Diary
6 February 2009
Newburg, NY native Leah Truncale is currently plying her trade with Basketball Ireland’s Women’s Superleague side DART Killester and she accounts her experiences to date to www.emeraldhoops.com
Image; Leah Truncale (Centre)
LEAH TRUNCALE
My name is Leah Truncale. I’m 28 years old and I currently play basketball for DART Killester in the BI Women’s Superleague. I’m originally from Newburgh, NY but have been playing basketball in Ireland for the past 4 seasons. I would like to take a minute to tell you a little about myself and my experiences in the world of basketball, here and abroad.
I began playing basketball at age 8, mostly because my father, brother and uncles all played when they were younger. We used to have some intense pick-up basketball games at my house when I was a kid! I played all through high school and was fortunate to receive a full athletic scholarship to Binghamton University in Binghamton, NY. While in college, my team posted a 4 year overall record of 86-15.
From 1998-2002 I completed my Undergraduate Degree in Education. Unfortunately, in January of 2002, I tore my Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in my left knee and had to miss the 2nd half of my senior season. After having surgery to repair my knee, I enrolled into a Master’s Degree program in Social Science at Binghamton University. Over the 2 year period that I was completing my Master’s Degree, I was a member of the softball team as well as a graduate assistant coach with the women’s basketball team.
In 2004 I was set to go to Denmark to start my professional basketball career but a month before I was to leave for Denmark, I tore my ACL in my right knee, so my basketball dreams were put on hold again! I remained at Binghamton University and was hired as an Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach. After one season of being an assistant coach I decided it was time once more to try to play in Europe. A teammate from college, Sarah Cartmill, had played in Killarney for their super league team for 2 years and loved it so she suggested that I look into playing in Ireland. Her coach from Killarney, James Weldon, gave me a contact in Dublin, Jay Fazande. At the time Jay was the coach of the Meteors. I sent him a video of some of my college games and in August of 2005 I found myself in Dublin, preparing for my first season in the BI Women’s Superleague. I also had the good fortune of being coached by one of the country’s best coaches, the late Joe Kavanagh.
Although I only had one season with him as head coach, the lessons he taught me in that short period of time will always be a big part of how I coach, and more importantly, how I live my life.
Throughout my time in Ireland, I haven’t won many basketball games (14 wins in 4 seasons L) but I have gained enormous amounts of experience through not only playing but also coaching. In my 4 seasons in Ireland, I have coached in numerous schools, with boys and girls of all ages. These experiences in coaching have made me a better coach and player. On top of coaching within the school system in Dublin, I was privileged to have the opportunity to assistant coach the 2007 U18 Women’s Irish team which competed in the European Championships in Romania.
When asked what the difference between American Basketball and Irish Basketball is, I believe the best answer is opportunity. When I was in high school in NY, I focused on one sport at a time. Basketball season was in the winter months and softball season, the spring. So my basketball coach never had to fight for my time with the softball coach. Once basketball season was finished, I began my next sport.
In Ireland, that’s not the case. Athletes in school can be participating in 2 or 3 sports at one time. Which can cause for difficult scheduling for not just the athletes but the coaches as well. Basketball players in Ireland are involved in so many other activities and sports besides basketball that often times it is very rare to have a full squad at practice or games.
After high school in the states some basketball players move onto college where basketball becomes like a job for them. When I was in college, I was practicing up to 6 days a week and sometimes 2 or 3 sessions a day. It was basically impossible not to improve because you were practicing your game so much. In Ireland, again, that problem of availability comes into play. Athletes in many cases can not commit to training 6 days a week, 2 times a day. Those that can, it shows in their play.
One area that I think Ireland is miles ahead of the US is the area of clubs. Basketball clubs in Ireland are not matched by any voluntary group in the states. The family environment that is created here in Ireland among clubs is unparalleled in the US. The amount of dedication and time that is put into the success of clubs is something that has made me feel proud of being a part of. In the US, once you are finished playing college basketball, unless you are good enough to go to the professional leagues, your basketball playing days are essentially over. But in Ireland, someone who plays basketball and is a full time student or has a full time job has the opportunity to continue that competitive atmosphere within the clubs of Basketball Ireland. This is something that does not exist in the United States, and is a huge reason why I have chosen to return year in and year out!
For 20+ years basketball has been the vehicle for which I have traveled to many cities and countries. If not for basketball, I would not have seen all the beautiful places that I have and met the incredible people that I am thankful to call my friends. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if my dad had never put up that basketball hoop in the driveway and gave me my first basketball to play with. I probably would never have made it to this beautiful country of Ireland and felt comfortable in calling it my second home. In closing, I have been very fortunate to have experienced the ups and downs of playing for teams in both the US and Ireland. The wins, losses, opportunities, injuries, and friendships throughout my career, on and off the court, are important contributing factors which have helped define me as an athlete and a person.