To say that’s class or first class has two completely different definitions. The first phrase refers to the Irish slang and the latter refers to their grading system. On numerous occasions my Irish friends or teammates have said that’s class, which is often used to describe a particular piece of clothing or action. My difficulty to decipher the Irish accent along with the slang is not the only thing I am having a hard time grasping.  Defining the “that’s class” phrase is a lot easier to understand than the grading system here in Ireland.

American’s grade in an alphabetical format where earning A’s in classes classifies you as an exceptional student and students who earn D’s/F’s are….not so much.  Ireland grades its students by class: first class are the excellent students, second class are the good students, third class are the passing/satisfactory students and anything below third class is failing.

Luckily, I have Wednesdays and Thursdays completely free thanks to my postgraduate timetable (even though my “day offs” are no longer becoming day offs). Since I am a Global Financial Information Systems postgraduate student at WIT, my WIT card gives me access to a computer lab (or pretty much library) to get work done. With that said, you can guess where I spend my day offs at if I am not coaching or playing basketball. Many of the GFIS students as well as my data modeling business group, consisting of two other postgrad students, meet there quite often to complete our on-going projects.

One great thing about attending WIT as a postgraduate student is that there are students from all different cultures and generations. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love everything about William & Mary, but looking back I wish I was exposed to more students outside of my age range. My time at WIT has taught me that I can access so much more information and knowledge from wiser, more experienced students. Paddy, a middle-aged Irish citizen with a family, is probably who I connect to the most in our group. In the little time spent in the computer lab or group meetings, he has already educated me on so much about my own country, Ireland, and thankfully the full rundown on Ireland’s grading system. After he thoroughly explained the grading system to me during one of our data modeling meetings, I say: “Well here’s to us working our tails off to earn first class on these projects”. Paddy’s response: “Why not? First class does have better drinks, seats, and food”. I’m not sure about you, but I definitely agree with Paddy’s remarks. Life is way better flying First Class as opposed to Economy…..so here’s to our attempts of earning a first class honors this semester.

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

Meeting new people can offer so many wonderful things.  I believe each person on earth has his or her own view and understanding of the way the world works.  Attending Ulster University with so many people who come from various backgrounds has offered me an opportunity to meet people from all over the world.  Not too long ago I was inside of the sports hall on the Jordanstown campus exercising.  While completing my exercise routine I like to take time to think and reflect.  One of the thoughts that came across my mind was that I should make a serious effort to meet as many new people as I can.  So immediately after my workout I started doing just that.  I have been introducing myself and shaking hands everyday for about two weeks to as many new people as possible.  I recently noticed how many people I have met so far just by when I walk across campus and receive various hellos and handshakes.  One of my personal goals that I set for myself before arriving was that I was going to be as open as possible.  What I meant by that was that I was going to allow myself to experience as much as I could while maintaining my core values.  A part of doing that I would say is meeting new people and experiencing new cultures.  I look forward to looking back over my experience and seeing how many new friends from different backgrounds and cultures I will be able to say I have gained.  “To GOD Be The Glory”

Victory Scholar: Jonathan McNair

Present University: Ulster University

US League: East Coast Conference

Club/Community Partner Ulster Elks/ Anderson Town Tigers

Alma Mater: St Thomas Aquinas College

Sponsored By:  Teamwear Ireland

I receive so much joy when I see the young people I am working with becoming better basketball players.  Every Tuesday I coach boys ages 8-15.  The training session starts early in the morning before school starts.  I have been filled with energy and joy from coaching these boys.  They truly are a great group and as much as I help them to become better basketball players they help me by transferring that positive energy that they bring to training each week.  Since I have been training them on Tuesday mornings my weeks have gotten off to productive starts filled with positive energy I leave the training session ready take on whatever task I have lined up for the rest of the week.  I believe what we give is what will be returned to us by GOD.  We may not always receive what we put out from the person we give it to but I am a strong believer that God will provide reciprocity for all that we do.  I am truly thankful to have the opportunity to work with these boys.   “To God Be The Glory”

I am a person who thrives on routine and getting myself into a groove.  It makes me feel more productive and gives me a sense of direction when things are getting completed thoroughly and in a repeated manner.  I can happily say that I have found my groove and routine here with school, coaching, and basketball. 

I knew that being this far from my comfort zone would take a bit longer to get used to, and to be honest, I found it faster than I anticipated. Like I said in previous blogs, it’s tough to not fit in when you have such welcoming and helpful people to guide you. My classmates and teammates make it so much easier for me to adjust to teachers, assignments, schedules, coaching, and plays etc.

One of my good friends, Kiran, has made, “Time flies when you’re having fun”, a very true quote since I’ve been here. His roommate, and Lil’s teammates, Ciara and Shannon had us over the night before a game for a huge, delicious meal and a great time. He is extremely talented on the guitar, beatboxing, and vocals and ties it all together for a great performance. Lil and I had a serious stomach workout from how hard we were laughing with him, Ciara, and Shannon. (A lot of laughter coming from our extra crispy dessert.)

I realize that I am out of my comfort zone being in a different country and my routine is something that pulls that comfort back. However, I’m blessed to have people around me that challenge that routine and add even more character to who I am. I am truly a product of every person I meet.

Almost every week someone asks me if I miss my family or “how things are in America”. Normally, I tell them No but after talking to Cory, Lil, and Harrison this past weekend I was able to put a finger on the thing I do miss. Sorry Ma* (Dad, and Rissa) thanks to Skype and FaceTime, what I really miss is my cafeteria and having a meal plan. *Gasp* *Pearl clutch* Horrifying concept to some I’m sure. I can’t speak for every college student but I have fond memories from being a permanent fixture in Daly’s cafeteria. (I’m talking hours at a time here). I’m even reminiscing over the circular tables and French toast sticks during my official visit in 2010 before the remodel. But overall, I miss the conversations held at those tables (Read: Defending my Steelers’ Good name/Six Rings or answering questions on how our ‘match’ went) and access to food I didn’t have to cook myself.

Unfortunately, cooking for myself means that I shop like I’m still in a family of 4. So this past week I went toe-to-toe with my oven twice in order to use up some overstocked, withering fruit. I turned out banana bread loaves and blueberry pound cake (*ahem* from scratch *ahem* lol) that I was able to share with my teammates and coaches after the game. I was so pleased everyone enjoyed the snacks and it gave me pause and time to really appreciate just how very different of a dynamic I have here with the Mystics. So if my lack of a meal plan means we get to bond over baked goods then I’m good with that.

*Ma knows how we feel about food, don’t worry she’ll understand.

Victory Scholar: Marritta Gillcrease

Present University: NUI Galway

US League: MAAC

Club/Community Partner: Galway Titans

Alma Mater: Rider University

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

While basketball is my favorite sport, and quite obviously the greatest sport ever played, I do believe it is important for people to get away from what they know and experience something different every once in a while. That is basically my goal here in Ireland: to experience something different, as often as I possibly can. So on Sunday I decided to do this by stepping away from basketball for a day and immersing myself in the other sports that are popular in Ireland.

First, my Waterford Wildcat teammate Sinead picked up Jazmen and I and took us to watch her sister play in a camogie match. Camogie is the female version of hurling, a very physical game played with a ball similar to a baseball in which players try to whack the ball into goals with wooden paddles. Watching the match, I was amazed not only by the way the players so smoothly smacked the ball to one another and casually caught it barehanded, but also by the physicality of it. I had to ask Sinead if there was such a thing as a foul in camogie because it sure didn’t seem like it. Apparently players can get a yellow or red card for illegal contact during the game, but I did not see one handed out, even when one of the goalies was tackled so hard that she went down screaming with a dislocated shoulder. As we left the match, Sinead told us that the hurling matches we were going to next would be much more exciting because the men were allowed more contact than the women, and all I could think was, More contact?!?

The hurling matches did not disappoint. We stayed for two of them, in which I saw a couple of scuffles break out and more than one yellow card handed out to players. The hurlers were incredibly skilled, making it look easy to send the ball 70 yards through the goal posts, while sprinting here and there to avoid being tackled be the other players. When the second match ended, we hurried off to a pub to watch the Ireland vs. France rugby game with two more of our teammates, Helena and Mel.

The pub was completely packed making it hard to move, but the atmosphere was electric. We all squeezed in and watched as Ireland upset France in yet another extremely physical game. Jazmen and I, less familiar with rugby than our Irish pals, tried to keep up with the enthusiastic “GO ON!”s and disappointed groans that resounded in the pub on nearly every play. We even pretended, with limited success, to know the words of the Irish songs they sung in one booming, unified voice after each time the Irish scored a try. After the game ended and the place erupted one final time, Jazmen and I left with Helena to watch our final sporting event of the day.

Helena invited us to her house to enjoy the Irish soccer match vs. Poland. Her cozy living room, complete with a fire and cups of tea all around, was a nice change from the jeering crowds we’d been a part of all day, although there was still the occasional “Go on!!” from Helena and her parents from time to time. Even though the match ended in a loss for the Irish, it was lovely to watch it from the comfort of a home in which we were welcomed as if we were a part of the family.

By the time Helena and her father dropped Jazmen and I off at the dorms that night, we had watched camogie, rugby, soccer, and two hurling matches during the day. After all that, I was tired to the point that you’d think I actually played in one of the matches. Despite that though, I felt very satisfied because I had accomplished my goal; watching five sporting events in one day was definitely an enriching and different experience for me. 

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 love food. I seem to always be hungry even though I eat all the time. One of the things I looked forward to my first year at NC State was the idea of a dining hall. The fact that I would be able to swipe my student card and then be allowed to walk into a full all-you-can-eat buffet was something I couldn’t help but get excited about. NC State had three dining halls on campus and I can honestly say that over my four years about 90% of my meals were consumed at one of these halls.  I rarely would go out to eat and I definitely didn’t cook my own meals.

When I first heard that the University of Limerick did not have a dining hall, I became nervous about my food situation. This is the real world now. I am the master of making scrambled eggs and of course peanut butter & jelly sandwiches but that was about as far as my cooking skills took me.

My skills have now sky rocketed since I’ve been over here. Not only have I become a better chef, but I have also become a bit of a cooking enthusiast. I enjoy making my own meals now and I often go online to find new recipes to try out. It is fun putting different ingredients together and cooking foods in different ways to see how they turn out. It is a nice activity for a study break and it has also saved me money from not eating all my meals at restaurants. If anyone has any recipe ideas then I am all ears!

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

I still need to get my student visa for the year. After multiple attempts and hours of waiting in line at the immigration office, I was still waiting on a document that needed to be sent from home before I could get my immigration card. When hearing about this, my assistant coach, who I am convinced knows everyone in the city of Galway, stepped in to see if he could help. He did his thing and brought me to the immigration office for my fourth attempt. With a long line of people waiting to do the same thing I was trying to do, he brought me to the front of the line. He then joked with the man at the counter like they were best friends and in about ten minutes I was approved with my student visa. One day before my game I was now eligible to play. This proved to me that it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.  Thanks Joe. 

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

Today, Sinead took Katie and I to watch our first camogie match in Waterford. Camogie is an Irish sport for girls and is equivalent to hurling. Katie and I have never been to a live Irish sporting match so Sinead thought it was a perfect opportunity to take us to her sister’s game and to see some hurling matches later on. All of the girls were competitive and tough but the team we were rooting for lost. Afterwards, Sinead drove us to Kilkenny, a city notorious for its dominance in hurling, to watch two of the county hurling league matches. Earlier in September, Katie and I watched Kilkenny play on TV and our excitement then did not compare to our excitement to watch it in live action.

The arena was extremely packed for a match full of unpaid, talented hurling athletes that play simply for the craic. In Ireland, “craic” pronounced as “crack”, is a word used to describe fun, having a good time or a laugh. For players that train hard five times a week because they wholeheartedly love the sport is unbelievable. In America, majority of the players play competitively for fun but the motive to earn a million dollar salary or have a free college education is the main driving force to play sports. I have the upmost respect for Irish sport players where their passion for sport does not derive from materialistic ambitions.

Many of my teammates on the Wildcats club basketball team play merely for fun as well. Last night, our team played our second super league match against the Port Laoise Panthers. We almost lost the game but managed to pull out a win. After the game, Sinead’s disappointment on her free throw performance struck me the most. With two minutes left, she missed some important free throws keeping the Panthers in the game. My past coaches have always preached to me: “it’s not about how many times you miss, it’s about making the shots that count”. Finishing the night 3 for 8 from the free throw line isn’t great, but it is definitely nothing to be unhappy about. Sinead’s ability to remain mentally tough to make the second free throw after missing the first ones and our team finishing with a win are “happy days”. We shouldn’t take for granted for the little things because if she missed both free throws we may not have won.  For a player who is so hard on herself and plays for the love of basketball speaks massively about her character and the Irish culture. I am thankful to be absorbed into such a great culture and look forward to finding some good “craic”. 

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

Growing up, I always envisioned what college I would end up going to. Regardless of the name of the school, I wanted to end up somewhere with a stereotypical college campus. Lots of green grass, individual buildings all within walking distance of each other, pretty architecture, all in an enclosed campus. The funny thing is, I ended up in the complete opposite.

St. Francis College is a school of a little less than 3,000 students located in the heart of downtown Brooklyn, New York. It did not have any of the characteristics I mentioned above. The way I like to describe it, St. Francis College’s campus goes up, instead of out. Located in one central building, everything you need is found in one tall, large building. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my four years at St. Francis, and wouldn’t change them for the world! My campus experience was unique; it belonged to one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world, New York City. How awesome is that?

Lucky for me though, I have the opportunity to experience the best of both worlds. Thanks to Sport Changes Life and the University of Limerick, I am able to live out my childhood dream of going to a college with a typical college campus. What appeals to me most is the vast campus, filled with beautiful, modern buildings. It is your picture perfect image of what a college campus would look like. Even today, being five weeks into my program, I still catch myself looking at the buildings and nature as I walk by realizing how phenomenal this campus really is. Every day I am lucky enough to walk a bridge over the River Shannon, where I see the most amazing sunsets (as long as it’s not raining of course). The best part is, right outside of the campus limits are fields filled with cows! That’s definitely something I would never see in Brooklyn.

Never would I have thought that I would be fortunate enough to study at multiple universities varying so dramatically. My walk to class went from walking by tall city buildings to vast green landscapes. I went from being part of a 3,000-student body population to 17,000. I truly did a 180-degree change from my undergraduate school to my postgraduate school. Regardless of the characteristics, I have fallen in love with these universities, and am so proud to affiliate myself with both.

I have been beyond blessed to study and experience both universities, and I would like to thank everyone who has made these opportunities possible! 

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

A year of this Limerick rain will surely help me perfect the art of speed walking.

Being that it is my seventh week on the Emerald Isle, you’d think that I would have learned by now that it rains ALL the time.  Especially Limerick. For those who don’t know, Limerick tends to get more rain than most other parts of the country. It is expected to rain at least once a day. With rain being so prominent, you would think I would be less surprised when it rains, and be more prepared. Carry an umbrella and raincoat in my bag at all times, just to be safe? Nope, I rather roll the dice and chance my luck.

Turns out, today was the first time my rain luck ran out. As I stepped out of my dorm leaving for class, I looked up at the sky and noticed how dark it was; definitely had the potential to rain. Instead of running back upstairs to get my raincoat, I continued to walk to class thinking I would beat the rain.

Within 5 minutes, it began to drizzle… I slowly picked up my walking pace. The drizzle turned into a heavier rain… I began to walk even faster. Then suddenly, the sky opened up… I was now walking so fast I might as well have been running. At this point, I was walking on the University of Limerick’s Living Bridge; a bridge that is absolutely gorgeous, until you’re stranded on it when it is down pouring.

As I hustled across the bridge, I thought to myself that this is karma for being such a slow walker all my life. Thinking back to my time in college, Waterford Scholar, and former roommate, Katie Fox, would always complain about how slow of a walker I was on our way to and from school.

The next time Katie sees me, she isn’t even going to be able to keep up with me! A year of this Limerick rain will surely help me perfect the art of speed walking. 

By the way, in case anyone was wondering… I did sit through a 3 hour lecture soaking wet 🙂 … one day maybe I will learn to pack an umbrella, just maybe. 

Victory Scholar: Sarah Benedetti

Present University: University of Limerick

US League: NEC

Club/Community Partner: UL Huskies

Alma Mater: St. Francis College 

Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland

I had long wondered whether I would be more nervous for my first game as a Mystic or for my first game coaching the Titan’s Womens Team. This past Saturday, we (Mystics) tipped it up and any thoughts of nervousness were immediately erased. We got a win on our home floor and most importantly had plain ol’ fun doing so, on the bench and on the court alike just like ‘in the old country’.

Fast Forward to Wednesday-

GAME DAY for The Titans

I thought I had shaken off the nerves but as the 7:00pm tip-off approached I was trying very hard to remain calm. I wasn’t sure if The Westside Community Center was particularly cold or if my blood circulation had given up on me.  In no time- and to my horror- I was handed the official scoresheet and was reminded of 2 things: 1st, Irish (and other European) names are a nightmare to spell for my American phonics skills and 2nd, it would’ve been handy to discuss “kit” numbers beforehand. I completed it without any major errors, selected the starters, gave a wee pep talk and it was showtime. The home team and formidable opponent, Moycullen, awaited us. 

I opted for a man defense knowing our intensity and energy could lead to easy oppotunities or at least force them into tough shots. We executed, got out in transition, and crashed the boards. After escaping the 1st Qtr with a 4 point lead, we went into half-time up 30-17. I urged the Titans not to get comfortable and to continue to work until the last buzzer. 

SECOND HALF

Moycullen went with a zone but fortunately for us we made the next pass and our shots were falling. We got in their passing lanes and got a few more Fast Break opportunities. When the buzzer sounded, I exhaled and I wasn’t sure who was more elated. But more than anything I was proud.

It’s one thing to wear the jersey but it’s entirely different animal to watch from the sidelines and try to orchestrate the symphony. I never foresaw myself as a coach but let me tell you, there is something profoudly rewarding to see a plan come together and be able to get the job done (or as Mike says, “Do the Business”).

I’m really looking forward to getting back in the gym on Monday and preparing for our next challenge.

Next Opponent- CLAREGALWAY