Pete Strobl grew up in Los Angeles, California and went on to play college basketball at D1 Niagara University, New York. After graduating with his Master's Pete began playing professional basketball in Europe and has played in France, Austria, and Germany. This season Pete is Player/Assistant Coach for Merry Monk Ballina. He writes a weekly blog for Streetballireland.com on basketball, life and his experience in Ireland

Diary 1 01/11/2007

My name is Pete Strobl and I love basketball. I'd just like to get that out of the way right now. I'm obsessed. I love playing the game. I love watching the game. I love teaching the game. All of you here are probably much like myself so I don't need to explain the feelings associated with our addiction. My full name is Peter Franz Joseph Strobl and I was born in Long Beach, California. Most people outside of the states normally aren’t quite sure where that is until I ask them if they’ve ever heard of Snoop Dogg. Then I get emphatic nods and questions of whether or not we hang out during the summers.

I grew up in Los Angeles, California watching the great Lakers "Showtime" teams of the late 1980's and was immediately hooked. The way those teams played was simply poetry in motion. Anybody who's been fortunate enough to watch an old tape of Magic running the break and dropping a "no-look" to a streaking James Worthy knows what I'm talking about.

Niagara University happened to be the furthest school on the map to offer me a scholarship, so in my youth I decided that going as far away from home as possible would probably be the best thing for me. Niagara University is a Division 1 school and is located a few minutes away from the famous Niagara Falls in western New York. It's also the Alma Mater of Calvin Murphy, Hubie Brown, and Frank Layden. A lot of great basketball minds passed through that school so I was extremely fortunate to be a part of that environment.

After graduating with my MBA from Niagara I played for Chorale de Roanne in France, UKJ-SÜBA- St. Pölten in Austria, TV-Lich in Germany, and Viva 49ers Mattersburg in Austria. This season I'm the assistant coach for Merry Monk Ballina here in Ireland. I'm also playing for the team so it's interesting taking on both roles, but thus far I'm loving every minute of it. It's my eighth year playing in Europe and there's nothing else in the world that I'd rather be doing!

I was asked through a teammate to write a blog for streetballireland.com and of course I jumped at the opportunity. Hopefully I'll be able to get out a blog a week or so with various stories of my experiences here in Ireland. I look forward t all comments and/or questions and would love t receive your feedback. Talk t you soon!

Thanks,

Pete

petestrobl@gmail.com