Tag Archives: basketball northern ireland

by | February 2, 2011 · 1:57 pm

Ulster Rockets (and PPI Fellow Meghan Houlihan) Become First All-Ireland Women’s Champions from Northern Ireland

In this installment of the PPI – Northern Ireland blog, PPI Fellow Meghan Houlihan recounts her path to an All-Ireland Championship with her team, the Ulster Rockets.

The Ulster Rockets and U.S. Consul General in Belfast, Kamala Lakhdhir

As an American working for PeacePlayers in Northern Ireland, I inevitably spend many hours on the basketball court; however, over the last several months, those hours have significantly increased as I’ve been training with the Ulster Rockets, an elite senior women’s basketball team that represents Northern Ireland in the All-Ireland National League.

Led by coaches Joe Toner and Sean Wynne (a PPI-NI Board Member) and team captains Nicola Smye and Niamh Toner, the team began training in early September with one goal: to win the All-Ireland Championship. In November, we successfully advanced through the first round of the All-Ireland Cup in Donegal and then went on to beat St. Mary’s, a team from Kerry, in the quarter-finals in December. Two weeks ago, we traveled to Cork and defeated the Meteors, a team from Dublin, in a tough semi-final match-up.

Ulster Rocket Super-Fan Shannon Brown and Meghan Houlihan

Finally, this past Saturday, we faced the University of Limerick in the finals at the National Basketball Arena in Dublin. At the end of four quarters, and in front of a spirited crowd of supporters from Belfast (including PPI Fellow Shannon Brown and the U.S. Consul General in Belfast, Kamala Lakhdhir), we convincingly defeated Limerick 72-46 and were crowned the All-Ireland Champions! The win marked the first time a team from the North won the All-Ireland Cup and I am truly honored to be a part of this historic team. Many thanks to all of my teammates, coaches, and supporters for a great season!

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by | December 8, 2010 · 1:51 pm

Jingle Ball, Jingle Ball, Jingle All the Way…

On Saturday, December 4, PPI-NI hosted its annual Jingle Ball basketball tournament for 9-13 year olds at Stranmillis College in Belfast. Participants enjoyed a day of basketball matches and team-building exercises on integrated teams, coached by PPI-NI staff members, local coaches and volunteers.

Approximately 180 children attended the tournament, with most participants coming from PPI-NI’s twinning program. We also had about a dozen Cross-Community League participants (14 – 16 year olds) volunteer as coaches, referees, and score keepers – including Coaches Lauren Bracken and Joe Fitzpatrick, who coached their teams to victory in the finals!

Other highlights of the day included a creative Grinch-themed skit by Coaches Rory O’Neil, Darryl Petticrew, Dean Polly and Declan Polly, some great music by DJ Topper, and of course, the many new friendships that were formed amidst the spirited cheering, jump shots and high fives!

Lastly, we’d like to thank the Belfast City Council’s Anti-Social Behavior Unit for their generous funding and ongoing support!

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by | October 6, 2010 · 10:06 pm

PPI-Northern Ireland heads to the Belfast ESPN Invitational Tournament

Watching the action and waiting their turn at the ESPN Invitational.

Last Saturday, October 2nd, PPI-NI staff, coaches and volunteers brought together approximately eighty students from across Belfast to watch the ESPN Invitational Basketball Tournament.  Students from Wheatfield, Holy Cross Girls, Avoniel and St. Matthew’s Primary Schools met at the Queen’s University Physical Education Center (PEC) for a day of fun, games, and basketball!

All four schools participate in PPI-NI’s twinning program: Wheatfield is twinned with Holy Cross Girls, and Avoniel is partnered with St. Matthew’s. Students from both the P6 and P7 classes were given the opportunity to meet new friends from the other schools and spend the day with their respective twinning partners outside of the structure of the typical, in-school program. Furthermore, most of the children had never witnessed such competitive basketball before, and their enthusiasm and interest in the new sport was incredible!

The kids watched both the semi-final and final games of the tournament, which included teams made up of PPI-NI coaches and current and former staff members like Rory O’Neil and Will Maloney, which even further added to the excitement of the experience.

Signs to cheer on Coach Rory!

Following the games, students lined up to get autographs and high-five the players. Some kids even made signs to cheer on their favorites!

In between games, the PPI-NI kids played a rousing game of “Target Shooting”, a PPI-NI favorite, with the help of Crossover Basketball volunteers who were on-hand for additional guidance.

All participants were given PeacePlayers t-shirts courtesy of the Department of Foreign Affairs – the sea of blue and yellow shirts at the far side of the gym was quite a sight! In the end, those who attended formed new friendships, devoured an unbelievable number of snacks, and had a wonderful time! Thank you to all of the participants, coaches, volunteers, and to Dave Cullen, host of the Belfast ESPN Invitational. We look forward to bringing even more kids together at next year’s tournament!

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by | August 18, 2010 · 1:44 pm

An Audience with Rory O’Neil

Shannon Brown, whom you met on Monday, interviews former PPI-CY Fellow and brand new PPI-NI Fellow Rory O’Neil about what he anticipates from his newest tour of duty with PPI in Belfast.

Rory bonding with the girls of PPI-CY.

Shannon Brown: What are your professional goals for you time in Northern Ireland?
Rory O’Neil: From what I’ve read and what I’ve seen in my first few days, I can tell that PPI-NI is a well-oiled machine. During my time in Cyprus, we were still laying the groundwork for a long-term sustainable program and we spent a lot of time just getting PeacePlayer’s name out there. Here in Belfast, the groundwork is already in place. I’m hoping to fit in with Gareth and his team and do what is asked of me wherever they need me. I’m happy to be a part of the team and am looking forward to building upon the awesome work that’s been done here by everyone from Sean Tuohey and Tim Guinan to Will Maloney and Ellen Cosgrove.

SB: What are your personal goals for your time in Northern Ireland?
RO: One of the reasons that I wanted to work with PPI-NI is because of my previous university education. I studied the Troubles during college and graduate school; since I heard about PPI-NI’s program, I have always wanted to opportunity to be here and to be a part of this organization. I’m also kind of a nerd for history (I come from a distinguished family of nerds) and to be a student of this conflict on the ground here in Belfast is an amazing opportunity.

SB: What are you most looking forward to with PPI-NI?
RO: My language skills are terrible. While in Cyprus, a majority of the kids in the program knew limited English. I spent a lot of time using “alternative” coaching tactics to get my points across. I think there was a practice once where I didn’t say a word during the 90-minute practice, just hand motions – poor kids! Here in Belfast, these kids speak a common language and the possibility for positive interaction and dialogue is really encouraging for me, since I’ve seen what the lack of a common language can do to stifle positive change in conflict situations. [Ed. note: In Cyprus, the two island's two main communities, Greek- and Turkish-Cypriots, speak different languages, Greek and Turkish, respectively.] The children of Northern Ireland have an amazing possibility to really get to know each other and break down barriers and I’m really looking forward to being a part of that interaction.

SB: What’s your favorite color?
RO: Blue and Gold baby! John Carroll Blue Streaks!!!

SB: Can you dunk?
RO: I did identify myself as a nerd right? Nerds can’t dunk, we shoot 15-foot, flat-footed jump shots and three-pointers from WAY BEHIND the 3-point line. I know it’s kind of embarrassing for a guy who is 6’4″ and can’t dunk, but with my lack of flexibility and genes you can’t really expect much in the athleticism department.

Rory on the court during his time in Cyprus (Not pictured: 15-foot, flat-footed jump shot.)

SB: What is the one thing you’d like to accomplish while living in Belfast?
RO: If I could become a trusted and respected person by both the Catholic and Protestant communities here, I’d be a happy camper. I’m really looking forward to becoming known as “neutral” person here in Belfast and trusted by our friends in both communities.

SB: How excited are you to be driving the Charisma on the left side of the road (PPI-NI’s beloved stick-shift automobile)?
RO: Thrilled. We have insurance, right?

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by | August 11, 2010 · 1:35 pm

PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland Completes OCN Training

Through its work with the OCN, PPI-NI is training its staff, participants and outside partners on how to combine sports and community relations.

PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland’s (PPI-NI) staff and local coaches have completed a self-designed Level III Open College Network course, Developing Integrated Sports Clubs. Tony Macaulay of Macaulay Associates Network served as the course’s moderator, facilitating each session and evaluating each participant’s final report.

Along with PPI-NI staff members and coaches, representatives from the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), the Irish Football Association (IFA), Basketball-Northern Ireland (BNI), Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), the Belfast Giants, and the Belfast Community Sports Development Network (BCSDN) took part in the course. Every participant contributed a great deal of insight into various aspects of diversity within their respective clubs. All will receive their Level III certificates of qualification at an awards ceremony scheduled for early autumn.

PPI-NI Fellow Shannon Brown commented on her first experience taking an OCN course: “It was very beneficial for me to hear about other sport organizations’ experiences, both triumphs and struggles, with diversity in their own respective clubs. I took a lot away from this course and look forward to contributing to PPI-NI’s own efforts to improve diversity.”

The latest course, “Developing Integrated Sports Clubs” plays into PPI-NI’s long-term goal of developing sustainable, multi-sport integrated clubs in Northern Ireland.

In May 2010, PPI-NI became an Open College Network (OCN) recognised centre. The Open College Network is a UK-wide body, accredited by the Regulatory Authorities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, that works with organizations to design high quality, flexible, credit-based professional and educational qualifications. As a result of its accredation, PPI-NI can now package, deliver and assess accredited courses and national qualifications.

Alongside the centre recognition process, PPI-NI has developed and piloted three OCN-accredited training courses of its own: Understanding Diversity Through Sport (Level I); Promoting Diversity Through Sport (Level II); and Developing Integrated Sports Clubs (Level III). We intend to fully integrate these OCN courses into programming by offering the Level I and II courses to the young people with whom we work.

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by | June 9, 2010 · 12:49 pm

PPI-NI wraps up Training for Trainers

This week, PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland (PPI – NI) will complete its Open College Network (OCN) Level III Training for Trainers course: Promoting Diversity Through Sports Clubs. The development of the Training for Trainers course and PPI-NI’s OCN involvement have been part of a larger “Developing Integrated Sports Clubs” (DISC) strategy, a project aimed at supporting sustainable integrated sports clubs in Northern Ireland.

PPI-NI has been working with key strategic partners in developing the OCN courses since March, and the Level III course represents the third of a three-tier OCN development programme that also includes a Level I course, Understanding Diversity Through Sport, and a Level II course, Promoting Diversity Through Sport.

PPI-NI Managing Director Gareth Harper has been instrumental in the development of Training for Trainers. He explains “The development of our own OCN-accredited training courses on promoting diversity through sport represents a really important new development for PPI in Northern Ireland.

“Our aim was to not only develop our own capacity, but to also share the model and training with other groups and organisations. In doing so, our objective was to contribute to increasing the capacity of other organisations – supporting them to explore the potential of their particular sport for community relations and peace building work.

“Having representatives from the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), Irish Football Association (IFA), Basketball Northern Ireland (BNI), Irish Rugby IRFU, Belfast Community Sports Development Network, and the Belfast Giants join us for this most recent Level III Training for Trainers course has really added value to the whole process and has also helped to galvanise the already well established relationships.”

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by | May 13, 2010 · 3:50 pm

“A Game of 3 Halves” in Northern Ireland

Trainers at the Game of 3 Halves launch. Photo by Press Eye, courtesy of Ulster Rugby.

Last weekend, Northern Ireland’s three most prominent sporting bodies – Ulster Rugby, Ulster Council GAA, and Irish Football Association – teamed up with PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland to launch “A Game of 3 Halves,” an initiative to introduce Belfast’s youngsters to all that each of three sports associated has to offer. Ulster Rugby has more:

The concept was first developed by Paul Brown, Youth Co-ordinator at Knock Presbyterian Church, together with PeacePlayers International as a cross-community initiative which would bring the three governing bodies together and offer children from both sides of the community the chance to experience Rugby, Gaelic and Soccer.

Each governing body invited young people from local primary schools with whom they have formed lasting relationships over the years, and throughout the day participants received top class coaching from Development Officers from all three sports.

In a region where sports have traditionally been inextricable from politics, this initiative is a very important step forward in the long process of building cross-communal trust and mutual understanding. Stay tuned for more!

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by | March 10, 2010 · 1:52 pm

What is a PPI-NI Twinning?

We all hear the term “twinning” thrown around pretty regularly at PPI. Well today we give you an up-close look into what a twinning is like at PPI-Northern Ireland.

Follow our coaches as they take you through a session of basketball, teambuilding and community relations with St. Clares and Carrs Glen primaries, Protestant and Catholic schools in Belfast.

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Sweet to the beat indeed…

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