I used to be a rugby player. A pretty good one I think. Loose Head Prop was my position. Right at the front of the Scrum. Really it's the left side of the scrum but you get the picture. I had a lot of leg injuries when I played but when I was on the field I put in work . Prop is usually a defensive minded position but if you give me the ball I am running some offense! I played for Chico State University and we won a lot of games. We played in what's considered the toughest collegiate league in the nation. After I gave up playing the game I moved to the coaching side . After years of coaching Women, High School Boys, and even a Youth Team I took a shot at coaching a Men's Club. I took the assignment as a forwards coach for the Sacramento Capitals. The Capitals are the oldest team in the Sac Valley and until a few years ago they were also the top team in the region. It seemed as the team had lost a lot of former players due to disagreements on the future direction of the team . That was no big deal to me because I don't really know any of the former players of the Capitals. And in all honesty if you leave your team in the middle of tough times, I don't really want your punk ass anyway. Go play for someone else and down them out with your personality. Now when I took the job I still couldn't walk because of my broken left leg and was still on two crutches slowly moving to one, then to a cane, and finally able to walk a little. No biggie unless it's raining , muddy, or a day that ends in"Y".
When the season started I wasn't even prepared to coach let alone be the only forwards coach of the Capitals. That was my fault but the I love the game and when someone asks me to coach I can't say "No". I was expecting a solid forward pack ready to take on the season and hopefully make the playoffs. What I got was a solid group of men with little or no rugby experience. The ones that did have extensive experience were still reeling from the loss of most of their friends and former teammates to the Sacramento Lions or the Division 3 teams scattered around the Valley. The men that had little to no experience were looking for guidance and assistance in learning a violent and beautiful game. On top of that we also had many players from the Pacific Islands such as Tonga and Samoa in which English wasn't necessarily their first language . I was up for a real challenge.
The lucky part during this season was I had the opportunity to coach again with my mentor and good buddy Jason Crother. When it comes to rugby he is Obi Wan. I wish I could say I was Luke Skywalker but let's just say I am a wannabee Jedi. He gauges the weather, the other teams playing style, field size, and time of day. I am the kind of coach that thinks possession is the name of the game and if the other team isn't handling the ball they can't score. Simple enough? What Crother brings to the table in preparedness I try to make up for in enthusiasm. Let's face it the game of rugby can either swallow you whole because of the sheer energy it takes to play or it can change your life for the better in many aspects . I am always one to joke and I believe if you are going to go into battle you might as well have a good laugh before you have to put your life on the line.
Little did I know that I was going to be in for the season of a lifetime with more drama than a daytime soap opera. But that's for next time..........Stay tuned.
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