If you would have told me my freshman year that I should quit cheerleading, and go play rugby for a team called the Lady Barbarians, I would have laughed in your face. Fast forward to 2 weekends ago, I played my final high school season rugby game, then rushed off to my senior prom.. Bitter sweet weekend, that’s for sure.
We may have taken 2nd in state, but there is no way I would change a single thing about this past season.
SOO, to honor the last 2.5/3 years, I compiled a little list of 10 things that rugby has taught to me, so here we go!
- Coach Greg is ALWAYS right. Even when he is wrong, he is right. Now shut up and just do what he says.
- You can’t expect respect when you don’t give it. Your team will mirror the attitude that you give and you’re crazy if you expect anything different.
- Your body will ache. Your body will be sore. Your muscles will fail. Your legs will burn and your head will hurt. If any of that upsets you, then play a different sport.
- A good captain has no friends on the pitch. I will never forget the day that my coach leaned through my window, told me I was going to be captain, and gave me this golden nugget of advice. It might not have changed me right away, but to this day, I use this in every thing I do. You will never please everyone, and you have one job. That job is to be a leader.
- There’s always going to be a million excuses not to do something. That goes for you, AND your team. Don’t let you or your team slack – it took me a long time to realize this.
- Good captainship (yes, it’s a word) comes in little conversations on the pitch, or in after-practice texts. Compassion for your team and passion for the game is what matters. The profound speeches may or may not follow.
- Do not sass the sir. The referee determines your game, so he really doesn’t care if you disagree with his calls. Two or so games ago, a girl scored on us, but she went out of bounds in the last second. Everyone roared and went off about how it wasn’t a try. He looked straight at my other captain, blew the whistle, and awarded the point.. again, do not sass the ref.
- If a 5’2, 130 lb. girl can play rugby, you can too. I wasn’t even the smallest one either!
- A team isn’t going to come together, and play a game of rugby. Only a family can do that.
- Practice sucks, but its necessary for success. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched talented girls get cocky, never show up to practice, and get killed during games. Suck it up, come to practice, and learn the game.
Now if you know me, I’ve been playing rugby literally year round since March of my Sophomore year, so my squad mates better be ready to learn how to pass a rugby ball, because there’s definitely space in my pack for one 🙂
