top off the weekend, our U18 Elks team came up with a big win. I’m so proud of how far this team has come this year. We have girls who never spoke up on the court, and girls who never even thought about boxing out, and to see them out there communicating and making a conscious effort to get their body into someone and get a rebound makes me so proud, and really makes coaching worth it! Hope everyone had just as great of a weekend!

 

Also, special congrats to Chris and Marian who both made SCL proud this weekend competing in the National Cup! So happy for you guys!

Very much on a whim, my parents decided to come visit before the semester started so we could do some traveling around the country. I am happy to report they have arrived safe and sound! Allen, after having three cups of Irish tea without realizing there was caffeine involved was wired upon arrival despite the 5-hour flight. Con also excited to be back in the homeland and ready for action. I don’t think I have ever seen either of them stay awake for as long as they have today—despite a quick catnap in the car, they fought the jet lag and made it until 10:30 for bed! Yesterday marked their 24^th wedding anniversary, so the impromptu trip occurred exactly 24 years to the day that they left for Hawaii for their honeymoon! I am so blessed with strong, supportive parents, and that they are here to share this experience with me!

 

They also did me the huge favor of bringing one and a half extra suitcases filled with goodies. A special shootout to Benjamin for hooking me up with a care package of my favorite sweets and a great CD, as he always does. They also brought peanut butter, Nutella, avocados, pretzels and other things Shelby and I NEEDED in bulk for our survival the rest of the year.

 

The highlights of our trip down to Dingle included a pit stop for a cup of tea and a potty break off a random exit. We ended up totally accidentally in Moneygal, where Obama’s great great grandfather was from and at the very pub he visited on his trip in 2011! What a coincidence and a great way to start off the journey! We realized as we approached Limerick that it wouldn’t be right to check in with the UL scholars, and Marian was free so we stole her for an amazing lunch at Chocolat in Limerick, what a nice city and great to welcome her into our family! We then moseyed toward Dingle and despite the heavy cloud cover the views were magical. The adventures of Katie, Connie and Allen will continue tomorrow until Wednesday. Staying at an amazing B&B tonight I would already recommend to anyone in the Dingle area. Details on the infamous breakfast to come. Cannot wait to keep laughing with my parents for the next few nights. Sleep tight! 

This past weekend Dublin held the National Cup championship games for Basketball Ireland. And my roommate Chris and his Titans squad faced off against Kilkenny for the Mens National League Shield. The Titans had beaten this same team in the regular season so one would think this should be an easy win. However I left out an important factor about this game…”the curse.”  The curse has plagued the Titans mens basketball squad as they have been in the finals for the past 5 years and have yet to seal the deal… that is until this Saturday.

 

I coached the Titans Basketball Academy morning sessions and then directly hopped on the fan bus to the National Basketball Arena.  The atmosphere in the arena was amazing. I was able to sit and watch the game with fellow Dublin scholars Katie and Shelby who had just coached their club team to a thrilling one point victory that morning. 

 

The game started and I felt like an enthusiastic soccer mom screaming and jumping up and down throughout the entire game. I’m friends with all the lads on the team, I’ve done preseason workouts with them, and even attended their first practice of the year. Needless to say I felt attached to this team, and as a Titans coach myself, you can imagine how I lost my voice by the end of this match.

 

In the Titans first few minutes they were up 9-2 and I mentioned to Shelby, “Wow this is going to be a blow out.” The moment I said that Kilkenny went on a 17-0 run and the Titans were down the rest of the game until the 4th quarter.  The first 3 quarters were very poor and I knew the Titans could play so much better than what they were showing. The fourth quarter was an all out battle. It was amazing as the Titans fought back and Chris hit extremely clutch 3 pointers with a few minutes remaining to win the game!

 

It was surreal just to witness this game, so I can’t even imagine playing in it. Chris was named MVP of the game and the curse on the Titans was broken. I’m so proud to be apart of this basketball club and for the team as well because they really deserved it. It’s also nice having some new hardware decorating our apartment 😉 #VICTORY

 

Monday I spent some time in a primary school doing reading and math with some young chaps. Tuesday I got a chance to train with Hillceltic United FC and help run the session with Barry. And today, Wednesday, I had my first training session with the University of Limerick Men’s Soccer Team. The standard was quite good. I would say the level of competition felt like I was at training back home, which is definitely a positive thing. I heard I can also play for the Freshers team, as I am technically a first year ;). So it looks like I will be enjoying my football and having a bit of fun this year. It’s always a blessing to be able to enjoy the sport you love. The lads were super friendly as well. Plus, the practice pitch is right outside my window, a 1 minute walk. As far as my football goes, I am in a pretty ideal situation. I look forward to getting as much ball in as I can this year, and enjoying the game to the fullest. That’s what it’s really all about. Enjoy yourself doing what you love, and life will sort itself out. After all, I guess that’s how I made it here.

Visiting Cape Town, South Africa was a life-changing trip. I definitely didn’t see myself going to Africa anytime soon, but I was grateful it was built into my program as a graduation requirement. On our trip we got a chance to work with iShack, a non-government organization that builds eco-friendly and energy efficient homes for low-income residents in Enkanini. We were able to help them develop a plan to transform into a business by 2016 by highlighting some of areas for improvement and their strengths too.

 

I have to admit, it wasn’t all work and no play, but our days were packed with activities and meetings. We had 3 short seminars at the University of Stellenbosch Business School, visited The Sustainability Institute, and enjoyed our evenings walking the waterfront. We also went to the Fairy Glen Game Reserve, which I have officially nicknamed Scary Safari because I was super close to an un-caged lion who probably wanted to eat us. We also went to the beautiful new official 7 wonder of nature, Table Mountain, and climbed to the lighthouse at the top of Cape Point. I even saw real live African Penguins at one of our tour stops. If they came any closer I would have been able to touch one.

 

The most eye-opening experience was visiting the townships. These are places where the low-income residents live. Learning the history of how they were moved out of the city to the outskirts really touched me. My class gave donations and purchased toys and coloring books for the local daycares and purchased hand-made items from the market right in their neighborhood. We had the chance to go inside and witness how the families live. There can be up to four families in a small shack and all sharing one bathroom. When I saw the living conditions, it made me think about how hard it must be; yet these individuals find a way to survive. They take pride in what they have and work hard for what they earn. I think everyone learned something different from that trip that they will keep with them forever, I know I did. 

 

 

When I was in middle school, one of my favorite assignments was to design a square piece of paper with your heritage flags for Mrs. Anderson, one of the best 7^th grade teachers out there. As a sucker for anything arts and crafts (now I use crazy nail painting projects to fulfill this hobby), I was elated with the creative possibilities. My mom is all Irish, my dad half Czech and half German. The proportions work out great. And for my whole life in the United States, I have identified myself by this background. When someone asks, what are you, I tell them, “Half Irish, one quarter German and one quarter Czech,” and I find this a common theme across the country.

 

I wanted to do something different for this blog in honor of September 11^th. I am still adjusting to being an American living in another country, especially when it comes to holidays or memorials that are very important in my own country. For example, Shelby and I didn’t realize it was Labor Day until the day after, and Thanksgiving will be just another long day of class.  Yet I am becoming more and more aware of the importance of being outside of the US, and developing a feel for the sentiment toward the US from other countries. Obviously I could write a thesis on said topic, but I’ll try to keep it quick and interesting and touch back on my observations occasionally.

 

Working in the schools, I have noticed a significant difference between identifying with heritage than we have in the United States. There was one young girl of Filipino descent, and when we asked jokingly where the kids were from, one of her classmates said, “She’s from the Philippines.” She snapped back, “No, I’m Irish my parents are from there.” Classmates seem to love throwing their friends under the bus, as in another class they volunteered that one of the boy’s fathers was German. He quickly responded, “So what, I’m Irish.”

 

I find there is a huge sense of patriotism in this country. I am currently watching the BBC series, The Story of Ireland and it is helping me develop an understanding of why. I recommend it for all my fellow scholars and anyone trying to understand the complicated past of this country. It has been torn by the connection between religion, politics, conquest and famine. The people who survived were hardened, and that past has contributed to a devotion to this country.

 

So, in this country, I am an American, and today I am remembering all those who were affected by September 11th and praying for a peaceful world. 

 

My parents fly in tomorrow morning for a quick visit before the school year starts up, and I am SO excited! We are going to get to do some serious sightseeing and delve even more into the history than I have so far. ‘Til next time…Slan!

Hello everyone!

 

Just finished up a great few days here in Belfast.  This weekend, my team had two big home games.  We played against a very tough Brunell team on Saturday.  This was a team that beat us pretty heavily in Cork a couple weeks back, but it was our turn to take them on at home. After going back and forth most of the game, it really came down to the wire.  With five seconds left, my fellow scholar Britt came up big by hitting a free throw to finish off the game with a three point win.  Thank goodness for all of our free throw shooting in practice!

 

On Sunday, we played in another home game against our fellow scholar Shelby, who had a great game.  This was another very close game.  After being down by twelve points at halftime, we really fought hard to come back and gain our second win of 2014!  I am extremely proud of my team. We have had to battle through a lot this season, and I know it hasn’t been easy for anyone.  This weekend, we really gave it all we had and came out victorious. It always feels good when your hard work pays off. Even better, some of us celebrated by watching some American football! It’s not often that I’m able to see American sports games live on TV, so this was a perfect way to end the weekend with some great friends!

 

Last night we finished up our sixth week with the EHoops group. As always, it was very entertaining. I was able to have some great conversations with some of the kids about where they are from and all the places they want to visit in America. As the weeks go on, I think they are really starting to feel more comfortable around us which is awesome. Bryan and I ended the night by introducing basketball. It was the first time some of the kids have ever shot a ball in a basketball hoop, so it made for some good entertainment when they were all trying to dunk on their first attempts! After our session with the West Belfast group, Bryan, Britt and I joined the end of the Rathcoole EHoops session. I was recruited to play for one of the soccer (football) teams. As girls, most of the boys don’t think it’s possible for us to be the least bit athletic. Well, Britt and I proved them wrong when we both scored the only points in our game!  Overall, it was a great night with some great people, and I’m already looking forward to next week’s session!

 

I hope everyone at home is staying warm and healthy in this polar vortex!  Always thinking of you guys!

I’ve learned that no matter the country, everyone loves a good rivalry! Within the basketball community in Northen Ireland there are plenty die-hard players and coaches, extremely loyal to their own clubs and proud of the name on the front of their jerseys. At SCL, we have staff members that are heavily involved in primarily two of the clubs, the Tigers and the Elks. The Tigers are based out of West Belfast (Andytown), while the Elks normally practice and play here on campus in Jordanstown. Marc (our in-house philosopher and social media guru) is a Tiger through and through, as he plays and coaches for the club. Once we found out Khalid would be playing for the Tigers men’s team, I’d ofter see Marc pulling him aside to have private discussions about who knows what. Though I’ll be playing for the Elks club team, I coach the Tigers U11 team on Saturdays.

 

The way I see it, I have the best of both worlds. I love playing with the Elks women’s team with my roommate Caroline and all of the new girls I’ve met here. My coach is great too and we have a lot of fun. We only practice once a week, which is a dramatic change from what I am used to in the states, (where they had to implement legislation that would force coaches to give us at least one day a day OFF a week!) but it’s such a good group that I really wish we practiced and played more. 

 

I’ve only coached the Tigers kid’s team twice, but I already can’t wait to see them again. In this situation too, I feel like just one day a week is not enough. I have been coaching a mix of girls and boys, which is appropriate at their age, since boys don’t really have any kind of size advantage yet. The second time I came, they remembered my name and couldn’t wait to begin the training. John and Clare, a married couple who founded the club, have been nothing but absolutely hospitable to Khalid and I, and welcomed us with open arms into the Tigers community. On our first day of coaching, John took us out for lunch with his son, Odhran and Marc, and then took us back to his house for a visit.  It never gets old going into a person’s house in this country and knowing you’re going to be offered tea 15 times before you sit down.

 

Our first Elks tournament is this Saturday in Carlow and I am extremely excited! It’ll be the first time I’m seeing a lot of the other scholars since our first few days here. The downside is that I will miss a day of coaching with my little Tigers, and I’ll have to find a way to make it up to them the following weekend. For now, I think I can handle straddling my loyalties between the two clubs… hopefully tension doesn’t get too high as the year goes on and the competition gets fierce! 

My great grandfather might have not changed life through sports but he did through, serving as a Civil Rights Pioneer. A tradition, now 23 years strong in Central Florida, set a new record yesterday on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day: The annual Arthur “Pappy” Kennedy Prayer Breakfast in Orlando saw over 1,000 people, the most people attending in the event’s history.

The annual prayer breakfast honors both Dr. King and my great- grandfather “Pappy” Kennedy, Orlando’s first African-American elected official and one of Central Florida’s most beloved civil rights leaders.

 

My great grandfather, Arthur Pappy Kennedy became Orlando, Florida’s first African American City Commissioner in 1972, despite the harsh racial priggish face in the south at that time. He cared deeply about others in the community and around the world and worked relentlessly to make a change and because of that not only is a prayer breakfast named after him, in 1992, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Southwest Orlando Jaycees, The Trailblazers Award by the preserve African American Society, and an Orlando Post Office in 2003, in his community where he served was named after him.

 

As this marks the fifth year I was unable to attend, my twin brother and older cousin got to speak at Monday’s event, which is a sign that his sacrifices still live on in us.

 

My twin brother Branden said
“He taught us three things: God first, family, and then education. Those three things are things that I put forth in my life. I think everybody should, too.”

 

My older cousin Daniel Kennedy, said, “It’s great to see the people come out and support not only my great-grandfather, but also the YMCA and the cause. It means a lot. We have 1,000 people this year. Hopefully it will be 2,000 people next year.”

 

My great grandfather died on March 28, 2000, but the essence of his life and legacy live on. In the word of my great grandfather, “Whatever you do, do the best. Be sure that you’ve done the best that you can do.” – Pappy Kennedy, Archive Interview, Debra Murphy, 1980s

 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rrv3OFBZJ0Y

Without a ride to the U17’s scrimmage, I decided I should turn my free Sunday into something fun and productive. With a KC Peaches chocolate chip cookie for breakfast in hand, my adventure began as I strolled down O’Connell St. towards the Luas station! Luckily I navigated in the correct direction, and shortly thereafter I arrived at the Red Cow Junction.

 

Liam and Ali are two of my favorite people in this whole country, without a doubt. Liam, aka the Spaceman, runs the Meteorites program for girls under 10 to start developing their basketball skills very early to make sure they are strong players coming up through the club. Seeing him connect with the girls, the respect they have for him and just how much they have learned over the past few months is incredible! Normally the girls practice once a week, and then there are a few jamborees which run throughout the season so the kids can get some game experience. Liam had invited me to tag along, so when my plans got cancelled I didn’t want to miss out! Our girls played in 4, 20 minute games. They don’t keep score to keep the atmosphere light, and as one of the more competitive girls on our squad said to me with a bit of sas, “they don’t keep score because its all about having fun.”  With each game, you could see the girls developing as players. And we had our far share of fun cheering on the bench!

 

The highlight of the tournament was the last game when we got our first (and only) basket. Seeing the girls faces light up was well worth it.

 

I also got to see some of my Kubs ladies play in the jamboree, and they were clearly a dominating force! Lots of talent growing in Dublin in the next 10 years, watch out!

After sightseeing the breathtakingly beautiful Cliffs of Moher, Corkscrew Road in the Burrens, and Salt Hill Beach it was time to get back to School… Our first school function started with the international student orientation. It was exciting to see all of the different international students this semester; it happened to be the biggest international class the university has ever had. I must admit I felt kind of old at this orientation. (Shout out to the class of 2012..woo!!) At first it seemed like the entire group consisted of young students that either didn’t speak English very well or was a junior girl studying abroad from St. Joseph’s University. (“OMG wait did you go to SJU?!” said from every girl we met that day to scholar Chris Coyne.)

But I was thankfully surprised on my first day of class to have a mix of classmates closer or equal to my age and all seemed really down to earth. I quickly made friends with my classmates, which is important since the students in this master’s program will have all the same classes together this year. Two great things I learned about the international management master’s program that I am enrolled in:

1. This master’s program was voted the number one business masters course in Ireland in 2013.

2. A trip to Hong Kong at the end of the Spring semester is available to the masters students, after which they will write their dissertation on their experience.

After learning the above, I was eager to start class and apply what I learned from my real life work experience to the course. Also the business trip to Hong Kong sounds like a once in a lifetime opportunity that I must do!

It’s going to be a change going to a school that has double the number of students that La Salle University had. However NUIG’s quad is just as beautiful as LaSalle’s and the church bells ringing from the cathedral also bring back memories of my alma mater. NUIG has a big school feel to it because of the large number of students and diversity, yet still has the small school comfort such as LaSalle, as I see someone I know on campus at least once every day.

I’d also like to mention the normal yoga pants, sweats, Uggs, and sneakers that are common among the university I attended in America is not exactly as popular for class attire here. I normally would be going from practice to class and class to practice so frequently I would always wear sweats. Well the classmates that I happen to be friends with show up to class with a new Michael Kors handbag every day along with complete fashionable outfits. I guess I have to step up my game out here!

Back to the grind but can’t wait to get stuck in, much love to my family and snitches back home!

I completely forgot to tell you about my plans for this weekend in my last blog post! Some of you may know, and some of you may not, one of my favorite stress-relievers/pass-times/workouts is running. I really got into it following the season last spring and participated in a good few races over the course of Summer 2013.

In my New Year’s post, I mentioned one of my goals for the year being 1000 miles in a calendar year. Although I didn’t start on the 1^st of January (I began Christmas Day), I am well on my way to the goal, logging just over 80 miles to date. As a little check-up to see my progress, as well as fulfill one of my goals to run a road race while in Ireland, I decided to enter a race this weekend.

While I would have preferred it to be a 5k, as that tends to be my favorite racing distance, I went for a 5 mile. Sunday afternoon you can catch me at the 30^th Annual AXA Raheny 5. I am a little nervous about the distance, but I am confident that I can get it done. I ran a 10k last April with far fewer training under my belt, so I know the distance can be done.

I am looking forward to chatting up a few Irish runners and hopefully making some new friends. Last year there were over 2,500 participants despite less than desirable weather conditions. I will be sure to keep you updated on how it goes!

Most of you can tell from my previous blogs that I am a Philly girl at heart, but last week after my game versus the Killester’s Superleague Ladies, I had a wee bit of a culture shock. My fellow teammate Aisling’s mother gave me a ride back to Carlow from Dublin after the game. It was a very interesting hour ride home with Aisling’s mother and sister Edel, who also plays on the team. It was great getting to know her family and even better getting to see where they live…in the middle of nowhere!

 

Being from the city, I am so used to having lights along the street corners, highways, and basically everywhere you drive, but that is defiantly not the case here in Ireland. Besides driving on the other side of the road (which I have slowly adjusted to), they also do not have ANY street signs at all, whereas in Philadelphia there is a street sign at every corner of every block. Also, the roads that we were driving on would be considered one way roads back in the states because of how narrow they are–but apparently not here.

 

During the ride Aisling pointed out to me where she went to primary school and also said that there was about 58 students in her school. This was little shocking considering that my graduating class in high school was about 500 students per grade, with a total of almost 2,000 students in the entire school.

 

After an eventful ride back to Carlow, Aishing’s mother pulled over onto the side of the road to drop us off at the house. I was little confused considering it was pitch black outside, not to mention no house in sight. After walking down what would be considered her driveway, a light finally turned on and guess what I saw…a nice big tractor in front of me!!  So I basically had a wee bit of a culture shock ending up on a farm at my teammate’s house. None the less, it was a very funny and entertaining experience for me!

 

Besides getting to see Aishing’s house, I also got to try some amazing African food that my teammate Rosalyn cooked for Pat, Kiran, Aly and I this week. I love to cook, so it was grand learning and watching someone else cook a different cultural food. All of my teammates have been very welcoming and have been teaching me a lot about their own cultures which I have really been enjoying!

 

I have a busy rest of the week coming up with training and games so keep posted for my next BLOG!

Tonight I went to see Joshua Bell perform at the National Concert Hall with one of my amazing teammates, Susan. Now for those of you not familiar with Joshua Bell (no relation to Drake Bell from Nickelodeon), he is a world-renowned violinist and conductor. Honestly, before today I was not familiar with the name. Chances are, however, you’ve seen the viral video of the violinist playing in a Washington, D.C. metro station who receives very few glances, even though he had performed a sold out show, tickets selling for no less than $100, the night before on his $3.5 million violin. Yeah, that’s him.

 

I have been to very few concerts of this type in my life, but I was able to appreciate the talent of Joshua and the accompanying orchestra. As we watched them perform, I was overwhelmed by the passion they invested into every careful note.

 

I have spent my life wrapped up in the basketball world. Basketball has changed my life, and I now use it as a mechanism to change the lives of others. But wow, tonight I realized that it’s not sports that change lives. It is the passion we develop through sports that teach us the numerous values that shape our person. And that passion is not just from sports. It comes from music, acting, Scouts, dance, art, science…

Whatever our stage, it is the process of committing oneself completely to set and follow dreams, learning each step along the way. His performance has inspired me to continue to develop my passions, and I hope I can pass that on to you. 

 

 

 

Thank you Sue for a much needed and refreshing night out!! xx 

Holidays are finally over and it is back to the academic grind. After some great family time (my parents arrived home safe and sound to a couple puppy dogs who were absurdly excited to see them!) and a handful of games, I am excited to get back in the swing of things.

This is a big week for me starting back to lectures—starting off on the right foot is essential. Not only that, but it is Cup week! I am excited to watch two fellow Victory Scholars Marian Brooks and Chris Coyne compete for the Championship in their respective leagues.

It is a very important week of coaching for Katie and me, as our Under 17 KUBS girls are in the Cup semi-final this weekend against Killester. We are delighted at the improvement and fight these girls have shown over the season and are keen to have them make an appearance in the Cup Final!

The Cliffs of Moher were absolutely amazing! They are literally one of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever viewed in my life. My adrenaline was running as I stood near the edge with no wall between me and the 700ft drop. My mom just replied “Now Marian why would you do that?” I said “Well I wasn’t going to, but I couldn’t resist and it was so cool!” Needless to say she told me I better not ever do that again. Moms are normally always right, so I won’t. I will definitely go back again though.

Classes started this week and I can officially breath because my teachers understand that I don’t have business background and have designed the course to teach me the principles I need to succeed. As the course progresses I will have a better chance at succeeding because I will now understand the original concepts behind what we are doing. I’ll just keep telling myself “Come on Marian, push hard for 12 weeks and you will have your personally #VICTORY” right? I know I can do it for my Sport Changes Life family, my friends, my own family and for myself. 

Anyways, the freshmen on campus are letting themselves be heard. They are partying all night. They remind me a little bit of undergrad years. I still don’t think I can hang with the Irish, actually I know I can’t. No worries though, everything is looking good and I’ll have my first team bonding event this weekend with the team. I’m really looking forward to that. They have accepted me wholeheartedly and I appreciate that. Some of them travel really far just to practice so I try not to waste their time.

I’ll be joining some societies this week. I’ll steer clear of any sporty clubs just because I’m already living in the gym due to my class schedule and don’t want to risk getting injured. By the way, my student ID looks fabulous because I actually smiled and was looking at the camera. Lastly, I just have to give a special shout out to all my family and friends reading my blog. I love y’all and keep reading!