I had a really good time with my fellow scholars this past week. On Thursday and Friday Clare, James, and myself had some community service work painting one of the former Sports Changes life offices. I really enjoyed painting with them we had the chance to talk to each other and get to know each other a little bit better. I shared with the group how my grandfather was a professional business and home painter. My grandfather worked at Howard University as a painter for over twenty years. During the twenty years he was able to offer an opportunity to all of his children to get a college education for free.While I was painting and listening to music I was thinking about how great it was that my grandfather was able to offer his nine children a free education.

I look at the victory scholarship as a way to help and inspire children while I am working on myself and trying to reach a level of greatness where I can leave something for my family as well as my community that will last forever. I thank God for blessing me with my grandfather he blessed me with a great example of what a man and a father looks like. “To God Be The Glory”

Well, I’m all settled in at UL and my body is under attack by the bipolar, ever changing, four-seasons-in-a-day weather pattern in Ireland. Of course I have been taking my medication, but I think it will be something my body will have to adjust to. I’m awaiting big news about the team I could possibly play for. The coach and two of the players I met were really nice. I also scrimmaged against the U17/U18 Irish Girls National team to help with their tryouts.

 

Walking this campus has been like walking a marathon. I already got lost and took a 30 minute detour. I’m pretty sure I walked four miles one day, just back and forth between the gym. A bike isn’t a want on this campus; it’s a need if I plan to arrive to class on time. There are spider webs and spiders everywhere! Did I forget to mention that I’m completely terrified of all living things, with the exception of humans, dogs, and goldfish? I guess so, but in the meantime I still have some shopping to do for groceries and household items.

 

I absolutely love our apartment, my full size bed, and my own bathroom. This place was impressively clean and we have a key card like we live in a hotel. Class registration doesn’t take place until orientation, which is in two weeks. Me and Diana also went into town to see what Limerick had to offer. We found out that college student night is on Thursday’s, so we will have something to look forward to apart from the older crowd and somewhat casually slow scene that we witnessed.

 

All in all, I’m excited to begin working with the community program and hopefully I’ll pick up a few soccer skills. Meanwhile, I will have to overcome my fear of many different species because UL is a concrete jungle filled with spider, birds, and other random creatures.  

This weekend was a tough weekend for me as I found out one of the youth who I watched grow up in my community lost his life to gun violence. I am praying for his family and my community. I think about my opportunity here with the Sports Changes Life foundation and how fortunate I am with everything that is taking place in my community right now. I am really focused on inspiring change in the lives of the youth here in Ireland while I learn new ways to change the lives of the youth growing up within my community at home. I know how much my community is in need of educational and financial resources to combat the violence and drug addiction that plagues the community.

Knowing that you survived the negatives of your community leaves a feeling of survivor’s guilt. It really is painful to hear about what is happening back home but I know that I have to focus on bettering myself at this moment so that I will be able to make a significant change within my city and community. I believe the Sports Changes Life foundation will equip me with the skills I need to positively impact my community and the entire city of Washington DC. I aspire to create change and offer opportunity to the disadvantaged youth who can’t see past what is happening around them and feel hopeless without opportunity. Pray for my city and community. “To God Be The Glory”

After basically hiking up Mount Everest, or what the people of Belfast like to call Cave Hill, I thought I would be mentally prepared for any other hike I would do this year. Obviously I was wrong. Katie and I decided to go to Bray Head and do the cliff walk.  I saw the “cliff” and thought it was nothing. Being too confident in my hiking skills, we started our hike and 5 minutes into it I was dripping with sweat, typical—peep the pic.

 

Thankfully, Katie and I had gotten sandwiches to eat once we reached the top, so of course that is what kept me going and it was definitely worth it! Somehow, the views you get on hikes cancel out the dreadful hiking part and make me want to do more. Weird how that happens. We were feeling ambitious so instead of just going down the way we came, we decided to continue along the cliffs. It was beautiful. Katie took a bunch of pictures, I got to do some handstands and embrace my inner gymnast, and we picked tons of wild blackberries that grow everywhere here in Ireland (shout out to Caroline, I can eat as many as I want fo free!).

 

We were walking along and seemed to lose view of the ocean. Seeing that it was a hike along the coast it was a wee bit strange (note my usage of the Northern Irish expression “wee bit”, I learn so fast).  Then we got to an area that was marked DO NOT ENTER, MOVIE SET. Embracing our Ganser genes, we went on to investigate. We came across a stage, a mobile “dressing room” and an empty van. When I got home, I looked online and found that Ashford Studios is a production company in Wicklow. They have been filming the TV series ‘Vikings’ on Bray Head. I watched a few scenes, and let me tell you, it would have been hilarious if we had walked into a filming session. Here is the trailer. Just picture Katie and I walking into a battle scene with Vikings—I would have probably panicked and started punching people, even the trailer looks kind of creepy. I also left my Viking hat at home because it added too much weight to the suitcase, so they would have known immediately I wasn’t part of the cast.

 

Anyway, we kept walking down this supposed path having no idea where it would lead to. It was a scene straight out of P.S. I Love You, except we couldn’t seem to find Gerard Butler. Obviously I was really torn up about this so once we found the town we got the best Gelato ever and we were not even in Italy! Look out! Long blog short, we did go for a hike as they said, and it was fun as they said! 

So the day has finally arrived to move to Galway and separate from our larger group after an amazing two weeks filled with amazing people and unique experiences. Our trip to Dublin started with the All Ireland Hurling semi-final match at the famous Croke Park. The atmosphere in the stadium among the 70,000 spectators was electric, and I later found out that none of the athletes out there get paid, but instead most of them have to pay to play…now that’s pure love of the game! We even got to play some hurling ourselves and I must admit I was quite good, except I don’t know how good I would be with catching a slither going 120 mph. 

 

We then ran a two day camp in Dublin which was filled with some really dedicated players. They gave the campers an opportunity to ask us questions as a panel and we finished by giving a word of advice. I didn’t know which direction I wanted to go in but I talked about setting a goal and having a dream, because even if you never reach that end goal you will be sent on a journey that will open many doors and teach you a lot about yourself. Look at me, who knew my dream of playing division 1 basketball would lead me to having a pint in the smallest bar in the world or to be presenting a trophy to the winner of a horse race in Tipperary. I’ve decided to incorporate the word “brilliant” into my everyday vocabulary, so all I can say is these two weeks have been nothing short of brilliant. 

I recently began coaching the Anderson Town Tigers U16 boys team.  I usually arrive at the gym hours before practice and help with some of the younger groups or train some of the boys on my team who arrive early.  This past Saturday I arrived early enough to see boys ages 3-5 practicing.  I was amazed at what I was seeing while watching their practice.  I started to think back to the times when I was that age and how I had not yet began any organized training.  What I was amazed by was the level of joy that was in the eyes of the boys while they were practicing.  It was contagious even as I just watched with no involvement whatsoever. 

I smiled and thought to myself if I could just recreate that exact joy while playing basketball and everything else that I set my mind and heart on doing how much greater my experiences would be.  The joy that those boys had spoke volumes.  They did not have a care in the world just happily living in the moment enjoying their time on the court.  I plan to tap into that level of happiness within my life.  “To God Be The Glory”

On Wednesday, September 10, Ronnie, Ryan and myself had the opportunity to go to West Belfast to a spin class. The spin class was in Poleglass at the community center for world suicide prevention day. We spent about 30 minutes enjoying a spin class led by the community leader. We were joined by our fellow Ehoops police officer and all got a good sweat in.

After the spinning we had the opportunity to have a conversation with the community leader. This conversation was one of those moments where you have a realization– a small understanding of what life is like living here. He described the streets we were walking and driving on as war zones. Only 12 years ago in 2002, he said you could walk down the street on a Saturday and see over a dozen cars torched and burned empty. He described to us that every single day he tries to deal with the youth’s social deprivation, lack of education, drugs, underage drinking, crime and more. He stressed that it isn’t a 9-5 job, this is the reality 24/7 all over communities in Northern Ireland. This community leader is a volunteer trying to make safer neighborhoods and get kids on the right track.

 

It was humbling when he was thanking us for volunteering our time to help the youth we are working with when he literally is on-call 24/7. He said he has people waiting outside his house at all hours of the night and he is just a volunteer for the community. He stressed how important time is, in all aspects, but how just us giving time can make a huge difference. Today was the first day I realized the actual impact we have the ability to make everyday. 

 

A great tune that is really popular here ‘at the minute’ is Easy Love by Sigala. It’s a take on the Jackson 5 classssic ABC. If you’re a fan of the original song and haven’t heard it yet, you should probably check it out (you’re welcome). It just so happens to be one of my favorite songs right now. It already has a place on my Elks pregame playlist. BUT I digress…

 

Aside from being an absolute jam, I’ve adopted this song as my unofficial coaching anthem. And here’s why…

 

I have been making the transition from college athlete to youth coach in my first month of coaching here. It has been an adjustment to try to put myself mentally in the basketball boots of the kids that I’m coaching, especially those are brand new to the game. Coming from playing in the US at a level where fundamentals and skills are a given, it is been a change of pace. I’ve been pushed to think back to what it was like when I was first learning the simple “ABCs” of the game in order to effectively coach them. And this could not have been more necessary when The UUJ scholars and Aimee were coaching a clinic for 8 year olds last week.

 

We spent most of the hour session with the lads on dribbling and ball handling. Our focus wasn’t on putting crafty crossovers into their arsenal of moves, but rather teaching them how to simply bounce the ball on the floor properly! Having played basketball as long as I could remember, I took the ability to dribble for granted. I couldn’t honestly remember a time when I didn’t know how to dribble. But as the session went on, I got more and more in touch with my inner 5 year old ginger kid, heaving a basketball at the basket and bouncing the ball all over the place at the YMCA where it all began. I slowly remembered what it was like learning the most basic aspects of the game.

 

A wise man once said that in life you should always have one hand up to a mentor to make yourself better and the other hand down to help others become more. This year, I will have so much opportunity to pay it forward and offer that hand back to some ballers here in Belfast. I tend to associate songs with times of my life, so this song will probably remind me of my first days in Belfast for years to come. But for now, it will continue to remind me to keep it ABC, easy as 1 2 3 when teaching the fundamentals of the game.

 

Making every minute count of my experiences in Ireland so far is not an exaggeration by any means. Aside from literally having the the busiest and most fulfilling 2 weeks of my life, I realized that I really do have to make every minute here count. We just said goodbye to another amazing group of young basketball players that we had in camp in Clonmel for only 3 days, but the way our goodbyes went you would have thought we’ve known these kids for years.  I didn’t realize how impactful we truly were until today when even some of the quietest kids I was coaching came up to give me a hug before I left.  There were even some tears from a young camper because she didn’t want us to leave. But I think it really hit me that we are role models to these children. When they asked for our autographs as we were getting on the bus I was overcome with pride to think I had such an effect on a young person in such a short space of time.

 

When we were asked to give advice to the large group of campers we had in Dublin earlier in the week, I stood in front of them and first explained the definition of the term “walk-on player” and let them know that absolutely anything is possible when you work hard despite having a lot of odds against you.  The thought of playing at a division 1 college level was not even a consideration for me at all when I was in high school.  The thought of playing after college in another country was another farfetched dream of mine that no one thought was possible.   But I am a firm believer that if you continue to work hard for what you want and believe in yourself, opportunities will present themselves eventually becuase of your hardwork.

 

It’s crazy to think that taking a chance 5 years ago along with hard work and dedication would land me here in Ireland.  In just this past week I was able to attend the national semi-final Hurling match in a stadium with over 60,000 people, get a personal tour of the Irish parliament building, drink a pint in both the largest and smallest pubs in Ireland, and present a trophy to the winning jockey of one of the fastest horses in the world at the Tipperary Race Track.  We have certainly made every minute count in these past two weeks and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Until next time…Michele

Sunday was a great day all around as the weather was beautiful, I got to see a competitive basketball game, and had one of Lillian’s classmates over for dinner.  The weather has been very nice in general and it was about 60 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny throughout the day.  I went to the Carlow girls game to support them against Tralee, and they gave a tough fight but came up a little short.  Then Lil and I made tacos for her new friend from Austria and had some great conversation about a range of things.

 

Then came the highlight of my week. Every Sunday evening, I attend our local catholic church called the Cathedral of the Assumption. I was in a bit of a rush because our taco dinner ran late. I got to a busy intersection and pressed the button for the crosswalk.  An elderly woman with a cane was waiting to cross as well, and gave me a proper stare down if I’ve ever seen one. Then proceeded in the cutest elderly, Irish lady accent, “Will you please help me cross the street, my head gets awfully dizzy?”. 

 

Of course I was delighted to help her across and asked where she was going.  As if God didn’t bless me enough with this encounter, she was headed exactly where I was and we walked together the rest of the way to church.  We talked all about how Sport Changes Life is such a good opportunity for the youth of Ireland and for the American scholars as well.

 

I am beyond thankful to her just for crossing my path that evening.  She made me realize that I have been given abilities to impact everyone that enters into my life. I continue to see why I’m on this journey and I’m changed for the better with every person I meet.

This past week I really enjoyed my Wednesday night working with Shehoops and Ehoops. I have been here for a whole a month now and I see so many similarities in personalities and the thought process of the young people from Ireland with the US young people. Sometimes it makes me stop and wonder if I actually am in a different country. I hear where they come from and it then shows why they wear this mask.

Showing who you really are is the most novice thing you can do as a person. I have been in areas in which you have to act certain ways to be accepted/fit in. People from areas with close knit communities and problems that can cause human harm are sometimes subject to change. Change is unfamiliar to them so when they come across it they can be put on the edge. So it is acceptable for them to put on this mask and act a different way so people in their community will accept them and feel as if they are one of their own. But, as I sat in Shehoops and painted my mask and listened to the classroom session of Ehoops about fear it hit me. There is no such thing of fear if you do not question who you are and what you stand for.

To become what/who you want to be, you have to step out on a ledge. As a wee kid, I wasn’t comfortable with going to school, I got nervous on the first day of school up until 10th grade. I feared being around so many new people because it made me uncomfortable. I always went though, and every year I got better and better with it.

Things will change and you can’t let fear stop you from accepting this change. Some change is good and some will be bad. If it’s bad, you dust yourself off and try again on your next quest. But, you have to be open to change so you can see what else life has in store for you. I honestly believe that if you show your true self to the world that you will begin to like yourself as a person even more. It is truly amazing to begin to see the mask that the young people wear begin to come off. It is giving me a chance to know who they really are and how they truly feel about situations.

Why hide behind a mask when everyone’s true beauty lies beneath it.

Hello all! I’m trying to write with a bit more enthusiasm than I actually feel, as I am on the verge of tears at the moment.  After we completed our week of training in Northern Ireland, all of us scholars went on a tour of Ireland to work camps and learn a bit more about the country.  Since today is the last day of the tour, we are all currently on buses on the way to our universities in Limerick, Galway, Dublin, and Belfast.  The family type of bond that the ten of us have formed in less than two weeks is unlike anything that I have experienced before. Now we are all off to our own schools, hours apart from each other – not “happy days”, as they like to say over here.

 

This past week in Ireland has been completely jam packed with camps, tours, and overall good times.  Our first stop was in Dublin, which had a Manhattan type of feeling, minus all the skyscrapers. Our second stop was in Clonmel, a country town that resembled more of how I pictured Ireland – acres of open fields with cows and horses grazing. From attending a National Irish semi-final hurling game in Dublin in a stadium filled with almost 60,000 fans to presenting a trophy to a winner at the Tipperary Racecourse, our short time in Ireland has left us each with a few spectacular, lifelong memories.

 

Within the past two weeks, it really hit me how special it is to be a Victory Scholar. I think it dawned on me after seeing one of the campers burst into tears as we were leaving our last basketball camp in Clonmel. I honestly never thought kids would be so appreciative of just two or three days of camp hosted by a few scholars from America. But not only did they run to give us hugs as we were leaving and ask for our autographs, whenever we did Q&A at the camps the kids all listened closely and quietly to our advice about what it takes to succeed in sports and in the classroom. All in all, it’s a special type of feeling to know that we have that type of positive impact on young people. Until next time, readers!

This was a big basketball weekend for me. On Saturday, it was the first official game of the season for me as a player with the UL Eagles. I was both nervous and excited to suit up and get the season started, but I was more eager to coach the u18 Limerick Lakers in their first game on Sunday. Don’t get me wrong, I love playing basketball and I have been anxiously waiting to play in my first game since that day I got here, but I’ve played in basketball games my whole life. What I’ve never done is coach a real team in a real game (only coached in summer camps) and this is why I was looking forward to Sunday more than Saturday.

 

Our (18u Lakers) first game was on the road in Cork against the best team in league. The game didn’t turn out in our favor but it was a great experience and I learned a lot. I have been coaching the Lakers twice a week for about the last 4 weeks so it was interesting to see in a game situation what was clicking with our team and what areas we need to improve on. I also realized the amazing feeling you get as a coach when you’ve been working on a play and the players run that play to perfection and get an easy basket. 

 

I am very thankful to be this team’s coach for the season. They are extremely coachable and work hard. Even though we lost the game, the players kept a great attitude, never gave up, and fought until the end. Those are things you can’t teach and shows that these guys have high character and something special inside of them. I am excited for the rest of the season!

 

Victory Scholar: Staats Battle

Present University: University of Limerick

US League: ACC

Club/Community Partner: UL Huskies

Alma Mater: North Carolina State University

Sponsored by: Team Ireland

 

Anyone who knows Sport Changes Life knows that they take a lot of pride in their online presence. Whether it be their website or various social media accounts, they cut no corners when it comes to content and quality.  They’ve expressed many times that, as Victory Scholars, we are some of their biggest tools in getting the word out about the organization and its purpose… and they do use us! Since I’ve been here I’ve had my picture taken more times than probably all four years of college combined! A funny guy named Aaron brightened up our first few days here, running around with his professional camera capturing candid shots and video interviews of the thirteen of us. Just last week we had a surprise shoot with Wingfoot, our clothing sponsor, at the T13 complex in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast. It was the first time I’d ever had my picture taken under professional lighting with wardrobe changes, props, and a creative director before! This organization really knows how to make you feel like you’re not a nobody.

 

Anyway, when I’m not busy being a SCL celebrity, I tend to spend a lot of my time on Loughshore Park, a beautiful area just a block from our accommodation. It’s made up of a long path, a beach, a giant playground, and fields of green grass. I’ve gone out there many days with the intention of running through my workout playlist, but I find myself continually stopping to take pictures. The sunsets are so beautiful every night, almost always bright pink, and the way it reflects off the water is just stunning. Last night the Maguire’s (with the exception of Gareth, who’s currently in America) ran into us while walking their dog Pippen, and Deirdre treated a couple of us to ice cream. They live just as close to Loughshore as we do, and I don’t think they ever get tired of the scenery. Almost every day I see pictures on Facebook of either Gareth or Deirdre enjoying the sunrise over the water with Pippen.

 

Today, one of our new Irish friends, Stephen, took Caroline and I to the top of Cave Hill. In my opinion, the climb is treacherous, but Stephen hiked along like he did it every day before breakfast. It was a wee bit agitating. The view at the top made it all worth it though… and I was very glad to have brought my Nikon! You could see Beflast on one side, our university on the other, and even Scotland far, far off in the distance ahead. He took us the easy way down, and even then I found myself stopping every few feet to snap a picture. The landscape was so beautiful.  I came back to campus with aching legs, and luckily enough, Stephen is also our basketball coach so even though we had practice almost right after, we figured he’d have mercy given what he knew our muscles had been through. Nope. After two hours of running, jumping, sprinting, and conditioning drills, I think I’ve had my first fallout with an Irish boy.

 

And to think my mother was scared I wouldn’t keep her updated enough on my experiences while abroad… I haven’t gone a single day yet without sharing a picture or being tagged in one. I don’t know how photogenic I am, but there’s no doubting the potential in my surroundings. I’m happy enough that a lot of my time here will be spent on one side of a camera or the other, because the result will help keep these memories with me for a lifetime. 

Katelyn Spicer called me on Monday, September 21^st at 10:50pm, happy hour in NYC.  She asked if my upcoming week was busy and I let her know that classes were just starting and I had the rare weekend free from basketball games. 42 hours later, she landed in Dublin.

           

Spice, as I call her, and I met when we were 15. I remember her at our first AAU tryout, wearing a tie-dye shirt and not participating because she was still playing in the playoffs with her high school team. I wanted to be friends with her so badly. Being rather bookish and afraid of talking to people, I never thought I could actually become friends with someone so outgoing and fun.

           

That turned out to be a pretty superficial understanding of both of us. As our time on the Lady Knicks went by, we discovered that we had substantial similarities that ended up becoming the foundation of one of my closest friendships. Her presence reminds me how much basketball has changed my life, especially off the court. We met playing together, and got even closer when we were co-assistant coaches during our senior year.

           

Her visit here meant so much to me. Her positive energy and spontaneity is contagious, and her connection to home was really comforting for me in this time of transition. We have bonded over our Irish heritage in the past – both having Irish danced in our younger years – and have shared the dream of spending time in this wonderful place. Each time we made eye contact and yelled in unison, “We’re in IRELAND!” (and that happened more than you might expect) I remembered that I am truly living out a long-held dream of mine.   

           

Thinking about her visit to Ireland, I feel like Spicer has managed to pull me out of my shell all over again. It felt like I met more new people in the 4 days that I was with her than in the 4 weeks I was here before that.  I am so inspired by her adventurous spirit and willingness to try new things. It’s incredible, the places you can be #42hourslater. 

 

Victory Scholar: Lillian McCabe

Present University: IT Carlow

US League: Atlantic 10

Club/Community Partner: ITC Basketball

Alma Mater: Davidson College

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

 

As we were leaving Dublin the kids were nearly in tears. They didnt want us to leave. We had a tremendous impact on them and we were only there for three days!

We arrived in Clonmel to my first experience in an Irish hotel,a horse race, and an Irish fry! It was a great time, and even got to the honor of presenting the winner of the race with a prize! Ironic that it was an American owned horse that won the race. I guess we should have all bet on that horse as Brittney did. She has the luck of the Irish already that girl.

The young people at this camp, much like our camp in Dublin, picked up and learned quickly. I connected with the boys as this camp a little more then the last one. Even gave one of them a wristband of mine to keep.

Sad to say that now all the scholars are splitting up and heading to our respective universities to get settled in. I’m going to miss them but excited to continue the journey changing lives here in Ireland. It has been a once in a life time experience already.

“SHUSH!” That’s the answer I received from my friend Lorna when I asked about the match while a player was attempting to kick a goal. I looked at her so confused asking her what the big deal was. She replied, “it’s a tradition to be absolutely silent when the players are attempting to kick a goal;” a tradition that was only done at Thomond Park Stadium, home of Munster Rugby. Regardless of which team was kicking, it was tradition to be dead silent out of courtesy to the player.

 

I learned about this interesting tradition this Friday night, when I went to my first professional rugby match, Munster Rugby vs. Glasgow Warriors. Going into it, I did not know what to expect. I had only watched the Irish national team play twice, and that pretty much summed up my rugby experience. Little did I know; the Munster rugby team is a pretty big deal, especially the traditions that come with it.

 

After I got that little insight, I was sure to remain dead silent whenever someone attempted a kick. While remaining silent, I looked around, very interested to see how everyone else reacted to the kick attempt. Like clockwork, every time the player began to prepare for the kick, the stadium went dead silent. Not a word was spoken; a stadium of 10,000 plus people dropped to utter silence.

 

It became blatantly obvious as to who the foreigners were. We were the people that were constantly getting shushed. I even watched a complete stranger shush a group of tourists next to him during a kick; that is how serious this tradition is. I unfortunately got grouped into that association… next game I go to, I will be sure to not stick out so much.  

 

Hearing the silence engulf the stadium for every kick was amazing. I have never seen a stadium go completely quiet, especially for the opposing team! I could understand if the tradition was just for the home team, but the crowd did it for the opposition as well. This would never happen in the United States.

 

Untold traditions that are just universally known by the fans are very profound. Anyone can go see a sporting event, but to be able to learn about cultural traditions at a sporting event is something special. It sheds light on the type of people that support Munster Rugby. Regardless of what’s going on in the game, there’s still respect and sportsmanship. The silence spoke volumes.  

 

In a stadium of 10, 000 plus people, silence never sounded so good. 

 

Victory Scholar: Sarah Benedetti

Present University: University of Limerick

US League: NEC

Club/Community Partner: UL Huskies

Alma Mater: St. Francis College 

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

 

I recently started my first few practices with the Ulster Elks and I realized that the roster for this season was going to be a very fluid situation. At every practice it seems there are new faces appearing with varying numbers of guys available for each practice.  On the Elks I am joined by fellow scholars, Ronnie and Ryan.   The ages, skill levels and playing experience vary for my teammates.  Some have been competing professionally for several years, while others just began playing after changing sports from Gaelic football. During our first practice I knew I was not in the Atlantic-10 anymore when we were forced to only practice with one half of the court because the other half was being used by two guys to play badminton.  Despite this, it was still great to get back to playing the game that I have loved for the last fourteen years.  Basketball has taken me to the highest level of college basketball in the United States, and now it has allowed me to travel to another country where I will get to meet incredible people, experience a new culture and learn new things.  I will always be thankful for what this game has given me and allowed me to experience.