Nov. 28, 2006
Washington, D.C. - Former Georgetown University men's basketball player RaMell Ross ('04) has taken a job in Europe.
Ross, a Virginia native who averaged 1.7 points per game during his playing days from 2000-01 to 2004-05, recently joined the MDS Star of the Sea Belfast, a team in Ireland's SuperLeague North Division. He is one of two Americans on the team, joined by Jermaine Washington, who played at Nevada.
Last week, in just his second game for the Star, Ross poured in 34 points in leading his team to a 102-77 win over Vincent's, the defending All-Ireland Superleague Champions.
Ross' move to Ireland was enhanced by the opportunity to continue his playing days, but his job carries much more weight than just scoring baskets and playing defense.
Ross was chosen from a pool of 70 candidates to be a Program Director for Playing for Peace's Northern Ireland initiative.
Ross first had contact with PFP when he was a Cultural Envoy for the United States Department of State's Culture Connect international outreach program and the two groups came together in South Africa to run a basketball clinic for youth.
PFP was founded by Sean Touhey, a former basketball player at Catholic University, with the mission of using basketball as a way to bring together historically disparate communities. Under the premise that "children who play together can learn to live together," the program has ventured into some of the most divided communities in the world and has meaningfully impacted the lives of thousands.
In Northern Ireland, they have coached over 14,000 Protestant and Catholic children in an integrated setting that has since led to the creation of cross-community basketball leagues throughout this region. PFP also runs programs between Israelis and Palestinians and white and black South Africans.
"We are extremely excited that RaMell will be joining us in Northern Ireland," said Brendan Touhey, PFP's Executive Director & older brother of Sean. "RaMell's experiences at Georgetown on and off the court as well as his involvement in the U.S. State Department's international programs have clearly prepared him to make a difference in the world."
Ross will be responsible for expanding PFP's East Belfast basketball club system, administering twinning sessions between Catholic and Protestant school children and running basketball clinics. For more information on PFP or to follow RaMell's progress in Northern Ireland, please visit their website at www.playingforpeace.org or call 202-639-6686.
