Tag Archives: Northern Ireland

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 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 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 7, 2013 · 1:30 pm

Working With Youth Through Sport – The Best Job There Is

Project Coordinator Tony McGaharan directs a PPI-NI twinning.

Project Coordinator Tony McGaharan directs a PPI-NI twinning.

The text and pictures for today’s PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland (PPI-NI) post come from Michael Brannigan, a student at Prince’s Trust. He spent the last two weeks helping us out on a work placement. 

Sessional Coach James Hughes instructs primary-school children with Keelan Ciarns.

Sessional Coach James Hughes instructs primary-school children with Keelan Ciarns.

I considered myself lucky to be given this opportunity to work with PeacePlayers. As far as I’m concerned, working with youth through sport is one of the best jobs there is. The line of work I’ve been taking part in has involved bringing children from ages 8 to 11 in primary schools and ages 14 to 15 in secondary schools. The children come from Protestant and Catholic communities and learn about basketball and community relations. I can already see the impact the programming has on kids in terms of their confidence, teamwork, understanding, and new friendships.

But this his has also been a great opportunity for me to build and focus on my leadership skills, which will benefit me in the future. Managing Director Gareth Harper suggested that I bring the team’s camera around with me to take a few pictures. Here are a few of my favorite shots!

PPI-NI participants play a "Scramble," a favorite game of ours.

PPI-NI participants play a “Scramble,” a favorite game of ours.

Sessional Coach Ben Scullion leads his team through an activity we call "Not on my Team."

Sessional Coach Ben Scullion leads his team through an activity we call “Not on my Team.”

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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 24, 2013 · 7:20 pm

Introducing Junior Belfast Interface League

Amy Murphy (far left) with her Belfast Interface League girls' girls' team in North Belfast.

Amy Murphy (far left) with her Belfast Interface League girls’ girls’ team in North Belfast.

Today’s blog is written by PPI – NI International Fellow, Chris Schumerth. A native of Indiana, Chris was a Teach for America corps member from 2008-10, first as a teacher in Jacksonville and then as a Member Advisor in Houston. Since then, he has coached at Guerin Catholic School in Indiana and earned a masters degree in English from Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis. 

Ever since PeacePlayers International‘s  founding in 2001, basketball has been the main avenue through which we have brought groups of people together from historically conflicting sides. In Northern Ireland specifically, recruiting participants for fun, one-off events usually isn’t that hard. But securing them for the long term, and seeing them really improve at the game of basketball has been more difficult. It should be noted that basketball is not the most popular sport here, and we’ve found that as many kids grow older, they flock to the more traditional sports like rugby, Gaelic football, and soccer.

This has led us to several conversations about who we are and whether or not our basketball structure and instruction is strong enough. The community-relations portion of our program definitely belongs, but sometimes we depend on it so much that we almost become the non-sport option at certain events, which is not necessarily where we want to be.

But we are committed to getting better; we want our kids to learn to play basketball well and to love it as much as we do.  We’ve got several ideas about how to do that but a next step for us is a cross-community program for 9-12 year-olds that we’ve branded Junior Belfast Interface League (Jr. BIL), which follows our recent BIL Senior programs with 13-17 year-olds around the city.

In the upcoming weeks, we will conduct four Jr. BIL programs: one each in the north, south, east, and west regions of Belfast. The programs will include four basketball-focused sessions that break kids into teams. Skills instruction will be one of the program’s priorities. At the end of the program, this kids will be able to show off their new basketball skills as they compete in a city-wide Spring Jam PeacePlayers Tournament.

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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 10, 2013 · 2:34 pm

Team PPI-NI takes on the 2013 Belfast Marathon

garethThis week, we hear from PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland (PPI-NI) Managing Director Gareth Harper about an upcoming project his team will be undertaking in Belfast.

On the 6 May, 2013, PPI – NI will once again join with over 20,000 runners in taking to the streets to participate in the Belfast Marathon team-relay event.  For me, despite good intentions, it’s been a full year since I last ran any further than the length of a basketball court.

At time of writing with 26 days to go, it is therefore with some apprehension, that I announce my commitment to a strict training regime – two laps of Castlewellan Lake each week.  Undeterred and bolstered by my success from last year (I didn’t have to stop and could walk unassisted to my car at the end) I will be running (or at least jogging) the challenging 5.3 mile ‘leg D’ from Gideon’s Point to Corporation Street.  This is the same leg that I “ran” in 2012.  The marathon leg hasn’t changed but my legs have a full 12 months more mileage (or more accurately lack of mileage) on them.

I will be joined by my PPI-NI office colleagues, Tony ‘The Marathon’ McGaharan; Chris ‘The Speedster’ Schumerth; Darryl ‘The Pace-Man’ Petticrew; and Megan ‘The Longest Leg’ Lynch, in putting in a blistering performance.  Several of our sessional coaches have also formed a team. Hopefully the blisters will not be of the foot variety!

We hope to raise £2,500.00 to support our programmes across the city and invest in the young “champions for peace” that continue to inspire us each day.  All proceeds will go to our nationally-registered charity. You can support our efforts by making a donation here.

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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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