Typically when my predictions or warnings result in the opportunity for me to say "I told you so" (always), I enjoy basking in the warm light of a long hard gloat. Sadly today this is not the case. For those who don't know Dean tore his ACL Wed. evening playing with the Blue Griffins. Out of respect for Doc and his continued efforts and the dedication of the players who have put in time away from their own clubs I will gladly step down from my soap box and wish them the very best in their competition tomorrow at Ruktoberfest. Even without The Machine, they stand a good chance of giving those dushe bags from the dirt communities of Fresno and Riverside a run for their money. If they are anything like this Pasadena side, I am sure they will gladly sacrafice life and limb for Doc Bryant. Since they crushed our #15/#10, the least they can do is take out a few Kern players for good measure.
No doubt Dean feels that his preseason and hopes for another crushing year could have just come crumbling down. Chin up Dean. A few years back I was standing next to Frazier when his Achilles snapped and ended up behind his knee cap. No one ever thought he'd recover from that and right now he is coming off of what was probably the best season of rugby he has ever played. Dean is young, fit and a critical member of this club. In the grand scheme of things with only 4 or 5 seasons under his belt he is a rookie and and has a long career as a Pasadena player still to look forward to. The best thing Dean can do is to take it easy and rehab slowly... and pass out some of those pain killers out to elder players whom he respects immensely for all of the nice things they say about him on their blogs.
We told Doc that since he broke Dean, he has to replace him. Since it was Brian Wolf who made the tackle, we will accept 1 season of indentured service from Wolf wearing a Pasadena #15 as payment. We will also take Vince McGlade as collateral for future mishaps.
In other news, Pasadena Rugby is actively looking for the student who stole Rob Ingles test forcing Rob to miss last nights work out. We're holding a spot for you on the EC kid, keep up the good work.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Is This Me Back-pedaling?
From time to time I have been accused of making snap judgments without taking time to further consider all of the facts. Typically this is a reasonable criticism however to demonstrate my ability to be fair minded, having spent some time watching the Blue Griffin’s yesterday I think it’s time to revisit previous allegation and rescind some prior accusation and provide evidence to confirm others.
First I have over the years frequently referred to Matt Sedaris (formally #6/7 for South Orange County) as many things all amounting more or less to be a mindless dolt of a man and a thug of a rugby player. Maybe I was jaded by the jersey he was wearing, maybe I am indeed the complete ass hole that many have accused be to be countless times, ad infinitum. Turns out Matt is one of the nicest guys I’ve met in quite some time and not unintelligent to speak with. He has always been a hard nosed player on the pitch but seeing him interact with our players, our coaches and his fellow Griffin’s has been eye opening. He will be a great asset to Back Bay and I look forward to another year of playing against him. Sorry for all the hate.
Second resending of prior allegation and a small amount of affirmation. I have in the past voiced much consternation over the Griffin side. My previous criticism has been over the player selection process and my belief that the team would benefit from a process that was less prone to subjectivity and player/team partiality. Yesterday I saw a clear disparity in skill level on the Blue Griffin side which supports my previous allegation however I will say that the players attempt to find continuity and gel demonstrated how a select side like this can serve as a great reminder as why this is such a great sport. The team that was out yesterday was a mix of players with as much diversity in personality than in skill level. Their efforts in taking the time to invest in this outside of their own club obligations showed a commitment to the ideals of the sport and was demonstrated in fairly unselfish and supportive play. Sure some clearly struggled where others clearly excelled, the fact is that they played together as a team. From a spectator’s point of view there was little that would lead one to believe that this team has not been playing together for quite some time. Both players and coaches should be commended for achieving this with their limited time. I expect that their efforts this weekend in Big Bear will be rewarded with some success on the pitch.
In the end I have reside in that the Griffin select side may not be such a bad idea. I do think that they need to revisit the selection process in order to facilitate a side that can reflect the higher level of competition D3 teams are capable of but in the end, if all that comes out of it is a chance for players to experience the joy of playing in a format that speaks to the true beauty of the sport, then I think worse things could probably happen.
One last thing- Greg Smith may indeed be The Frazier Incarnate. Watch and be amazed.
First I have over the years frequently referred to Matt Sedaris (formally #6/7 for South Orange County) as many things all amounting more or less to be a mindless dolt of a man and a thug of a rugby player. Maybe I was jaded by the jersey he was wearing, maybe I am indeed the complete ass hole that many have accused be to be countless times, ad infinitum. Turns out Matt is one of the nicest guys I’ve met in quite some time and not unintelligent to speak with. He has always been a hard nosed player on the pitch but seeing him interact with our players, our coaches and his fellow Griffin’s has been eye opening. He will be a great asset to Back Bay and I look forward to another year of playing against him. Sorry for all the hate.
Second resending of prior allegation and a small amount of affirmation. I have in the past voiced much consternation over the Griffin side. My previous criticism has been over the player selection process and my belief that the team would benefit from a process that was less prone to subjectivity and player/team partiality. Yesterday I saw a clear disparity in skill level on the Blue Griffin side which supports my previous allegation however I will say that the players attempt to find continuity and gel demonstrated how a select side like this can serve as a great reminder as why this is such a great sport. The team that was out yesterday was a mix of players with as much diversity in personality than in skill level. Their efforts in taking the time to invest in this outside of their own club obligations showed a commitment to the ideals of the sport and was demonstrated in fairly unselfish and supportive play. Sure some clearly struggled where others clearly excelled, the fact is that they played together as a team. From a spectator’s point of view there was little that would lead one to believe that this team has not been playing together for quite some time. Both players and coaches should be commended for achieving this with their limited time. I expect that their efforts this weekend in Big Bear will be rewarded with some success on the pitch.
In the end I have reside in that the Griffin select side may not be such a bad idea. I do think that they need to revisit the selection process in order to facilitate a side that can reflect the higher level of competition D3 teams are capable of but in the end, if all that comes out of it is a chance for players to experience the joy of playing in a format that speaks to the true beauty of the sport, then I think worse things could probably happen.
One last thing- Greg Smith may indeed be The Frazier Incarnate. Watch and be amazed.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
5 More Reasons...
Maybe it was his "old school" style of rugby, maybe it was his insistence to play rugby with nonathletic social retards, maybe the Irvine coach/ref is a total doushe but here are 5 more reasons the Blue Griffin may be a bad idea.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
What's Important Now
Jesus, what is happening to me? I must be getting old. Here’s another positive post mostly bereft of passive aggressive attacks on foul character and the comic state of affairs of certain hot topics (Blue Griffin update is imminent).
First work-out last night and in comparison to most fitness work-outs it was extremely moderate. No Leap Frog Death March, Stairs of Eternal Peril or Card Game of Torment and Suffering but rather some light to moderate running, agility, strength and a bit of ball handling. All in all it was the great balance that we have come to expect from Coach Bryant less some colored pie charts and statistical analysis presented in labeled maroon folders (work on that Doc). I was struck by a few things.
First, there seems to be 3 levels of fitness. A hand hull of those who didn’t have much difficulty say 10%, then those who were challenged but not crushed which I peg at 60%, then 30% who were left feeling broken, violated and emotionally hallow. I counted 3 pukers which I haven’t seen in a few years. Awesome. I checked on one of them who was on the deck prone and was as white as Deano’s unshaven ass. Rookie of course, I asked how he was doing. His response was that he’d been sick all week and he “wouldn’t miss the first practice no matter what”. It’s called Magic Cool-Aid kid, shit is addictive. Better watch how much of that you guzzle because one day you too will be beyond the age where it is adviseable to play an intensice physical sport and will findyouorself making excuses to family members why practice is more important than birthdays and anniversaries. Wait until you begin to show up to work with black eyes and quake at the idea of rucking your co-workers for looking at you the wrong way. Last night showed good effort across the board and despite being challenged I didn’t see a single player walk over to the fence and to the “long stretch” which usually lasts until the end of practice.
Second, there were definitely some stand-out rookies whose names I’ll probably not remember until they do something entertaining like tell me stories of their Bott Fly fetishes. There is definitely some potential; young but with luck, willing and malleable. There were also some stand out returning players who I was impressed with. Yes solid deliveries by Keegan, Casey, Deano, Pet and many who you’d expect to bring it, but the performance handed downby Joaquin, Brecheisen and Judd were particularly impressive. I am more impressed with these guys and others every time they lace up their boots. I would also like to publicly thank Rob Ingles for his return to the pitch because standing next to him, my legs look like Keegan’s. Shock and awe. Ingles is magic people. You’ll understand later.
Where Ingles re-immergence may be the highlight of my preseason, his presence and the performance by those who are easily underestimated is a perfect illustration of the momentum and the potential we need to exploit. If we fail to exploit this opportunity we will have performed perhaps largest blunder in the history of the Club. I certainly don’t want any part of that which brings me to the 3rd and poignant uh… point. In Doc’s pre-practice manifesto he enlisted the acronym of WIN or What’s Important Now. I think it boils down to 2 very simple things:
1) Sink the hook. Every year we get a large wave of rookies. Some new to the game, some with checkered experience. Always remember one of the most important laws of a successful rugby club: Numbers Propagate Numbers. What made the difference last year is that we were able to retain most new members and thus we flourished largely because of the internal competition it created. What ever IT was that kept those players around, we need IT again because these kids are going to get tired of running their dicks into the ground without any matches in the near future to bait them into the actual game of rugby. What maters most now is CLUB. Every new member must know that they matter and play a monumental role to the success of the Club regardless of their experience, skill or current athletic ability. Look at Pirate Rob. Certainly no one would put him in a foot race against Greg although I’m sure he can shimmer the fuck up a top mast. I bet that a year ago Rob felt like he was a worthless sack of salt pork and dry tack and I bet on most clubs they would have pitched him and his glass eye over board. 1 year after wanting to die after a practice similar to last night Rob is a key leader and club member. It’s not because he was voted MVP or Best Defensive Player. It’s because he matters to the Club not only as a player but just as importantly he matters as a member. With out Rob, we would lack internal competition needed to drive us to a better state of play and without Rob we would lack the depth in personality and leadership that continues to make Pasadena Rugby the most fucking fun rugby club South of Missoula. Go ahead and ask any player who as worn the Maroon and White and gone on to play with other clubs. Ask the teams who were on the sideline in South Carolina to cheer us on. This is an extremely unique club and these new fuckers need to understand that it is ONLY because of them. They are the reason we have been here for close to 40 years. If they go away eventually we will too.
2) Fitness, fitness, fitness. This was our most lethal weapon last year and MUST be our first and most critical this year. If you can’t get to the break downs and support the play or shut out the offensive line in a defensive attack, EVERYTHING is going to be twice as hard and twice as critical. Without fitness the best you can hope for is to exploit the oppositions mistakes which will be all the more difficult when you are sucking wind. And guess what, we aren’t playing soft-cock rugby this year. Expect nothing we saw last year. Competition is going to be fit, tight and they will come at us more aggressively than we have ever seen. OMBAC, Riverside, Back Bay- these are teams that have a recent history of fielding National Championship sides and at higher levels of rugby. No tattooed witch-doctor scrum-half’s or pony-tailed midget stunt doubles here. The ONLY choice we have is to surpass our competition is superior fitness; put them on their heels, play a disciplined game and exploit their mistakes. It all starts with fitness. Look, last night was fine because it was our first practice but that was about ¼ of what our fitness work outs have historically been and need to be. Given that much of the preseason is dedicated to putting together individual skill sets, sub-unit skills, unit skills and team strategies, we need to get back up to fitness speed and we need to do it quickly. There is a lot to squeeze in just 14 weeks considering that come Jan. 12 we need to be at the same fitness lever we were last May. It is not going to happen if Tuesday and Thursday is your primary fitness day. My suggestion is to look at it the other way around. Design your off day works outs to be more challenging and brutal than your practice days. However we do it, fitness needs to happen quickly and more importantly, universally.
One last thing that Deano reminded me of other than to never trim your ball sack with scissors. I just can’t imagine what it would be like now if we had elected to stay down in D3 with the prospects of another season spent kicking the shit out of social misfits and the athletically challenged. This thing we have right now is spectacular and awesome. Whether you voted to move up or not, I hope you now realize that this was without a doubt the best decision this club has made in a long time.
Creepy? These positive jerk-off sessions are really going to give me a bad reputation and pretty soon guys are going to want to talk to me. Fuck you all. As much as it pains me to say, it is good to see old faces. Fuck, I need to stop with the positive shit. OK, I was looking for a better picture and I wish I had one of him last night but this is what I have. Onto What’s Important Now. Enjoy...
Chris Harris
Cookie Monster
First work-out last night and in comparison to most fitness work-outs it was extremely moderate. No Leap Frog Death March, Stairs of Eternal Peril or Card Game of Torment and Suffering but rather some light to moderate running, agility, strength and a bit of ball handling. All in all it was the great balance that we have come to expect from Coach Bryant less some colored pie charts and statistical analysis presented in labeled maroon folders (work on that Doc). I was struck by a few things.
First, there seems to be 3 levels of fitness. A hand hull of those who didn’t have much difficulty say 10%, then those who were challenged but not crushed which I peg at 60%, then 30% who were left feeling broken, violated and emotionally hallow. I counted 3 pukers which I haven’t seen in a few years. Awesome. I checked on one of them who was on the deck prone and was as white as Deano’s unshaven ass. Rookie of course, I asked how he was doing. His response was that he’d been sick all week and he “wouldn’t miss the first practice no matter what”. It’s called Magic Cool-Aid kid, shit is addictive. Better watch how much of that you guzzle because one day you too will be beyond the age where it is adviseable to play an intensice physical sport and will findyouorself making excuses to family members why practice is more important than birthdays and anniversaries. Wait until you begin to show up to work with black eyes and quake at the idea of rucking your co-workers for looking at you the wrong way. Last night showed good effort across the board and despite being challenged I didn’t see a single player walk over to the fence and to the “long stretch” which usually lasts until the end of practice.
Second, there were definitely some stand-out rookies whose names I’ll probably not remember until they do something entertaining like tell me stories of their Bott Fly fetishes. There is definitely some potential; young but with luck, willing and malleable. There were also some stand out returning players who I was impressed with. Yes solid deliveries by Keegan, Casey, Deano, Pet and many who you’d expect to bring it, but the performance handed downby Joaquin, Brecheisen and Judd were particularly impressive. I am more impressed with these guys and others every time they lace up their boots. I would also like to publicly thank Rob Ingles for his return to the pitch because standing next to him, my legs look like Keegan’s. Shock and awe. Ingles is magic people. You’ll understand later.
Where Ingles re-immergence may be the highlight of my preseason, his presence and the performance by those who are easily underestimated is a perfect illustration of the momentum and the potential we need to exploit. If we fail to exploit this opportunity we will have performed perhaps largest blunder in the history of the Club. I certainly don’t want any part of that which brings me to the 3rd and poignant uh… point. In Doc’s pre-practice manifesto he enlisted the acronym of WIN or What’s Important Now. I think it boils down to 2 very simple things:
1) Sink the hook. Every year we get a large wave of rookies. Some new to the game, some with checkered experience. Always remember one of the most important laws of a successful rugby club: Numbers Propagate Numbers. What made the difference last year is that we were able to retain most new members and thus we flourished largely because of the internal competition it created. What ever IT was that kept those players around, we need IT again because these kids are going to get tired of running their dicks into the ground without any matches in the near future to bait them into the actual game of rugby. What maters most now is CLUB. Every new member must know that they matter and play a monumental role to the success of the Club regardless of their experience, skill or current athletic ability. Look at Pirate Rob. Certainly no one would put him in a foot race against Greg although I’m sure he can shimmer the fuck up a top mast. I bet that a year ago Rob felt like he was a worthless sack of salt pork and dry tack and I bet on most clubs they would have pitched him and his glass eye over board. 1 year after wanting to die after a practice similar to last night Rob is a key leader and club member. It’s not because he was voted MVP or Best Defensive Player. It’s because he matters to the Club not only as a player but just as importantly he matters as a member. With out Rob, we would lack internal competition needed to drive us to a better state of play and without Rob we would lack the depth in personality and leadership that continues to make Pasadena Rugby the most fucking fun rugby club South of Missoula. Go ahead and ask any player who as worn the Maroon and White and gone on to play with other clubs. Ask the teams who were on the sideline in South Carolina to cheer us on. This is an extremely unique club and these new fuckers need to understand that it is ONLY because of them. They are the reason we have been here for close to 40 years. If they go away eventually we will too.
2) Fitness, fitness, fitness. This was our most lethal weapon last year and MUST be our first and most critical this year. If you can’t get to the break downs and support the play or shut out the offensive line in a defensive attack, EVERYTHING is going to be twice as hard and twice as critical. Without fitness the best you can hope for is to exploit the oppositions mistakes which will be all the more difficult when you are sucking wind. And guess what, we aren’t playing soft-cock rugby this year. Expect nothing we saw last year. Competition is going to be fit, tight and they will come at us more aggressively than we have ever seen. OMBAC, Riverside, Back Bay- these are teams that have a recent history of fielding National Championship sides and at higher levels of rugby. No tattooed witch-doctor scrum-half’s or pony-tailed midget stunt doubles here. The ONLY choice we have is to surpass our competition is superior fitness; put them on their heels, play a disciplined game and exploit their mistakes. It all starts with fitness. Look, last night was fine because it was our first practice but that was about ¼ of what our fitness work outs have historically been and need to be. Given that much of the preseason is dedicated to putting together individual skill sets, sub-unit skills, unit skills and team strategies, we need to get back up to fitness speed and we need to do it quickly. There is a lot to squeeze in just 14 weeks considering that come Jan. 12 we need to be at the same fitness lever we were last May. It is not going to happen if Tuesday and Thursday is your primary fitness day. My suggestion is to look at it the other way around. Design your off day works outs to be more challenging and brutal than your practice days. However we do it, fitness needs to happen quickly and more importantly, universally.
One last thing that Deano reminded me of other than to never trim your ball sack with scissors. I just can’t imagine what it would be like now if we had elected to stay down in D3 with the prospects of another season spent kicking the shit out of social misfits and the athletically challenged. This thing we have right now is spectacular and awesome. Whether you voted to move up or not, I hope you now realize that this was without a doubt the best decision this club has made in a long time.
Creepy? These positive jerk-off sessions are really going to give me a bad reputation and pretty soon guys are going to want to talk to me. Fuck you all. As much as it pains me to say, it is good to see old faces. Fuck, I need to stop with the positive shit. OK, I was looking for a better picture and I wish I had one of him last night but this is what I have. Onto What’s Important Now. Enjoy...
Chris Harris
Cookie Monster
Friday, September 21, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Celebirty Look-alike
Cheesburger
The Hamburgler
or
Brger King
Seamus
Barney
Aaron
Shaggy
Nile
Easter Island Man
Brian
Privite Pyle
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Decision Time
WARNING: This is an uncharacteristically positive and potentially constructive post. There is no slandering of names and very little derogatory innuendo and shallow accusation. Read at ye own peril.
It’s that time of year and as the Fall draws near I am always shocked at how quickly the summer rolls bye yet at how distant last season appears to be. It seems like yesterday young James was a slack jawed rookie in a dirty South Kacka-lacky strip joint shoving dollar bills into Wally’s stripper celebrity look-alike and still it seems like a life time ago that we were muscling our way through Casey’s Leap-Frog Death March and holding back vomit while sprinting stairs for 20 minutes after an already punishing fitness work-out (well… most of us were sprinting at least).
As you grow older and 7’s is either not a possibility or holds little interest, the summer is a bit of a reminder of what life is like without rugby. I am always shocked by how easily the vacuum fills with rugby’s absence. Maybe for a 24 year-old (or 35 year old- hey Colby!) single guy squatting in his room-mates town house and considers dinner at the taco truck with the chick from Doninico’s as “Date Night” this has never crossed his mind but for a married dude with a child and another life away from the pitch I wonder how I possibly spent all of that time training and practicing and drinking and training and practicing and drinking and drinking. Where and how does it fit in; what am I going to do this year? Personal goals and ambitions are often closely tied to the team’s goals and ambitions. So setting the team goal is going to be a large part in dictating how my life will unfold in the next 7 or 8 months. Well next weekend is the Great Fall General Meeting and Pub Crawl of 2007 and that signals one thing; its decision time for me, for you and for the Club.
First it should be stated that it takes more than players coming to practice and training on their own to become a successful club. Players must also put in time off the pitch recruiting, fund raising, setting up fields, dealing with local city administrators, etc. Successful clubs have more than hand full of people doing these things, it is a club effort. A clubs success is equally related to the ability and willingness of its members to provide the necessary resource in order to meet its goals. If guys are unwilling to help seek sponsorship then they should be prepared to run out of beer and practice in the dark because the Club cannot meet its financial obligations. Plane and simple, it is a Club and everyone is responsible for the successes and failures.
When I was coaching or administering I always felt it was important to set some goals so that everyone was moving with the common purpose. Some were attainable so members could feel a sense of accomplishment regardless of successes in other areas. Some were just outside of those we knew to be guaranteed and these gave us our closest focus. Lastly there were those that were far reaching so that we always had some depth perception. Although these 3 tiers remained the same, season in and season out and at times within the same year, the goals themselves changed. One year our outside goal may have been to maintain numbers and shoot for a winning record where other years may have been focused on winning championships.
When we were a struggling D2 team I recall a clear division between player’s thoughts: some were happy playing social ball while others wanted to play a higher level of competition. There are many factors that contributed to the place we were both within and outside of our control but there we were. A split like this can be very damaging for the Club. Those not looking to make the necessary sacrifices on and off the pitch will never appease those looking to play a more competitive brand of rugby; those making the sacrifice come to despise those who do not. In turn because the competitive players focus was different than their own, those looking for more of a social club grew increasingly frustrated and apathetic to those whose goals were different than their own. And so began the cycle of contempt that saw many good players, both competitive and social, leave or retire. There were many other factors but I believer a primary cause was that at the end of the day the members did not share the same goals and convictions and because of this there was a disparity in the amount of sacrifice and effort each member was willing to make.
In those years with low numbers and talent depth weaning it became easier if not necessary to move away from a competitive side and more towards a social re-building club which we did. At the time we felt it was a 2 year effort to move down and re-build and so down we went. In the first years we found a good amount of success but as time passed we also found stagnation. It was not that we did not have a good side or possess talent. In fact some of the best rugby players who have worn the Maroon and White played a large part to the clubs success then; Tim Riesen, Mike Bagwell, Rob Ingles, Danny Boyle, Will Osborne and many others. We were capable and we did put together some impressive rugby however the club had come to an evolutionary stand still- happy with winning, happy with drinking beer but unwilling to make the sacrifices across the board to do the things that would put us into a more competitive arena. There are many things that are detrimental to a clubs growth- financial strength, depth in administration participation and of course numbers. We experienced a lull in all of these. Although reasonably competitive, our personal and team goals remained the same because we were unable to garner the necessary resource to propel ourselves forward. We fell prey to a vicious cycle of apathy. There are many reasons for this and many are to fault but the point isn’t who or the why but what happened because of it. Once players cease to drive themselves, they cease to drive each other; personal sacrifice becomes a distant sense. It takes more resource to gain positive momentum which is a further drain on the limited resource available; the muscle begins to feed on itself. In time goals that were once within reach become unattainable. You can smell the stench of stagnant water as the maggots turn to flies.
If you are on a club long enough you will get to know many different generations and transformations of the club. Given the complexities of a rugby club, oddly enough it only takes a small amount of change to alter the tempo- the right players at the right time in the right conditions. It can change in a season; it can change in a pre season. I have been fortunate to have been here long enough to have experienced many transformations and come to be close friends with those who have known many more dating back to the very beginning. In speaking with them and in looking at my own time here, one thing is abundantly clear to all of us. This club, right now, is something very special and more importantly this has never happened before… ever. Have we moved up in divisions? Sure; over the history of the club we have spent time and from 3rd division to 2nd division to 1st division a few times over however the make up of that team and the make up of rugby itself was very different then. To be clear though it isn’t just a change in division I am referring to. It is a change in ideal; the level of dedication of players and the amount of personal sacrifice that is being made not by a hand full of players, but by a majority of the members both on and off the pitch in aspects that directly apply not only to the game itself but also in ways that apply to the ideals of the sport.
So here we are at the beginning of another preseason and typically I’d say its dejavoux all over again. Clean out the kit bag, clear some dates on the calendar and figure out where this baby’s going. Clearly though this year is very different from years past. We have resource, we have depth, and we have momentum. We have opportunity unlike anything we’ve had in a very long time if ever which brings me to my original point. Its goal setting time.
Looking at it I think we can take 2 approaches. The first is to take the conservative approach and concentrate on shoring up a solid core and look to a winning record or a birth in the playoffs as our goal and measurement of success. Plain and simple- concentrate on playing good rugby and see where it takes us. I think we can accomplish a lot with these goals in mind and that it would appease most on the club without alienating many. Given some of the obstacles in front of us, I think this provides opportunity for success while still providing a path for an elevated level of competition and will meet the needs to nurture growth in our newer players without over straining available resource. I think if we replicate our efforts last season, which is a large commitment, we will be able to fall within this goal set.
The second is a more aggressive approach which is to earn a birth in the National tournament (D2 gets 2 seeds- 1st and 2dn place finishers in SCRFU). This would require extraordinary efforts by everyone and may require many to step outside their realm of comfort both in the amount of time they put in to train but also help build. Just paying your dues and showing up twice a week to train is not going to cut it and that goes for those who consider themselves as Warlords. We need 30 guys who are dedicated, hammer down, and balls out. Fuck it all and do whatever it takes to win. The risk here is to alienate those who are unwilling or unable to make the sacrifice and perhaps burn some resource along the way. We would need to not only replicate last season’s efforts but increase our intensity, discipline and dedication to the cause by at least 50% which is a lot given that I am sure many of us felt they were at 100% at the conclusion of last season.
If the Mission game taught us anything I hope it is the importance in playing as we practice. Discipline is critical and it only takes a few errors in judgment or skill to get the tide turned against us. All teams are beatable and every team has a weakness; the teams in 2nd division are no different. Our success will be dependant on our ability to put together 80 minutes of fit, aggressive disciplined style of play where simple error in judgment on the 5 meter line, a poorly placed pass or missed tackle is simply unacceptable period. We know we have the ability to build our fitness and if the summer time efforts are any indication of the commitment level, we have every reason to believe that as a whole we have the ability to step up and meet whatever obstacle is in our path.
The point to this seemingly endless ramble is 2 things. First that it is important to set team goals that most if not all agree to in order that there is common purpose and so that each player may set their own personal goals based on that common purpose. Without this common ground, players are ostracized, divisions begin to deepen and the whole process can slow to a stand still if not eventual implosion. The second is the importance of progressiveness in the setting of goals and personal accountability for their achievement. If our past has taught us anything it is the importance for players to take active accountability and responsibility for the Club; be it helping set up for a match, seeking sponsorship, training in the off days, working at maximum work rates during practice, etc. In order for the club to progress it is imperative that each player push themselves and each other and that often this must be done through sacrifice beyond each player’s zone of comfort. Without this constant drive, apathy will set in and the club will cease to grow and all of the efforts by countless people on and off the pitch will have been lost.
Saturday we’ll hear the case as it is laid out by our leaders. Listen carefully and make an honest choice. What are you willing to give to the Club? Choose our path.
OK. This week’s celebrity look-alike
Dean
It’s that time of year and as the Fall draws near I am always shocked at how quickly the summer rolls bye yet at how distant last season appears to be. It seems like yesterday young James was a slack jawed rookie in a dirty South Kacka-lacky strip joint shoving dollar bills into Wally’s stripper celebrity look-alike and still it seems like a life time ago that we were muscling our way through Casey’s Leap-Frog Death March and holding back vomit while sprinting stairs for 20 minutes after an already punishing fitness work-out (well… most of us were sprinting at least).
As you grow older and 7’s is either not a possibility or holds little interest, the summer is a bit of a reminder of what life is like without rugby. I am always shocked by how easily the vacuum fills with rugby’s absence. Maybe for a 24 year-old (or 35 year old- hey Colby!) single guy squatting in his room-mates town house and considers dinner at the taco truck with the chick from Doninico’s as “Date Night” this has never crossed his mind but for a married dude with a child and another life away from the pitch I wonder how I possibly spent all of that time training and practicing and drinking and training and practicing and drinking and drinking. Where and how does it fit in; what am I going to do this year? Personal goals and ambitions are often closely tied to the team’s goals and ambitions. So setting the team goal is going to be a large part in dictating how my life will unfold in the next 7 or 8 months. Well next weekend is the Great Fall General Meeting and Pub Crawl of 2007 and that signals one thing; its decision time for me, for you and for the Club.
First it should be stated that it takes more than players coming to practice and training on their own to become a successful club. Players must also put in time off the pitch recruiting, fund raising, setting up fields, dealing with local city administrators, etc. Successful clubs have more than hand full of people doing these things, it is a club effort. A clubs success is equally related to the ability and willingness of its members to provide the necessary resource in order to meet its goals. If guys are unwilling to help seek sponsorship then they should be prepared to run out of beer and practice in the dark because the Club cannot meet its financial obligations. Plane and simple, it is a Club and everyone is responsible for the successes and failures.
When I was coaching or administering I always felt it was important to set some goals so that everyone was moving with the common purpose. Some were attainable so members could feel a sense of accomplishment regardless of successes in other areas. Some were just outside of those we knew to be guaranteed and these gave us our closest focus. Lastly there were those that were far reaching so that we always had some depth perception. Although these 3 tiers remained the same, season in and season out and at times within the same year, the goals themselves changed. One year our outside goal may have been to maintain numbers and shoot for a winning record where other years may have been focused on winning championships.
When we were a struggling D2 team I recall a clear division between player’s thoughts: some were happy playing social ball while others wanted to play a higher level of competition. There are many factors that contributed to the place we were both within and outside of our control but there we were. A split like this can be very damaging for the Club. Those not looking to make the necessary sacrifices on and off the pitch will never appease those looking to play a more competitive brand of rugby; those making the sacrifice come to despise those who do not. In turn because the competitive players focus was different than their own, those looking for more of a social club grew increasingly frustrated and apathetic to those whose goals were different than their own. And so began the cycle of contempt that saw many good players, both competitive and social, leave or retire. There were many other factors but I believer a primary cause was that at the end of the day the members did not share the same goals and convictions and because of this there was a disparity in the amount of sacrifice and effort each member was willing to make.
In those years with low numbers and talent depth weaning it became easier if not necessary to move away from a competitive side and more towards a social re-building club which we did. At the time we felt it was a 2 year effort to move down and re-build and so down we went. In the first years we found a good amount of success but as time passed we also found stagnation. It was not that we did not have a good side or possess talent. In fact some of the best rugby players who have worn the Maroon and White played a large part to the clubs success then; Tim Riesen, Mike Bagwell, Rob Ingles, Danny Boyle, Will Osborne and many others. We were capable and we did put together some impressive rugby however the club had come to an evolutionary stand still- happy with winning, happy with drinking beer but unwilling to make the sacrifices across the board to do the things that would put us into a more competitive arena. There are many things that are detrimental to a clubs growth- financial strength, depth in administration participation and of course numbers. We experienced a lull in all of these. Although reasonably competitive, our personal and team goals remained the same because we were unable to garner the necessary resource to propel ourselves forward. We fell prey to a vicious cycle of apathy. There are many reasons for this and many are to fault but the point isn’t who or the why but what happened because of it. Once players cease to drive themselves, they cease to drive each other; personal sacrifice becomes a distant sense. It takes more resource to gain positive momentum which is a further drain on the limited resource available; the muscle begins to feed on itself. In time goals that were once within reach become unattainable. You can smell the stench of stagnant water as the maggots turn to flies.
If you are on a club long enough you will get to know many different generations and transformations of the club. Given the complexities of a rugby club, oddly enough it only takes a small amount of change to alter the tempo- the right players at the right time in the right conditions. It can change in a season; it can change in a pre season. I have been fortunate to have been here long enough to have experienced many transformations and come to be close friends with those who have known many more dating back to the very beginning. In speaking with them and in looking at my own time here, one thing is abundantly clear to all of us. This club, right now, is something very special and more importantly this has never happened before… ever. Have we moved up in divisions? Sure; over the history of the club we have spent time and from 3rd division to 2nd division to 1st division a few times over however the make up of that team and the make up of rugby itself was very different then. To be clear though it isn’t just a change in division I am referring to. It is a change in ideal; the level of dedication of players and the amount of personal sacrifice that is being made not by a hand full of players, but by a majority of the members both on and off the pitch in aspects that directly apply not only to the game itself but also in ways that apply to the ideals of the sport.
So here we are at the beginning of another preseason and typically I’d say its dejavoux all over again. Clean out the kit bag, clear some dates on the calendar and figure out where this baby’s going. Clearly though this year is very different from years past. We have resource, we have depth, and we have momentum. We have opportunity unlike anything we’ve had in a very long time if ever which brings me to my original point. Its goal setting time.
Looking at it I think we can take 2 approaches. The first is to take the conservative approach and concentrate on shoring up a solid core and look to a winning record or a birth in the playoffs as our goal and measurement of success. Plain and simple- concentrate on playing good rugby and see where it takes us. I think we can accomplish a lot with these goals in mind and that it would appease most on the club without alienating many. Given some of the obstacles in front of us, I think this provides opportunity for success while still providing a path for an elevated level of competition and will meet the needs to nurture growth in our newer players without over straining available resource. I think if we replicate our efforts last season, which is a large commitment, we will be able to fall within this goal set.
The second is a more aggressive approach which is to earn a birth in the National tournament (D2 gets 2 seeds- 1st and 2dn place finishers in SCRFU). This would require extraordinary efforts by everyone and may require many to step outside their realm of comfort both in the amount of time they put in to train but also help build. Just paying your dues and showing up twice a week to train is not going to cut it and that goes for those who consider themselves as Warlords. We need 30 guys who are dedicated, hammer down, and balls out. Fuck it all and do whatever it takes to win. The risk here is to alienate those who are unwilling or unable to make the sacrifice and perhaps burn some resource along the way. We would need to not only replicate last season’s efforts but increase our intensity, discipline and dedication to the cause by at least 50% which is a lot given that I am sure many of us felt they were at 100% at the conclusion of last season.
If the Mission game taught us anything I hope it is the importance in playing as we practice. Discipline is critical and it only takes a few errors in judgment or skill to get the tide turned against us. All teams are beatable and every team has a weakness; the teams in 2nd division are no different. Our success will be dependant on our ability to put together 80 minutes of fit, aggressive disciplined style of play where simple error in judgment on the 5 meter line, a poorly placed pass or missed tackle is simply unacceptable period. We know we have the ability to build our fitness and if the summer time efforts are any indication of the commitment level, we have every reason to believe that as a whole we have the ability to step up and meet whatever obstacle is in our path.
The point to this seemingly endless ramble is 2 things. First that it is important to set team goals that most if not all agree to in order that there is common purpose and so that each player may set their own personal goals based on that common purpose. Without this common ground, players are ostracized, divisions begin to deepen and the whole process can slow to a stand still if not eventual implosion. The second is the importance of progressiveness in the setting of goals and personal accountability for their achievement. If our past has taught us anything it is the importance for players to take active accountability and responsibility for the Club; be it helping set up for a match, seeking sponsorship, training in the off days, working at maximum work rates during practice, etc. In order for the club to progress it is imperative that each player push themselves and each other and that often this must be done through sacrifice beyond each player’s zone of comfort. Without this constant drive, apathy will set in and the club will cease to grow and all of the efforts by countless people on and off the pitch will have been lost.
Saturday we’ll hear the case as it is laid out by our leaders. Listen carefully and make an honest choice. What are you willing to give to the Club? Choose our path.
OK. This week’s celebrity look-alike
Dean
Dean's dad
or.......
Beaker
.
Beaker
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