The start of rugby season

Spring is here, and with the nicer weather comes the other rite of spring - rugby season! Both Ali and I really enjoy coaching, and usually look forward to the upcoming season. Having a third family member this year has complicated things a little bit. Our teams (Ali's the high school girls, mine the high school boys) usually practice at the same location to make things easier for us. However, with the little guy, we will be splitting our practices, Ali takes Tuesday and I take Thursday's. I have stepped back from head coach to assistant (along with 2 other coaches), and Ali has some volunteers from the local women's club helping her out. So we will both continue coaching, although neither of us will spend as much time as we have in previous years.


Hard to believe the little guy is still smaller than a rugby ball.

This past weekend was the boys first match out. We have a pretty young and inexperienced team, but we actually looked pretty good. The first game out is always a little chaotic and this was no exception. But I am always reminded why I love coaching - to take a bunch of high school kids (some of marginal athletic ability) and show them how to play a wonderful sport. I especially like watching the kids who have never found their niche with other sports take to rugby. I think it is truly the team nature of the game that hooks a lot of players - it is a sport that takes 15 kids of different types (fast, slow, big, small, etc) and makes them a team where everyone contributes. Additionally, it is not a coach centered sport (where coaches hand down strategy and plays all throughout the game). It is a true player centered sport where, once on the field, the players make all the decisions and problem solving with minimal if any input from the coaches on the sidelines. This appeals to a lot of players as well.

So the weekend reminded me why I do this - both from the personal satisfaction and helping young men and women find an interest that hopefully will give them as much enjoyment as it has given me. Rugby has given me much of what I cherish in life. Aside from some aches and pains and remembered glory, this sport has most importantly given me a great wife and now a little shaver, who no doubt will be exposed to a lot of rugby during his youth (no pressure though!).