Jen Blog
MAAC Sports
JEN MORABITO - Canisius College (Victory Scholar Video)
Hi everyone! My name is Jen Morabito and I am from Binghamton in upstate New York. This is about 3 hours away from Canisius College in Buffalo, where I graduated with my BSc in Marketing. In the past four years at Canisius, I played on the Women’s Basketball Team and was named one of our team captains my junior and senior years. During my time here, my teammates and I participated in a number of volunteer activities with our campus ministry as well as summer basketball camps. Recently, my involvement with the Youth Advantage Program in Buffalo has given me the opportunity to inspire young people to play basketball. I’m excited to be able to continue making a difference as I work with the youth in Ireland, while earning my Masters in International Management at Trinity College in Dublin. While at Trinity I look forward to continue playing the sport that has opened up many doors and has helped me meet some of my greatest friends. I cannot wait to meet the other Victory Scholars and begin this adventure!
Jen's Blog
VARSITIES WEEKEND!... 05/05/2015
A few weekends after finishing up Dynamo’s basketball, Christine and I had ‘Varsities’ for Trinity. Varsities is a college basketball tournament, this year held in Belfast, where we competed against the other scholars attending the University of Limerick, Carlow, UUJ, and Galway as well as other colleges across the country.
It was the weekend we had been looking forward to all year long! Finally, we were all together again in Belfast where we started off 8 months ago in August for training. The weekend was a great get-away from the books as exams started the week after…ah!
We ended up playing 5 games in 3 days… No, I am not 13 playing AAU anymore, but yes, I managed to survive it – but only with the much-needed help from Chris in Sunday’s Championship! Man, we were struggling to shoot anything but an air ball. Literally. But then late in the game, Chris decided that it was her last game EVER and should pull out a few tricks! She went on to hit like five 3’s and we all were immediately kissing the ground she walked on…or actually it was up to a slow jog/trot at this point in the weekend…(#struggle).
The end of the game and her shots were unreal and I was so happy for her and the team. She got MVP and Trinity took home ‘The Cup’!!!
In terms of my basketball experience, Sport Changes Life and the Victory Scholarship has allowed me to have a great deal of fun playing some bball. Whether in my coaching, or on the floor myself, this new perspective on basketball I’ve gained has allowed me to learn and help others enjoy the game and with all that comes along with playing as much as I do.
ALWAYS GOOD TO END ON A HIGH... 03/05/2015
So, it looks as if I’ve ended my basketball career…but have I really? It’s so strange to think about as I started playing 16 years ago on the St. Mary’s boy’s team when I was 7 years old! Not a year has gone by when I haven’t played, and I’m feeling a bit old…
It is so strange to the Irish that after college, we don’t play on teams anymore; our competitive careers are just over, and we move on to…well trying to motivate ourselves to go to the gym like normal people…? Here, there are leagues for the youngest, all the way till you can no longer move anymore with leagues that compete across the country. I love this, as well as many aspects of the sport world in Ireland.
Looking at the ending of our season, my girls and I at the Oblates ended on one of the greatest highs I’ve ever had in basketball. After losing to Portlaoise in the Cup Final a few months back, we made it to the end of the season League Final in March, where we faced them for yet another, and final time. Emotions got a tad high as my voice cracked like no other while attempting to give a little motivation speech; AKA jumbled sentence and a half.
The game consisted of great contributions from many of our players, and in this fight - we weren’t willing to give into and thank goodness - came up on top!
At the buzzer, -- aaah at the buzzer!!! It was like in the movies …Okaaay, so at the buzzer all the girls and our coaches: Terry and Lynn and our manager Jen came running on the floor jumping and screaming and not caring about who we may be knocking over or stepping on one bit. Our wonderful fans that traveled with us, and other friends and supporters rushed onto to floor, and at some point during this I gave a huge sweaty hug to Victory Scholar, Ryan, who was there cheering us on. We sang the Oblate Dynamo signature chant, and then got together to receive our medals, where I was honored to accept League MVP and Player of the Game.
The whole season and experience with the team was really, all I could have ever wanted. Surrounded by good people, I was able to be myself, support them in all ways I know how, and come to see these girls have become great friends. I could be my nutso self in practice and in games; at any and every opportunity to create some energy (that may have scared them at first…or still…) not only for my own enjoyment (laughing at myself), but in order to motivate and show them just how much this all means to me.
It’s so sad they we have no more Tuesday/Thursday night practices, and I’ll miss the full gym at the Oblate hall for home games; the warm up tape and getting ‘giddy’ when training was moved back to the 9pm slot…
I will forever be thankful for my Victory Scholar experience with the Oblate Dynamos!
“DYNA – WHAAAT?”… ;)
WHERE I AM TODAY... 03/04/2015
When I was around 13, my dad sat me down and told me even though he believed I could get there, it wouldn’t be easy getting a Division 1 basketball scholarship. The next four years I worked harder than I had ever before to reach this goal. My time in the gym was joined by one person other than my dad – with Mike C; the 26 year old basketball machine that could pound a ball harder than anyone I ever knew.
I will be forever grateful that my dad brought me to Mike C, who was known to me as the one who, behind the doors of the Calvin Coolidge Elementary School Gym, someone I tended to be a tad terrified to see.
It was the fear that came with going through the session, and how hard I would allow myself to be pushed; the fear of the process to get to the next level. It was the urge to not give up and the refusal to be content with my game is what these two together have instilled in me.
Mike and I would do 75-minute sessions, and eventually at the 1 hour mark I’d have to give my dad “the eye” signifying that Mike had forgotten to give me a water break! (I think it’s been enough time that I can finally laugh at this!)
So, from drill to drill, there was always the one I dreaded - the one-on-one continuous full court, nonstop with him up in my face; legs shaking; reaching in and then to see we are still stuck in the back court cause I can’t get by him. I’m starting to get a wheeze going on – the holding-in-crying, I’m-so-tired-and-want-to-give-up, and please-just-let-me-by-you type of wheeze. Haha. Oh man. I remember going through this situation in my head as I sat in the car with my dad on a snow day waiting for Mike to (hopefully not) make it through the snow and to the gym to work out.
I’ve found it so hard to not resist situations that I know will make me better in the long run. They are always the hard circumstances, of course, that we learn from and grow from. I may not have known it then, but this experience among many, many others have and will endure…and as long as I push to be there at the gym, to be there for a friend, to treat others right and not jip myself out of what life offers, I will be giving all situations what I’ve got.
Where I am today is no different than where I was that day in the gym. I eventually made it down the court and past Mike to score, and then I enjoyed my water, and got back up when the next challenge presented itself.
I GET TO GO TO PARIS?!... 10/03/2015
Who would have known that Trinity Basketball would be invited to a tournament in Paris?! Yes, I went to Paris. I still can’t believe it – we ate croissants every chance we got, toured, and played a bit of basketball!
In Paris, there is quite the elaborate public transport system that we were not terrible at (with the help of our French teammate, Chloe), but unfortunately still got lost the occasional 3x a day…ending up in the wrong city for our championship game…eventually making it to the gym and ended up winning the whole thing! With 10 minute half’s (15 minutes for the final game), and a three-point arc a step back from the free throw line, we managed to adapt quite well!
After playing on Saturday, the girl’s team went to see Notre Dame at night where a mass was going on. It was such a beautiful and peaceful place to come into after a hectic couple of days. We stopped to get dinner where I slightly forced the girls to order escagot (snails)! They were pretty good and we were all happy to have checked that one off the list!
I came a day later than the group due to class (such a dedicated student, I know), and wanted to stay an extra day, so Chloe invited me to stay at her house as she lives right outside of the city! I had dinner with her Mom, grandma, sisters, and brother where I attempted to put my 5+ years of French class to use, but apparently didn’t remember a single word of course.. The next day was my time to tour and enjoy the day in Pariii! I went to the Eiffel Tower and Musee du Louvre.
Chloe had helped me map out every metro stop and direction to help to get around, and finally I was off on my own! :)
It was a cloudy Monday morning so not many people were out – and so I walked up from the metro mentally preparing myself to see the Eiffel Tower. I turn a corner and there it is - I’d seen so many photos (and most importantly from Mary-Kate and Ashley’s Paris movie) of it is and couldn’t believe I was standing in front of it.
This whole 7 months away has given me so many amazing opportunities to do things, to meet great people, and be a part of so many meaningful events, games, and daily interactions. Having the chance to reflect today offered me a great deal of appreciation for all of what I have, and what more I can continue to give to others.
Needless to say, joining the Paris squad was ‘great craic’ getting to know the girls and guys teams better, playing some basketball and seeing the city!
So – Trinity Basketball continues for the league final on Wednesday morning!! Tune in Online for the early birds back home – 7:30am. You can find the link to watch on www.basketballireland.ie
Also – and very important to mention - as St. Patty’s Day is coming up, ALL the scholars will be coming to Dublin (oh gosh) as well as my Canisius College trainer AKA second mom, Erin!! CANNOT WAIT, and I think she may be a bit excited for the trip as well…She will be here for our League Playoff game for the Oblate Dynamos on Saturday the 14th!
So much happening! :)
LIP SYNCING IN ONESIES… 16/02/2015
Christine’s sister, Katie was a Victory Scholar with Sport Changes Life last year and lives in Dublin. Her roommate Shelby still lives here as well and contacted the group of us, (now known as the “syncing scholars”) about a lip-syncing debut that could potentially change our lives.
#lipsyncingchangeslives
A classmate of Shelby’s’ is on his way to creating a new MTV show called Lip Sync Wars and were looking for Americans living in Ireland to create videos for it. The pilot will be filmed later in March right here in Dublin, where we may be potential performers seeing that our video makes it! As for our video, it’s quite entertaining for you all to watch it, and embarrassing on my end even though I pretend that I have no shame!
On our way to fame, we decided that nothing else would help us get there, but to start off with a classic trip to Penneys and pick up some wild safari onesies (Chris as the Famous Flamingo, and I as the Lanky Leopard). The veterans – Katie and Shelby already had theirs and the group of us rocked them in the professional filming (done by Katie’s boyfriend, Hillary) from Trinity campus to Grafton Street and to the fountain on College Green.
Although we didn’t quite know the words, we really hope our dance moves and enthusiasm will get us to the next level in March!! It’s crazy thinking that an opportunity – be it a lip syncing competition would present itself to us here on our Victory Scholarship…but it did! My every day life today is full of new experiences and opportunities with coaching, my studies, as well as these extra curricular activities! I couldn’t be more excited for my next days and month here with Sport Changes Life.
The moment you've all been waiting for.... Click and have a good laugh :)
CUP FINAL HERE WE COME!… 24/01/2015
Tuesday night we got a training slot in the National Basketball Arena; the gym where we will be competing in the Cup Final on Sunday for. I had been there before for the Basketball Ireland media day in the beginning of the year and sat up on the bleachers and looked at the impressive space. There are many, many different gyms that I’ve played on multiple times and ones I walk into and am overcome with memories that bring me back to my MAAC games, the AAU days or in high school.
I might look back and remember a certain game, great play, the technical fouls, or the emotions that were left with me when the buzzard went off and whether that feeling was fulfilling or not.
This Sunday I am not worried what that feeling will be. I’m not worried if we will ‘look good, feel good, play good’ cause we just got AMAZING new “gear” (uniforms) with some USA stars on ‘em… I’m not worried that we won’t be fueled properly because of the sketti overload that’s being specially prepared for us as a pregame meal in the Oblate Hall…and finally, I’m not worried any member of this team including all our club supporters, other players, our friends and family will believe in us.
This club is a real family that offers nothing but support to each other on any day of the week whether it’s on the court or off. It’s basketball and this association what has brought a lot of them together, just how the Sport Changes Life program has brought me to them.
At my first practice with the Dynamos, I saw the poster of the team who had won the cup final hanging on the wall as you first walk in. From that moment on, without meeting any of the team or coaching staff, I had made that same goal for our group this year. It’s a privilege to be where I am today with this amazing club, who I barely even knew existed 4 months ago! I’m so grateful and, more importantly (for the time being) – PUMPED to play tomorrow!
So glad my family will be able to watch as well and stream it online via Basketball Ireland Facebook page! Let the games begin…4:30pm National Basketball Arena.
HOME FOR CHRISTMAS…A SURPRISE… 13/01/2015
Before I came to Ireland I decided that I would spend my few week’s winter break travelling from country to country to get the “most of my experience”. The idea sounded great, but after a few months of relying on Face Time and text messages, I realized how much more enjoyable Christmas would be with my family. My sister would have to set the table by herself and I wouldn’t be there to help clean the squid (which is grossly a cherished tradition) in the morning for Christmas Eve dinner.
After coming to terms that I needed to go home, I sneakily and strategically made a plan. I told my parents I was spending the break in Germany and Paris with classmates and other Victory Scholars, and I booked my flight the morning my mom and dad were visiting me here in Ireland. It was the best decision I could have made.
Although, the guilt of having my family believe I wasn’t coming home was eating away at me! They all, from my cousins to aunts and uncles gave me nothing but love and support as they encouraged me to do what I wanted, which was to travel even if it meant I wouldn’t be home with them. So…I ended up cracking and telling my parents and sister about a week before I came home. I think they were a little excited as I showed them my flight itinerary over Face Time. The confusion of what “NY” meant was followed by 10-15 seconds of silence until my mom finally asked if I was coming home!
The next night (which made my decision even greater) my sister gets engaged the next night to her boyfriend! Yay! They are a wonderful couple, and I could not be happier for them and the life they will make together. Needless to say, when I got home I was more jolly than Santa and thankful for what I have than ever before. Showing up on doorsteps and surprising the rest of my family really showed how much I was going to be missed by not being there, and how lucky and grateful I am for them.
Being here on this amazing journey as a Victory Scholar not only has brought me to a different country to experience the culture and have a great influence on the community, but its helped me take a step back to really understand what I have, and be thankful for it. I realize that not many have the family, the support, love and encouragement that I do, and knowing this motivates and pushes me to give these simple things to the kids I work with every time I see them.
THE “CUP” AND “KRIS KINDLE”… 15/12/2014
My team, the Oblate Dynamos have officially made it the Cup Semi – Finals! The Cup is considered the Championship of the league and we have made it to the semi-finals, which will be played in early January. This is a huge deal for us and taking the steps to reach this goal are important right now! (I can’t promise I won’t be eating every single Christmas cookie I lay my eyes on though…)
After our game on Saturday we exchanged gifts through “Kris Kindle”, or as I know it, “Secret Santa”. I was given an awesome Irish mug as well as other girly goodies. Our head coach, Terry came through the locker room door with a huge Santa bag for all of us!! He was passing out boxes of candy and other sweets and I was given the sacred snowballs that everyone “fancied”. They are a magical blend of creamy and thicker marshmallow middle covered in coconut and chocolate. As of right now they are in my suitcase (only missing 3!) to share with my mom and sister because they love coconut and I would feel guilty and probably sick if I ate them all myself.
Terry also gave each of us a specially made Christmas Tree ornament with all of our names, and “Go Dynamos!” on it. I couldn’t help but get a little emotional! – it was so special and I will have it forever to remember this team, the experience and year spent with these girls. Respect, love, a push to reach our goals and doing it as a whole is something that my team values, and they have taught me just that.
Christine’s sister Katie lives with another American, Mai-Thy (Mighty) who is going back home to the states next week. She also coaches basketball here and I’ve had the chance to spend some time with her at the famous (by our books) Jimmy Chung’s Chinese Buffet as well as other nights, and she is nothing less than hilarious to be around.
The “Friendsgiving” dinner was held on Wednesday night to combine our Thanksgiving-of-friends…awwwwh and Mai-Thy leaving. It was a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, stuffing, cranberries, and most importantly the sweet potato casserole / brown sugar heaven dish prepared by Christine and I (partially). It was made with three large sweet potatoes and a doubled batch of the brown sugar-butter-nut topping. It was basically dessert and was more or less, the hottest item on the table. I prepared the napkins as my sister and I always do for the holidays, and I taught Christine the folding technique as well so she could help. :)
This upcoming Thursday- the actual Thanksgiving, all the scholars will be heading up to Belfast for dinner and a night together! It will be a good break for us from our studies to relax and be together. In the first two weeks of training we were together constantly, and since we’ve been at our own separate cities, we haven’t had a chance to all be together again.
As for school, I’m happy to say I have officially handed in my last final project, and can take a few breaths before preparing for exams starting next Friday! Wahoo! Grading here usually depends on your final exam and final projects in classes, so crunch time has officially begun.
It is crazy to think that our time here is just about half way over. The classmates we have gotten to know and kids in the community we’ve worked with and spent time with have been amazing. I am lucky to have a great team at the Oblates, who is quickly becoming an extended family of mine. This next weekend we play Jess at Carlow, (OoOOoo) so I’m looking forward to how this will play out! Stay tuned.
My parents made a trip to Dublin! They have been planning to come visit in the springtime, but decided they couldn’t make it that long! They got here early in the morning and met me after class on campus in the afternoon. They tried fighting the jet lag but after a short while I spent describing my classes, and apparently not very exciting life here, they began nodding off! After taking the defeat and a short nap we went to dinner and walked around Grafton Street a bit.
It was so nice to have my mom and dad here after a couple months of being away and learning how to adapt here. They brought me along an entire 50lb suitcase with boxes of Cheez-its, sweaters and other favorite things I couldn’t fit when I came over, hot sauce, grape jelly, a few scarves and some more photos…oh, and how could I forget the ten pounds of Mac and Cheese for our late night snacks! To say the least, I was pretty excited to have an early Christmas.
My mom has been practicing her computer and research skills just in time to plan this trip! (We are very impressed by her.) She found a great hotel right on the Liffey River where we got the real “Irish experience” watching Celtic dancers and listening to live music. We took a bus trip to the Cliffs of Moher, which were breathtaking yet almost blew us over if we did not hold on to each other! We had the best clam chowder my mom has ever tasted, amazing fudge, and listened to an inprov musical group at the pub.
Another highlight of the trip was playing tennis on the courts outside our apartment on campus. My dad and I played on a beautiful morning together where I managed to not hit any homeruns (over the fence), and he took it easy on me.
In the six days we spent together laughing on the top floor of the Guinness Factory, having ice cream and berry smoothies and finding the perfect Aran wool sweaters in Galway, it was a great to have spent time with my parents. As much as I miss them, my sister, and the rest of my family and friends back home, I know this time here is significant. Thus far I’ve met great people, experienced new and challenging things in school and within community work, and am constantly learning things about myself.
…And some news – my Uncle Gary will be on his way home from Afghanistan soon! :)
SATURDAY = GIRLSDAY FOR COACHING… 25/10/2014
On Saturdays, we help coach a series of girl's groups at . Starting from 10am there are the 17 year olds, then until 1pm are the 14's, and ending at 2pm the under 13 year olds train. The girls who attend are of all different skill levels, they come from different areas around the club, but more importantly all show up consistently to get better and stay committed to their teams. I really have enjoyed working with them because we can talk about the specifics of being a shooting guard and what responsibilities lie in the role, and I have also been able to give adn take ideas for Halloween costumes!
The girls come for their training and work hard, hustle, share the ball, and have fun. It is great to hop in and teach them new drills that and I have learned throughout high school and college. I really feel like we make a great difference coaching and just being at these sessions. The teams and other coaches value our experience and it's great to use what we have learned to mix up practices and teach new things. We even walked into training and the team was running the "Ganser Drill" - a box out drill she had introduced last week!
We are happy to be a part of these girls' year playing at Kubs and plan on teaching, learning from them and having fun! We've refrained from pulling out the “Sweet Sixteen’s”, (16 foul line to foul line sprints), and the double suicides, as we get the conditioning more through scrimmaging and other full court drills.
…If only this were how it was “back in our day” when getting out of the Second suicide meant making the first one in 28 seconds!...
COACHED THE 1ST U11 BOYS GAME!… 22/10/2014
On Saturday the Under 11 Boys Team at Kubs Club had their first game! I have been working with this group as well as the Under 12's on Fridays with Christine for about a month and a half. One Friday I was taking the Dart (Irish train system) to the gym with one of the boys. We got off and started walking to the gym when I noticed he was very antsy and began speeding up! I wasn’t sure if he was trying to get away from something (or me!). After a few more steps he couldn’t take it any more and told me he had to go run to the gym and get his special basketball to shoot before anyone else got to it!
This boy as well as his team were more than excited to play on Saturday. We even had a couple new players join that day, and this would be the first game that most of them have ever played in. Knowing that, it was important that I pointed out very basic areas of the game such as which basket we are shooting at, when we play on offense and defense, and after everyone on the team wanted to be point guard (as they all competed for the inbound pass), I learned to assign who takes the ball out of bounds and who gets to dribble it up the floor. This made things a lot easier for us!
Even though we were down the first half and didn’t get many shots up, you could still tell the boys were having a great time playing against another team. As soon as we got into the second half, we tasted a comeback! High fives were given down the line of the bench at each basket we made and the players as well as parents were excited to celebrate. I even got in trouble with one of the boys for not cheering as loud at the basket he made, so I made sure to take note of that for next time! The boys and I still have a lot to learn, and I look forward to our next game!
LOSER WITH THE SUITCASE… 17/10/2014
Living at Trinity, we are surrounded by all sorts of shops, restaurants, supermarkets, street performers, coffee shops and pubs. Whenever I get the chance to go walking around, stopping in shops, or sitting in a different coffee shop, I take it because I am guaranteed to find something new to catch my interest.
On my discoveries I found an entire street of farmer’s markets that’s about a 7-minute walk from campus. This happens to be right next to the bargain grocery store called Lidl. My first time around doing the groceries, I took by big book bag with two large carrying bags for each arm. Considering how much food I consume on a weekly basis and how much I regretted not keeping up with my lifting schedule from college, I slightly struggled on my walk back to my room. Slightly. I was sore the next few days and needed to find a better way of taking this expedition.
The next week I became the girl who rolled around her suitcase through the store using it as a grocery cart. I strategized my shopping with the heavy non-destructible items going in first at the bottom, and the fluffy loaf of bread going in last. I got the frequent odd stare as I zipped my suitcase open and close in the middle of the isle, but it was fine with me!
As you can see, we are adapting and finding our way pretty well here. We cook massive amounts of food and store them in Tupperware, (my Buffalo roommates can account for my love of Tupperware from our bulging / avalanche of a top cabinet) and eat it throughout the week. We have been sticking to pasta, brown rice, chicken, eggs and spinach. And peanut butter. just made sweet potato fries, which happen to be my favorite!…and I snuck a few extra off the pan while she wasn’t looking…shhh!
My parents are coming in 5 days….
I’m slightly excited.
“HANGING” OUT AT KUBS… 14/10/2014
In my masters program, I’m taking all sorts of culture and internationally scoped classes. Learning that organizational culture is seen as the single greatest driver in long-term organizational performance, (referenced from someone important I should know…) I have been very scholarly in noticing this aspect more around me.
The culture at (where Christine and I coach) includes a great amount of family orientation and consistency with their involvement. During the Friday through Sundays that and I are with both young boys and girls groups, no matter who has training or a game that day, the others will be keeping score or on the sidelines supporting. At the girl’s game on Saturday, there was a 12-year-old boy who we see just about every day of every weekend. He loves to go on the court in-between drills or during time outs of a game and show off his dribbling skills…soccer, acrobatic, and on this particular day we witnessed his fearless climbing and hanging skills.
One of our friends was visiting the club and did not know how talented (AKA daring and wild) this little boy was when our friend lifted him up to try and dunk. He hung on the rim showing off his muscles doing pull – ups for us, and was annoyed by his close spotters that according to him, he obviously did not need!
Before anyone knew it, the little bugger had squirmed up and taken a seat on the rim. He loved our reactions of both slight terror and worry, yet our enjoyment as we laughed at our free entertainment.
Needless to say, safety comes first here at Sport Changes Life and our friend eventually bribed him to get down. The kids love to (literally) hang around the Kubs gym because it is a positive environment where kid’s individual abilities are discovered, and challenged for improvement in all areas. They learn how to work with others on a team, and have fun in this safe and supportive environment.
My humbling reminder of my love for the game and team pride. I left the final Championship game at the preseason tournament in IT Carlow with nothing but enjoyment and satisfaction.
In my “basketball lifespan”, I have played in pick up games at the park with the boys, pushed through four preseasons of conditionings in college, lost hundreds of games of horse against my dad, played dribble tag at summer camps and sat on the bench with injuries feeling like the world had ended. No matter what was going on in my daily life, basketball was always a factor, and it’s easy to forget how much I actually love playing.
Sunday I was reminded of this love more than I ever have been before. Being able to laugh on the court again – like literally laughing and being myself (people probably thought I was crazy) was gratifying. Anyone who has played in college knows the struggle and rewards, knows the work, dedication and sacrifices on any and every level.
After making it through the semi’s Sunday afternoon, the indomitable (yes, us) geared back up 25 minutes after the final horn for the Championship vs. NUI Galway. We elevated our feet, changed our socks, I stuffed in a banana and p&j sandwich and got back on the floor…and we were animals!! (If you can’t tell, I’m loving the grind here!) The games are dirty, high-speed…dirty, and, you’ve got to have that grit () if you want to win! And we did. Down 10 starting the second half, we fought through/with the flying elbows, hustle plays, key shots and had a little bit of determination. Our fans were rumbling the gym and we decided there was no letting down.
None of my family or friends were there to see the game, and there was no video taken to capture it. It was like choosing to leave my camera behind (that one time in Italy) because there is no proof needed; the greatness of the event or place in time is only meant for the ones who were there and experienced it.
When you go into your regular gas station (AKA pedal station) you find rows, shelves, stacks and any other organizational fixture filled with candy, chips, ice cream etc. Literally filled. This was a surprise to me when I was looking for a classic protein bar that I could quickly pick up to refuel myself after a work out, but they were nowhere to be found! At this moment I had figured out where the kids got their extra super crazy energy from here!
I haven’t talked much about the Irish food-culture in my blogs, (surprising due to my love of food) but I have now found a significant enough reason to bring an issue literally to the table, or to the spoon…or finger, and that is my love for peanut butter. I did not realize how much I loved peanut butter until my college days when my roommates and I introduced ourselves to the grilled P&J, had morning peanut butter and apple or bananas before early morning practice, mixed it in our oatmeal, and with nutella (which we only allowed ourselves to have once in a while), and pretty much anything else that we made available to us.
My shock of the Irish disgust of my beloved and sacred additive/main meal at times came while and I were coaching a girls group last Saturday at . During a break I pulled out my small container (Christine’s sister, Maddy will hopefully be bringing over large containers when she visits! ..YES) of crunchy peanut butter and spoon out of my bag as I do on the daily, and began putting it on my apple. Immediately as Christine and I are passing it back and forth the looks of disbelief and disgust cross the 13 year old girl’s faces! They could not believe we were eating this repulsive paste! And with apples?! No way. They couldn’t handle the smell…oh the food peer pressure; I remember those days when it was only cool to eat Scooby Doo Gogurt instead of regular yogurt. Even though they think eating peanut butter let alone having a minor addiction is unheard of, we have gratefully accepted their bags of bacon chips and the classic Irish Breakfast!
Last week we moved onto the beautiful Trinity campus in the Botany Bay apartments! Lucky for and I, living on campus seems to be an automatic “in” to making friends because not many live on or close to campus! Therefore, but unfortunately, we will have some incentive to keep it generally clean as well as invest in an air mattress!
Right outside our kitchen windows are a small soccer field connected to two grass tennis courts. My dad loves to play tennis and I’d imagine if he lived here he would play every day and at every opportunity he got! The weather has been really nice and whether its morning or night, there are always people playing on the courts.
Over the course of the week we were introduced to a few of the Men’s and Women’s Basketball players and had a lot of fun playing in a 3 on 3 tournament with some of them! Last week was called “freshers week” which is a week for our inductions to masters courses, and for the freshman (“freshers”) to go through their week of orientation as well. There were tents set up all around the quad area of campus that advertised clubs and societies for sign up. I was ecstatic when I discovered the Photography club, (as I jumped all over Christine after my official sign up – also due to a great amount of coffee intake I previously had) where they offer darkroom and digital work, as well as a trip to Berlin if our schedules permit! They also gave me three chocolate bars for signing up…confirming this day couldn’t get any better.
From Gaelic football to yoga, academic, debate and cultural clubs, it was impressive at the variety of societies available to all students. It’s exciting to be a part of different groups and activities, which was difficult to do in undergrad because of a busy basketball basketball and academic schedule. Being a part of the AIESIC society as well as Photography, I aspire to participate and learn as much as possible!
PEANUT BUTTER ADDICTION… 14/09/2014
When you go into your regular gas station (AKA pedal station) you find rows, shelves, stacks and any other organizational fixture filled with candy, chips, ice cream etc. Literally filled. This was a surprise to me when I was looking for a classic protein bar that I could quickly pick up to refuel myself after a work out, but they were nowhere to be found! At this moment I had figured out where the kids got their extra super crazy energy from here!
I haven’t talked much about the Irish food-culture in my blogs, (surprising due to my love of food) but I have now found a significant enough reason to bring an issue literally to the table, or to the spoon…or finger, and that is my love for peanut butter. I did not realize how much I loved peanut butter until my college days when my roommates and I introduced ourselves to the grilled P&J, had morning peanut butter and apple or bananas before early morning practice, mixed it in our oatmeal, and with nutella (which we only allowed ourselves to have once in a while), and pretty much anything else that we made available to us.
My shock of the Irish disgust of my beloved and sacred additive/main meal at times came while and I were coaching a girls group last Saturday at . During a break I pulled out my small container (Christine’s sister, Maddy will hopefully be bringing over large containers when she visits! ..YES) of crunchy peanut butter and spoon out of my bag as I do on the daily, and began putting it on my apple. Immediately as Christine and I are passing it back and forth the looks of disbelief and disgust cross the 13 year old girl’s faces! They could not believe we were eating this repulsive paste! And with apples?! No way. They couldn’t handle the smell…oh the food peer pressure; I remember those days when it was only cool to eat Scooby Doo Gogurt instead of regular yogurt. Even though they think eating peanut butter let alone having a minor addiction is unheard of, we have gratefully accepted their bags of bacon chips and the classic Irish Breakfast!
Today was my third practice ("training" as the Irish call it) with my club basketball team, the (oh-bleetz) Dynamos. Awesome name no matter how you choose to pronounce or in my case, mispronounce it. In the first training session I was immediately welcomed by the coach, team and club as a whole being the only American. Oblate Hall is where our practices and home games will be held at. It was a great venue with strictly basketball lines in the court, which is rare here since basketball is not a dominate sport in Ireland.
Most of the players on the Dynamos are in the 18-24 range. The younger ones are either starting their first year of college, where the handful on the other end of the spectrum for example includes a woman (with impressive hustle) who has been a primary (elementary) school teacher for 10+ years! The one thing in common with these women is that they are all a part of the club because they love basketball. Some go through a variety of transportation methods that take around an hour just to get to practice. They enjoy the game and I am glad I have this opportunity to be a part of it!
I have noticed a difference in the pace, style and overall culture of the game in my few weeks playing in Ireland. After years of losing my voice in preseason from encouraging teammates and talking on offense and defense, the habit is permanently ingrained in me whether I want it to be or not! In the first few drills of training here, I noticed right away that this aspect is not nearly as prevalent. Communication on the floor is one thing I have adopted myself, and my team is already getting better at it! As much as I forced myself to do it (because there was always a punishment if my college head coach – Coach Zeh was louder than the group of us together- (which is actually a hard task sometimes!)) it’s a vital part of success on the court and makes drills more fun when teammates and wonderful friends like Allison Braun get into it at the highest and most enthused level! I am greatly looking forward to getting to know the girls and bringing my love of basketball to this team!
UNEXPECTED VISITS... 08/09/2014
A couple Friday’s ago a few of the scholars and I taught a few groups of boys at a school in Clonmel. We were on lunch break around 11am when my sister, Natalie sent me a picture. It was 6am her time when our “Sergeant First Class” crazy Uncle Gary had come home and woken her up in bed that morning...all the way from Afghanistan where he had been serving since late January of last year. The chills were immediate as I saw their smiles in the picture, I felt and imagined the words that were said and the hugs shared. This surprise visit was surely a treat for my family, and even though I couldn’t be there, I was thankful he was home and for a little while and safe.
I was coaching the group of boys on my own that day in Clonmel and found myself being challenged in the morning as we moved onto more advanced drills and teaching points. After my uplifting lunch break, we had one final group where I gave an extra boost of energy and made sure the kids felt my enthusiasm while switching around a few of my teaching methods. After the sessions were done, I was teaching a boy (determined point guard) a few dribbling. Soon another, then the next boy came over to see what we were doing and began dribbling along with us. I started smiling and laughing to myself at how many more joined our group because I was not expecting it! They were showing me how good they were at the “spider drill” and asking me all sorts of questions. The satisfaction I received after pushing myself and learning how to coach them during the stations prior was rewarding and unexpected as they followed me across the court doing single and double dribbling moves.
I finally got to Face Time with my uncle last night, which reminded me of this experience with the kids in Clonmel. Unfortunately, it was dinnertime at home and I have learned that I will NEVER again Face Time during a home cooked meal made by my mom when my uncle is manning the camera. He teased me waving and spinning every bite of the juicy steak (cooked just how I like it by the way) on the fork right in front right of the screen! Anyone reading this who knows him is surely getting a laugh right now.
We all wish you safe travels back on Friday, and will all be thinking about you every day!
WHEN I WAS 4 YEARS OLD... 02/09/2014
When I was 4 years old I went to “Safety Town” where one of the things us ‘lil tikes learned was how to cross the street safely. Before crossing, we were to look for oncoming cars as we said the words “left, right, left, behind” aloud before crossing the imaginary streets set up for us. Needless to say, these words are still imbedded into my head. And good thing they still are…
Now, coming over to Europe, I was fully aware that you drive on the opposite side of the street. Therefore, when crossing the street you have to look the other way for the oncoming cars. Pretty self-explanatory, eh? (shout out to my Canisius Canadian roommates with the “eh”!). This sounds quite simple as I see it typed out- and now considering to lay down the backspace key because anyone reading this is most likely in disbelief that I am a Masters student... Well, anyways, if I must put Christine under the bus with me, which I must, we are finding this task quite the struggle as we cross the many busy streets of Dublin..all while on our daily adventures and NOT getting ourselves lost! Then not to mention half of the streets are one-ways, so when we think we’ve got it right – or left - we just end up being wrong.
Needless to say, on our explorations these past few days we have been finding our way to wherever the path is meant to take us! There’s no better way to go about explorations than taking in the great vibe of the street performers, stopping in local pubs to watch the Gaelic football games and learning how to/taking the bus to whatever stop seems our best bet!
I am pumped to be here in Dublin where I will be meeting my new club team the Oblate Dynamos, as well the Trinity College team; to begin working at schools in the area as well as coaching for the girls Kubs club. Next week I start a few preliminary courses and then come orientation and moving into the new apartment on campus! So much to look forward to in these next weeks…and months :)
But, still remembering that the most important lesson of the week is that when in doubt of the direction of the two story busses or small little zooming cars in traffic, it’s always safe to look left, right, left, and behind! I am still a bit confused why you look behind…maybe I’ll just stick to “follow the leader” instead..
FIRST CAMPS IN DUBLIN, & THE ROAD TRIPS CONTINUE! 01/09/2014
Our week of training from Sport Changes Life in Belfast was a great help in our first camp while in Dublin. From the simplest things such as silly ways to get the kid’s attention, to executing the instructions for a game, I was able to use what we learned a lot. …Oh, and a shout out to the training back in Buffalo- I thank my previous lifting coaches for preparing me to carry around 11 year olds on my shoulders for prolonged periods of time! I have yet to learn how to french braid, but luckily off the hook since my roommate, Christine is a certified professional.
Working these couple days with the same group of kids was very rewarding because just in the short amount of time together, we were able to make a connection through the fun that goes into teaching and playing basketball games!
Refreshing, fun and free is my first impressions on sport here in Ireland. It is purely a way to enjoy yourself and your friends, excel with your team and express yourself. It’s quite empowering being able to see this in the kids as we talk on the sidelines and witness it in the way they play. Basketball has given me so much, and I’m falling in love with sharing this with the kids here. Towards the end of the day of camp we all sat down and the kids had the chance to ask us questions. At that moment I realized how big of an influence we all are to each and every girl or boy we work with, give a high five to, help improve at a skill, or just have a short conversation about their favorite subject.
During the two days in Dublin we toured around a bit as I began to feel the chills and excitement of being in my new home city! We got a glimpse of the outside of the building we will be living in…and yes, there are green vines grazing the building outlining the windows! Yes, very corny, but these things I love! :)
So, the road trip continues as we venture off to Clonmel until Friday when we go off to our separate schools for the year. In the past two weeks I have been introduced to a new family. We have literally been living with and off each other, where personal space means nothing; learning what gets each other to laugh and how to laugh harder. As much as I’d like our group to stay together, I know we will all benefit from branching off at our universities and working with different groups of kids and teams in the process.
See you in Dublin!
MY ADVENTURE TO DUBLIN! 21/08/2014
DAY 3: I cannot decipher if I am tired from the all-nighter from the plane over here, or the hours we stayed awake listening to Pat play is guitar last night all squished in the kitchen together...or whether I am staying awake from excitement or a sugar overload of amazing pinballs (a little Irish candy-colorful sugar balls) I tried during training! The only thing I’m sure of is that my abs are sore from the excessive laughing.
Dublin arrival: I managed to grab my two huge bags off of the belt, SWEATING because obviously my bag was over the weight limit. I had to take out some of my favorite sweaters, only to stuff them into my carry-on. Of course, once the carry-on was zipped it had no chance of fitting in the overhead…so basically there was no choice but to layer them on myself. Then the eight of us stuffed ourselves in the “Prom Van” to our journey to Belfast.
Already I can tell this is going to be a great year- because this group will make it great. To be surrounded with people who have a very similar mindset as you is empowering and inspiring. I feel so fortunate to be where I am today, and there are many people who have helped me get here. I cannot wait to be one of the reasons a kid reaches a goal of theirs. Thanks to all the Sport Changes Life staff we’ve met this week who have welcomed us here at Belfast!