Sept. 1, 2010

UMass Lowell men’s basketball coach Greg Herenda took his show on the road. Literally. The third-year head coach recently returned from running basketball camp at the Mount Hawk School in Tralee, Ireland.

Tralee, located in Kerry County, was the picturesque setting for Herenda to join forces with the Irish National Coaches, Dr. Jimmy Diggins, Tomas and John Dowling, and teach Irish boys and girls, ages 12-17, important basketball skills. The clinic ran from August 9-13 and provided memorable experiences for everyone involved.

“The kids played very hard and were like sponges. They obviously love the game of basketball,” Herenda said. “Their improvement throughout the week of camp was incredible.”

Herenda was referred to the program by University of Connecticut Men’s Basketball Associate Head Coach George Blaney, a former colleague of his. Herenda gave lectures, ran practices and has already been invited back for next year’s camp.

After running an “NCAA-style” practice for the campers and coaches, Herenda said they took notes and were learning as much as possible.

“Any time you can take the game of basketball to the international level is very exciting,” he said. “It is special to see how much respect the coaches and kids have for NCAA basketball over there.”

Although this was his second trip to Ireland for basketball purposes, Herenda says it just keeps getting better.

“Helping with the Mount Hawk Basketball Camp was a tremendous experience for me and my family,” Herenda said. “The staff and campers welcomed us with open arms.”