SAI Quiz

What football team does Coach Jamie Gilbert play for?

A. Sandyhill Celtic
B. Bohemians
C. Ballymun United
D. Arsenal F.C.

Multi Sport Camp 2011

What a week!  95 kids, 15 coaches, and all the rain you can handle!  Here is a glimpse of what happens when the sports organisations in Ballymun all put our heads together!  Enjoy

Start Your Engines!!!

This Saturday the U-11 SAI Ballymun Lions kick off their season against Killester.  Tickets are cheap at € 0 for adults and € 0 for kids so why not come on out and get your scream on! The match tips off at 12.30 in the Poppintree Sports Centre in Ballymun.  Come on the Girls!!!  Grrrrr!!!

A Toughie

Yesterday the U-13 girls payed a tough Kilcock side down in Kildare.  The ladies looked sterling in their new kits and came out of the gates with a cracking first quarter.  As the game progressed, Kilcock had the lion's share of the ball and took the victory on the day.

It was a good first outing for the Lions as this was the first competitive basketball game half of the team had ever played.  There were plenty of positives to note on the day, but overall it looks like the team is coming together.

Come out to see the girls play their next match Saturday 22nd 1:30pm in the Poppintree Sports Centre.

Upward Football 2011

A few of the highlights from a memorable season!

SAI's Upward Football League 2011 from Dan Tabb on Vimeo.

Camp, Camp Camp!!

If you have nothing going this easter break, then get yourself down to the Comp for SAI's Basketball and Football Camp Tuesday 26th - Friday 29th. There are gonna be stories! There always are, and you don't want to miss out!

Check Out the Stars!

Upward Basketball 2011 from Dan Tabb on Vimeo.

This is the highlight video that was made and played at the Upward Basketball banquet. It's hard to capture all the special memories from 8 weeks and put it into 9 mins of clips, but for those of us involved, those memories will last a lifetime. Thanks to everyone for their participation, help, and support!

Upward Action Photos

The season's on its last leg and the kids are holding on strong. There weren't many up for training last week so it was a great time for some competitions and a few snaps!

This week marks the last of the matches between the teams, leaving only the match against the parents and boxes upon boxes of pizza! Check it out next week!

Upward Action Photos from Dan Tabb on Vimeo.

Upward Week 6

All smiles last week as we had some thrilling matches and some hilarious moments! This week saw the Mad Scones squaring off against the Ballymun Ballers and the All Stars facing the Strikers!

During every match the coaches keep a keen eye on their players in order to reward them for things they did on the court. Each kid receives one star in one of the following categories: Effort, Sportsmanship, Offense, Defense, and Christlikeness. It's this last one that we love to focus on and this week, one girl in particular stood out as the most Christlike. Because of a mix up on getting a lift to the gym, she ran from her house showing up 5 minutes late and completely out of breath. Delighted to see her, the coach gave her a high-five and said he would get her in in the next quarter.

As soon as she went in, face red and sweating, she went for a rebound and got the ball square on her nose. Struggling to breathe already, she found herself winded and ran out of the hall in tears. The coach went out to her making sure that she was okay, expecting her to sit out for the rest of the game. But, she tugged on the coach's shirt and said she wanted to go back in, as she wiped her tears away. Sure enough, she stepped on the court and made an immediate impact on her team and the game as a whole.

When handing out the white star for christlikeness, the coach said that her actions today reminded him of Jesus' perseverance on his way to complete his mission on the cross. Her sacrifice for the team was one of the highlights of the season and an indication that something more than basketball is happening in this sports hall!

Tune in for next week!

Up the Lions!

If you weren't there, then you missed the Lion's shooting the lights out! The Lady Lions faced the Malahide Tigers on Saturday in the Poppo Sports Hall in what turned out to be quite the match. The Lions came out on fire as they rushed the ball up the court again and again sinking shots from 10 and 15 feet out!

The best part of the match came when the girls tried out 2 of their new plays. Not quite sure how they would work, the girls gave them a go and found joy at the end with a few easy lay ups. It's great to see how the girls are progressing in their skills, aggressiveness, and are gelling as a group of friends! There was a great turnout by the parents and friends from around the community that made for a great atmosphere. Fair play to the Malahide coach and team as they have progressed throughout the season and gave us an enjoyable challenge on the weekend.

The Lady Lions are playing again this Saturday 4.oo in the Poppo Sports Hall against the Killester KUBS. The last time these two sides faced each other, there was only 1 point between them! C'mon the Lions!!!

Upward Week 2

So the league is flying already with over 80 boys and girls involved! With 2 weeks of training under their belts, we had our first practice match just to get a flavor of what games are like. We had a bit of a struggle trying to conceptualize the rules and sometimes found it confusing figuring out what basket to shoot at, but there were some great passages of play and a lot of smiles as individuals made giant leaps to becoming a team! Not only were the kids thrilled, but the parents are delighted! Check it out...

Ballymun Upward Week 2 from Dan Tabb on Vimeo.

Upward Basketball League

Ballymun Upward Basketball League 2010 from Dan Tabb on Vimeo.

SAI is beginning the annual Upward Basketball League in the Poppo Centre. If you're thinking, "Will I /Won't I" then check the video out from last year.