Today, August 30, 2012, was the first full day in Ireland for the Jesuit Football team. Waking up at 7 AM, players groggily headed down to the breakfast hall, where they were served a full Irish course, consisting of potatoes, eggs, sausage, bacon, and coffee. Afterwards, the team headed out at 8AM to the University College of Dublin (UCD) for practice.
After changing in the UCD locker rooms, the team met other schools also practicing there, like the college John Carroll. The Rangers then headed out to one of the fields for a helmet-only walkthrough in preparation for the big game the next day.
Once the practice was finished, 2 players from the UCD football team introduced themselves and guided players to the auditorium for a presentation, meeting up with the Jesuit cheerleaders and Rangerettes along the way. The vice president of the students gave the presentation, explaining why the students should consider coming abroad to study at UCD when they graduate, or to consider studying abroad for a semester while in college. After the presentation, everyone was provided with lunch and time to rest before heading to the outskirts of Dublin.
After the players arrived, they went on a tour of a castle, and afterwards were given time to walk around on the streets, buying burgers, souvenirs, and pastries. Before long, the players had to leave again, and headed to the town of Bray. After arriving in Bray, players were told they had free time to explore again. Because Bray is right on the coast, some of the Rangers went down to the beach and walked along the sea wall, buying ice cream and crepes. Finally, they were told it was time to go, and headed to downtown Dublin for a parade.
The drive was long, but the Rangers eventually arrived in downtown, gold jerseys donned and ready to go. After meeting up with the other schools and the cheerleaders and Rangerettes, the players lined up in rows of 4, walking to the town center. With all the schools in the town center, which included families, players, coaches, cheerleaders, drill teams, and even some bands, there was estimated to be over 2,500 people in the center. The crowd was so loud that only the people right near the speaker (the organizer of the GIFT event) could be heard. Afterward, Coach Brandon Hickman received a football that was signed by the GIFT committee and the team headed back to the hotel for dinner, study time, and some much needed rest. They are currently preparing for the big game tomorrow.
Remember to listen to the Rangers on the radio tomorrow, 10:00AM Dallas time. Go Rangers!
