What’s up?

It’s March! Which means that its the most exciting time of the year for basketball. Anyone unfamiliar with March Madness, it is the time of the year when all the college basketball conferences hold their respective tournaments to then see who goes dancing in the Big Dance. The Big Dance is comprosided of the best 68 Division 1 basketball teams in the country. All these teams compete in a single elimination tournament for the ultimate college basketball achievement which is the national championship. Ironically enough, I will be playing in the All-Ireland college finals this upcoming week. So technically, I will be competing for a national championship against Dublin Business School.

Although March Madness is an American phenomenon, we had a taste of it here in Northern Ireland! The 14U Junior Elks girls team that I coach played in a thriller against Towers from Dungannon earlier this week. The double overtime game went back and forth with great play on both ends. With every bucket scored, the bench erupted and the atmosphere was electric. Some big plays were made at the free throw line and on the defensive end that allowed us to pull off the victory. 

Also, the Ulster Elks senior team will be competing this upcoming week in the first round of the playoffs for the Premier League. We will host the 8th place team who has yet to be determined for a 3 game series (1 home, 1 away, 1 home). We finished the season off strong with a home victory against Letterkenny, who could actually end up as an 8 seed.

As you can see, in March everything takes a back seat to basketball… well at least in theory. There are other important things still going on including the never-ending school work and also the eHoops program. Pictured below is the group of kids I work with weekly to help better their paths in life. As much of an impact that I am trying to have on their life, they have returned the favor. In future posts, I will share my experiences that I have with these great kids.

Peace!

Terriers are little dogs. They’re not particularly fearsome or intimidating at first sight. People might even describe them as cute. I was a Terrier for the past four years at St. Francis College, and I can say from personal experience that a lot of our opponents did not take us Terriers seriously enough.

 

Perhaps they had good reason. When I came into the program as a freshman, St. Francis did not have a tradition of winning. It had finished bottom of the ladder for years running, failing even to make playoffs. Yet, as my teammates and I gained experience and began to really gel together over the years, our program gained strength. With the guidance of our coach, John Thurston, and his assistants, we transformed St. Francis from “the doormat of the conference” (yes, one online announcer actually referred to us as that—I thought seriously about writing him a very strongly worded letter) to a serious championship contender.

 

By the time I was a junior, we had improved from having four wins my freshman year to capturing nineteen wins. We broke nearly every record in school history that year—every record except for the one we wanted most: our first ever NEC championship. We fell short in playoffs, and set our aching hearts on the next season, my last at St. Francis.

 

As a senior, the year wasn’t going as I had planned. We struggled through nonconference and the start of conference play to gain momentum. And then it happened. Towards the end of conference play, we went on a 5-1 game winning streak. It was like someone flipped a switch and suddenly we were playing as one unit, unified by a single goal. We’d dug ourselves a hole though, and were seeded just fifth for our conference playoffs. A fifth seeded team had never won the championship before. Being fifth also meant that we would have to play on the road for each playoff game. So we went to Sacred Heart University, and beat them. Next we took on the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils, the regular season champions, and upset them on their home court in a double-overtime victory. Finally we traveled all the way to Robert Morris University where the championship game was held. It was there that we became the first fifth seeded team to win the championship and the first St. Francis women’s basketball team in school history to earn its berth to the NCAA March Madness Tournament. It was also where my biggest dream for the past four years came true, and I can’t think of a happier moment in my life.

 

Despite the fact that us Terriers experienced such a dramatic improvement over my four years at St. Francis, I still always felt like the underdog. My teammates and I were basically the human embodiment of Terriers. We were not the most intimidating bunch. We were often undersized and certainly not the most athletic team. We weren’t the strongest or the fastest either. But we were smart and most of all, we played hard. We lived by the saying: “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” And no matter if we fell short of our opponents talent-wise, we never failed to match them with fight. That’s what it is to be a Terrier.

 

Even though I have graduated and left St. Francis, I’ll always be a Terrier. Now, I’ll just have to stay up until ridiculous times in Ireland to watch my Terrier sisters play this season. With their first game against Georgia Tech fast approaching, I just have a few words for them. First, you are a young team who has graduated a number of its highest minute players. People will underestimate you. That’s good. Let them. Terriers are great at being the underdogs, and it will make each win that much sweeter. Second, as a young team you have to look to the upperclassmen for leadership. Leah Fechko is not only the most experienced player you have, but she is also one of the most dedicated basketball players I have ever met. Look to her for leadership (no pressure Leah). Third, Georgia Tech’s mascot is a bulldog, so it looks like it’s going to be a dogfight. And you know what they say about dogfights: it’s not the size of the dog in the fight…

 

Good luck! Go Terriers!

 

Victory Scholar: Katie Fox

Present University: Waterford IT

US League: NEC

Club/Community Partner: Waterford Wildcats

Alma Mater: St. Francis College

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

I was a little nervous going to the Cliffs; since the first day that I announced I was going to Ireland, anyone and everyone has raved about the jaw drawping-ly beautiful Cliffs of Moher. So there was A LOT of anticipation. But I have to say, the cliffs lived up to all the hype, and went above and beyond my expectations. 

It’s funny though, when describing the cliffs, it seems that no one ever mentioned how terrifying they can be! Our trip at the cliffs consisted of gazing in awe walking along the cliffs, followed by the non-stop yelling at each other to step back from the edge. The cliffs are extremely high up, with walking paths extremely close to the edge, leaving NOTHING in between you and a very scenic fall to the rocks. I am being slightly dramatic, but it was scary. However, the extra adrenaline rush only heightened the experience, making the visit even more memorable. 

And as you may have guessed, we all made it out alive (yay!), living to tell the tale of our amazing experience at the cliffs. #breathtakinglybeautiful #butslightlyterrfiying

 

 

Hey,

I want to share with you guys my experience with the ehoops program ran through Sport Changes Life which is a 24week program that just started up this month. As many of you might already know, the ehoops program is geared towards “at risk” youth who live in divided communities. Half of the kids are Catholic and the other half Protestant. Over the past few decades there have been serious conflict and rioting between these two groups. Our goal as a program is to bring these divided communities together to help integrate and educate them through sport in hopes of a better future.

As an outsider coming into the culture, it was very much a shock to me how these kids acted towards one another. Coming from America, where historically there would be racial divide, helped me better understand the circumstances that were deeply embedded into the Northern Irish culture. 

My responsibility within the ehoops program is to design fun basketball related activities that will help facilitate a sense of self-efficacy and self-confidence in these youth. Many have openly expressed to me that they feel as if their life is a complete failure. Also I have been told by them that there is no other option for them, but to be on the streets. This to me is exactly why I chose to be an International Victory Scholar and apart of the Sport Changes Life Foundation.

Every opportunity I have with these kids I let them know that there are other more positive options. I try to convey this by telling my own personal story of having come from a very supportive family, but neither of my parents went to college nor was I expected to go. By making a few smart decisions at their stage in life, I was able to better myself and others around me. 

Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be receiving my master’s degree in Northern Ireland. As cliche as it might sound, I tell these kids that the sky is the limit. Everyone’s path is different and it is up to them to choose theirs.

Darryl

During my four years at St. Francis College, I tallied 3,660 minutes played in games. During those 3,660 minutes, I was virtually injury free. Sure, I had my bumps, bruises, minor wears and tears, but throughout my college career I never experienced a truly serious injury. That is why I was so shocked when—after just roughly twelve minutes of playing time into my first preseason game for the Waterford Wildcats—I was being carried off the court. In a scrap for a loose ball, one of the opposing players had accidentally fallen into my knee, forcing it painfully inward.

 

So there I sat, behind the bench, leg elevated, ice on, for the rest of the day. I watched the Wildcats play two games without me, while I pouted because I had never had to miss a game before. I was having myself a nice little pity party. In fairness, I was devastated because I love the game so much. The chance to play for another year in Ireland was a blessing that I didn’t know if I would be able to enjoy anymore; I had no idea what kind of damage I had done to my knee or how long it would take me to recover. So yes, I was having a pity party, but at least it was somewhat justified.

 

In the days to come, people would tell me how unlucky it was, that I had gotten injured in my first game in Ireland. But, the more I think about it, the more I think that I haven’t been unlucky at all. In fact, I’d say that I have been extremely lucky.

 

When I was carried off the court, one of my teammates, Sinead, immediately put her sweatshirt around me. This tiny gesture spoke volumes to me. In one of the scariest moments of my career, she was there to give me warmth. And then, she and the rest of my teammates did what they could to comfort me with the limited options from the concession stand; they bought me chips (crisps) and little chocolates, and gave them to me with a note saying that they would make me feel better. Even though I had only met these girls a week before, they were so genuine and kind to me in my moment of need that it would be unfair to describe it as unlucky.

 

Then there was Sarah Benedetti, my longtime friend and teammate from St. Francis College, who is also playing in Ireland as a part of the Sport Changes Life program. Sarah forwent a reunion with a few of the other Victory Scholars in Dublin to come back to my dorm room in Waterford where I would basically spend the next 48 hours being horizontal. She could have had a great time in Dublin, but she chose to make sure that I was okay instead. When I think about the fact that I had Sarah to take care of me, I cannot help but to feel lucky.

 

Other people helped too. John Hayes took me to dinner that night and lunch the next day, and even rebounded for me as a shot while sitting in a chair during our practice slot on Wednesday night. Jillian Hayes drove me from doctor to doctor to physical therapist (or physio as they say) to make sure I will have a speedy recovery.

 

And as it turns out, I have not done any structural damage to my knee. I merely have a bad sprain to my MCL, which means I should be back on the court in four weeks time. Although it is annoying for me to be on crutches right now, the fact that this is the first time in my life that I’ve been on crutches, and the fact that I’ll be off of them soon, makes me feel like a pretty lucky person after all. 

 

 

Victory Scholar: Katie Fox

Present University: Waterford IT

US League: NEC

Club/Community Partner: Waterford Wildcats

Alma Mater: St. Francis College

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

 

 

Hey guys,

This is has been a good week in Ireland. Our Premier League team has just clinched the regular season title with 3 games to go. This is a great accomplishment that has been a total team effort. Back in October during pre-season, we decided that our goal was to win the regular season and playoffs. With one of those goals down, it is important, more than ever, that we continue working hard everyday in practice to achieve our ultimate goal.

School work has been picking up now that we are starting week 5 of the semester. Group meetings, researching for hours (more like AN hour), and tedious work conveying thoughts and conclusions have been my life over the last few weeks and will continue as the workload picks up. I have a few exciting projects that I am involved in this semester. One of those, my group is looking at the NBA’s business model versus the other 3 major sporting leagues in American and how they can improve their revenue. Because I am passionate about business, specifically sports business, this will be a fun and interesting project. I will be sure to get back to you with the results we find.

Besides schoolwork, I have been busy with coaching. I have recently been coaching in a primary school where the teaching points are very basic. The kids are between 7 and 10 years old. Managing these kids can be difficult when trying to teach the bare basics of basketball. Although, a few games of basketball tag usually tires them out enough to pay attention. It is a continuous process of learning different coaching techniques that work best for these kids.

Thanks to the Maguires I was able to visit Donegal which is the northern most part on the island of Ireland. One of the most beautiful places I have seen (pics below)

What’s up?

As always, it has been an event-filled week here in Northern Ireland. Hinted by the title, there were many opportunities to seize a second chance. The great thing about basketball which can also be pertained to life is that when given a second chance, it is very important that one improves if not succeed. Although there were various outcomes to the second chances, all were learning opportunities.

First, the Junior Elks U16 had a chance at redemption against the same Queens team that I mentioned to you last week that played a zone defense against us. This was a new game with an opportunity to prove to this team that we could contend with them. Instead, the girls retracted to bad habits and poor attention to detail which resulted in another loss to the same team. After the game, myself and the coaches explained to the girls that coachability was just as important to the game of basketball as being able to shoot the ball. To the credit of the girls, the came with a brand new attitude the next day in our game against Letterkenny and pulled out a decisive win.

Secondly, the Ulster Elks Premier League team was able to make incredible strides against two league opponents that previously beat us, both North Star and Tropics. Both games, as a team, we defensively took a stand which we had previously failed to do. The first meeting with the two teams we played lethargic defense that led to big leads for the opposing team. This mental toughness was not something we demonstrated at the beginning of the year, which shows that we have made postive strides and have seized the opportunity to improve. 

As for my coursework, getting a fresh start in the second semester is like getting a second chance to do things differently. Although I thought I was very time oriented the first semester, there is always room for improvement. With a lot of my assessments due around the same time periord, I’ve decided to get an early start on them so I can individually focus on doing my best on each assessment.

Peace,
Darryl

Two weeks ago I was lucky enough to have my Aunt and Uncle come and visit after they made a quick trip to London. Then this past week, my mom and dad came to visit me too! 

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind filled with hikes, bike rides, tours, and of course, great food. We did tons of fun things, but the highlights were more when we were simply enjoying each other’s company. Walking in Howth, catching up with my parents on a beautiful day, or just hanging out with my aunt and uncle in my tiny little apartment, talking about basketball (a common habit of my family) while relaxing with tea and ‘biscuits’; that was all I needed.  

I sad to see them go, but thankfully I have friends, teammates, and an unreal amount of class work to keep me very, very busy. 

Sending love to all my family back home, till we meet again! xoxo

 

 

What’s up?

Here I am embarking on another solid week in Northern Ireland. Since my last post a lot has taken place, which I am excited to share with you guys. Over the past week, I spent a weekend in London, coached a Junior Elks game, played in two Premier League games, and started coaching in a primary school. Also, I can’t forget to mention that classes have started up! I told you, it has been quite an eventful week. The wide range of activities that I mentioned are all part of my decision to be here in Northern Ireland, which has enhanced my character in many different ways.

This week the Junior Elks U16 girls played against Queens, which unfortunately resulted in a loss. The girls faced a zone defense which we rarely see in the U16 league and is not even allowed in the U14 league. As I have mentioned before, majority of the girls playing on the U16 team are on the U14 team. Both age groups practice together on a single night a week, which left me as a coach in a dilemma. I found myself drawing up a offensive play during the game to combat the zone defense that we were facing, then realizing that we have never worked against a zone defense in practice. As the coach who only has 2 hours a week to practice, I have to make a decision on whether or not it is worth working on a zone offense that we will most likely not see the rest of the year. This situation could be applied to any aspect of life, where under certain constraints you have to be able to make the most effective and efficient decision. In this case, I decided rather than working against the zone offense, we will work on developing our skills against man to man pressure. Nonetheless, the girls put up a good fight and our continuing to improve weekly.

Ironically, the Premier League team also had a set back loss against Queens. They came out firing on all cylinders and we’re able to maintain the lead throughout most of the game. The great thing about basketball is that there is always another game. We were able to bounce back with a win against North Star, who we had previously lost to in Derry. Being able to bounce back after being knocked down is always a great characteristic to have as a team (long as you don’t get knocked down too many times).

As for London, it was an eye-opening experience. The city was vibrant, lively and full of diversity. I was able to take lots of picture and learn more about the history of London. My favorite part of the trip was being able to see the changing of the guards at Buckningham Palace. Let me inform you that this process takes place every other day and as you can see by the picture below there are still thousands of people out to witness this take place. Amazing.

Peace!

Thus far I have only played one other Victory Scholar in an actual game and that is Harrison. And in fact I have played him three different times. Up until yesterday Harrison’s team has gotten the better of my team, while even putting down a couple dunks on me. In my first two attempts, Harrison’s IT Carlow team has beaten the Galway Titans, one in a preseason tournament and the other in a regular season game. Yesterday that changed. IT Carlow traveled to Galway to play the NUI Galway team. Despite a 35 point performance by Harrison, Galway finally managed to pull out a win against Carlow. This rivalry will only continue as the two national league teams are still slated to play each other again later in the year.  

 

 

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 

Quote of the Day: “You never stay the same. You either get better or you get worse, the choice is yours” -Dave Paulsen

What’s up guys?

This has been a slow week, but productive week as we have not started the spring semester yet. Classes begin on January 30, 2012, and as always I am looking forward to starting a new semester with new classes. As the work piles up within the semester you can expect to hear a different tone towards the workload! 

SInce my last post, we have played two Premier League games versus Ballymena and Belfast Star. Both of the games resulted in wins for us, as we are starting to develop an identity as a team. This has been attributed to the hard work and effort that has been put into practice week in and week out. We continue our regular season with a game tomorrow against Queens, which we will look to continue our win streak. One of the many reasons in coming to Northern Ireland was the opportunity to spread my knowledge of basketball to people of different age groups and backgrounds. As you know I am working with the Junior Elks team, but also helping to teach key fundamental points to my teammates on the Premier League team. We have a couple younger players on our Ulster Elks team who have made considerable improvements since the start of the season partly because of the knowledge I try to offer them on the game of basketball. This is an continuous process, as it is with any player that wants to get better.

Improvements have also been witnessed in our Junior Elks team who played this weekend with a comfortable win over Magherfelt. Communication is a key factor in the success of any business, relationship, or team. This point was brought to light over the weekend when, as a coach, I had to make a decision to sit one of our better players because she did not communicate that she was able to make the game. Hopefully the punishment of sitting out the first half will have effectively warned everyone that communication is important. Nonetheless, the girls played with a lot of energy and smart fundamentals.

On a side note, I am looking forward to an upcoming trip to London with a couple of classmates before the semester gets underway! 

Peace
Darryl

Growing up, the football movie Remember the Titans was always an all-time favorite of mine. Not because the setting was in Virginia or that Denzel Washington was the main character, but the head coach’s name was Coach Boone. During my time here in Ireland, I have every intention to become just as great of a coach; unfortunately, the girls I will be coaching do not call me Coach Boone. In Ireland, it is common for people to address a coach by their first name.

 

Every Thursday night, I am the assistant coach to the Wildcat’s 12 and under girls club team from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. During practice, I was evaluating everyone’s skill level where some of the girls were advanced and others not so much. Because of the talent differences, I had to create drills that broke down the principles of basketball in to baby steps. Coaching is not as easy as one would think but I gave my best efforts to challenge them.

 

Sitting back and watching each and every one of them mimic the drill to the best of their abilities was sensational. Even in times of frustration, they were attentive to learning how to do it correctly. As a coach, I want them to excel in basketball but seeing moments of them hiding their little smirks and smiles are more gratifying. By the end of the year, the Wildcats and I plan to be a great as Phil Jackson and the Chicago Bulls in the 90s 😉

 

 

Victory Scholar: Jazmen Boone

Present University: Waterford IT

US League: CAA

Club/Community Partner: Waterford Wildcats

Alma Mater: The College of William and Mary

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

 

 

 

Hey guys,

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays as much as I did. It was a pleasure to get home and spend time with family and friends which you learn to appreciate greatly after living in a different country. Since being back in Northern Ireland, I have taken my finance/accounting exam with marketing and economics still to come (yea I know, exams after the holidays?!). Anyways it feels great to be back! As I had mentioned to a few folks the other day; when I firsted arrived back and was walking around I had felt like I never left. It was a good feeling for this place to feel like home. That feeling comes from the supporting cast around me here.

It was back to the fun of coaching the Junior Elks girls last night at practice. This was the first session back for the girls since Christmas and everyone was anxious and excited to see each other. Obviously, one of the main focuses for practice was to just get everyone back into the swing of things and run off some of that good ol’ holiday eating. As I had mentioned in previous blog postings, I have to deal with a wide range of talent. This can make for a difficult practice schedule. Now that I have been able to spend plenty of time with these girls coaching them, I have found ways to engage everyone equally while staying competitive. 

We have a girl on our team now who is younger than most of the girls and is naturally intimidated when playing in practice. Although she is one of our better players, I find her sometimes holding back against the older girls. Dealing with this problem has been challenging, but I constantly encourage her good plays. This gives her confidence along with making the others become aware of the respect she has on the court. Earlier in the year, I would have not been able to detect this problem and now through some experience working with the girls I can see where talent or skills are not being maximized. 

Time has flown by since first coming to Northern Ireland and I can say truly that this has been an amazing experience thus far. Through the time being here, I have grown as a leader, basketball player, and an overall person. Quite frankly, that is the main reason I came over, which was to build character. I have been able to attain these different characteristics because of the activities and people I am involved with on the daily basis.

PS. I met David Stern, the commissioner of the NBA, over the holidays when I was back home. I would love to one day be “The Commish”.

I will continue to share my experience with you guys. 

Happy New Year! 
Darryl

From the title of this blog you would think that I love Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, or I’ve made some new friends named Ben and Jerry. However, neither is the case. Don’t worry; I have made plenty of friends here, none of which are named Ben and Jerry though. 🙂

 

Instead, the title of this blog was inspired by not one, but several unrelated people, who could not pronounce my last name. Instead of attempting the long last name, they decided calling me ‘Sarah Ben and Jerry’ was easiest. When I originally heard this, I couldn’t help but laugh. I laughed even more when I realized that more than one person had this idea. I had never heard this nickname before, but its easily one of my favorites. At least I am associated with a good brand of ice cream, right? 

 

I know my last name is long, and people tend to struggle with it… but I have never had this many people just ignore my last name all together because its that difficult to pronounce. In fact, one of my friends prides herself on the fact that she can finally pronounce my last name without any help.

 

Although it is such a small part of my time in Ireland, it’s a story that I will always remember. From now on, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream will always mean so much more to me than just a brand of ice cream. 

 

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

 

Hey guys,

 

I know its been awhile since I lasted posted a note.  It’s crazy to know that its already December and the first semester is coming to an end quickly.  With lots of coursework and other obligations as a USNI scholar, it has been difficult finding time for posts!  Just to update you on how Thanksgiving was… it was an amazing time with great food.  The entire Premier League team showed up (not sure if was to support my American holiday or the food) anyways we had a good time.  Everyone came dressed as an “American”.  Although, I think it’s been a few years since some of them have been to America by what they were wearing.  I also got a surprise Skype call from my parents and girlfriend which was great.  Nonetheless, it was great time with great people.

 

Lately, I have been doing a lot of coaching.  Yesterday, I participated in two different coaching sessions.  The makeup of the basketball players I was coaching in each session was completely different.  First, I was coaching 9-11 year old boys in a local school.  All of these kids had never played basketball before.  I have now been with them for 10 weeks now, and I have seen massive improvements.  I have been trying to teach them basic skills such as passing, dribbling, and shooting.  Along with these fundamental skills, I also try to teach them the strategies of the game by playing 2v2 or 3v3.  This gives them a visual concept of how to play offense and defense.

 

The other group I coach on Monday is the Ulster Elks Junior team.  This is all girls between the ages of 8-16, with at least a basic understanding of the game.  Here with the girls, I try to focus on a lot of team drills rather than individual because we play in a local league.  These girls must know how to play 5v5 effectively together. It is sometimes difficult to coach this group because of the age and skill disparity.  This forces me to be creative with drills that will keep the focus of the most skillful ones, while not scaring off those ones who might be challenged by the drill.  This team has a game this weekend against Anderstown, a team that beat us earlier in the season.  The Elks girls have made huge improvements since then and we’re excited for the rematch.

 

PS. Northern Ireland weather has quickly turned to freezing and wet!

 

Peace

Darryl

 

Returning to Ireland from Spain snapped me back to reality very quickly. The sunny beaches of San Sebastian were replaced with the rain-swept green landscapes of Ireland. Yet, I was happy to be back. My trip to Spain was a lovely vacation from my responsibilities in Waterford, but I know that I still have a lot of work to do here and I was eager to get back to it. Most of all, I was itching to get back on the court.

In a way, playing basketball has been one of the only constants in my life. No matter where I’ve been—my hometown in Twinsburg, Ohio, my alma mater St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York, or here in Waterford—the one thing that has never changed is my love for that leather ball. When I step onto the court, I feel like a different person. I’m free. When I have the ball in my hand, I feel like I can do anything. All my outside stresses and worries melt away until I can think of nothing but the play at hand. I think it is the only time that I truly live in the moment, that I am completely present in the present. I have never felt more alive in my life than when I am playing. I guess that’s why I’ve given my life to basketball—because basketball has given me life.

I hope that while I’m here in Waterford I can transfer some of my passion for the game to the children I coach. As I aim to do that, I will continue to play with all the fire that I can possibly muster, giving life to the game that has given me so much. 

 

Victory Scholar: Katie Fox

Present University: Waterford IT

US League: NEC

Club/Community Partner: Waterford Wildcats

Alma Mater: St. Francis College

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

Hey folks,

 

This has been a tough week for me with lots of coursework.  Sounds familiar huh?  Yea I know. I have realized that this master’s course is really challenging me to manage my time well.  Some might call me a nerd, but I’ve enjoyed the challenge.  I have two assignments that are due this week, both of which are group assignments.  Originally, I thought group assignments were easier and that I preferred them.  Well… after 8 weeks of working in group I have learned a lot and maybe that view has changed (for now).  Working in groups forces communication and understanding among all group members.  I recognize that to be successful in the business world today, you must have great communication skill and empathy for those you have business relationships with.  Already I have learned a lot about working with others that will benefit me in the future.

 

With that being said, I did receive my assignment back that I mentioned to you guys a couple weeks back.  And I received a 66!  For those of you who come from American grading systems like myself would think that this was not a good grade.  Well I am in luck, because here in Northern Ireland the grading system is completely different.  A 66 is a B.  To prove it, I attached a picture of my grade!

 

Being successful in the classroom is definitely the first priority here, but that is also a priority on the basketball court.  Our last game against in town rival, Belfast Trpoics, we came up short.  With our record now being 3-2, we are looking to bounce back with some W’s.  This obviously starts in practice, where we will look to improve in the areas that hurt us most.  Defensive intensity has been raised in practice since our last outing.  Long as we continue to make strides in the right direction, we will prepare ourselves for success.

 

Shoutout to the Bucknell Bison for picking up their first W of the season this weekend.  Also I hope that everyone has a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving!

 

Peace

 

I am in the middle of my second week of classes and just turned in my first assignment (a four page paper) so I thought I’d celebrate by writing a blog.

 

The degree I am pursuing at the University of Limerick is a Masters in Financial Services. As an undergrad at NC State, I majored in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance.  For undergraduate, I took 4-5 classes a semester totaling to 12-15 hours in the classroom a week and now for my masters, I am taking 7 classes this semester totaling to 22 hours in the classroom a week. So the workload is definitely a major difference. But when it comes to the professors, they remind me a lot of my professors at NC State. They come to class everyday with high energy and have a great sense of humor. They make the lectures engaging and interactive and create an environment where I feel comfortable asking questions. While I have more hours in the classroom, I see that as a good thing. I do not dread going to class because I have a passion for finance and I want to learn as much as possible about it. I come to class everyday eager to make myself more educated and to really understand the material.

 

I developed an interest in finance my sophomore year of college when I took an Intro to Finance course. It was a basic course that went over what a stock is, what a mutual fund is, etc. but we also did some calculations. I am a guy that likes math and dealing with numbers so when we learned about calculating bond prices and calculating Time Value of Money, I found it easy and immediately gained a interest in finance. I decided to do my concentration in finance and started to read the Wall Street Journal and follow the financial markets. The higher-level financial courses I took for my concentration taught me how to create financial models, valuate stock prices of companies, and compare mutual funds, and this turned my interest into a passion. I did an internship this past summer with a financial firm and I now have created a mock portfolio that I manage on Yahoo Finance and this is a fun way to put what I learn into practice. All of this has led me to attend graduate school to keep learning about the subject I have a passion for. 

 

 

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

 

 

Hey guys,

 

Another week here in Northern Ireland, with lots of things going on.  It’s crazy to think that we are in the second half of the semester already! Just as the saying goes… time flies when you’re having fun.  Our Premier League team has had 2 games since we last spoke.  One of those unfortunately being a loss.  While it was a tough loss, I think we can and have learned from that game.  Our latest game was a bounce back victory against Kilkeel, bringing our season record to 3-1.  We have another tough challenge ahead of us tomorrow against a rival team, Belfast Tropics.

 

Also experiencing some success is the Under 14 Junior Elks team that I coach.  Very deservingly so, they are undefeated in league play thus far.  The girls have made vast improvements in their skill development along with their understanding of the game which is great!  Seeing these players develop their game is very enjoyable as a coach. 

 

Last night I attended my first ever ice hockey game! It was exciting, and even more so since two of the players on the Belfast Giants team are in my master’s course.  Being able to support them was great.  The environment was great with about 5,000 fans in attendance.  The only disappointment was that there weren’t any fights.  Isn’t that what ice hockey is all about?

 

Speak soon. Peace!

 

Darryl

 

Hi folks,

 

Thank God it’s Friday! Not to mention the weather is great (knock on wood). This has been a quite busy and stressful week.  As I mentioned last week, I have my first assignment for my Managing the Digital Enterprise class due today.  When I thought I was done, I was actually not close to being done.  I have learned that at the graduated level, there is a lot more involvement and editing that goes into writing a paper.  With that being said, I think I’ve done pretty well on the assignment.  So with that behind me, the load has lightened… but only for the moment! The MBS is heavily weighted with assignments all due in December.

 

Also good news was announced yesterday, that myself and Gary Connolly have been named captains of this years Ulster Elks Premier League team.  It is great to have the support of the team and also have another opportunity to enhance my leadership skills.  After all, the purpose of being a USNI scholar is to broaden my perspective on life and experience things that I might not otherwise had been able to.   We have another challenge ahead of us tomorrow against Northstar on their home court.

 

As promised, I would tell you about my first Irish Halloween experience (which I found out originated here).  It was a last minute decision to dress up and enjoy the night, so I had to go with my limited option of being a golfer.  On the bright side, I got to hang out with Santa Claus (Paddy McGaharan) and Superman (Mark McColgan).  It was entertaining to say the least seeing some of the costumes out that night.

 

Until next week.

Peace!

 

Trading has always been an area in finance that I have found interesting. Last year, I was able to job shadow a trader in NYC and a bond trader in my hometown of Raleigh. The high pressure atmosphere really grabbed my interest and it was an amazing experience to see the traders in action. They were always yelling across the room to different employees, answering phone calls, making phone calls, and typing a million miles per hour on their keyboard.  They each had four to five computer screens at their desk that displayed the program Bloomberg. Bloomberg is a very complex program that I found very confusing when I was shadowing them. There were orange letters and numbers all over their computer screens and information seemed like it was overflowing.

However, I was ecstatic when I found out that the University of Limerick had a trading floor and that I would learn how to navigate Bloomberg. Two of my classes meet in the trading floor and I am learning that Bloomberg is not as complicated as I had originally thought. One of my classes on the trading floor is a derivatives class and I am currently in the middle of trading project for this class. On Friday two weeks ago, the professor assigned each student a company. We had that weekend to research the company and then that Monday we began a three-week time frame of trading the stock’s call and put options. This has definitely been my favorite project out of all my classes and it is really fun to implement the different trading strategies we’ve learned in class to try to make a profit. We only have one week left in the project but this has definitely sparked an interest into a possible career path for me when I graduate.

 

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

 

How’s it going?

 

Things are going well here in Northern Ireland, where it is normal to rain 48 hours straight!  Like I mentioned last week, this has been a busy time for myself.  I have my first assessment due this upcoming week which is an assignment for my Managing the Digital Enterprise class, where I am to analyze the online and offline retail environment of a product/product group of my choice.  I thought it would be interesting to focus on the online/offline poker environment.  Especially since online poker sites are illegal in the States, I thought it would be intriguing to take a further look into it.  Needless to say, I am finding it quite enjoyable for me to be talking about it in my blog (I won’t bore you with all the other assignments.. only the ones I prefer.)  

 

In other exciting news, we won our Premier League game against Queens last night to improve our record to 2-0.  They were a veteran led team that wouldn’t go away.  We led by 18 at halftime and they cut is down to 7 at one point in the third quarter.  With our poise, we were able to hold off their run and eventually pull away in the fourth quarter.  This is great to see the improvement we have made as a team (also Connor O’Dornan knocking down a free throw).

 

Halloween is coming up… not sure how they celebrate it here in Northern Ireland, but I will be sure to report back to you next week.  The continuous theme while here (besdies the rain) is that I am learning everyday more and more about the culture.  These are experiences that I will be able to pass on once I return to the States.

 

Also want to give a special shoutout to the entire Ulster Elks Club for making me feel at home and becoming part of the family!  

 

Until next time, Peace!

Darryl

 

Many of my close friends and family always preached how I would make a great coach and the Sport Changes Life program is a true testament of my capabilities. During my time here so far, I have learned that knowing the game of basketball is completely different than teaching the game. I am assistant coach to Tony for the Wildcat’s 12 & under team, but he was not going to be able to make the girl’s Saturday game against Carlow’s 12 & under team. When he told me I was going to have to coach the girls by myself, I was immediately overwhelmed by excitement, worry, and nervousness all mixing into one. With my heart racing and the millions of thoughts running through my head, I felt like the epitome of the phrase, “a fish out of water.” Luckily, Tony had a friend and my community partner’s husband, Allen Hickey, be present in case I had any confusion or issue, and he left me a spreadsheet of the five players to substitute for each quarter of the game.

 

I love coaching this particular team because they are amazing listeners and love the game of basketball. Whether it is my role model status, my knowledge of basketball, or the simple fact that I am American, all of the girls are comfortable coming to me with just about everything. As a coach, that means the world. Life is bigger than basketball and giving your gifts that God has blessed you with back to the community is intangible. If there is not one thing I haven’t learned from coaching, I have learned that if you build relationships with your players, create open, clear communication, and constantly challenge them, you can get almost anything out of them because they will respect you that much.

 

Although the girls dominated, I was not light on them as a coach. I reminded them that this is our opportunity improve on areas such as, looking up when we dribble, keeping our man in front of us, and releasing the ball when we have players running ahead of us as an act of teamwork and selflessness. By the sound of the buzzer, you can bet they did what I asked of them. The win signified our team growing and my accomplishment of coaching as the big dog for the first time.

 

I promised the girls my mom would send them American candy. So after the game, I handed out Hershey’s white chocolate bars with bits of candy corn, green apple caramel lollipops, snickers and jolly ranchers. They went NUTS for them. Eyes lighting up over the unique taste of the green apple lollies or rushing to show me their tongue color that the jolly rancher changed it to. Candies that I took for granted in America, they cherished. I even saved a couple of the candies for myself as they were tastes of home. Since they loved the American Halloween sweets so much, I told them I’ll try to arrange some goodies for them around Christmas time. Thanks to Saturday’s game, I learned that I am growing in places I never thought I was capable of.

 

Victory Scholar: Jazmen Boone

Present University: Waterford IT

US League: CAA

Club/Community Partner: Waterford Wildcats

Alma Mater: The College of William and Mary

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

What’s up guys? 

 

Hope all is well.  It has been quite a long week, with lots of activities taking place (seems to be the case every week).  This past weekend we had two Junior Elks games, the U14 and U16, in which the girls played phenomenally well considering we were not at full depth.  These were the first official games of their season, playing against Andersontown Tigers.  The girls pulled out the U14 victory, but unfortunately we fell short in the U16 game.  All in all, there is great progress and areas that can be improved in.

 

In other quite similar news, we (Ulster Elks) played in our first Premier League game on Wednesday against Ballymena Blackstone.  The game was very interesting from the start.  We only had one referee for the entire game.  And just a visual for those of you who might not understand, reference the picture below!  That’s all I’m going to say about that.  On the bright side, we came out with the win and in the end that is the main objective.  There were very positive glimpses, but as a team we will need to become (in the words of Dave Paulsen) more consistent if we want to compete at the highest level.  

 

While having a high level of concentration in basketball and coaching, time management is becoming ever so essential now that coursework has picked up.  Assessments have been assigned, which all have a due date around a similar time frame (meaning can’t leave it for last minute).  The assignments seem very interesting and I am looking forward to getting started on those.

 

I am going to leave you guys with a quote that I picked up this week that I think is important in maxmizing my experience while in Northern Ireland and is a major part in my reasoning behind making the decision to join the USNI Sport program.  

 

“You can’t get somewhere you’ve never been without doing something you’ve never done”

 

The experience that I am getting over here will help shape the person I become in the future.  Dealing with adversity and not always going the easy route has helped me learn a lot more than I would choosing to do something I am familar with.  I look forward to updating you guys with the different adventures and challenges that I will encounter throughout the year.

 

Best wishes,

Darryl

 

I love to cook and it was one of my favorite things to do whenever I was home from college. Cooking is a chance to be creative and take a walk in someone else’s shoes through their cuisine or to take a walk down your own personal memory lane. I always think of my sister and I hiding underneath my grandmother’s kitchen table– eating raw sweet potato skins *lol gross*– while she made the pies for Thanksgiving. Those days and my lovely grandma are gone but I bring those fond memories with me to any new kitchen. However, the stove in my apartment will be anything but a fond memory but through teamwork i.e Kate’s handiwork I officially christened my Amhra House kitchen. (To be fair it was just baked chicken and frozen vegetables but we got the oven to actually heat so that’s a start.) So here’s to many more happy meals–sans McDonald’s–to come this year. 

 

Victory Scholar: Marritta Gillcrease

Present University: NUI Galway

US League: MAAC

Club/Community Partner: Galway Titans

Alma Mater: Rider University

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

 

 

 

Whats up folks,

 

This has been a great week that was full of a wide range of activities.  As hinted by the title, a lot of these activities were a first for me….

 

I started the week off spending two days in Portaferry, NI with the other peers in my Masters in business studies course.  To be honest, I was quite apprehensive about going just because of the fact that I would be forced to step outside my comfort zone.  In hindsight, this was an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.  We participated in various activities that were physically and mentally challenging which caused us to work as a team to problem solve.  This was a great way to meet and get to know my classmates.  We even celebrated Arthur Guinness Day together- another first for me.

 

With not much time to recover from the intense team building retreat for my Master’s course, I had an hour until my first game with the Ulster Elks.  Talk about short turnaround.  But nonetheless, I was getting ready to play my first basketball game in Northern Ireland!  This was an exciting moment that really had me pumped up to go.  It was also great to be able to play with the two Victory Scholars from Galway, Tim and Will.  After six games in two days, we made it all the way to the championship game.  Unfortunately, we fell short by 9 points.  There were overall a lot of positives to take from the weekend and concepts that we can build on as the season progresses.  

 

To wrap up the weekend, I spent some time at the Maguires playing Wii Dance… for an hour!  Playing six games over two days was no easy task, but add on some James Brown and Michael Jackson dance moves and you’ve got yourself an intense workout!  Needless to say I put on a great show, I was just not sure why my performance was so funny to everyone watching!

 

With a week full of firsts, I am looking forward to my first class at the University of Ulster.  Next week, I will update you on how classes are going, along with all the other shenanigans I get into throughout the week!

 

Peace!