Tag Archives: Belfast

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 1, 2013 · 2:12 pm

Darryl Petticrew says “Goodbye” to PPI-NI

PPI-NI Leadership Coordinator, Darryl Petigrew

PPI-NI Project Coordinator, Darryl Petticrew, has been working with PPI since 2008

Today, we hear from PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland (PPI-NI) Project Coordinator Darryl Petticrew one last time before he moves on to a post with Ulster Rugby. We are both sad and proud to see him go; he has served us so well in the past six years. 

I’ve been with PPI-NI for almost six years now, and it’s been an amazing journey, one that I don’t believe will ever fully end. I first got involved with the organization while sitting at my desk, studying in Ardoyne. My phone began to ring, and I answered, hearing an American accent in response. I was confused but  just went with it, and the guy on the other end of the phone rambled on about an organization called PeacePlayers International and how he would love for me to get involved. I decided to meet with this guy, who introduced himself as Sean Tuohey. Little did I know that this would be the start of a long journey with PPI-NI.

Darryl at a tournament

Darryl with some of his favorite participants at the Spring Jam Tournament

Sean and I decided to meet at a café called the Toasted Soda, now McCaufield’s, in Ardoyne, a place that we now take all our new fellows as a tradition. I arrived alone and was joined by five people, including Sean, Kelly Lyons (PPI-NI Managing Director at the time) and a few others. We began to talk about the programme, specifically the first twinning with Holy Cross Girls and Wheatfield Primary Schools. My ears perked up and from that moment on I was hooked.

My first event with PPI-NI was the twinning featured in the ESPY piece with the two schools. I remember the kids running into the gym, so excited to be doing something different and meeting kids that they might not have been able to before. The kids were smiling, the energy was amazing. Seeing the children from my neighborhood getting the opportunity to play sport together outside of all the off-court conflicts is something I will carry with me forever. At that moment, nothing could have wiped the smile of my face.

I remember thinking to myself “how can it get any better than this?” To this day I still have the same thought every single day. I constantly think, “this is actually my job, I’m doing something I love and it’s making a difference.” PPI-NI has been good to me over the past six years, I’ve made countless memories, and I have met people that will be a part of my life forever.

I am leaving the office to take up a new job, but I am most certainly not “leaving” the organization. I look forward to being on the other end of PPI-NI’s partnership with Ulster Rugby. And the mission, vision, and ethos of PPI-NI will be in my heart for the rest of my life.

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by | April 17, 2013 · 2:16 pm

PPI-NI Talks with New Intern, Jose López

Jose Alberto Cuevas López

Jose Alberto Cuevas López

For this week’s post, PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland’s (PPI-NI) Senior Project Coordinator, Tony McGaharan, sits down with new intern, Jose López, to talk about what he’s seen and learned so far. 

Tony: “Jose, how did you end up in Northern Ireland?”

“I’m in Belfast with a job-mobility program called Hercules IV. It’s a good opportunity to improve my language skills and to learn about different cultures.”

Tony: “How did you find out about us?”

“Before I arrived to Belfast, I didn’t know much about PPI-NI. There is a company that helps Spanish graduates to find internship opportunities in different European cities. So they set a meeting up with Managing Director, Gareth Harper, and I’ve been here since February.”

Tony: “What do you think about the role of PPI-NI in Northern Ireland?”

“I think this job is very interesting. It is really fascinating to see how sport can be used to improve community relations. PeacePlayers is helping young people to create friendships, to understand and respect each other’s backgrounds.”

Tony: “What is your favourite thing about Belfast?”

“The people I have met. These people make me feel at home, which is difficult to achieve.”

Tony: “Is there anything you find really different from your home in Spain?”

“Apart from the weather, the mealtimes. It is strange to be drinking coffee at 2pm in the afternoon, if you have just had some at 12pm for lunch.”

Tony: “Anything else you want to add?”

“It is a big adventure trying to understand the Belfast accent but my colleagues are very patient with me. I want to take advantage of this opportunity and thank them for their kindness and support.”

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by | April 3, 2013 · 4:19 pm

PPI-NI Partners with the Together, Stronger Programme

In the sporting world, symbols like this "Tri-Color" can cause charged emotional responses, depending on one's own identity.

In the sporting world, symbols like this “Tri-Color” can cause charged emotional responses, depending on one’s own identity.

This week, PeacePlayers International (PPI-NI) started an eight-week diversity-through-sport programme with partners from 174 Trust. The programme is part of a wider project called Together, Stronger which aims at breaking down barriers around the highly-contested space of Carlisle Circus in North Belfast. PPI-NI partnered up with 174 Trust last year to deliver the community-relations-through-sport component of the project.

This year PPI-NI is piloting a new look diversity-through-sport programme which involves visits to sporting events as well as a heavy emphasis on Arbinger material. Led by PPI-NI project coordinators Darryl Petticrew and Joanne Fitzpatrick, the aim of the programme is to explore symbols and identity at sporting events that some people may not attend due to their religious or political background.

PPI-NI International Fellow Chris Schumerth (left) was joined by his family, during their recent visit from the United States, for the Northern Ireland-Israel World Cup qualifier.

PPI-NI International Fellow Chris Schumerth (left) was joined by his family, during their recent visit from the United States, for the Northern Ireland-Israel World Cup qualifier.

This week, the group of 25 young people went to a Northern Ireland soccer game, where they played in a World Cup qualifier against Israel. Unfortunately NI came out of the game with a two-nil loss to the visiting side. One of the interesting aspects of this game was the close links of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to Northern Ireland’s own context.

All members of the group came out of the game very positive, with some challenging thoughts about their experience,  which will be unpacked at our next session this Thursday. PPI-NI is very excited about this programme and the potential to replicate more like it in the future.

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by | March 28, 2013 · 2:18 pm

PPI-NI: A Parent’s Perspective

This week, Project Coordinator Joanne Fitzpatrick talks to a parent of two PeacePlayers participants about her understanding and experience of PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland (PPI-NI).

Joanne: “Thanks for agreeing to this interview. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?”

Diane: “My name is Diane Folland and I live in Ballysillan, North Belfast. I am a mum to four children, three boys and one girl. The two older boys attended Carr’s Glen Primary School on the Oldpark Road where they both took part in the PeacePlayers programme. They were taught how to play basketball and to interact with the other pupils they came in contact with.”

Joanne: “How did you first hear about PeacePlayers International?”

Diane: “I remember Karl, who is now 15, going to his first PeacePlayers event outside of school.  He was the only one that turned up out of his school and when he got there he met two other people.  He wasn’t put off by this and continued to get involved through school.  Calum had more success with PeacePlayers.  He loved going to different schools and venues and was always ready to be at the forefront. He even was in the Lord Mayors parade one year with the PeacePlayers coaches. He attended Jingle Ball when he was in year seven at Stranmillis College and he loved it. Calum was very disappointed when he couldn’t continue on with PeacePlayers when he reached year eight and moved to secondary school.”

Joanne: “What were your first thoughts on your children taking part in a cross-community programme and have they changed at all since then?”

Diane: “I had no qualms about either of my boys getting involved in cross-community activities, and this was a good way of mixing with the ‘other side.’  We don’t really get to mix with other communities very much.  I found this when I was growing up. I have never brought my children up to be sectarian and am pleased with their PeacePlayers participation.”

PeacePlayers coaches and participants walk in a 2011 parade in Belfast City Centre.

Calum (pictured centre, on top of former fellow Rory O’Neil’s shoulders) at the Lord Mayors parade in 2011

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Karl (pictured on the right in the checked shirt) at North Belfast Interface League-Senior Programme in Holy Trinity Church Hall.

Joanne: “What do you see the benefits being of your children being involved in the PeacePlayers programmes?”

Diane: “Karl, after much persuasion, attended the 6-week course in Holy Trinity on the Oldpark Road. There were many cultures and religions at this PeacePlayers programme, which he hadn’t come in contact with before. But now? I can’t keep him away! He absolutely loves it and has made a lot of new friends. All of whom I suspect are now his friends on various social media sites.”

Joanne: “Would you encourage other parents to get their children involved?”

Diane: “I would encourage any parent to let their child at least have a chance of experiencing PeacePlayers. I can’t wait for Calum to turn 14, then he will be able to experience PeacePlayers on a different level.”

Joanne: “Thanks Diane and one final question, what is PeacePlayers?”

Diane: “From what I’ve been told, sweet to the beat!”

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by | January 16, 2013 · 5:26 pm

Finding Positives in Northern Ireland

PPI - NI Managing Director, Gareth Haper, doing a cheer at a PPI Tournament

PPI – NI Managing Director, Gareth Haper, doing a cheer at a PPI Tournament

This week, we hear from PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland (PPI-NI) Managing Director Gareth Harper. Gareth took up the position of Managing Director in March 2009, having previously worked as Programmes Manager with Rural Community Network NI, a regional rural community development organization.

On Saturday morning, my wife and I were taking our two daughters for breakfast in Newcastle—my home town in County Down—as a treat at the end of their first week back at school after the Christmas break.  When I’m with my girls, as much as possible, I try to keep the time sacred and normally I don’t even have my phone with me, let alone answer it.  But this time I had it, and the number came up as international which usually means it’s one of my extended PeacePlayers family members in DC, Cyprus, the Middle East or South Africa. So I took the call.

However on this occasion it was not one of my “PPI siblings”; it was a gentleman of the French press.  I’m still glad that I took the call. The man’s name was Olivier, and he explained that he had been sent to Northern Ireland to cover the riots in Belfast.  Just before I jumped in to say that I would only be interested in talking to him about the positive work that PeacePlayers and others have been doing and that I am fed up with only the bad news being reported (well, he did interrupt my sacred family time!), he explained that after three short days he had come to recognise that both the local and international coverage of the current situation was presenting in his view a highly disproportionately negative image of the city of Belfast and indeed of  Northern Ireland.

PPI-NI's Darryl Petticrew leads a community relations session with children from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

PPI-NI’s Darryl Petticrew leads a community relations session with children from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Yes, he had witnessed the rioting first hand and he had been shocked by what he saw. But he had also been able to get lunch, walk around the city and to talk to people going about their daily routines.  He decided and had taken it upon himself to invest in seeking out what he suspected to be behind the negative.  His investigation led him to me for a meeting at Peace House on Monday morning at 10 a.m.  Olivier was delighted to hear about the great work which PeacePlayers and others been involved with, about the Game of Three Halves, the Belfast Interface Games and the fantastic work being done by the Gaelic Athletic Association, Irish Football Association, and Ulster Rugby.

He decided that he wanted to present an alternative and perhaps more proportionate picture of the actual situation and reality.  This for me is great and indeed depressing all at the same time. It took a French journalist only three days to see that there are many more positive than negative stories to be told about Northern Ireland.  Wouldn’t it be brilliant if we all took the time to invest in thinking about what a great place this is?  Perhaps then, we could think about how it can still get better.

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by | January 9, 2013 · 3:25 pm

PPI-NI is Back to Business

PPI-NI's Darryl Petticrew coaches several participants at Jingle Ball 2012.

PPI-NI’s Darryl Petticrew coaches several participants at Jingle Ball 2012.

This week, we hear from PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland‘s (PPI-NI) Leadership Development Program Coordinator, Darryl Petticrew.  

With the launch of the Belfast Interface Games, our Spring Jam and Jingle Ball tournaments, emotional departures, new arrivals, visits from NBA players, and a lot of smiling faces, PPI-NI had a very exciting 2012. I have been involved with the organization since 2007, and I have watched our participants grow up through the program, become teenagers and come full circle by acting as mentors and junior coaches for the program.

We are going into 2013 with a lot of enthusiasm. We cannot waste any time, as we immediately jump back into programming. Over the next few months we have a number of exciting things going on with PPI-NI, from getting our twinning programs started, working on technical assistance projects, exploring new ideas with the Game of Three Halves, and prepping for Spring Jam and the Belfast Interface Games. We certainly don’t have to look very far to see the need for our work, as the civic unrest continues in Belfast in regards to legislation about posting the Union Flag at City Hall. While protests continue around a contentious symbol, PPI-NI see this as an opportunity to explore identity and promote the diversity of Belfast through our programs.

2013 looks like its going to shape up as another great year for PPI-NI, but the work we do would not be possible without support. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who makes a contribution to our work. There is no gesture too small and together, one small step at a time, we can help promote positive change and work toward a more peaceful global community.

From everyone at PPI in Northern Ireland, Happy New Year!

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by | January 2, 2013 · 1:10 pm

New Year, New Opportunities for PPI-NI

This past year, over 2,000 young people participated across a wide range of PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland (PPI-NI) programme offerings.  As we begin 2013, we are gearing up for some new and exciting opportunities to bring young people together across Northern Ireland. Tony McGaharan, Senior Project Coordinator, highlights three aspects of his work that he is most looking forward to in the New Year:

New Twinnings

The first part of the academic year was a huge success as we ran ten Primary 6 (Grade 4) Twinning programmes across Belfast and in Lurgan. This coming semester, we will be focusing our attention on the P4, P5 and P7 classes. We also have partnered with Lisburn & Castlereagh Borough Councils and will be introducing two new schools in Belfast: St Luke’s and Belvoir Primary School.

New Leaders

Through our newly developed coaching structure, we hope to encourage our coaches to develop their leadership skills. To this end, we will be holding an Arbinger training session for our experienced coaches this January. These sessions will equip these coaches to lead Twinning sessions and become primary facilitators in  ‘Team Talk’ (community relations activities). We are excited to build our capacity as an organization while simultaneously empowering our great coaches as leaders in their communities.

Belfast Interface Games (BIG)

In the Summer of 2012, the Belfast Interface Games flagship event was held in Seaview Stadium in North Belfast, after a series of 3-day camps took place in each region of the city: North, East, South, and West. We are looking forward to building on last year’s success and making this year BIG(ger) and better!

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by | December 31, 2012 · 9:28 pm

Happy New Years from PeacePlayers International

Summer Banner
2012 has been an exciting year for PeacePlayers International. In just the last year PPI has worked with more than 4,000 youth in our sites in Northern Ireland, the Middle East, Cyprus and South Africa. But the simple task of bringing children together to play basketball has not always been easy. With bombs dropping in Israel and Gaza, and riots on the streets of Belfast, PPI has had to rely on the strength of our local leadership and from our supporters around the world in order to continue to improve the lives of so many youth in these conflict torn communities. With these challenges behind us, PPI looks towards 2013 to be our most impactful year yet. As we get ready to make the transition, here are just a few highlights of PPI’s programming from the past year:

PPI - Middle East Teens Rise Above Conflict and Get Pointers from NBA and Golf Stars

28839_206628066138358_1283117983_n1In the midst of the violence between Israel and Gaza, a group of Palestinian and Israeli PeacePlayers got together to prove that their friendships were not so easily threatened by the missiles raining down on either side of the border. In two events, one a basketball clinic led by former NBA greats Brian Scalabrine and Will Perdue and the other a golf clinic led by golf legends Amy Alcott,Hunter Mahan, Sean Foley and Michael Thompson, youth from East Jerusalem, West Jerusalem and Holon got to forget momentarily the recent trouble in the region. The events were made possible by PPI board member and top sports agent Arn Tellem and his wife Nancy, who hosted the events as part of a golf-inspired mission to Israel.

PPI- South Africa Builds a New Basketball Court in Waterloo

IMG_1704In November PPI-SA built a brand new basketball court for a school in Waterloo that will be used to teach hundreds of new children. Situated in a landscape of rolling hills north of Durban, Waterloo represents a brand new area for the PPI-SA program. When the new school year starts in January, Waterloo will be prepared to enter both a boys and girls team into the primary school league where the teams will have the opportunity to travel and host teams from other communities.

PPI- Northern Ireland Participates in the Belfast Interface Games (BIG)

ppi-lopez-01The Belfast Interface Games (BIG), organized by the Belfast Interface Project and PeacePlayers International, brought hundreds of children from all backgrounds and both sides of the sectarian divide together for a sports spectacular. Children had a chance to play soccer, Gaelic football and rugby with local sports legends. Brooklyn Nets Center, Brook Lopez, made the trip across the Atlantic to participate in the event. The event showcased the powerful potential of sport for community relations and peace-building work.

PPI – Cyprus Holds Bicommunal Summer Camp with NBA and WNBA Stars

557225_4319582076611_1514706332_nIn July PPI-CY organized an overnight Bicommunal Basketball Summer Camp that brought 64 Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot boys and girls together for a week of sports and team building activities. PPI-CY had the privilege of hosting NBA Nets Assistant Coach, Doug Overton, his wife, and former WNBA player Shaunziski Gortman during the duration of the camp. The summer camp showed how real bridging of divides happens not just on the court, but also during meal times and evening activities. Doug Overton also held a coaches seminar for over 20 coaches from both sides during his stay to help in coaching techniques and practices of coaches for youth level basketball. Both the coaches seminar and our camp were widely covered in the media and on the main news program of one of the major TV channels.

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by | December 26, 2012 · 1:50 am

PPI-NI Top 3 Moments for Fellow Chris Schumerth

This week’s blog post comes from International Fellow Chris Schumerth, who has been a part of the PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland (PPI-NI) team since August of this year. Here, he shares three PeacePlayers highlights from 2012.

Several participants taking part in PPI-NI's Jingle Ball Tournament.

Several participants taking part in PPI-NI’s Jingle Ball Tournament.

1. Coaching at Jingle Ball. Of the nearly 200 children who showed up to the event, I was entrusted with twelve primary school boys that made up our team called The Jazz. The boys came from different schools around Belfast, and several of us were getting to know each other for the first time. We spent the day together, playing five basketball games and participating in various community relations activities.

My group was full of energy, which came in handy on the court. We won our first three games, then tied our fourth. We thought for sure that a win in our fifth game would earn a trip to the finals. But we gave up a lead in the final minute and lost! We were a little bummed out, but to our relief the finals match-ups were announced, and we had earned a spot anyway. We cruised in the championship, winning easily.

2. A fall residential conversation with staff members and program participants. In all our programming, we are always seeking ways to integrate sport with conversations about our experiences with prejudice, sectarianism, stereotypes, conflict, etc. Those things can be difficult for adults to talk about, let alone kids. But on this particular day, in an activity that ended a weekend we spent with about a dozen teenagers, they totally met us there, speaking openly and honestly about very difficult topics. The activity asked everyone how comfortable he or she was with certain groups of people: the police, Protestants, Catholics, homosexuals, Chinese people, etc. Not surprisingly, the activity led to a lively follow-up of stories, and several kids were quite vulnerable. Some of the views expressed were a bit uncomfortable, so we talked through that. I can’t speak for anyone else, but after the activity ended, I felt closer to everyone who had participated and I’m quite certain it was memorable for all the kids involved.

From top to bottom, PPI-NI staff at a recent Christmas dinner gathering: Gareth Harper, Chris Schumerth, Joanne Fitzpatrick, Darryl Petticrew, Tony McGaharan.

From top to bottom, PPI-NI staff at a recent Christmas dinner gathering: Gareth Harper, Chris Schumerth, Joanne Fitzpatrick, Darryl Petticrew, Tony McGaharan.

3. Working with the PPI-NI staff. When you spend a lot of time with people, you get to know them. Their strengths, their quirks, their passions, and their differences. I have learned that Joanne Fitzpatrick develops long-term, positive relationships with the schools we work with. That Darryl Petticrew is brilliant with kids. That Tony McGaharan possesses an endless energy. That Megan Lynch is one of the most organized people I know, and the office is better off for it. That Gareth Harper is incredibly clever at raising the funds it takes to sustain a charity in Belfast.

As a team, we certainly have our own diversities of skillset, religion, political conviction, and life experience, but the obvious commonalties that we share are commitments to kids, basketball, and peace-building. We all want a better future for Northern Ireland, so we continue to learn how to leverage our differences in ways that make the team better.

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