Hey guys, this is Colin checking in again regarding our basketball program here in Northern Ireland.

For the past 2 weeks, Kyle and I have begun our development of a new team that will eventually draw players from some of the rougher neighborhoods of North Belfast. The staff of both schools, Belfast Boys’ Model and St. Patrick’s Bearnageeha, have been incredibly supportive and helpful in everyway possible, so we would like to extend a special thanks to them. Following the standard procedure, we have introduced ourselves and basketball to the student population by leading PE classes, balancing our efforts of laying down the fundamentals of the game while also keeping them engaged with different kinds of drill-work and competitions. Though there is only a handful of guys in either school with any basketball experience but their heritage in rugby, soccer, Gaelic football, and hurling often translate quite well and make the transition to the hard-wood a good deal easier. Their footwork is quick and precise, they know how to use their bodies to gain leverage or to hold position, and they are strong and confident in claiming rebounds and jumping in the passing lanes. Of course, they haven’t quite sorted out how the physicality of basketball differs from the sports they are more familiar with…and they have a tendency to absolutely butcher one another when the opportunity arises. Nonetheless, the raw athleticism as well as their energy and enthusiasm for the game has made working with them a great experience for Kyle and I.

In other news, the Belfast Blazers and Bulldogs are back up and running, with almost a 100% return rate (unfortunately, a few of our students on the Bulldogs moved on from high-school, and so we are now recruiting replacements to fill up the roster). They participated in a 2 hour clinic with former NBA coach Tom Newell on Sunday, September 20th, and will begin their formal match schedule soon.

I’ll be stopping by again with more updates in the days to come.

- Colin

Last weekend the Queens PEC hosted one of the highlights of the Belfast basketball calendar; the Golden Popcorn Invitational Tournament. On Saturday nine teams competed in what was a highly competitive and very enjoyable competition, with the spoils eventually going to Team Sports Management, a team of Americans coached by Noam Fishman. More importantly however, the competition played host to the first ever FCP derby when the Belfast Tropics took on Queens in what was to be a decisive qualifying match. Colin and TJ lined out for Queens, a team normally coached by Ed White who was himself lining out for the Tropics alongside Kyle and myself. Emily felt horribly conflicted throughout the confrontation, and was thankful for her neutral role behind the camera in what has been described as "The greatest defensive slugfest since the Battle of the Somme" or less kindly as "a crime against offensive basketball". The FCP coaches set the tone, and in the end the Tropics prevailed despite Colin's feisty heroics and TJ's commanding presence. It was a fun game for all and played in very good spirits, one accidental headbutt of TJ by me aside. The Tropics then advanced to the semi-final where we put up a spirited performance against a team of division 1 American basketball players.

On a less personal but far more relevant note, Sunday saw the hosting of a coaching clinic by former NBA coach Tom Newell. He worked with two groups of players, firstly some younger ones including several players involved in our FCP programs. He concentrated on fundamentals of shooting and ballhandling with them, although he found time to teach some of the more advanced players some excellent offensive moves. Secondly he took a session with the Rockets team who play girls basketball to a high level here in Belfast. This was far more advanced and focused on passing, a skill which is often neglected in the coaching of youth players. Throughout the session Tom stressed court vision and using both hands and us coaches were able to witness some innovative drills which provided plenty of food for thought. He capped the day off by handing out basketball pencils to all participants, making a profound comment about how the eraser on a pencil was a psychological metaphor in that any mistake made could be erased at the other end of the court by hustling even harder. This was the parting comment, and the wisdom of it showed the type of person that it takes to become a truly great coach. This optimistic note was the perfect end to what had been a tiring but fun weekend.

Overall we were very pleased with the tournament and the coaching clinic which followed. All the feedback was positive and it was an excellent platform to promote all the important work we do as an organisation. Now that the dust has settled and the visitors have flown home though it's back to work, and heading into the schools again Monday morning there was no doubt in our minds that there was nowhere we'd rather be.

Signing off,

Ben Honan

I think I have already spent too much time considering how to write the first sentence of my first blog post as a FCP employee, especially because I am attempting to follow the stellar first effort of Mr. Dumas…so I’m just going to dive in. Last week was the first full week of coaching in the two secondary schools that have committed to our girls’ integrated basketball program, St. Louise’s Comprehensive College and Belfast Model School for Girls. St. Louise’s already has a girls’ basketball program that is run by one of the science teachers at the school, but they do not have enough coaches to train the number of girls that are interested in playing. On Wednesday, I went to their after-school session and got a chance to meet some of the girls that I hope will eventually play for our FCP religiously integrated team. It was definitely encouraging to see how focused the girls were on the new drills I was introducing.

On both Tuesday and Thursday I attended PE classes at Girl’s Model. The majority of girls are not as familiar with basketball, but everyone seemed very excited about the prospect of trying something new (I’m sure having TJ, Dave, and Kyle with me may have added to the level of excitement). One of the more influential sports for girls here is called netball. The origins of netball are based in basketball but there are some very obvious differences. I have yet to see a game played, but currently my very limited knowledge is this: netball players cannot dribble or move after they have caught the ball, positions are fixed and designated throughout the court (meaning offensive players cannot track back on defense, the rules require them to stay within a defined area), the hoop is similar to one used in basketball but without a backboard, and the ball is smaller and rubber-based as opposed to the leather-based basketball. Some of the girls have experience playing netball, so one of the initial challenges was helping them to remember to dribble when they were moving with the ball. However, that same influence contributed to many of the girls understanding the concept of moving without the ball, which is a difficult skill to teach young players.

I am looking forward to this week and really starting to identify the girls that will be interested enough to commit to the team. So far, the support from the staff from both schools has been incredibly positive and everyone seems really excited about giving some of the students a new challenge. My first few weeks here have been spent getting to know the city of Belfast and learning more about the history of the area on the ground. I know the types of obstacles that my players will be facing off the court will impact the way they will initially interact with each other; from what Colin just recently reported on, the tension between the two communities is still very real. I have always believed in utilizing the basketball court as a space where the only things that players have to think about are playing the game and working with their teammates and coaches. The court can serve as a separate, shared space where outside influences do not carry the same weight. I believe that creating this space for the players will be an important part of developing a cohesive, integrated team.

Much more to come,

Emily Bango

Beginning on Thursday evening, dissident republicans associated with the Continuity IRA have unleashed havoc on the towns of Lurgan and Craigavon in County Armagh. In response to a court ruling that sentenced 3 suspected Continuity IRA men to 15 years in prison for a plot to murder PSNI (police) officers, the radical splinter group has taken to the streets in an aggressive display that harkens back to the darkest days of the Troubles. Masked gunmen have patrolled areas of Lurgan and Craigavon in an attempt to lure police into a confrontation, rioting, hijacking and burning out vehicles, a frightening reminder of the tension that lurks just beneath the surface of Northern Ireland.

The worst moment of the weekend occurred on Saturday evening when two gunmen stopped a mother and child on their way home from an equestrian event. Upon holding up their car and lorry, the gunmen informed the two innocents that a bomb had been attached to their vehicle, and ordered the two to drive onto the County Armagh Police Station where the bomb would presumably be detonated. This tactic follows the precedent set by the Provisional IRA in 1990, who, hijacking and holding a man’s family at gunpoint, forced the civilian to pursue a suicide mission that killed 6 British soldiers and wounded an additional 35 bystanders. This time around, however, in an incredible act of bravery and defiance, the woman refused to obey the gunmen’s orders, pulling over a short distance from the perpetrators and immediately phoning the police to report what happened. And thankfully, when the PSNI bomb-squad arrived on the scene, they found no explosives attached to the lorry and exposed the gunmen’s empty threat.

These events have prompted police to step up patrols and increase checkpoints across the Province in an attempt to disrupt any future disturbances/attacks planned for by the various republican dissident groups. In particular, the security forces have instituted such thorough and immediate measures because of solid intelligence that the dissident republicans have plotted further violence in protest of Chief Police Constable Matt Baggot’s arrival in office on Tuesday. Though public support for the Continuity IRA is quite small, they do find some pockets of support in the more rural border counties that mark the partition of the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland.

For more reading, please read the following: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/lurganrsquos-troubled-weekend-hijacked-vehicles-sinister-threats-and-gunmen-in-masks-14502206.html

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/human-bombs-terror-of-mum-and-son-14502176.html


- Colin

Sunday, 13 September
By Kyle Dumas

If you asked me about three weeks ago whether I would ever storm the field after a sporting event, I would have rather confidently answered no. Maybe if I somehow managed to get tickets to the 2010 World Cup Final and the United States miraculously emerged victorious. Maybe if Lebron James switched to football and caught a last second Superbowl winning Hail Mary pass from yet again un-retired quarterback Brett Favre. Maybe, but even then I'd probably be so high up in the nosebleed seats that Farve would retire again by the time I made it down to field level. I certainly never would have guessed that my first-time field rush would come at Croke Park in Dublin following the All-Ireland U-21 Hurling Championships this past Sunday. Despite the fact that I barely even knew what Hurling was before this weekend, that's exactly what happened when Clare defeated Kilkenny 15 to 14 with a last minute point to win their first ever national title at the under-21 level.

The day before, fellow Full Court Peace member and Clare native Ben Honan introduced us to the sport via an exciting you-tube highlight package accompanied by an explanation of the basic rules and strategies. More importantly, Ben's younger brother Darach actually stars for Clare at center forward, providing we Americans (TJ, Emily and I) with a serious rooting interest in the game. Ben's brief crash course in Hurling combined with Darach's status as possibly the best player in the country at his age sufficiently piqued our interest, and we were genuinely excited for our first Gaelic sporting experience. Without a doubt, the game didn't disappoint.

From the opening face-off we immediately realized why Hurling is called "the fastest game on grass." A thoroughly unique blend of lacrosse, hockey, baseball, soccer and who knows what else, this sport almost defies description. The action is fast and perpetual, with players advancing the lacrosse-like ball in a variety of ways. In a single down-field offensive, players might bat the ball to a teammate like Derek Jeter, strike a Wayne Gretzky style slap-shot along the ground, kick the ball ahead like Pele, and/or balance it on the end of their flattened club like an egg on a spoon. All of this while running full-speed past swiping defenders. Put it past the goalie and into the soccer-sized net for three points. Put it through the goalposts extending skyward from either side of the net for one point. Goals are valuable and rare. In fact, we didn't even get to witness one. However, points can seemingly be struck from nearly anywhere inside of 80 yards. The accuracy with which players split the uprights on the run from that distance makes an amateur golfer like me truly envious. Sort of like striking a perfect 300 yard drive down the middle of a narrow fairway surrounded by water hazards...while being chased by an NFL linebacker. Scores for each team are displayed as the number of goals followed by the number of points, separated by a dash. For instance, a score of 2-10 would mean a total of 16 points (some introductory mathematics is required here and this is probably my only criticism of the sport).

The underdog Clare team kept the score close throughout the 30 minute first half. Ben's brother, despite battling both injury and illness, attracted a good deal of attention from the Kilkenny defense allowing other players to shine. As the half drew to a close, Darach cut towards the goal only to receive a crippling blow from an opposing player. Things looked bleak as he lay motionless for some time until finally limping off the field as as the clock ran out. We weren't sure if he'd come back out for the second half, but he did and it seemed to give the team an emotional boost. Clare took the lead for a short while but relinquished it quickly as the momentum repeatedly shifted back and forth. The color scheme of the stadium alternated between the Black and Yellow of Kilkenny and the Blue and Gold of Clare as 20,000-plus fans feverishly waved their teams' flags in support. With less than 5 minutes remaining Clare trailed by two points. Incredibly, I felt extremely nervous for a team I'd never supported or watched playing a sport I hardly even knew. Emily and TJ seemed to be experiencing the same anxiety. The excitement and passion of hard-core Clare fans chasing their first under-21 national championship was infectious. We managed to tie the score with just over a minute to go and Ben informed us that in the event of a draw the two teams would probably just play the whole game over again in two weeks. Luckily, we didn't have to wait that long. A Clare defender secured the ball deep in his own end and advanced it forward to a teammate on the run, who struck a baseball-style smash over the entire defense and through the uprights for a game winning point with about 40 seconds remaining.

Security moved to block the field but it was no use. Fans began hopping the barrier and eventually security switched to plan B (literally the jumbo screen began flashing "Plan B") and started allowing people on the field. Before I had time to think I was sprinting across the field in one of Europe's largest and nicest venues alongside thousands of euphoric Clare fans. I found TJ and we stayed on the field for closing ceremonies, enjoying many team chants and songs until they forced us to leave. The entire experience was surreal. It felt like a movie. Probably one of the top ten best moments of my life. More importantly, it highlighted the universal appeal of sports. Whether its playing basketball for a cross-community team, competing for a national championship in a traditional Gaelic sport like hurling, or anything in between, anyone involved can relate to the emotions that competition inevitably evokes. Competition and the team concept have a unique ability to transcend barriers in ways other activities simply can't. We weren't hurling fans and our only connection to Clare was a co-worker we only met three days earlier. Still, the passion and enthusiasm we saw exactly mirrored that which we've all experienced in basketball gyms and football stadiums our entire lives. The only difference was the game being played. Now we just need to brush up on our hurling skills with the three sticks Ben's brother donated to us after the game so we can show these Irish guys what's up.

Signing Off,
Kyle Dumas

Labels: Full Court Peace, Hurling, sport

Hey guys, this is Colin checking in again regarding our basketball program here in Northern Ireland.

It's been a while since my last post, and we have a lot to rehash from this summer's amazing trip to America. I will write a detailed summary of our fifteen days overseas, a period of time that I believe was truly transformative for the lads who experienced it. But before we look back to where we've been, and highlight where we will be going this year with our program's expansion of coaches, schools, teams, and players, this morning I was reminded of something more immediate and pressing, something that is fundamental to why we are here. Nearly 11 years since the Good Friday Agreement, sectarianism still pervades many aspects of life here in Northern Ireland, and if there was any questioning of that, a study in the Belfast Telegraph this morning speaks to this underlying residue of hate.

As the article details, violence, intimidation, and even ethnic cleansing continue at surprising rates in many pockets of Northern Ireland. Rioting, stoning of houses designed to force minorities out of certain neighborhoods, and other sectarian acts of hate show no signs of withering away. I won't paraphrase the study any further, and I encourage you to read it yourself. As distressing as the article is, though, it further proves that organizations like Full Court Peace remain as essential as ever in building a more open, trusting, and peaceful society.

Please read the article for yourself: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/the-enduring-scar-of-sectarianism-in-northern-ireland-14490633.html

- Colin