“It is always humbling to come back and be in the same gym,” The Leadership University Inc. CEO Anthony Ireland said.
Ireland made his mark at Crosby High School. With the Bulldogs, Ireland won a basketball state championship in 2008. During his high school career, he scored nearly 1,500 points.
He was also recently inducted into the Crosby Sports Hall of Fame.
“Seeing my plaque out there is a testimony to my mindset as a kid,” Ireland said.
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Ireland credits a lot of his success to his then-coach Nick Augelli.
“He coached my dad, myself, my younger brother and he is still coaching these kids today,” Ireland said. “He was the first person to spark, not only spark the interest, but gave me confidence.”
Ireland’s confidence, hard work and talent landed him at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He is considered one of the best players in school history.
“I believe I am third all-time in scoring, first all-time in minutes played. So, yeah, I gave my all to LMU, and that ultimately led me to an opportunity with the Los Angeles Lakers,” Ireland said.
Ireland continued his professional career overseas, playing in Europe for a decade. When he came back to Connecticut, he wanted to give back to the community.
“I am a native of Waterbury and it is near and dear to me, so I want to continue pouring my resources into Waterbury,” Ireland said.
He founded The Leadership University Inc., a nonprofit organization that focuses on the personal and social development of young adults.
“I kind of decided how can I make an impact holistically, not just in sports or athletics,” Ireland said.
The organization provides after school programs, youth development programs and mentorship programs through basketball.
“So, we will do things such as strength training, strength and conditioning training, they love that but then we will expose them [to opportunities], this year, our current program we are doing is referee training,” Ireland said.
The organization’s biggest fundraising event is the Holiday Invitational Classic, happening on Saturday and Sunday.
It’s a premier basketball tournament held at Crosby High School that brings in some of the most talented high schools in the region.
“For me, we didn’t have many experiences like this, you know when I was in high school so it’s like if I can be the person who provides that experience for them,” Ireland said.
Each day, there are four matchups, including on the girl's side, what is known as the ‘holy war’ between Northwest Catholic High School and East Catholic High School. On the boy's side, there are schools from New York, Rhode Island and Connecticut, including Crosby High School.
“I’m rooting for them, they are matched up against Kolbe Cathedral, so it will be some great matchups,” Ireland said.
The goal is to provide a top-tier competitive experience, while also bringing the community together and celebrating the holidays. Spectators are encouraged to bring a toy donation that will go toward the Rivera Memorial Foundation.
Meanwhile, in the bleachers, there will be recruiters from Division II and Division III colleges.
“Giving the kids that opportunity and potentially being looked at by those various schools can open many doors for them,” Ireland said.
The event is in its second year and Ireland hopes to continue growing it. Ireland shared with us, that everything he has accomplished in basketball or work, he first wrote down and then followed it with hard work and by showing up.
“I would write my goals down physically because I think there is something important with writing, physically writing your goals down, I would tape them to my ceiling,” Ireland said.
Tickets for the Holiday Classic Invitational can be bought here.
