A View From Section 7 – An Introduction

My name is Mark Allen.  I am new here at God, Country, Notre Dame.  I just wanted to introduce myself as well as the column that I will be writing.

For the past six years I have had season tickets for Notre Dame women’s basketball.  I sit in the lower arena at Purcell Pavilion at The Joyce Center.  I am in section 7, hence, the title of my column, “A View From Section 7”.

The topic of my column will be Notre Dame women’s basketball.  The Fighting Irish women’s basketball program is one of the most successful program at the University of Notre Dame.  In 1997, Notre Dame went to their first Final Four.  In 2001, The Irish won their first National Championship.  And, for the last two seasons (2010-2011 and 2011-2012), Muffet McGraw has led Notre Dame to the Championship game.  So, to say that the Irish women’s basketball team is successful and exciting is an understatement.

Topics covered in my articles will be games, players, coaches and former players.  Hopefully, interviews with former players will be included.  And, of course, the life blood of any program is recruiting and ND fans love recruiting news.  So, expect recruiting profiles, also.  In the meantime, Go Irish! and “Do the Muffet”!

My friend, and ND grad from the class of ’08 has written a piece for us about her faith and, indeed, the title of our blog……

ND alum and Pro basketball player Melissa D’Amico

Melissa D’Amico is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame class of 2008. She played basketball for the university all four years she was there.After she left ND she went on to become a Pro Basketball player in Europe , playing in Greece, Spain, Poland and , last year, the Czech Republic. 

GCND…And In That Order.

It’s nice to take a moment and look back on those unforgettable times of suiting up for the Irish and repping that blue and gold night in and night out. Now for the past 4 years I’ve bounced around Europe and Asia, representing myself as well as the professional teams I have signed with each season.

The game of basketball has taken me to Spain, China, Greece, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Most recently I was blessed with the opportunity to represent the USA with a team of 10 ladies from around the country. We traveled to 2 of the poorest countries in Europe, the Ukraine and Moldova, as Athletes in Action; an affiliation of Campus Crusades for Christ.

There we played against their National Teams (Undefeated!), worked with a few ministries, visited an orphanage, and ran some rec nights for the youth. Most importantly we were able to share the gospel with a nation of people who have little to nothing, and instill a hope in them that is greater than anything this world can give. It’s ironic to me how people with nothing are more eager to learn about Christ then those who have it all.

You would think the blessed in health and fortune would have more to thank the Lord for. Such is not always the case. It wasn’t until now, 4 years removed from being a student-athlete at ND, that “God. Country. Notre Dame” became a true reality for me. As the bible says in 1 Peter 4:10, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

There is no better way to show thanks to our Father then by serving others. So thank God for the opportunities and talents He has given me, and thank God for allowing me to attend one of the greatest universities in the world. One of the many things I’ve walked away with is being able to recognize the importance of our old saying: God, Country, Notre Dame…and in that order.

As you can see, Melissa’s faith is a huge part of her life. Melissa is currently a Pro Basketball player in Europe.