Your day at work may just have ended, but with the 6-hour time change, we are ready to call it a night here in Belfast.
It was another busy day, starting with a community service event to kick things off. The entire coaching staff and all players jumped on the bus at 10 AM and we headed to St. Clare's Primary School, where we were joined by students from Springfield Primary School.
The event consisted of Coach Baldwin playing emcee, with the players and students taking time to get to know each other and learn about how sport can change life. A very interesting Q-and-A session followed - funny what kids want to know some times - who can jump the highest? who has the biggest hands? who has the best hair? - you name it, the players took the time to answer them all. Apparently kids all across the world want to do 2 things - dab and Fortnite dances.
The event closed with a ball-skill session where the players would demonstrate a skill and the kids would try and copy it. Fun stuff.
Shortly after leaving the school, our bus driver gave us an education on the area, it's history and then took us to the "Peace Wall". This was something you had to see in person to fully understand what it was. According to wikipedia, the Peace Wall is a series of separation barriers in Northern Ireland that separate predominantly Republican and Nationalist Catholic neighbourhoods from predominantly Loyalist and Unionist Protestant neighbourhoods. They have been built at urban interface areas in Belfast, Derry, Portadown and elsewhere.
We returned to the hotel, ate lunch and the team headed back to the arena for practice. Night time brought a group meal at Fratelli's, a great place within walking distance of the hotel.
