A pump fake is a basketball action where you trick the defense into thinking you are shooting the ball but then instead you dribble by the defender. You make the defense think you are doing one thing, but then you do something else. That is what happened to my spring break plans. My spring break plans threw me a pump fake. I was planning on flying to Belgium to visit my old NC State teammate but those plans had to change because of the recent terrorist attacks. I was supposed to fly to Brussels the day after the attacks and I thank God that I was not flying a day earlier and I thank God that my teammate and his family are safe.

 

Since my trip to Belgium was canceled, I now have the opportunity to work Limerick’s Easter Week basketball camp. The camp is for boys and girls ages 6-12 and we have had over 50 kids each day so far. The camp has been an absolute blast and the kids have been really energetic. Some of the campers have been playing basketball for a while and their skills are well developed and then there are some campers that it is there first time playing basketball, but what is special is that they are all smiling and having fun. That is what basketball is all about. It isn’t about a players ability but it is about having fun, being active, and meeting new friends. 

 

 

 

Victory Scholar: Staats Battle

Present University: University of Limerick

US League: ACC

Club/Community Partner: UL Eagles

Alma Mater: North Carolina State University

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

 

As I’ve had a week to reflect on the end of our club season, it still doesn’t feel real to me. Although it would be hard for an outsider to see, our team came such a long way from the start of the season. They had 2 new players (Emily and I), a new coach, new offenses and new defenses. We went from a bunch of individuals to a unit. Our team’s strength all season was that any one of us could have been the leading scorer, and we all loved that. We lost in the semi finals in a hard fought game, but the girls can take the success and growth our team has had with them into the next season! I can’t thank everyone in the club enough for welcoming us and taking care of us from the very first day. I still can’t believe our season has ended, but I can definitely say I’ve formed relationships that will last a life time, and that’s way bigger than basketball!! I can’t thank SCL enough for giving me the opportunity to play for another year and make such great memories.

 

 

Victory Scholar: Meghan McGuinness

Present University: Trinity College Dublin

US League Partner: MAAC

Club/Community Partner: Meteors Ladies Basketball

Alma Mater: Niagara University

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

 

 

So last night Emily and I sat down to write some tips for our future victory scholars that will fill our shoes at Trinity next year, and all I have to say is… WHAT?! It literally feels like I was reading Christine Ganser and Jen Morabito’s tips to us and texting Emily with questions and concerns. I was so nervous about getting everything sorted before I got to Ireland and spent the last few weeks of summer stressing about everything from what to pack to what to major in at Trinity. And then there was the roommate part.. Would we get along?! Ah I was in a panic. 

 

Fast forward about 7 months and we are both sitting in our apartment writing about where we like to shop and eat and tips for packing and schoolwork and public transportation for next year’s scholars. It all gave me a weird feeling, but a good one too. Weird because I cannot believe how fast the time is flying by, and good because although i was nervous before I came, I’ve found a second home in Dublin. Emily and I basically read each other’s minds by now with how close we’ve gotten, and I’ve become so used to the city and everything we do that I can’t imagine life without all of it.

 

All I know is, time is FLYING and the scholars next year are in for a treat!

 

 

Victory Scholar: Meghan McGuinness

Present University: Trinity College Dublin

US League Partner: MAAC

Club/Community Partner: Meteors Ladies Basketball

Alma Mater: Niagara University

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

 

The other day one of my friends on my club basketball team asked me if I would still apply for the Victory Scholarship again given the chance to go back in time. I quickly, with no hesitation gave my answer. My response however, seemed a little ironic to me because the reason I responded with such certainty is in some ways different than the reasons I applied for the program in the first place.  I applied because Sport Changes Life offers a great opportunity to play basketball, make an impact on a local community, and go to school to receive a master’s degree.  While all these things I have enjoyed, and am very thankful for, another factor is the why I was able to give such a certain answer to my friend’s question. It’s the relationships and the bonds I have made during the last six months that I really cherish today. I have teammates, classmates, members of the community, and other Victory Scholars that I have gotten to know and can confidently call my good friends. This alone has made my journey to Ireland well worth it (and those reasons I listed first have certainly made this year even more unbelievable). It is these newly created relationships that would make me go back in time and apply for Sport Changes Life again. It is also these same reasons that will keep me returning to this great country in the future.

 

Victory Scholar: Cory Starkey 

Present University: NUI Galway

US League: Patriot League 

Club/community partner: Galway Titans 

Alma Mater: Bucknell University 

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland 

 

On Thursday, I will be fortunate to cross another European country off my list of countries to see, as I will travel to Denmark. A friend of mine, who I played college basketball with for three years at Bucknell, is living and continuing his basketball career in Horsens, Denmark. The dates lined up with Easter break that I am free of class and coaching that I can get away and see a new part of the world. It is a great opportunity for me to not only see and experience a new country and its culture; I also get to see a good friend of mine that I haven’t seen in well over a year. One difficult part of living in Ireland is I don’t get to see Family and friends from home as much as I would like. It does provide me with the unique opportunity to see this friend in Denmark that would not be possible in the United States. Stay tuned for an update on my trip to Denmark. 

 

Victory Scholar: Cory Starkey 

Present University: NUI Galway

US League: Patriot League 

Club/community partner: Galway Titans 

Alma Mater: Bucknell University 

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland 

While at Kiran’s parents house this week, I’ve experienced a few firsts besides the Blarney Stone journey.  I had a duck egg for breakfast, rode a double-decker bus, and went to a driving range for the first time in Ireland.  I was hesitant about the duck egg at first, but Mrs. Chopra told me that the only difference is they’re bigger and have more protein than a chicken egg.  It tastes the same as any other egg I’ve ever had and I enjoyed the change up. 

 

The other first was hitting a few balls on an Irish driving range with Kiran and a friend of his, Jack.  The driving range had automatic ball replacers which I thought was amazing.  I’ve been to tons of nice country clubs across America but have never seen one before so I was very impressed. The double-decker bus was cool for me but not as exciting as I imagined my whole life.  We sat on the upper level obviously and took it into Cork city for some food and to pick up Trey from the train station.  

 

I am very thankful and blessed to check more firsts off my list this year.

 

 

Victory Scholar: Harrison Deyo

Present University: IT Carlow

US League: MAC

Club/Community Partner: IT Carlow Basketball

Alma Mater: Alvernia University

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

 

I know I already wrote a blog about March Madness but I wanted to add another because watching the tournament this year has brought back a lot memories. It brings back memories of when I was a kid and would always beg my teachers to let us watch the games during class. It brings back memories to my freshman year of how excited I was when we were the very last team announced for making the tournament because just seconds before that we thought our season was over.  It brings back memories of being down by 1 against LSU in the round of 64 and our center made a hook shot at the very last second to win (the shot is the picture for this blog).  Most importantly, it brings back memories of last year losing to Louisville in the Sweet 16 and thinking my basketball career was over. I worked my whole life to play college basketball and walking off the court last year I was shedding tears thinking that my basketball career was over.

 

I am thankful everyday that I was accepted to the Victory Scholar Program. Not only did the program allow me to continue playing basketball competitively but also it has allowed me to spread my joy of the game through coaching. I have so much respect and passion for the game of basketball and I hope my players can see that everyday I coach them. I encourage everyone to watch the NCAA Tournament over the next two weekends and witness the same respect and passion that each of the student-athletes have. Basketball is a wonderful game and I am glad that I am around it each day in the Victory Scholar Program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Victory Scholar: Staats Battle

Present University: University of Limerick

US League: ACC

Club/Community Partner: UL Eagles

Alma Mater: North Carolina State University

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

 

When getting three wins isn’t even the highlight of my day something good must have happened!

This weekend seen the first of a few pre season games for my new club team the Meteors! Luckily, my aunt and cousin came from Galway to see me play and to my surprise they brought my grandfather with them. When he walked in and sat down I went over to give him a hug and a kiss and I think my whole team cried saying how cute it was. He was able to watch his first ever basketball game on Saturday. First ever! I didn’t really tell anyone how happy I was that they got to come, but I was so excited. With him and most of my dad’s family living in Ireland, I haven’t had the chance to spend much time with them. Now I have the opportunity to get to know them better and to share some good times with them. Nothing is more important than family and people who love and care about you. I am lucky enough to have half of mine over here in Ireland!

 

Victory Scholar: Meghan McGuinness

Present University: Trinity College Dublin

US League Partner: MAAC

Club/Community Partner: Meteors Ladies Basketball

Alma Mater: Niagara University

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

 

My spring/Easter break has given me the chance to experience Cork and Galway in more detail.  My past trips to both counties have been brief because of basketball trips but now this break will be different.  Galway will be home to the varsities tournament for a few days after Easter and Cork is the first trip on the list for the break. On Monday, Kiran and I got to the Blarney Castle and gardens in Blarney County, Cork. The gardens and sights around the castle exemplifies Ireland’s flora and fauna. The history within the castle is overwhelming in a positive way, and moving to learn about. 

Once we reached the top of the castle, I was shaking and in full fear mode.  If you know me, you know my number one phobia is heights.  Kiran helped me stay calm and complete the mission of kissing the Blarney Stone.  I laid on my back with my head dangling hundreds of feet off the ground and kissed the stone to obtain the gift of the gab! Another once in a lifetime experience to check off my list, thanks to Kiran and his family, Sport Changes Life, and Ireland.  

 

 

Victory Scholar: Harrison Deyo

Present University: IT Carlow

US League: MAC

Club/Community Partner: IT Carlow Basketball

Alma Mater: Alvernia University

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

“Sorry, we’re American. Could you speak a little slower for us?”

These first couple of weeks here in Ireland has heard this phrase, or others like it, continuously repeated. Maybe it’s not an apology, but often being American is a way of explaining a certain habit or behavior. Some more examples…

“Sorry I’m taking so long, I’m not used to dealing with Euros!”

“Sorry for sitting in the driver’s seat, I’m used to the passenger’s seat being on the right side of the car!”

The list goes on.

But the other day, when Harrison and I ate lunch at a great 50’s-style diner in downtown Carlow, being American wasn’t an excuse for the mistake we made. We were at first wondering why the table was equipped with a large container of salt but no pepper. But we barely hesitated before pouring the salt on our fries. Sorry, “chips.” It took much longer than is excusable for us to realize that yup, that was a container full of sugar.

The 10 packets of Ketchup we ate with our “chips” were a definite sign of our foreignness. But the sugar coating our fries was more a testament to our carelessness. We wished we could use being American as an excuse.

The laughter that ensued was definitely worth two plates of sweet fries.  

 

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

I am writing this blog as I am watching the Middle Tennessee State vs. Syracuse game in the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Tournament, also called March Madness, is the “greatest show on Earth” (as my college coach would always describe it).  It is the top 64 college basketball teams competing at the highest level to become the National Champion. During my time at NC State, I was fortunate enough to be part of four teams that made it to the NCAA tournament and my freshman and senior year we somehow made it to the Sweet 16 (Quarterfinals). The tournament is referred to as “March Madness” because with so many games going on there are always games where a lesser ranked team upsets a higher ranked team and there are always games where a team wins on a last second shot. There can only be one national champion so that means 63 out of the 64 teams will end their season with a loss. That’s why the games are so fun to watch because the teams compete so hard and play with their season on the line.

 

March is hands down my favorite month of the year and that is simply because of the NCAA Tournament. It has been difficult with the time difference in Ireland to stay up late to watch many of the regular season college basketball games this year. But now it’s time for post-season. It’s time for the NCAA Tournament. It’s time for March Madness.  This is a whole different situation. Coffee will have to be added to my daily routine and my sleeping pattern will have to take a hit this month in order to watch these games….and I am 100% fine with that. Let the “Madness” begin!

 

 

 

Victory Scholar: Staats Battle

Present University: University of Limerick

US League: ACC

Club/Community Partner: UL Eagles

Alma Mater: North Carolina State University

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

 

After all the training we did up north–preparing to work with youths and safeguarding children–you could imagine my surprise when I walked into the gym last Monday to find a set of ladies my age and above. My first thought? I guess space invaders is a no-go…But Joe had given me some advice on the ride over, “Run them and they’ll love you for it”. DEFINITELY NOT what I ever want to hear at practice but I took the idea and ran with it, no pun intended. I threw transition drill after transition drill at them and even finished with a 15 minute game, halftime and all. We finished with a nice cool down stretch and called it a night. I never imagined myself coaching teens let alone adults but I think it’s fair to say we all enjoyed ourselves and look forward to the upcoming season. The entire night was an eye opening experience and  it was a good reminder that it’s not age that matters; it’s about who’s best for the job.

 

Victory Scholar: Marritta Gillcrease

Present University: NUI Galway

US League: MAAC

Club/Community Partner: Galway Titans

Alma Mater: Rider University

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

 

#GoTitans

My girlfriend and best friend, Ashley, turns 23 today. This will be the first, and hopefully last, birthday that I will not be able to celebrate with her in person.  We will add it to the list of things to celebrate when I am home in June.  Earlier this week, she got news that she was accepted into her #1 pick for graduate school which is West Chester University to get her Masters in Health Care Management. I am so proud of her hard work and perseverance through a tough year for her and her family. 

 

She deserves a lot of credit for my success throughout college which eventually led to a scholarship with Sport Changes Life and a Masters degree.  More importantly, I learn from her kind heart and willingness to help others that has helped me significantly when coaching and mentoring the young people of Ireland.  She is constantly making me a better person and for that I’m very thankful. I hope you have a wonderful day with your family, my family, and your friends. I can’t wait to see you and travel the world in May. Have a Happy Birthday and I love you very much!

 

 

Victory Scholar: Harrison Deyo

Present University: IT Carlow

US League: MAC

Club/Community Partner: IT Carlow Basketball

Alma Mater: Alvernia University

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

I’m sure most people can agree that the attractions that draw tourists just do not receive the same love from locals for one reason or another. For example, Primanti Brother’s sandwiches have landed them on Food network in addition to drawing a crowd to their counters but I’ve only had 1 or 2 sandwiches to date. I found this same phenomenon to be true when Hannah, Kate and I ventured to the Guiness Storehouse yesterday. For 2 of us it was our first time but we were all equally like kids in a candy store or Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory according to Kate. It was really cool to see a company whose history predates my country’s independence and definitely a place where you could spend a few hours. Eventually, we made our way to Croke Park for the All Ireland Camogie Final to support Galway. In the end, Cork won out but we had a good time being tourists and fans.

 

Victory Scholar: Marritta Gillcrease

Present University: NUI Galway

US League Partner: MAAC

Club/Community Partner: NUIG Mystics

Alma Mater: Rider University

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland 

 

Next week will be the first time since high school that I will be able to have Spring Break. My past four years of college basketball was like a full time job. We had mandatory off-season workouts in the spring, summer, and fall and then obviously during the season basketball took up all of our time. I never had a Thanksgiving break, Christmas break, or Spring break because we always had games, practices, and tournaments. This year I am looking forward to Spring Break because it’s another chance for me to travel and see more of Europe.

 

Next week I will be going to go to Belgium to visit my NC State teammate. He is actually from Belgium and now plays professional basketball there in Leuven. He (Thomas) was in my recruiting class at NC State and we were roommates our freshmen year. At NC State, it was his first time being in America and I now know through the Victory Scholar program what it was like for him to live in a foreign country. I was able to show him around and help him with anything he needed. We grew a strong friendship and would do everything together. Wherever I went, he went.

 

I am excited that now I will be able to see his home country and see his background. The timing works out perfectly that I will be able to watch one of his games while I am visiting him too. I am thankful that basketball has allowed me to form friendships all over the world and has led me to Ireland where I can easily travel to parts of Europe to visit friends like this. 

 

 

 

Victory Scholar: Staats Battle

Present University: University of Limerick

US League: ACC

Club/Community Partner: UL Eagles

Alma Mater: North Carolina State University

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

 

Time in Ireland is more of a guideline than a deadline. While this can be very frustrating for people who are accustomed to being very prompt, it is something that we need to embrace.

In Galway, my club basketball teammates have a favorite hangout place, called Café Express. On several occasions I joined a crew of Titans basketball players as they spend hour’s sitting outside at this café while chatting, drinking vanilla lattes, and watching the passing crowds. One particular time I joined a couple teammates’ hours before practice. Several times during my time there I would check the time, wondering if there was somewhere I needed to be or something I had to be doing. I had to convince myself that there was nothing else I had to be doing and that it was okay for me to just sit back, relax, and enjoy my company. This is just one of the many ways in which I’m doing my best to enjoy the Irish culture. 

 

Victory Scholar: Cory Starkey

Present University: NUI Galway

US League: Patriot League

Club/Community Partner: Galway Titans

Alma Mater: Bucknell University

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

 

I just finished up an exciting week with my mom and sister visiting from the States. This was the first time for both of them getting a stamp on their passport, so I had to make sure to show them a good time. We went to Dublin and then took a tour of the west coast, seeing such cities as Galway, Kilarney, Cork, beautiful nature spots Connemara, the Burren, Cliff of Mohers and numerous castles. 

 

When we got back to Belfast we did one last tour of the Northern Coast and the highlight of the whole week for my sister and mother was the Giants Causeway. As we were driving through the beautiful Glens of Antrim my mom remarked, “the potato famine must have been really bad to leave a beautiful, friendly place like Ireland”.  I could not agree with her more and was ecstatic that she got to see the wonderful place I’ve called home for a year. 

I have been so lucky, I travelled to some of the major cities in Europe with my brother and best friend from home. We visited London, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, and Barcelona in a matter of 11 days. We were able to see all of the major tourist attractions, like the Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace, the Vatican, and the Colosseum. Needless to say, we were all wrecked when our trip was over! It was very interesting to see all of the different cities and learn a little bit about each city’s history. Each city was definitely a different experience with different types of people and different ways of living, so it was interesting being able to see some of these different cultures. I think my favourite place that we visited was Rome. The city was beautiful, and of course the Italian food was delicious! Barcelona was also at the top of my list and I wish we could have spent a little more time there (mainly because it was sunny and warm)!

I am so going to miss all of this…I can’t believe it is coming to an end soon…

 

The week after we finished a long semester of classes, presentations, and coursework, Tanisha came over to Ireland to see all the work we do at Sport Changes Life and also go a little sightseeing along the way. We went to see the city of Belfast, the Titanic Museum, and the Giant’s Causeway, as well as, went to the last session of E-Hoops. We then went off to Dublin and went on the tour of the Jameson Whiskey Distillery and finished our week with a relaxing day on O’Connell Street and Grafton Street. Overall, it was a great wind down for the school year and a nice “wee” vacation before exams. 

The app Timehop may possibly be the greatest and worst app on my iPhone. It reminds me of all the weird and embarrassing things my friends and I have posted over the years, but it also reminds me of all the awesome memories I have had as well.

 

A year ago yesterday, March 15, 2015, was the day my college team, St. Francis Brooklyn won our first ever Northeast Conference Championship. As I looked at my Timehop yesterday, I was reminded of this wonderful day a year ago, with countless pictures of my team, the trophy, as well as the various congratulations messages I received. It made me very nostalgic to look back at these memories and remember how amazing it felt to win that championship and everything that came with it. To this day, it is one of the most amazing, exciting moments of my life. I will forever cherish that day and all the hard work and memories that come along with it.

 

It blows my mind how quickly time is going, I cannot believe that we won a championship a year ago. Time is really flying! Learning from that experience and how quickly it came and went, makes me reflect on my time here. It not only has been one of the fastest years of my life; but before I know it, I will be looking back on Timehop at the pictures from a year ago, all about my time in Ireland. I will look back at those photos and year of my life so fondly.

 

I have about two months left, and I am going to make the absolute most of it in this great country.

 

 

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

  

Well we made it! I got through my exams, which I hoped I performed well on (fingers crossed) and had an amazing time in Hong Kong! Some of you may be asking why I was in Hong Kong? Well, part of the masters program (International Management) that I am apart of, gives us the opportunity to travel to Hong Kong to experience what the business culture consist of and how they do business over there. While we were over in Hong Kong, we attended a number of presentations from different companies who tried to explain what their companies does, what their business culture was and how much national culture plays a role in business. Along with the presentations we attended, we also had time to go sightseeing all around Hong Kong! The whole ten day trip was awesome! I have never experience anything like what I experience there. I was fortunate enough also to go with a great bunch of friends and classmates, which made the trip that much better. But now its over, which is sad to think about, but I want to take the chance to say thank you to my lectures for all their help and wish my fellow classmates luck in their futures! I know they will all be successful in whatever path they choose! Take care!

This weekend was yet another whirlwind of traveling, basketball, and of course, meeting new people along the way. On Saturday, our UL Huskies Super League team traveled to Dublin to play in the preseason tournament. To say the least, playing three games in a day is exhausting! However, the basketball only played a minor role in inspiring this blog.

 

After the day of games was over, I went back to Waterford with Katie, where she was living for the year.  The Waterford community partner, John, so kindly drove Katie and myself back after the games. During this car ride I realized how small this world really is.

 

John and I had gotten on the topic of being from Connecticut, and how he had some friends from there as well. We quickly learned that we shared a mutual friend. From there, I explained that our mutual friend had organized my u15 AAU (club) team to play the u16 Irish national team in a local town in Connecticut. Oddly enough, John knew exactly what exhibition game I was talking about; in fact, he was in attendance.  Instantly my mouth dropped; what are the odds?

 

John explained that he was traveling with the u16 Irish national team when they came over to play us. Long story short, the Super League preseason basketball tournament wasn’t the first time John and I had been in the same gymnasium together.

 

At the age of 15, I would have never thought that the one national team I played against would be from the country I would end up living in for a year. It’s funny how the basketball community can make the world feel so small and relevant.    

 

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

 

 

Now that classes are all finished up, I’ve had a little bit of time to do some travelling around Ireland and other parts of Europe.  My family recently came over to Ireland for a week vacation and we were busy seeing all the different parts of the country and just having the craic with each other. There was 8 of us in total and we packed into a sweet van for our ‘Tour of Ireland.’  Some of the highlights were our trip to the Giant’s Causeway. the Cliffs of Moher, and spending the day/night in the Aran Islands where we rented bikes and rode around the entire island. It was such a great family vacation and I’m so happy they were all able to see where I have been living for the last year and experience a bit of the great Irish culture! They all really enjoyed their time here and could not stop talking about how beautiful they thought the country was and how much fun the Irish people are!