by | May 22, 2013 · 5:31 pm

PeacePlayers to host DePauw Men’s Basketball Coach Bill Fenlon

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Bill Fenlon, basketball coach at DePauw University, will host a coaching clinic on June 4

During the first week of June, PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland (PPI-NI) will be hosting Bill Fenlon, a supporter of the program and the head men’s basketball coach for the DePauw University Tigers. Coach Fenlon has coached the Tigers for 21 seasons and is the winningest coach in program’s history. Following his team’s most recent 16-10 season, Fenlon possesses an impressive .638 career winning percentage.

DePauw competes at the NCAA Division III level in the North Coast Atlantic Conference, which also includes DePauw’s biggest in-state rival, the all-men’s Wabash College.

Before coaching at DePauw, Fenlon also coached at the University of the South, Southwestern University, and the Rose Hulman Institute of Technology.

“I’m very excited about the opportunity to partner with PeacePlayers,” Fenlon said.  “Being a career basketball guy I’m especially proud of the chance to make a difference in young lives through my sport.”

One of his more noteworthy anecdotal accomplishments involves coaching Brad Stevens – now the head coach of the small basketball powerhouse, Butler University, – from 1995 to 1999. Stevens’ Butler teams have defied the odds by playing for the NCAA Division I championships in 2010 and 2011.

DePauw, Wabash, and Butler are all located in the basketball-crazy state of Indiana, which is the setting of the popular 1986 film, Hoosiers. The state has produced many great players, including but not limited to Larry Bird, Shawn Kemp, and Oscar Robertson, and more recently, the trio of Zeller brothers, who played at Notre Dame, North Carolina, and Indiana University, respectively.

One of the highlights of Fenlon’s visit to Belfast will be a coaching clinic on Tuesday, June 4, from 7:30-9:00 p.m. in Queen’s PEC. Participation will cost £3 to help cover the price of the space.

The clinic will also include, during the first half-hour, instruction on warm-ups, conditioning, and injury prevention from Pablo Huertos. Huertos comes from Spain, where he studied sport science and physical activity. He has worked as a fitness coach for a women’s National-League team in Cordoba and the men’s Liga Espanola De Baloncesto team in Plasencia.

For more information about the clinic, or if you would like to attend, please contact Tony McGaharan at tmcgaharan@peaceplayersintl.org or Chris Schumerth at cschumerth@peaceplayersintl.org.

*A version of this week’s post was first run by The Courtside Collective. 

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by | May 21, 2013 · 5:24 pm

Catching up in Cape Town

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Former PeacePlayers participant and coach Zanele Sikakane with PPI-SA fellow Kristin Degou in Cape Town, South Africa.

This weekend, PPI-SA International Fellows Kyler McClary and Kristin Degou were lucky enough to visit one of the most beautiful and unique cities in the world, Cape Town, South Africa. Cape Town is the second-most populated city in South Africa after Johannesburg, and the provincial capital city of the Western Cape.  While there, we were able to experience much of South Africa’s natural beauty and the diversity of people that make up this vibrant city.

One of the most fun parts of the weekend was that we were able to meet up with former PPI-SA participant and coach, Zanele Sikakane. Zanele is originally from Molweni, a rural area located about an hour northwest of Durban. PPI started working within the Molweni area about 5 years after it started its program in South Africa and was able to build a culture of basketball that still exists today. PPI-SA works in 5 primary schools in Molweni and the area has its own club team, the Molweni Flames. As a young girl, Zanele played in the Primary School Program (PSP), and then carried on playing in high school with our LDP program. PeacePlayers introduced Zanele to basketball and she fell in love with the game. With a combination of natural talent and hard work, Zanele was offered a scholarship to play at Cape Peninsula University of Technology. She has been there for 5 months now and is studying Sports Science.  She is really enjoying the level of competition in Cape Town at the University level and earned a starting spot on the team as a first year.

Zanele, (back row, 3rd from right) with the Kwa-Zulu Natal provincial team

Zanele, (back row, 3rd from right) with the Kwa-Zulu Natal provincial team

If Zanele could give any words of advice to current basketball coaches, she would tell them “to treat every player on the team equally.” She emphasizes the importance of individual attention on and off the court, and showing the kids that you truly care about them. “Practice runs much smoother when all players feel equally important” Zanele said.

We are very proud of Zanele for all she has accomplished and for chasing her dreams. She comes from an area where opportunities like this are scarce, but through PPI-SA and basketball, Zanele was able to widen her perceptions of the world and what she is capable of.  It took a lot of courage for Zanele to leave her home and family and move to a big city on the opposite side of the country.  Zanele’s story is very special, and inspires everyone at PPI-SA to keep working to fulfill our mission for other children.

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by | May 20, 2013 · 4:39 pm

Dare To Dream Bigger

college-graduationTis the season for donning caps and gowns, celebrating with friends and family and listening to inspiring words of wisdom. To commemorate graduation season, here are some quotes from this year’s notable commencement speakers that resonate with PeacePlayers’s values of being champions for peace and catalysts for social change:

“There’s no how-to guide for how to change the world…But it’s easy to get hung up by misconceptions about what it takes to make an impact…We are making progress today not because of a big idea, but because of a big commitment. Because we plunged in and embraced the journey of constant learning and improvement…Don’t put your desire to change the world on hold…Start and go forth in constant pursuit of learning and impact.” - Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach for America, Boston University

“Every day in every life consists of things that are going well, and things that are going badly…We have the power to imagine whatever we want, why don’t we imagine the best? Why don’t we create our own fantasies?” - Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post, Smith College

“The whole thing comes down to in the end whether we face the future with open hands or closed fists…You can’t share the future unless you share the responsibility for building it.” - Former President Bill Clinton, Howard University

“I dare you, Class of 2013, to do better. I dare you to dream bigger” - President Barack Obama, Ohio State University

PeacePlayers dares its participants, and you, to dream bigger too: The dream of a world where children of different backgrounds can play together, live together and build a more peaceful society.

Check out this video of PeacePlayers International Executive Director, Brendan Tuohey, speaking at his alma mater, Colgate University in 2012:

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by | May 17, 2013 · 2:18 pm

PeacePlayers-Cyprus takes the court with The Harlem Globetrotters!

The Harlem Globetrotters present a donation of 25,000Krones (3,300euro) to PeacePlayers-Cyprus!

The Harlem Globetrotters present a donation of 25,000 Krones to PeacePlayers-Cyprus!

It never hurts to dream big, right? That’s what the community of Nesodden were thinking when they contacted the world famous Harlem Globetrotters, requesting a visit to their quiet community in Norway. In Nesodden, the game of basketball was already breaking down barriers as PeacePlayers-Cyprus’  basketball team of Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot boys were playing for the Hasna Cup, the first time ever that children from the divided island had the chance to compete together in an international competition.

Look out below!

It was our kids’ dream to play with the Globetrotters

But when a response came from the Globetrotters, the coaches’ and the community’s dream became reality.  The Globetrotters agreed to fly five of their players all the way to Nesodden for a community wide show (little did we know that the entire show was to going to be dedicated to the youth of PeacePlayers).

Friday evening came and people from all over the village showed up for the event. Goril, our teams’ amazing local host, said, “I think the experience was incredibly special.”  If seeing and playing alongside the Harlem Globetrotters wasn’t surreal enough for our PeacePlayers’ team, the real surprise came at the end of the evening. As the Globetrotters’ show came to an end, they called our boys to the court, this time to present a check for 25,000 Krones (about 3,300 euro)!  The surprise donation was raised through tickets sales and a bake sale that was hosted during the game.

What an unbelievable and unexpected gift from our new friends in Nesodden.  They will forever be a part of PeacePlayers-Cyprus and we look forward to the day that we can welcome them to our home here on the island of Cyprus.

A globetrotter

Orhan, from PeacePlayers-Cyprus, tests his defense against Fatima “TNT” Maddox

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by | May 16, 2013 · 2:52 pm

Spreading the Love – An Afternoon of Peace in the Middle East

American volunteer Jack Randolph posing with some of the girls from Usaphiya

American volunteer Jack Randolph posing with some of the girls from Usaphiya

Last Friday PPI – Middle East held a Peace League event for two Jewish teams from the cities of Haifa and Holon, one Arab team from Tamra, and a Druze team from the city of Usafiya. PeacePlayers runs events like these to give participants a chance to come together and play in competitive games on mixed teams with kids from different areas.

PPI participant Yael from Holon goofing around!

PPI participant Yahel from Holon goofing around!

For Jack Randolph, our American volunteer, it was his first time witnessing a Peace League event. Jack noticed how as an observer you would have no idea that the players are of religions that rarely mix with each other. Instead, you would see is a large group of teenage girls having a great time enjoying each other’s company and playing sports. Afterwards Jack said, “I was extremely impressed by the girls basketball ability and physical play. What was even cooler was that while the games were very competitive the participants really seemed to care about each other and want everyone to succeed.”

This is type of attitude PPI hopes to develop and teach all of its participants, and Peace Leagues are just another exciting way to show everyone that despite our differences we can come together and make the world a better place. Yahel Jovanovic, a new Jewish girl from the Holon team had this to say: “Playing with the Arab and Druze girls is normal to me now. I have been in PPI for over half a year so I know these girls well and consider them my friends. It was weird in the beginning when we first started playing but it isn’t anymore.”

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by | May 15, 2013 · 2:30 pm

Are you a Champion 4 Peace?

Champion (Champ-eeh-on) - noun:

  1. a person who has defeated all opponents in a competition or series of competitions, so as to hold first place.
  2. anything that takes first place in competition.
  3. an animal that has won a certain number of points in officially recognized shows.
  4. a person who fights for or defends any person or cause.
  5. a fighter or warrior.

Champion 4 Peace:

  1. Someone who catalyzes positive social change, thereby creating a more peaceful society.

Each year PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland brings together 2,000 young Catholics and Protestants from areas least likely to embrace peace or coexistence efforts, and uses sport  as a tool to help them understand and overcome conflict. Last year PPI-NI introduced the Ambassador Programme, which gave participants a voice and the opportunity to lead the programmes in which they were involved. The goal was to create a class of new PPI leaders, young champions for peace who actively contribute to creating a more peaceful society.

This year the programme got a face-lift – the programme was split into Juniors (11-13) and Seniors (14-18) and renamed “Champions 4 Peace” (C4P). Over the next few months our Senior C4Ps will be working on fundraising, event planning, and facilitation skills, while the Junior C4Ps work on a fundraising event, recruitment of new C4Ps, and volunteering at the Spring Jam Tournament. In addition, both groups have shown an interest in developing a documentary film as a way of recruiting new members!

Are you a Champion 4 Peace? Share your story in the comments or on Facebook and Twitter.

If you are interested in getting more information about the PPI-NI Champions 4 Peace programme or want to help in any way with the programme, please contact Joanne Fitzpatrick at jfitzpatrick@peaceplayersintl.org.

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by | May 14, 2013 · 1:51 pm

PPI-SA Will Walk the Walk!

PPI-SA will participate in this years Big Walk!

PPI-SA will participate in this years Big Walk!

On Sunday, May 26th, PPI-SA will join Discovery Health and over 31,000 others in promoting an active, healthy lifestyle by participating in the 2013 Discovery East Coast Radio Big Walk. The walk begins at uShaka Marine World on the southern beachfront and ends at People’s Park in front of Durban’s world cup venue, Moses Mabhida Stadium. The event offers four different courses ranging from 5km to 20km.

As ambassadors for sport in the region, PPI-SA felt it was imperative to show up and support the largest athletics event of the year in Durban. All of PPI-SA’s office staff, along with several coaches, have pledged to participate. PPI’s entry fees for the event are being sponsored by Laureus, so, once again, a big thank you is owed to them.

East Coast Radio, Durban’s leading commercial radio station, started the event in 2004 with just 1,800 walkers. In 2009 the walk added Discovery, a leading health insurance provider, as a co-sponsor. Discovery has teamed with PPI-SA in the past by contributing to events and donating to PPI schools. Discovery says their involvement in the Big Walk was fueled by seeing the walk as “a great opportunity to show people how easy it is to follow a healthy and active lifestyle.” Durbanites are obviously catching on to the message, as the event has grown by over 30,000 participants in its 10-year existence. The event continues to grow on an annual basis, with over 8,000 more people registered this year than last year.

Stay tuned for pictures of PPI-SA’s day at the Big Walk, which will most likely be posted here on Tuesday, May 28th.

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by | May 13, 2013 · 4:21 pm

Shine Your Light

New WBNA Player Brittney Griner hopes to be a light that inspires others to love themselves

New WBNA Player Brittney Griner hopes to be a light that inspires others to love themselves

In a recent article for the New York Times,  top WBNA pick and Baylor University senior Brittney Griner, who is openly gay, discussed her new job with the Phoenix Mercury,  her experiences with bullying and how she hopes she can inspire others to love themselves and others for who they really are. Growing up, Griner was bullied about her sexuality, appearance and height (she’s 6’8) .  Even though she would always put on a tough face and try to let the hateful words roll off of her, she said it was always painful to hear those things. Despite those hard times, she says “I never thought that to be beautiful, you had to look any certain way at all. In my opinion, you’re beautiful because you are you.” The more comfortable she became with herself, the more open she could be with her family and friends and focus on the things she loves in her life, like basketball.

Griner hopes she can be a “light that inspires others” and  wants “everyone to feel at peace and O.K. with being who he or she is.”

PeacePlayers participants learn to shine their light and love their teammates for who they are

PeacePlayers participants learn to shine their light and love their teammates for who they are

PeacePlayers strives to inspire every child who participates in their programs to shine their light and love themselves and their teammates for who they are.  Through the game of basketball, they learn life skills and peace building skills that give them the confidence to be themselves and love others.

In Northern Ireland, teammates learn to see each other not as Catholics and Protestants, but as friends. In the Middle East, Jewish and Arab children respect and learn from their differences and play together. In Cyprus, Turkish-Cypriot and Greek-Cpyriot children work together as united Cypriots. In South Africa, children of different races and socio-economic backgrounds see past those differences on the basketball court.

How do you shine your light and inspire others? Tell us in the comments!

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by | May 10, 2013 · 3:44 pm

Happy Mother’s Day from PeacePlayers!

PeacePlayer Dimitris Charalambous and his mother Cleopatra

Cleopatra Charalambous and her son, Dimitris, outside of Larnaca, Cyprus

If it weren’t for the love, support and encouragement of our mom’s we wouldn’t be the people we are today. That is why this week, in honor of Mother’s Day, we wanted to get to know one of our amazing PPI moms, Cleopatra Charalambous,  mother of one of our very special young leaders, Dimitris.

PeacePlayer Dimitris Charalambous and his mother Cleopatra

Dimitris and his mother Cleopatra in their home in Larnaca

Cleopatra was raised in London but returned to Cyprus over 20 years ago.  A mother of four, and working full-time at UCLAN University in Pyla, Cyprus, Cleopatra is quite a busy woman.  She is the epitome of hard working, loving moms worldwide who balance their professionalism with the invaluable task of raising and shaping their children into the young leaders they dream for them to become.

Having been raised in the multi-cultural atmosphere that is London, Cleopatra  developed an understanding of the importance of respecting other cultures and seeing people as people.  Even while raising her children in the quiet community of Larnaca, Cleopatra has managed to pass along these important  values to her children.

Dimitris (left) getting ready to play with his bi-communal team at the Hasna Cup in Norway

Dimitris (left) getting ready to play with his bi-communal team at the Hasna Cup in Norway

Six months ago Cleopatra’s 16 year old son Dimitris joined PeacePlayers and has already become a standout participant. After demonstrating leadership on and off the court, Dimitris was chosen to attend our Leadership Development Camp in Kantara  and travled to Norway with the PeacePlayers bi-communal boys’ team to compete in the Hansa Cup.

“PeacePlayers has been such a great opportunity for Dimitris, it is only too bad that he found out about the organization so late.  He doesn’t want to detach from the organization so when he finishes playing he wants to become a PeacePlayers leader.”

Dimitris with his new friend Tunc at the LDP camp in Kantara

Dimitris (left) with his new friend, Tunc, at the LDP camp in Kantara

Cleopatra has been very supportive of her son’s interest in PeacePlayers, and is thankful for the opportunity for Dimitris to develop new friendships with young people from all over Cyprus. When we asked Dimitris if his mom was nervous about going to the LDP camp in Kantara he said, “I don’t think so. She thinks it is great for me to have friends that are Turkish-Cypriots and I would spend more time with them.”

Cleopatra is the kind of encouraging parent that we as an organization are grateful for. When asked what she would like to see from PeacePlayers in the future, she responded, “I would love to see more children in Cyprus have the opportunity to be a part of PeacePlayers.  The organisation is an excellent tool for promoting good relations between our Turkish-Cypriot and Greek-Cypriot communities, and the kids that are involved are getting a lot out of it.”

On behalf of the entire PPI family around the world, we are wishing every mom a Happy Mother’s Day!

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by | May 9, 2013 · 2:24 pm

An Instant Connection – BYU Student Tenealle Visits PeacePlayers – Middle East

Tenealle and the girls getting silly at an LDP junior event

Tenealle (in blue) and some PPI-ME participants getting silly at an LDP junior event

This week we have a guest blogger, Tenealle Tenwolde. Tenealle was one of Chad Ford’s students from BYU that was featured in the blog from last week. Below Tenealle shares what PPI meant to her and what she learned from the program.

Believing that “children who play together can learn to live together” is an inspiring belief that was strongly translated in the PPI organization members. Meeting all the staff, from the International Fellow and the volunteers, to the Managing and Operating Directors, I felt a sense of family between them all. They didn’t just operate as co-workers but with a loving friendship of importance. Greeting us with hugs and laughs we immediately felt welcomed, a genuine love and meaningful relationships that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Project Manager Galit Sahar leading the LDP junior event along with the BYU students

Project Manager Galit Sahar leading the LDP junior event along with the BYU students

That authentic care has positively influenced the kids they work with and I’m so grateful I was able to experience and feel it. As Caitie, Taylor (other BYU visiting students) and I entered the gym to a mini’s practice, we were shown so many smiles, hugs and even basketball tips from the kids. We instantly felt a connection and the phenomenon of seeing people as people was in full effect. Even though everyone spoke different languages, we all understood the happiness that was felt.

Like every family or organization, problems will arise and struggles will appear, but with that genuine love and shared passion to bring children together to find peace, PPI comes together to overcome, sustain peace and strengthen their family relationships.

The girls coming together to pose for a picture!

The girls coming together to pose for a picture!

I’m so happy I was able to be a part of that for the brief time we spent there. It has inspired me so much and shown me that we all need each other to grow, love and overcome obstacles. Even the smallest act can bring the greatest change and I believe PPI is making those small changes to create influential greatness.

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