Passing the Torch

FINALLY, the boys I work with in a therapeutic group home have gotten a taste of rugby.

I literally just cannot contain how excited I am!!!

 

Ever since I returned to work from Vegas clad in my uniform and a fat lip, the word has spread like wildfire amongst the youth and staff. I'm really glad it did, because through one of my youth talking about it in the cafeteria, another female kitchen staff heard him and reached out to me! She is a major rugby fan and has been watching it for years! We're also on the same agenda - get these boys a rugby ball ASAP!!!

 

It's so refreshing and revamps my motivation to try and get rugby into the group home. Many many people here practically shun the idea when I bring it up because all they think in their head is "VIOLENCE!!! NO WAY." It seems like a bunch of hot-headed anger management issue boys from the South Side would not mix with rugby, but on the contrary I think they would be the best for it. In Vegas I found out through discussion with a Canadian Men's rugby player that when rugby was introduced into an area in Canada with a high crime rate, crime dropped 40%! I don't think that's a coincidence.

Rugby has got to be one of the greatest forms of anger management I have ever witnessed. Not only is rugby a healthy outlet for anger and aggression, but you also need to learn how to harness and control it. And the greatest part of all involves the morals behind the sport - respect for everyone on and off the field. After someone kicks the crap out of you on the field, you become friends afterwards (...usually. I won't generalize). You need to respect your peers and authoritative figures (that's a big one for the guys I work with). There's no if's, and's, or but's when it comes to what your coach says. And arguing with the ref? GOOD LUCK WITH THAT. Even not calling the ref "ser" can result in some form of penalty! Cursing in any way, shape, or form at someone can also cause a penalty. Rugby really capitalizes on controlling your anger physically and mentally!

I think rugby is also the ultimate team sport, thus no one can be down on themselves nor can anyone put themselves above everyone else. If there is someone on your team that you do not utilize, then you're screwed. No one can be left alone or ignored. On the other hand, basketball is practically a means of survival here at the group home; when you're good at it, (almost) no one messes with you. When you're schooled, you're the weakest link and thus a much higher potential to be picked on. I think this is because while basketball can be a great team sport, it still leaves much room for someone to steal the spotlight. There is also a lot of potential for basketball to turn into a heirerarchy that leaves many people feeling left out or useless (i.e. picking teams).  

 

SOOOO anyways (that was a tiny rant...have to cut myself off while I still can):

Yesterday I brought my rugby ball into work. After the guys played basketball together in the gym they exclaimed, "Let's play rugby!" Of  course to them that meant football at first, and they basically just wanted to hit each other, but slowly we worked our way up to actually playing touch in the gym!

The first step was teaching them how to pass. They were pretty fixated on getting the spin pass down, but eventually they became open to trying pop passes and just working on getting passes off quickly and accurately. They also enjoyed learning about different kicks, especially the drop kick.

...it was HILARIOUS, like watching a bunch of Charlie Browns:

The continuously could not wrap their head around why you can't throw a rugby ball overhand like in football, and my main point to them was that technically you can but it's just simply not practical! By the time you have your arm raised and ready to throw (if you even make it to that point) you're plowed flat onto your back. We set up in the formation of a back line and practiced getting quick passes off while continuing to run forward. This is when they started getting antsy to play, we we just dove right into it.

There were only 4 boys, but we were still able to get a 3 vs. 2 game going. Ironically, at first I had no idea if we were even going to be able to pull off playing an actual game with only 5 people but now I think this could be a fantastic form of scrimmaging! Because there are so many fewer players, spacing and support were crucial. I guess this is also why 7s involves so much spacing and support, because there are simply fewer people to depend on.

It took the guys a little while to remember that they can't throw forward, but once they continuously kept getting penalties for it they were able to turn it around (literally and figuratively!). They kept running into the problem of someone passing it backwards yet not following their pass/immediately getting steep, thus forcing them to throw it forward or get tagged. But once they got the hang of it, I was AMAZED at how well they were able to draw a defender in and create a gap for another player. What I also like about the touch aspect for the guys is that they seriously need to rely on their other teammates because they can't bulldozer through the defense. Once they are out of space, they have to pass it off!

 

Overall, I am more than pleased, impressed, and satisfied with the results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

...and this is only the beginning! I had to tear the guys out of the gym because it was getting late. They were all in such great moods for the remainder of the night and so much more pleasant with each other (when ironically earlier in the day they had some major issues with each other and couldn't stop arguing!). I hope this spark continues to grow. RUGBY PLAYERS IN CHICAGO: hopefully someday we can ban together and start a touch rugby clinic (touch to start with...) for these guys, then maybe even a league!

 

.....one can dream.