It’s crazy to think back to when I first started playing basketball at just the age of ten. But, basketball was not my first chosen sport. Believe it or not the first team that I was ever apart of was my local neighborhood Torressdale Cheerleading Squad. My mother signed me up when I was 8 years old and I continued to cheer until I was 10.

 

Everyday after I was done my cheerleading practice, the girls’ club basketball team would have practice. One day while I was waiting for my mother to come pick me up, I decided to shoot around in the gym. The basketball coach approached me several times and asked if I had any interest in playing since I was probably the tallest girl in the area at that age and could shoot the ball.

 

After me bothering my mother numerous times saying “that man (I never knew his name until later) keeps asking me to play basketball”…to make a long story short, my mother finally approached that man, named Mr. Matthews to leave me alone about playing basketball. But, somehow Mr. Matthews persuaded my mother into letting me play.

 

I continued to play for him throughout grade school, club league and travel basketball for Northeast Rockers AAU team. He was the one who taught me the basics of basketball and what it is like to be part of a team. He has taught everything that I know now about basketball, but most importantly he has always been a huge supporter of me. I have some amazing and unforgettable memories of all the traveling for Northeast Rockers and championships that I have won as him as my coach.

 

I also give a lot of credit to my mother for the endless road trips to all of my games and always being on the sideline yelling, whistling and screaming my name. Everyone knew when I did something great on the court, but also knew when I did something wrong. LOL She is by far the biggest supporter I have when it comes to me playing basketball or any other sports that I decided to play and by far my biggest fan.

 

Have to say I have missed her not being able to see my games over here, the games have been a little quieter.  So thank you to both Mr. Matthews and my mother Roxanne for helping me get to where I am today!

 

Victory Scholar: Jessica Koci

Sport League: Atlantic 10

Present University: Institute of Technology Carlow

Alma Mater: La Salle University

 

Hey guys! To say I’m in a good mood would be a tremendous understatement. The last week has certainly been a long one, with two huge projects due yesterday. Spent almost the entire week/weekend working on finishing these projects. One was an empirical literature review and the other was a group consultancy project. In the picture posted here, my group and I were working late Friday night in the business building (had to convince the night man to let us stay and keep working). With two big deadlines on Monday stress levels were high, especially dealing with group members who sometimes were MIA. Nonetheless, we were able to get everything done, and did a really good job on our presentation. 

In basketball news, the Titans blew out Kilkenny to improve their National League record to 3-1. What’s even better is that it was the last game I had to watch from the bench! This coming week I’ll finally be in action against Ballincollig in our first Cup game. Training was intense last week and hopefully we’ll keep it up this week to prepare for Saturday. I have to admit I am a little nervous about the game Saturday as I’m starting to feel some pressure from a bunch of people saying they can’t wait until I can play. I sure hope I don’t disappoint them!! 

So it’s great to have those assignments completed and have that weight off my shoulders. Will and I reffed our first game tonight. Overall it went pretty well. We missed a few calls here and there, but we think we did a good job and will only improve the more we do it. That’s about it for me. Looking forward to posting next week telling you about how my first official game with the Titans went!

Hell week is about to be over. Once Monday hits, two of the terms biggest projects will be over with! The consultancy project has been taking much of our time as team meetings have been a pre-req to get this project done. We also have an empirical literature review due for our research methods class. Once these two projects are done, we have two essays and an oral presentation before the finals begin! Looking forward to it!

In two weeks, I’ll finally be able to play my first game with the Titans. It’ll feel really good to play after waiting three whole months. I also coached the academy Saturday morning. The kids did a really good job this weekend. They worked hard and made sure to pay attention the details. It took several weeks for them to understand these details, such as running into the huddle, making the proper passes in the right situations and talking on defense. 

Late during the week, my girlfriend and I took a walk next to the harbor. We were greeted with a rare sunshine appearance which was combined with a nice cool breeze. It was a great day to walk around town and see some of the more scenic views. 

Good talk! See you all next week!
Will

I have always loved to cook and experiment with different recipes. If I didn’t have the burning passion for basketball, I would have pursued a culinary degree after high school.  Instead, I took the option to play basketball at a higher level and take my chances on a different degree which paid off as I found my path in criminal justice.

 

I would always watch the food network as a kid and try to emulate the chefs and their dishes.  I find a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction in getting a dish just right.  Lil asked me before we even moved in together if I would teach her a few things about cooking and I gladly accepted.  That meant I would get to go back to the cooking basics and makes me a better cook.  This reminded me of getting back to the basics when I coach my community sessions during the week.  I’ve been forced to focus on the fundamentals of the sport and in turn have been able to build my game by keeping things simple.

 

I also have been taught a few things about cooking from Kiran, my teammate and brother from another mother here in Carlow.  His decent is Irish and Indian which calls for some really creative and unique dishes. Besides all the curry dishes, we look up random and crazy recipes to try and they always end up phenomenal.

 

Both my cooking and basketball skills have evolved and developed for the better since I’ve been to Ireland.  With the influence of the girls I coach, Lil, and Kiran, I have gone back to the basics to improve my repertoire.

 

 

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

Hey guys, hope you’ve been enjoying reading my blog posts! Today I want to share something with you that touches me deeply, as I take a step back and look at what’s been at the heart of my past accomplishments, and a factor that will continue to guide my future successes.  

As a kid growing up, I had a great childhood. I lived in a nice house, parents had nice cars, and my siblings and I always seemed to be the more “fortunate” kids on the block. That can be contributed to the fact that my parents have always been hard working people, and it paid off well for us as a family; for that I thank them greatly!

 

There is only 18 months between my older sister and I, so we grew up together; my brothers are 8 and 9 years younger.  She was the only girl so our parents tended to spoil her… probably more than she should’ve been. Things weren’t always handed to me like they were her, and on top of that I was never the type to ask for much anyway.

 

My sister was always gifted when it came to things like her intellectual learning abilities, creativeness, and her outgoing personality— qualities I’ve always had to work a little bit harder to grasp. My go-to example is how she’d be out hanging with friends the day before a big test, whereas I would be in my room studying until 2:00am.

When I think about the situation, I used to be jealous of her. But the older I get the more I appreciate how the challenges I faced has formed a dogmatic “shark mentality” in my approach to life.  I realize that this perspective on things has driven me to become much more of a go-getter. There were points in time where I felt that even people close to me didn’t believe in my abilities; this was one of the main motivators for my success.

 

My work ethic has allowed me to accomplish great things thus far, and will continue to be the foundation and stepping stones for my future.  My work ethic has made me a very prideful person and having been blessed with this characteristic it will continue to positively contribute to my life ….something in my control which I can “hang my hat on”. 

 

Not only have I found success in the classroom, I have also been able to accomplish so much more on the basketball court, as well as any other task I perform.  I would like to thank the ones I love most– my parents and family for being great role models, leaders, and providing me with the tools to succeed in life.

Hey guys! Tim here after another eventful week in Galway. This week was a particularly special week for me as the New York Falcons, a young girls basketball team comprised primarily of players from my old high school all came over. A few parents and coaches accompanied them. One of the coaches, Joe Michalak, was one of the guys who is pretty much responsible for me being here as he recommended me to Joe Coughlan when Joe C. was talking to him about the Victory Scholarship program. Joe M. gave him my name, I was contacted by Joe C., now I’m in Ireland and the rest is history!! However, it was great having this group here in Ireland and it was funny because a few people here were like “Wow Tim we’ve never seen you so excited in a conversation” when I was talking to the fellow New Yorkers. It was awesome having people from home to talk to and Joe M. was kind enough to bring over some things for me like Almonds and Frank’s Hot Sauce! The Falcons played extremely well, winning all 3 of their games, and the last one by 1 point, as the younger sister of one of my friends from home, calmly sank 2 free throws with 4 seconds left to clinch the victory. 
Yesterday I was able to witness the new president of Ireland, Michael D. give a speech right here in Galway at Eyre Square upon returning home after winning the election. Now I don’t know much about Irish politics, but either way it was cool to witness such an important, historic event. 
In other news, I got to meet Will’s dad this week which was pretty cool. I’ve been working away at assignments and we’re handing in our Quantitative Analysis tomorrow for our Research Methods course tomorrow which will be nice to cross off the list. Also, next week is the deadline for two more major projects, so this time next week I’ll be breathing a huge sigh of relief. Until then, I will be working away, training, and trying to eliminate any and all procrastination. Talk to you guys next week!
-Tim

Reunion week!
This week was a reunion week for Tim and I. A NY based basketball team consisting of several top NY female players under the age of 17 were invited to play in a tournament in Galway. Tim knew the two American coaches and ended up showing them a great time around Galway. The Americans won the tournament by a single point over the Maree team and headed back home without losing a game in the tournament!
As for my reunion, well, my girlfriend Thalie arrived in Ireland on tuesday night. After not seeing each other for almost 3 months, we used this past week to reconnect. She definitely has been having a great time in Galway even she caught the Irish flu a couple days ago. Hopefully she’ll feel better over the next couple of days!
Not only did my gf show up this week, my dad dropped by after wrapping up a business trip in Amsterdam. He arrived Friday night and headed back early Sunday morning. Over the course of the weekend, we went out for lunch and supper to several irish restaurants and most importantly toured Connemara for about 6 hours. 
Early saturday morning, I gave my dad a tour of the NUIG campus and Galway. After walking for about 2 hours, we decided to drive out to the country side. We ended up driving through Connemara and back up the Atlantic Coast. As you can see from the picture, he looks like he’s having a great time! And of course he did! 
Other than that, we had a bunch of classes that were cancelled this week because the majority of the students in our classes were graduating. For Tim and I, graduating in October seems like a really weird trend, but the students here really don’t mind having a week off mid-way through the semester to reconnect with their old mates and drink a few pints! 
Until next week!
Will

As a Victory Scholar, I have been forced to step outside my comfort zone to better myself, but more importantly to inspire and motivate the young people in our world.  Being a Victory Scholar is an endless journey, that will push me to evolve and grow throughout my entire life, this is just the beginning.  Everything that I’ve learned, and will learn, will carry into every aspect of my life even after this year is over. 

 

My experience will help me to inspire everyone around me to be the best they can be, including myself. Victory Scholar Jonathan McNair shared, “No matter what level you are on in life, there will always be a struggle”.  It is how we work with the struggle that will allow us to transform our attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors to be the strongest we can be. There is beauty in the struggle.   

 

My experience has also pushed me to open my eyes to new cultures, perspectives, and opinions.  Ones I’ve never experienced in small town Phoenixville or through my years at college.  They make me think outside the box and allow me to continue to mature mentally. 

 

My experience has kept me connected with basketball and school. I’ve been able to continue working on a craft I love and have been playing my whole life. My Masters in Child, Youth, and Family Studies ties in perfectly when I’m coaching the young people.  Things I learn in modules like Child Psychology can be utilized to get the best result when motivating and inspiring during my coaching sessions.

 

All in all, this experience has been life-changing for me and has allowed me to mature exponentially. As I mentioned earlier, being a Victory Scholar will carry with me for the rest of my life. The invaluable tools we’ve developed will continue to evolve, in effort to better our world, even after the program ends.  This is an extremely UNIQUE and DYNAMIC experience that will forever be a blessing to me.

 

 

 

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

 

Today marks the last day of my post-graduate classes. That makes 12 courses over 7 months (yes my brain is hurting). I have been in Ireland for 221 days but it feels like I just arrived yesterday and was shuttled up to Belfast with the other scholars crammed into the van, awkwardly sitting way too close with suitcases fitting in wherever they could.

 

Knowing we only have about 3 months left in Ireland as Victory Scholars, it is hard not to reflect and be amazed at what we have accomplished. I often get too busy and distracted to step back and fully realize I am in Ireland playing the game I love, coaching the game I love and being able to make a difference in the lives of the young Irish athletes. Thinking about the impact sport has had on my own life, it is hard to not think back to where I was just over a year ago thinking I would never play basketball competitively again. As some of you know, I got really sick last fall and just as I was starting to come back I ended up with a blood clot. Long story short, I was told I would have to be on blood thinners and there was no way I would be able to play a contact sport.

 

I had always known I was lucky to be an athlete and that it had afforded me with countless opportunities and lessons I would not have gotten otherwise. However, like a lot of people in their early 20s, I had taken all that for granted. When basketball was taken away from me I realized that I owe the majority of my life to it. My body was failing me and not even the doctors knew exactly what to do. The period of uncertainty left me feeling vulnerable, yet I knew the sport I loved would be there for me even it was in a different way than before.

 

At the time, it was hard to look toward the future. I was focused on exercising for 10 minutes every hour (shout out to Kelly who had to be my roommate over that Christmas break and witness the jumping jacks sessions haha) and waiting until I would no longer be making weekly trips to the hospital to see if anything had progressed.

 

During these months I would live for practices and games and even though I would not participate in them, I would become immersed and forget that I was not healthy. It was about the relationships with my teammates and as any athlete knows, the mysterious ability for sport to transport you into a different world altogether. For once, being on the outside as a spectator I was able to realize the power of this relationship. It was from here that I knew I had to give back to the game that had already given me so much.

 

Luckily, there is a happy ending and I got to play in the last 2 months of my college career and then was presented with the opportunity to join the Sport Changes Life family. It is impossible not to think back to a year ago when I was constantly checking the color of my left arm and making sure my wicked cool arm sleeve wasn’t slipping too far down my massive bicep (lol). I like to live by the saying ‘everything happens for a reason,’ and although I didn’t understand why I had gotten so sick at the time, I do now. If it were not for that experience I would not be sitting here finishing my last day of class as a Victory Scholar at Trinity College. Although time is flying, I wouldn’t change anything about it. 

Its been a great week, catching up on some work and spending some time on the court practicing and coaching. The National League team didn’t have a game this weekend, but it gave us some time to spend with our friends and the members of the Titans organization. 
Earlier during the week, I coached my first U13 game. The Titans played Moycullen. We lost by 25 pts to a very skilled and organized group. The Titans players worked hard, but now know they need to work hard this season to reach the level they want to get to. 
Yesterday afternoon, the Galway Masters organized a basketball tournament at NUI’s King Fisher Complex comprised of the top ‘masters’ players from Ireland. The best 38 year olds and over in the entire country. It was impressive to see how good some of these guys are. You’d think once you reach that age, you would become a shell of your former self, but after watching some of these guys play, I realized that as you age, you lose parts of your game such as your athleticism, but gain in the IQ category. 
After the tournament, which the Ulster Elks masters team won (partly in consequence to Gareth Maguire’s buzzer beater bank shot heroics in the semi-finals), the players had a supper at the Harbour hotel to celebrate the game of basketball and life itself. Above is a picture of Tim holding his favorite basketball,myself, Gareth and Kevin Craig. If you don’t know who Kevin Craig is, you should do your research on him. From what I heard, he was and still is one of the best rebounding/post guys in the country (source: Joe Coughlan). Joe did sneak in the fact that he scored on Kevin with an up and under move during their game earlier that day.
Later that night, we got the sad news that the mother of one of Gareth’s teammates had passed. Although he was away from his mother, he was surrounded by his closest group of friends in one of life’s most difficult situations. Makes you think a little bit at how short life is. I want to give my condolences to him and his family.
-Will

3, 2, 1….and Gareth Maguire banks it in to lead the Ulster Elks into the finals of the Galway Masters Tournament!!! Yesterday was a great day of basketball in Galway. In the morning I had the Titans Academy, which was by far the best Saturday since I’ve started. I told the kids how happy and impressed I was with them. Afterwards, I headed over to the Kingfisher at NUIG to get a quick workout in before checking out some of the Master’s Tournament. I walked into the gym just in time to catch the final minute of the semi-final game between Ulster and Galway. Sure enough I see Galway miss 2 free throws with about 6 seconds left, Ulster pushes the ball downcourt, where it ends up in Gareth’s hands and he banks it in from deep as time expires to send Ulster into the finals, which they would eventually win. However, if we were in New York, the shot wouldn’t have counted because everyone in the gym would tell you that he didn’t call bank. Nonetheless, it was a great tournament and it was great to see all these guys who are all basketball legends in Ireland. Last night we joined everyone at the hotel to celebrate the success of the tournament. 

Overall it was a good week in Galway, as usual. Had a lot of work to do. (Still have a lot more to do). But I was able to get one final presentation out of the way, which was for our Strategic Management class. Instead of doing a traditional PowerPoint, I suggested that we use Prezi, an online presentation software, that pretty much makes presentations a little cooler. As expected, it worked! Our presentation absolutely blew the class away. Students, as well as the professor, were thoroughly impressed. Kids even stayed after class to shake my hand and tell me how great the presentation was. We received an A on the presentation, which accounts for 20 percent of our overall grade in the course. The professor said, “Congratulations on an excellent presentation. It was close to a standard which was equivalent to middle manager presentations I have seen in industry! so well done.” 

As far as the Titans are concerned, it was a solid week of training. Things are starting to come together. We had no game this weekend, but might be organizing a friendly for next weekend. I thought I was going to be able to play in our next official game which is Nov. 5, but I can’t play until Nov. 6. 1 day!! Oh well. At least I’ll be back for our game the following week which will be our first Cup game.

The week ahead will surely be very busy. I have several assignments that I will hopefully have completed by the end of the week, which means I will have plenty of work(stress) off my shoulders, allowing me more time to watch shows online, like Dexter. The photo I have included is an excerpt from my conversation with Darryl the other day. Victory Scholars helping Victory Scholars!!!
-Tim

In one of the most exciting games I’ve played in, the Meteors this weekend went on a late surge to pull ahead of Killester and enter into third place in the league. It was all laughs and smiles after the game, but that was not even the best part. The best part was the younger Meteor girls all running up to us after the game to congratulate us. They had been sitting on the sideline all game, smiling and waving at me every time I went to take the ball out of bounds. 

 

They came up to each player on my team to hug and congratulate us on our win. They seemed so excited to be able to watch our team and to talk to us afterwards. What they don’t know is how happy it makes me to see them at the games with such excitement. And who doesn’t want ten hugs right after a win?! It really is what it’s all about.

all of the little choices, experiences, and opportunities that have helped me get to where I am today. 

 

It took me awhile, but I’ll trace it back to one defining moment: becoming a big sister in 1995. Something happens to you once you realize you have a little sibling, but it didn’t hit me until I got a little bit older. I realized that I had someone looking up to me and watching me (no matter how hard she may try to deny it), and somehow we ended up having some of the same mannerisms, same laugh, same interest in basketball, and countless other things.

 

While my sister and I have a three year age gap, our birthdays are only 3 days apart from each other: so for the first chunk of our birthdays, we had joined birthday parties. While our birthday parties may have been somewhat separately themed (I had a Space Jam themed party several years in a row), we still had plenty of special, shared moments growing up.

 

We are at that perfect age of having an age gap, but not too large a gap. We were in school together in elementary school and one year in high school – and even had the chance to play on the same high school basketball team and win a state championship together!

 

Many of the girls within the UL Huskies youth teams have younger siblings playing in the club too, and it’s always great to see them playing together or against each other in trainings. It’s always something about that sibling rivalry, or even just knowing the subtle tendencies of your sibling that no one else knows that harbors that connection that only you two fully understand.

 

Being an older sibling helped me realize the influence I could have on someone younger, and the true words of aiming to be a role model… both to my sister, my younger teammates and sisters at Elon, and any young basketball player in general 

 

I guess you can say this is my indirect way of saying that I miss my sister, and I hope she gets a chance to visit the beautiful country of Ireland before I leave! (hint, hint) : )

Already mid-way through October! One more month and I’ll be ready to play some ball for the Titans. It’s been a long month watching the guys play while sitting on the bench. I can’t wait till the day I’ll be able to get on the court and play with the guys. Apparently my first game will be against this team called Maree. Will surely be a good game!
I had the opportunity to coach at Taylor’s Hill high school earlier this week. The group consisted of fourteen 14-15 year old girls. They struggled early on with the layup drills, but they eventually got a hang of it… I’m pretty sure the thought of running 1 sprint per missed layup increased their concentration!! After an hour or so, they played a 5 on 5 game where they were able to display their skills. Some of these girls have skill!
Saturday we had game number 3 versus Neptune. It was a hard fought game and the guys gave their all out there. Coach Matt was his usual self, pushing the guys and motivating them to ‘cut’ and rebound every chance they had. 2-1 this season!
Good talk!
Will

It’s unreal how fast these weeks are starting to go by. This past week was an absolute blur of lectures, meetings, homework, training, and coaching. Some deadlines for certain projects, reports, and presentations are right around the corner, so the pressure is starting to build to really get some things done. I had a few group meetings this past week, as we have one HUGE presentation this week for our Strategic Management class. In addition to school, I coached the kids at St. Pat’s twice this week and they’re not only becoming better basketball players, but they’re listening better as well. A group of rambunctious boys can be pretty tough to deal with, but I think I’ve handled them pretty well. I also coached the U16/U18 Titans girls team this past week for the first time. It was great just coaching a team, as opposed to a huge group. We were able to get a lot done, and I felt like I was able to do a good amount of teaching. It looks like they’re going to be my team this year which should be pretty cool. The trainings for the Titans went really well this week. Guys were playing hard in practice and things are starting to click. We won our game Saturday against Neptune. I’m thrilled because that was the last game that I won’t be able to play in. We’re off the next two weekends, and then the following weekend we have our first Cup game, which I’ll be eligible for. YES! 
Today was a day spent doing a bunch of homework. However, I went to coach at Westside but ended up not having to. But Joe Coughlan was there and insisted that he take me to see a roof that was in the process of being thatched. In my first couple weeks here, Joe had shown me a few thatched roofs and explained that they needed to be replaced every 20 years or so, and the top every 7 years. Apparently it’s rare to actually see this being done, so he felt it imperative that I witness it. Not only did I witness it, but we were talking with the man and woman(1 of only 4 female thatchers in Ireland) and I even got a chance to help out! Talk to you guys next week!
-Tim

We all know how much fun it is to be in new places, meet new people, and begin new adventures. (And if you don’t, I highly recommend finding out!!) BUT, being homesick is a real thing. I’ve always been extremely close with my family at home, and was never apart from them for more than a month or two. I had a busy schedule in college, but they always came to my games if i couldn’t come to them. That’s why my mom and aunt visiting me meant so much to me. After six months of being in Ireland, I hadn’t seen the people who I was used to seeing all of the time. 

I enjoyed becoming a tourist again with my mom and aunt. We toured the Guinness Storehouse, bought Ireland scarves to cheer on the rugby match against Wales, and got to show them all around Dublin. They even got to come to a game and meet all of my teammates. They kept telling me that I was so lucky to have met such great people here, and I know they are right about that. I’m so lucky that they got to experience some of my life here and be surrounded by all of the people I am. 

When I stop and think of all the love that I have been so blessed to be a recipient of in my life, I am in pure and unfiltered awe. Humans are much more powerful than they may think. Sure, humans can accomplish inspiring feats of physical strength. We can use our minds to create knowledge and comprehend our environment in a myriad of ways. We can apply sheer human will-power to survive and thrive. All of these are unbelievably trademark of the human being; but there might be another element to our strength that we fail to account for as often as we should.

 

Have you ever felt empty before? Like you’re not really sure what it is, but there is something that is just not there. Or maybe the opposite, you have felt fulfilled in a way that is verbally inexpressible, fundamentally indescribable. Maybe it is the joy of having a child, or marrying the person that you love. Maybe it is the moment you realize you have a best friend, or it might be the moment you realize how much your family means to you. It could be missing a passed on loved on, or finally acknowledging how much something or someone meant to you long after your time with them has passed. These feelings are all really two sides of the same coin, two hoops on the same court, two goals on the same pitch.

 

Have you ever stopped and thought about how you ended up being born to your parents; like, really how did YOU end up in the network of people that you are now in? I’m going to speak in ideals for a moment. Without thinking too much about it, we assume that wherever we may have landed, we have people around us somewhere that love us. Why do they love us? Well, to be blunt, it’s usually just because you’re their kid. Regardless of whether family actually enjoys you as a person, they most oftentimes still express an unconditional love, based on two main factors. One, naturally we are predisposed to care for and maintain relationships with our close family members, this is biologically founded and it is inherent in the way that human beings structure their social network. Therefore, nurturing, loving, and taking care of offspring and close family bears a biological and socio-historical element. But it can’t be completely natural and biological, otherwise, why would there be so many cases of family love that actually doesn’t happen? This brings me to the second reason that families in human societies generally share the bonds that we socially expect them to: expectations. There is a very strict social notion that undeniably and consistently presumes that we love our family members. The words mother, brother, father, and sister are not light words in our language, rather they bear a great deal of emotive content. This is why when two siblings do not get along, or a relationship is severed between two members of an immediate family, it is surprising and sometimes quite saddening. This is because of the expectations that we hold.

 

Think of a child adopted by the two most loving and devoted parents you could imagine. There is no biological connection here, other than the most important biological factor, our humanity, of course. Nevertheless, love can be unconstrained in the same exact way that it is in a home of biological relatives. Why is this, and what does this tell us? It really appears, then, that love, affection, care, devotion, dedication, brotherhood, sisterhood, and all of those words that connote true commitment to another person do not have much to do with biological constrictions at all. So, why then are we so quick to feel inclined and nearly obligated to love someone to whom we are told we are biologically related, and yet so hesitant to extend the same consideration and care for others who occupy the same exact space in the world as a living, breathing human being.

 

I am not advocating that people do not care for family. However, I pose a serious inquiry into the foundations of love, what makes us happy, what leaves us void, and what ultimately fulfils us; let’s ask ourselves why this cannot be extended to those who do not share the same biological affiliations as ourselves.

 

At times, we tend to compartmentalize our relationships and social networks without critically thinking. After thinking and thinking……and thinking…..and thinking, I still cannot come up with a valid and ethically sound reason why I would intentionally treat  any person, whether I know them personally or not, any different than I would treat the closest of my family members.

 

Although it is much more difficult to accomplish in practice than in my theoretical ranting, it seems that at the very least, we try to understand that not much really separates us. No matter how much love you may have for a family member, friend, or other loved one, neglecting to share the essence of human strength and ability, the fundamental and essential human attribute…..neglecting to share that with any other person is defeating and counterproductive. If you have the ability to love and care, then do so. Don’t restrict yourself because your cup is already full, it might mean someone else’s isn’t.

Think about a time when you were content. Think about when you felt truly fulfilled. The love may have come from anywhere, but I guarantee it came from somewhere. That is all that humans can survive on. Food and water are the material content which fuels us, but what validates our existence is the intangible and unquantifiable depth that human connections, relationships, and mutual considerations offer.  Thinking about the barriers that keep me back and the mental restrictions that I have placed on myself are helping me learn and grow in new environments every day. If I can love members of my family with such an undying devotion, then surely I have more in the tank for others. What’s really hampering us? At the end of the day, we all count the same.

 

That’s what Ireland taught me, peace.

 

#inspire

 

 

Hello!

Hope everyone is doing great! This week was a pretty uneventful one. To tell you the truth, aside from loads of classwork, a couple practices, and a few coaching sessions, there wasn’t much happening. Had a blast writing some essays in the library. It was the first time I actually spent some time in the NUIG library since I’ve gotten here. Got quite a lot of work done there, so maybe I’ll be hanging out there more often!!

Looking back, I guess there was one eventful situation this week. The Titans basketball club organized a bag packing fundraiser at DUNNES superstore. The entire National League team as well as several other players from the younger groups showed up to raise funds. The Titans spent about 4 hours Friday and another 4 on Saturday amassing funds! It’s great to see such involvement from every level! 

I walked around Galway earlier Saturday and noticed that even though the weather was terrible, people still went out shopping on the ‘shop street’. As you can see from the picture, there are about 300 people walking around in that single picture. Who says you can’t have a good time when its 10 degrees and raining?! 

Talk to you all again next week!

Will

Hey Guys, Tim here checking in for the week! To say school has picked up a lot would be a tremendous understatement. We have been given pretty much all of our assignments by now and naturally, they’re all do pretty much at the same time. So now it is really going to require some effective time management to get this stuff done. But so far so good this week. I was able to get the ball rolling on several assignments. Met with one of my groups to discuss how we were going to tackle one of our projects. Overall, a good, solid week of school/homework.

We had two intense practices with the Titans this week. Guys were competing hard and things are starting to come together. However, yesterday we were missing a few players for our game against Castle Island, who won the National League last year, and we lost the game. It was a long trip down to Kerry and back for the game, but well worth it to see what other teams in the National League have.
I did a bit of coaching this week at St. Pat’s, one of the local schools, and at the Titans Academy. The numbers at the Titans Academy remain really strong and the kids are improving tremendously, which is encouraging to them as players, and me as a coach!

Also this week, the Titans organized a “Bag-Pack” at a local Dunne’s grocery store as a fundraiser for the club. It was a great fundraiser as we had National League players as well as some of our younger players all the way down through some of our youngest members in the club participating in the bag-pack. It was a two-day event and the amount of Titans that helped out was incredible! 

In other news, USNI and the Titans received a bit of press this week. As many of you may know, we had the USNI/NUIG launch a couple weeks ago. This week NUIG did a press release announcing the launch, there was an article in the Galway Advertiser, as well as a publication on the main page of the Basketball Ireland Website. Check it out!
-Tim

 

I learned a nice lesson about the power of the mind and how influential doubt or faith can be in using its power today while shooting in the gym. Kelly and I had a nice cardio workout during the day before my meeting with the physical therapist at school. The workout was a little faster then I planned for so I was a bit early for my appointment. I figured I would get some shots up to pass the time.

 

Technically I was not cleared to shoot yet so I was a bit nervous to shoot but I had been anxious to see how it felt. I shot a few times and thought that with the pain and instability that I was not ready. It didn’t feel right, I asked myself if I was scared, or if it really was my shoulder holding me back.

20 minutes later I was given a new rehab exercise by the therapist and due to my range of motion and strength I was cleared to shoot. I went back in the gym to shoot and although I was fatigued I was close to pain free. I realized it was all in my head, once the physio cleared me I had all the confidence in the world.

 

Thinking back it makes me mad I should have had faith, but instead I let the doubt creep in and it overcame my faith. Today was just another step in achieving my goals, becoming a better person, strengthening my faith, letting go and letting God. Thanks for reading …..

Thinking back about basketball, kind of where it all began, and where I am today is like a walk down memory lane – it really makes me think of how far I’ve come. It all started as young girl — before I could walk, before I could talk. My dad was a college coach so ever since I was born I have been around basketball. It started out as the baby in a stroller watching games, and then I became the little kid who would go watch practices and games, while cheering the team on. When I was old enough, I began playing myself and, from there, the rest is history. Basketball has given me so much in life, from education to friends to an experience abroad. While there were definitely ups and downs, as there always are in life, I wouldn’t trade any of it. As hard as it might have seemed sometimes, it is the tough times that really made a difference in my life.  They taught me to never give up, work hard, stay positive, and believe – they helped shape the person I am today. Due to a lot of hard work, I was blessed to have the opportunity to play basketball in college and then continue playing overseas here in Ireland as part of the Sport Changes Life program, but the greatest blessings are the friendships, memories, and experiences I’ve made along the way. Not a day goes by where I do not think of all the experiences and how they’ve helped me get to where I am today.

 

This wouldn’t be complete without mentioning family. Family means the world to me. I am incredibly close with my family and truly believe that part of the reason for the close bond with my family is basketball. Throughout my AAU and high school career, I usually had games every weekend and my parents and grandparents would come to a majority of them – there was always someone there. Even if I played in an out-of-state tournament, I knew someone from my family would be in the stands. This didn’t change in college. When most students would only see their parents or grandparents on holidays or breaks, I was lucky enough to see my parents and grandparents almost every week during my basketball season. Basketball has helped me form bonds with family, friends, and even strangers.

 

Looking back…it’s crazy to think of how my journey began as a little girl in a crib holding a basketball. Now I’m living in Ireland getting a masters degree, coaching kids, and playing the sport I love. Time really does fly.

 

As I look forward, my dream has always been to be a college coach or work in the sports industry – a dream that probably started to take shape as the little girl cheering on her dad’s college team twenty years ago. 

Time flies! We’re already a third through the semester and October has finally arrived! Earlier this week, we were given our topics for our big consultancy projects for our International Cross Cultural Management class. My group needs to analyze whether or not an American securities technology firm would be able to open a factory in Japan. There are a bunch of things we need to take in consideration such as the Japanese labor market, Japanese-American relations, and Japanese human resource management style for example. I’m looking forward to starting this project as it looks at the importance and growth of the Asian markets in this time of recession. Could an American company survive in Japan considering the Japanese management style, culture and profit priorities are so different? I’ll let you know as follow up on my research!

Friday was the USNI launch at NUI Galway. Gareth and his USNI crew drove down to Galway to come hang out with us, our coaches and the NUIG staff. The launch was a grand success from the beginning to the end. I want to thank USNI, Gareth, NUI Galway and everyone that was involved in the launch. We had a great time and really appreciate the love from each and every single one of you from this great country! 

Yesterday we had our first league game. Tim and I weren’t able to participate in it as we can only play after being in the country for 90 days. Until then, all we can do is be the team’s official cheerleaders! Don’t we look cute in our outfits? Haha 

Talk to you all next week!

Will

Another week in the books! Like Will said, time is absolutely flying by. I can’t believe it’s already October and I’ve been here 2 months! That’s what happens when you’re busy and more importantly, when you’re having fun. 

It was a good week of classes at NUIG. Assignments are starting to be given out, as are more presentations. I’m going to be having several group meetings this week for the different presentations/projects that are beginning to develop. This past Friday, we had the USNI/NUIG launch that was held in the President’s room at the college. Apparently this room is only for very important people and special occasions. Certainly made me feel important! Several people spoke including the president of the University, Gareth Maguire, and the chairman of the Galway Titans. These gentlemen not only spoke of celebrating the launch of the partnership between USNI and NUIG, but spoke of the expectations that they have for myself and Will, as pioneers of this program in Galway. We will certainly do our best to live up to, and hopefully surpass any and all expectations that people may have for us. I know we’re up to the challenge!

Saturday we won our first National League game against Ballina. Not being able to play was driving me insane!! Will and I were like caged animals on the sideline. Both of us sitting there anxiously, tapping our feets, writhing our hands, standing up, sitting down. It’s killing us to not be able to play, but soon enough we’ll be out there. 

On a personal note, it was an exceptionally great weekend as my brother returned home from his second tour in Afghanistan. The rest of my family was all there to welcome him home and I had the chance to Skype with everyone today which was great! It’s comforting to have him home and I’m excited to have him come visit me in December. Talk to you guys next week!!
-Tim

For the college student-athletes that are soon to be college graduates, but are wondering what their next move is… don’t panic! I felt that same way about a year ago, it is a bit scary, yet a very exciting time. For me, my mind was scattered with ideas and potential plans. I thought about continuing to play basketball overseas, I thought about getting a full time job, and I also thought about freaking out because it was all so overwhelming!

 

That’s when I heard about the Sport Changes Life program, a program that combines sport, community involvement, and higher education all in one. The more I read about it, the more I realized it was a no-brainer to apply.

 

I know that there are a lot of college athletes that are just like me in the aspect that they’re not quite ready to give up the sport they love, but aren’t sure if playing overseas is for them. That’s why the Sport Changes Life program is so great. Being a Victory Scholar allows you to continue playing basketball at a competitive, yet fun and enjoyable level.

 

It not only allows you to continue playing the sport you love, but it also pairs basketball with the opportunity to inspire. Think about how many opportunities this sport has given you. Also, think about the people that inspired you to play the game you love. Wouldn’t it be cool to take part in inspiring young children to develop the same love for the game that you have? To experience opportunities similar to the ones you had? Take it from me; it will be one of the most fulfilling and gratifying moments. 

 

If I still haven’t hooked you yet, what if I told you that on top of playing your favorite sport, while coaching and developing the youth of Ireland, you also get to advance in the classroom and earn a Master’s degree! Continuing your education at an international level is an experience that not many people get to have.

 

As I write this blog, I am very excited for all that read this and decide to apply because the journey you will embark on is incredible. But at the same time, I am sad because it means my time as a Victory Scholar in Ireland is coming to a close. I look back at all the wonderful experiences, opportunities, and friendships I have made and have been a part of during my time in Ireland all thanks to this wonderful program. It will forever be one of the most memorable years of my life. 

 

It was a year ago that I sat at my desk in college and wondered if I should go ahead and apply for this program. You can only imagine how grateful and awesome I am feeling today knowing that I took the chance and filled out an application.

 

Don’t let an opportunity like this pass you by… apply now and really see how sport not only changes your life, but also the lives around you!

 

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