I guess it's only fitting that, with a lot of the rest of my life in flux, my rugby position is too! Over the past few weeks I've been starting to learn scrumhalf. It's been very interesting so far to feel the difference between it and my previous positions. Since I started on the wing (with the directive "pass backwards, hit anyone with the ball, and run like hell when Ruth kicks"), I've been steadily moving inwards--I'll be in the front row yet!
In theory, at least from my perspective, it didn't seem like it would be too much of a change. Obviously there are huge differences too, but a lot seemed like it would be pretty similar. Scrumhalves have to read the field to know whether to run a forward punch or get it out to backs or scoot; flyhalves read the defense to call a play that exploits its holes. Scrumhalves follow forwards around; flyhalves follow scrumhalves around. Scrumhalves have to pass the ball; flyhalves should but sometimes don't feel like it :)
There is definitely a huge amount to learn--like how to direct forwards, look for the 10, make sure the ruck is stable, figure out where the defense is lined up, make sure no one is in the channel, and oh right, dig the ball out! It's a little overwhelming, but now that I've played about 1.5 full games there, I think I'm understanding it better. I think I need to be more deliberate and a little less worried about getting the ball out right away. It's all multi-tasking!
One thing that really surprised me is how low to the ground I should be--I guess I play really upright when I'm in the backs. Webby, my scrumhalf sensei, has me doing this knuckle-dragging orangutan thing before I pass off the ground to get me used to getting lower, and Slitty has been giving me lots of little ways to improve my pass. This young grasshopper will learn...and will start watching more rugby DVDs!
Showing posts with label rugby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rugby. Show all posts
Monday, April 21, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Happy National High Five Day!
It really does exist--the 3rd thursday in April each year. Now I need to find out if there's a national fist-pound day, or a national "that's what she said" day...[Edit: the latter exists!]
I wanted to post this yesterday but a construction worker cut a cable in our building and crashed the server--we had no internet, no phone, and no access to any of our files. We still had to stay at work (who knows why) so we played a lot of minesweeper and then played baseball in the parking lot :)
My birthday was on Tuesday. Like all my birthdays in the past 5 years, it included lots of rugby! But whereas for those I was on a plane/at sweet 16/in a hotel room in Rhode Island frantically trying to finish my thesis, for this one I was at work, at rugby practice, and then out. It was such a great day and I had a ton of fun. I was particularly touched by the many texts & emails I got from the U19 rugby players! It was also great to have my work/school friends and my rugby friends in the same place that night--even if they did happen to pick tables at opposite ends of the bar! That night of hanging out, plus Saturday night's dancing ridiculousness, made for one of my favourite birthdays.
Particularly fun was the juxtaposition between my teammates, who congratulated me on "finally becoming a teenager" and "having my sweet sixteen", and my sister, who texted me "happy birthday you grandma! you're old and that scares me." I like this age, I think I'll stay here :)
I wanted to post this yesterday but a construction worker cut a cable in our building and crashed the server--we had no internet, no phone, and no access to any of our files. We still had to stay at work (who knows why) so we played a lot of minesweeper and then played baseball in the parking lot :)
My birthday was on Tuesday. Like all my birthdays in the past 5 years, it included lots of rugby! But whereas for those I was on a plane/at sweet 16/in a hotel room in Rhode Island frantically trying to finish my thesis, for this one I was at work, at rugby practice, and then out. It was such a great day and I had a ton of fun. I was particularly touched by the many texts & emails I got from the U19 rugby players! It was also great to have my work/school friends and my rugby friends in the same place that night--even if they did happen to pick tables at opposite ends of the bar! That night of hanging out, plus Saturday night's dancing ridiculousness, made for one of my favourite birthdays.
Particularly fun was the juxtaposition between my teammates, who congratulated me on "finally becoming a teenager" and "having my sweet sixteen", and my sister, who texted me "happy birthday you grandma! you're old and that scares me." I like this age, I think I'll stay here :)
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Total Eclipse of the [Moon]
How appropriate that last night during our circuit training at practice, we sang total eclipse of the heart. Or at least, those who could manage to sing, sang. It's pretty hard to sing while doing the icky shuffle on the agility ladder...
Last night there was a total eclipse of the moon, an event that won't happen again until sometime in 2010 (which really isn't that far away). I had made it home from practice and was relaxing with a quesadilla while I watched it. It was pretty incredible and I wish I had a picture or a video, but unfortunately my camera is psycho and I haven't gotten a new one yet. I could see it out my bedroom window and there was this incredible juxtaposition between the natural phenomenon of the eclipse occurring right over the top of the urban icon of the Empire State Building. It was pretty amazing to watch. The only picture I can find that comes close to it is copyrighted, but you can see it here.
I found this clip on youtube and I love the captions:
The Universe IS Amazing!
Last night there was a total eclipse of the moon, an event that won't happen again until sometime in 2010 (which really isn't that far away). I had made it home from practice and was relaxing with a quesadilla while I watched it. It was pretty incredible and I wish I had a picture or a video, but unfortunately my camera is psycho and I haven't gotten a new one yet. I could see it out my bedroom window and there was this incredible juxtaposition between the natural phenomenon of the eclipse occurring right over the top of the urban icon of the Empire State Building. It was pretty amazing to watch. The only picture I can find that comes close to it is copyrighted, but you can see it here.
I found this clip on youtube and I love the captions:
The Universe IS Amazing!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
It's Poppin'
Apparently I did something wrong on shoulder day of my Colgan workout last week, because all weekend my back felt like hell and I spent half of Monday on the floor under my desk, rolling on a tennis ball to try to get the knot out. This is also how I watched the Superbowl...except that on that floor, I got to play with a bunny too! So Tuesday morning was spent with Dr B and her magic hands. She manipulated my spine back in line and it was poppin' like Lil Mama's lip gloss (I am totally addicted to that song). For serious, it sounded like a bag of microwave popcorn was going off somewhere between my shoulder blades! So now I'm relying on ice, anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxants to get the muscle spasm to relax...my favourite threesome :)
As Dr B pointed out, alcohol is a marvelous muscle relaxant, which was probably why I felt fine at our rugby banquet on Friday night. It was so much fun to hang out with the club and see people I hadn't seen since our team meeting in December or the new year's day football game! Karaoke-ing till 3:30am was pretty ridiculous too; KB and I decided to act as backup singers & dancers for many many people and were totally shocked when the lights went on and the music was turned off--apparently it was time to go home? It was definitely a night I won't forget for so many reasons, but especially because I was so honoured to be named rookie of the year. I've never gotten any award for rugby (aside from those of the paper-plate variety), and to receive one from this incredible team means so much to me. I got teary, and I am not normally a crier. This team is so welcoming and I'm so happy to be a part of it. I can't wait for the spring season to start so I can see everyone more often!
Saturday night Alyssa hosted a "High School Party" where we all dressed in what we wore in high school and rocked out to 90s/high school classics. Full disclosure: I do have a boy band station on pandora :) It was hilarious to sing the songs & artists that were huge during those years...remember "the boy is mine," "say my name," kc & jojo, savage garden, "no scrubs," and britney back in the good old days? I rocked the messy pigtail buns (complete with the two little face-framing strands of hair in front, naturally) and tons of glitter. Remember glitter? Glitter was great...
And now it's mid-week and Lent has started. I was lame and stayed at home on my couch on Mardi Gras for the first time, but I had a bag of frozen corn ace-wrapped to my back so I think it was the right choice! This year I decided to get control of my sweet tooth. It's really been getting out of control--the top drawer of my desk is full of nothing but candy & chocolate. So I'm not going to eat those things, or ice cream, cake, etc, for the duration of lent. It will be hard, especially with valentine's day coming (how I love those little hearts!) but I will do it.
It was actually inspired by something my best friend 80 and I did when we were about 14; we stopped eating all food we deemed "junk" for an entire year. Candy, pop, cake, pie, ice cream, chips, all the good stuff--we just quit cold turkey. It was difficult at first, but soon became much easier than I had thought. I think the only thing we caved on was eating cake on our birthdays; some things you just can't turn down! Some of it even became a longer-term habit--I didn't start drinking pop again until I started needing mixers ;) So we'll see how I fare this time...
As Dr B pointed out, alcohol is a marvelous muscle relaxant, which was probably why I felt fine at our rugby banquet on Friday night. It was so much fun to hang out with the club and see people I hadn't seen since our team meeting in December or the new year's day football game! Karaoke-ing till 3:30am was pretty ridiculous too; KB and I decided to act as backup singers & dancers for many many people and were totally shocked when the lights went on and the music was turned off--apparently it was time to go home? It was definitely a night I won't forget for so many reasons, but especially because I was so honoured to be named rookie of the year. I've never gotten any award for rugby (aside from those of the paper-plate variety), and to receive one from this incredible team means so much to me. I got teary, and I am not normally a crier. This team is so welcoming and I'm so happy to be a part of it. I can't wait for the spring season to start so I can see everyone more often!
Saturday night Alyssa hosted a "High School Party" where we all dressed in what we wore in high school and rocked out to 90s/high school classics. Full disclosure: I do have a boy band station on pandora :) It was hilarious to sing the songs & artists that were huge during those years...remember "the boy is mine," "say my name," kc & jojo, savage garden, "no scrubs," and britney back in the good old days? I rocked the messy pigtail buns (complete with the two little face-framing strands of hair in front, naturally) and tons of glitter. Remember glitter? Glitter was great...
And now it's mid-week and Lent has started. I was lame and stayed at home on my couch on Mardi Gras for the first time, but I had a bag of frozen corn ace-wrapped to my back so I think it was the right choice! This year I decided to get control of my sweet tooth. It's really been getting out of control--the top drawer of my desk is full of nothing but candy & chocolate. So I'm not going to eat those things, or ice cream, cake, etc, for the duration of lent. It will be hard, especially with valentine's day coming (how I love those little hearts!) but I will do it.
It was actually inspired by something my best friend 80 and I did when we were about 14; we stopped eating all food we deemed "junk" for an entire year. Candy, pop, cake, pie, ice cream, chips, all the good stuff--we just quit cold turkey. It was difficult at first, but soon became much easier than I had thought. I think the only thing we caved on was eating cake on our birthdays; some things you just can't turn down! Some of it even became a longer-term habit--I didn't start drinking pop again until I started needing mixers ;) So we'll see how I fare this time...
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Marathon Week continues...
If Saturday was Marathon Day (complete with night-before hydration and resting up), then this is Marathon Week! I love the holiday season and all its parties and dinners...
On Monday we celebrated my coworker Kevin's birthday by taking him to a very classy dinner at--where else?--Hooters :) He was just a little red when the waitresses circled him to sing their birthday song. Side note: if you are ever at Hooters and don't feel like wings, the grilled cheese is amazing! After dinner I went over to the east side to see my friends from college, Tara & Lauren, at their Hannukah latke party--mmmmmm....latkes hold a special place in my heart ever since I first had them at age 8 or so and decided to convert to Judaism. No joke, I went home from school and told my parents I didn't need Christmas presents that year as I would be giving up Santa and all that and becoming Jewish so I could have latkes! My parents eventually convinced me that we could just cook latkes instead of pancakes on Christmas morning, and that seemed like an ok compromise to me...ok, I was a weird kid :) but Tara & Lauren are awesome and I haven't been able to see them much since we've been in the city, so it was great to hang out.
Last night was the NYRC holiday party and despite being over an hour late (the LIRR and I are not friends), I had a blast. I mean, I learned from Cap that me + open bar is generally a good equation, but adding in the team ups the awesome factor considerably! We hung out at the bar for a good long time and then all of a sudden there were only a few of us left, so we moved the party to the bar where Sabrina hosts karaoke. Truehart and I had fun picking songs for each other and for the rest of the guys to sing--his rendition of the Divinyls' I Touch Myself was excellent, and Murphy did a hilarious performance of The Gambler despite claiming he'd never heard it before. I may or may not have decided it would be a good idea to sing the Bad Touch. Yes, the discovery channel song...so it's a guilty pleasure :) And all of a sudden it was 2:30am! Needless to say I slept the whole train ride in the morning and have not accomplished much in the way of work...
Next on the list:
Wednesday: dinner with Casey & the NYC hot hot seniors before Case moves to Hong Kong (!!!), Liz gets swallowed back up by med school, and Tree & Haemi disappear back into their i-banking caves
Thursday: dinner with Rodney, who I love and don't see enough
Friday: housewarming party at Andy's, birthday night out for Kevin
Saturday: SLEEP!!! with breaks for shopping with Mira and the gym.
Let the marathon continue--I love it!
Also, I'm very excited because I just committed to giving blood on Sunday! I've never done it before because I don't particularly like needles (it was hard enough for me to have blood drawn for a mono test!), but I am finally going to man up and do it. Even if I have to get Mira to hold my hand...
On Monday we celebrated my coworker Kevin's birthday by taking him to a very classy dinner at--where else?--Hooters :) He was just a little red when the waitresses circled him to sing their birthday song. Side note: if you are ever at Hooters and don't feel like wings, the grilled cheese is amazing! After dinner I went over to the east side to see my friends from college, Tara & Lauren, at their Hannukah latke party--mmmmmm....latkes hold a special place in my heart ever since I first had them at age 8 or so and decided to convert to Judaism. No joke, I went home from school and told my parents I didn't need Christmas presents that year as I would be giving up Santa and all that and becoming Jewish so I could have latkes! My parents eventually convinced me that we could just cook latkes instead of pancakes on Christmas morning, and that seemed like an ok compromise to me...ok, I was a weird kid :) but Tara & Lauren are awesome and I haven't been able to see them much since we've been in the city, so it was great to hang out.
Last night was the NYRC holiday party and despite being over an hour late (the LIRR and I are not friends), I had a blast. I mean, I learned from Cap that me + open bar is generally a good equation, but adding in the team ups the awesome factor considerably! We hung out at the bar for a good long time and then all of a sudden there were only a few of us left, so we moved the party to the bar where Sabrina hosts karaoke. Truehart and I had fun picking songs for each other and for the rest of the guys to sing--his rendition of the Divinyls' I Touch Myself was excellent, and Murphy did a hilarious performance of The Gambler despite claiming he'd never heard it before. I may or may not have decided it would be a good idea to sing the Bad Touch. Yes, the discovery channel song...so it's a guilty pleasure :) And all of a sudden it was 2:30am! Needless to say I slept the whole train ride in the morning and have not accomplished much in the way of work...
Next on the list:
Wednesday: dinner with Casey & the NYC hot hot seniors before Case moves to Hong Kong (!!!), Liz gets swallowed back up by med school, and Tree & Haemi disappear back into their i-banking caves
Thursday: dinner with Rodney, who I love and don't see enough
Friday: housewarming party at Andy's, birthday night out for Kevin
Saturday: SLEEP!!! with breaks for shopping with Mira and the gym.
Let the marathon continue--I love it!
Also, I'm very excited because I just committed to giving blood on Sunday! I've never done it before because I don't particularly like needles (it was hard enough for me to have blood drawn for a mono test!), but I am finally going to man up and do it. Even if I have to get Mira to hold my hand...
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Hardware, baby!
It's December. It's snowing outside in NY. So it seems hard to believe that 24 hours ago, I was in 90 degree sunshine in Trinidad!
What an incredible weekend. Along with 4 of my NYRC teammates, I represented the Atlantis women's side at the Carib Beer International Rugby 7s Tournament. I was a bit nervous about playing with people I had just met, but hey--I did that at Saranac and look where it got me :) But everyone was really cool and we got along well right off the bat--we weren't at the hotel for more than 15 minutes before we were all in the pool playing an intense, full-contact game of water polo (and by full contact, I mean all-out, wrestle-the-ball-away, tickling allowed, dunking encouraged)! Hilarious.
Our hotel--the Royal Palm Suites--was surrounded by all the important amenities: a grocery store, a drug store (which had its grand opening while we were there--free gift bags for all, score!), an ATM, an adult-entertainment store (sadly, no free gift bags ;)) and not one, but TWO dance clubs. Our beds were literally vibrating from the bass every night. We also took over the pool and I think the couple that were looking for a romantic vacation there weren't too happy to see us around...25 rugby people with beer, songs, skits, and ceremonies apparently didn't fit into their plans!
Trinidad itself was gorgeous and we got to see a bit of it, between our walks to & from practice on Thursday & Friday and our drive out to Maracas Beach on Friday afternoon. At the beach we played in the big waves and had a blast playing touch football, and got to try a famous local dish, bake & shark. It's basically fried shark on a bun with whatever toppings you want--I went with tomatoes and cucumbers and it was amazing, the perfect beach food. It was such a good way to relax and enjoy ourselves and get loosened up after two hot days of practice, and get ready for the games!
Our jersey ceremony on Friday night was so cool. I've never been part of anything like it before. The coaches and captains said something about each player before announcing their position and handing out the jerseys--I was wearing #5 as flyhalf (although being Atlantis, we wore Roman numerals, so I was V). I'd played FH for half a game at NY 7s, and was really excited to play some more! Everyone kept talking about Emil and how badly we all wanted to play well because he built Atlantis and we had to represent it well, even though he wasn't there this year. I think it brought us all back to the reason we were really there and got us all focused for the games the next morning.
The games themselves were awesome. I think it took us some time to settle down and get used to each other, because we started out pretty flat and lost our first game. But once we got started...man, was it pretty. Lara was stiff-arming girls all over the field and choo-choo-ing her way into the try zone over and over. Mira, Rosie, Cupcake and Jess were burning everyone on the outside. XL (our scrummy) was dummying and juking all over the place, powering her way through the defensive lines. JD & Emily were poaching machines at every ruck & maul! Sarah (our captain) kept us all focused and encouraged, and set up some amazing plays. After that first game, we shut out every team we played--including the first team when we played them again in the final! It was a great game, with all of us coming through and playing to our strengths. JD had a beautiful try when the other team had the ball in their own try zone--we were in the middle of a maul where I held the girl up so she couldn't touch the ball down for a 22 drop out, and JD drove in, ripped it from her hands, and dived in to score right on the line. Gorgeous! I also had a blast playing sweeper and working on my defense and my tackling (which has never been one of my strongest points...). Right at the end a girl broke our line and I took her down and was so proud of myself. I knew we had collided, but I didn't realize how hard--it wasn't until 2 plays later, when the whistle had blown and I running towards my teammates to celebrate, that I realized blood was running down my face! So in half the post-game photos, I have a tampon up my nose :) But I didn't really care because WE WON!
WE WON. Hardware was our motto for the weekend, it was what we wanted and what we had come for. Atlantis has such a history everywhere and especially at this tournament, and we didn't want to let that history (or Emil) down. We had such a blast celebrating...first at the field, with pictures and pyramids and drinking out of the trophy (which was so heavy, someone had to help you raise it), and then with the rookie skit (which was hilarious, if I may say so myself!) and then at the tournament party. It was at this great outdoor bar with a crazy playlist and so many people...so much fun. We closed down the party and left the dance floor pretty much empty when our team went back to our hotel and a bunch of us spent most of the night chilling in the pool, looking at the stars and talking about random stuff...
So many stories, so much fun, and so many great people--I probably forgot tons of stuff and will add it on as more pictures are sent out! Also, so many new facebook friends (especially since we helped a few teammates join and set up profiles while we were down there)! I love rugby and tours and the amazing people you meet...It's such an amazing sport that way. Gotta love it!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Potpourri weekend
This weekend was so much fun and involved many varied aspects of my life, which was kind of cool. It started with turkey comas, running and Cranium with a group of college friends up in Sleepy Hollow (where I think I ate about 239879 mandarin oranges...christmas season has begun!), which was an incredibly relaxing experience. It ended with a 6am train ride back to the city to work in the store on Black Friday, which was insane but I met Kevin from Project Runway! On Saturday NYRC hosted the annual 7s tournament, in which I was coaching the U19 boys and playing for the women. I was so excited to get a chance to play, especially since this was my first time playing 7s that wasn't a PUWRFC alumni game--so basically, the first time I played sober ;) Z and I were the only rookies and in the second pool game, we both scored! We may have been jumping up and down like 5-year-olds...maybe. Unconfirmed. It was a very exciting day--our U19 girls won their championship! I was so proud of them...
The tournament party was ridiculous. I worked the door, taking tickets and charging admission and getting to meet everyone in the process. It was great fun getting to meet players from all over the world--many from the UK and Canada, but a few from other random places. I got myself into a bit of trouble talking to some guys from Montreal--they were saying how great they were at chugging, and didn't believe me that our boat race team could beat them "because you're girls!" Being my competitive self, I shot my mouth off and they challenged us. Am I even on the team? No! So I had to run downstairs and find Buss and explain to her that the Montreal men wanted to race and I had just talked a lot of shit and would she please come save my ass? Needless to say, our team dominated :)
Sunday was very interesting. I went down to Brooklyn to meet a group of teammates for brunch and a session with Lee Knight, an NYRC alum who has a business consulting overachievers. It was really interesting and got me really thinking about what I'm doing with my life and what I would like to change about it. We did a mix of individual work, partner discussions, and group sharing, and I think it was really helpful. I came up with a few ideas I'll be working on....I think my dream of throwing my life in a backpack and working my way around New Zealand will actually happen--right after Christmas 2008 seems like a great time, since I'd like to be there in the summer. As for this summer, I think I will either try to do research or maybe work at Blairstown or something...yep, still TBA, but I'm thinking. After the session I went up to the Bronx to hang out with Londie (who was my partner in the discussions) and Rachel, and we kept talking about our options and different ideas. We agreed that we both felt somewhat overwhelmed--not necessarily in a bad way, just that there are so many options and we want to try lots, but that's kind of difficult. Especially with all these stupid visa rules in the way! Ugh. Anyways, it was great food for thought and it was awesome to talk through so much with Londie.
And I also realized I should blog more often so these are not all life update posts. Perfect timing for that idea too, since I'll be flying to Trinidad tomorrow (!!!!!!!!) and won't be back till Monday. I am SO EXCITED to spend the next 5 days playing rugby and chilling on the beach and exploring the island with Rosie, Mira, Lara & Jenny and a whole bunch of new teammates! Cheers to a tan in December--it's 88 degrees there right now!
The tournament party was ridiculous. I worked the door, taking tickets and charging admission and getting to meet everyone in the process. It was great fun getting to meet players from all over the world--many from the UK and Canada, but a few from other random places. I got myself into a bit of trouble talking to some guys from Montreal--they were saying how great they were at chugging, and didn't believe me that our boat race team could beat them "because you're girls!" Being my competitive self, I shot my mouth off and they challenged us. Am I even on the team? No! So I had to run downstairs and find Buss and explain to her that the Montreal men wanted to race and I had just talked a lot of shit and would she please come save my ass? Needless to say, our team dominated :)
Sunday was very interesting. I went down to Brooklyn to meet a group of teammates for brunch and a session with Lee Knight, an NYRC alum who has a business consulting overachievers. It was really interesting and got me really thinking about what I'm doing with my life and what I would like to change about it. We did a mix of individual work, partner discussions, and group sharing, and I think it was really helpful. I came up with a few ideas I'll be working on....I think my dream of throwing my life in a backpack and working my way around New Zealand will actually happen--right after Christmas 2008 seems like a great time, since I'd like to be there in the summer. As for this summer, I think I will either try to do research or maybe work at Blairstown or something...yep, still TBA, but I'm thinking. After the session I went up to the Bronx to hang out with Londie (who was my partner in the discussions) and Rachel, and we kept talking about our options and different ideas. We agreed that we both felt somewhat overwhelmed--not necessarily in a bad way, just that there are so many options and we want to try lots, but that's kind of difficult. Especially with all these stupid visa rules in the way! Ugh. Anyways, it was great food for thought and it was awesome to talk through so much with Londie.
And I also realized I should blog more often so these are not all life update posts. Perfect timing for that idea too, since I'll be flying to Trinidad tomorrow (!!!!!!!!) and won't be back till Monday. I am SO EXCITED to spend the next 5 days playing rugby and chilling on the beach and exploring the island with Rosie, Mira, Lara & Jenny and a whole bunch of new teammates! Cheers to a tan in December--it's 88 degrees there right now!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
G-Squared--The Official National Championship Fan Club of the NYRC--now has an official homepage & blog!
My rainy Thursday just got a lot better :)
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
What a Weekend
In our first game we were down and fought our way back to be tied at 17. Everyone was working their asses off and heading for OT. Then, with 30 seconds left on the clock, Beantown hit a drop goal.
There were a lot of tears and a lot of hugs afterwards, however, we also had to look forward. The club championships are different from the collegiate ones in that everyone plays on Sunday to determine next year's seeding, so we had to move past this game in order to bring it to the Amazons on Sunday. I actually think that's much better--you get one more chance to improve upon your game, and it gives you something to focus on. I would have loved to have had that chance after the Stanford game in 2005...
Sunday's game against the Amazons was a very tough, physical one yet again and I was so proud to be with New York. People were throwing themselves at every tackle and every ruck and working so hard. It was tough on the sideline too--they wear blue & orange as well, which made things a little confusing sometimes! It was back-and-forth for a bit and we again tied it up at 17. This time the game went to overtime and it wasn't until the second half of OT that we punched in the ball off a ruck deep in the corner to win the game. 3rd in the country ain't bad...We stayed to watch Berkeley beat Beantown in the final, which was actually a good game, as opposed to the past blow-outs I've heard about. Ruth B plays for the All Blues, so at least there was a Tiger at the top ;)
The social parts of the weekend were so much fun, and we did a lot of rookie performances. We did Family Feud, with "things forwards want to say to backs" (R2: STOP KICKING!) and other fun categories, and then performed songs from 1985 (the year a bunch of us were born) in another skit, which Fontaine and I were psyched to end with our "BEEP BEEP...aaawwww, BEEP BEEP" song! The Sunday night party was ridiculous (theme: NYRC Burlesque Ball) and we totally won the costume contest. I was rocking a blue corset (4 of us had matching ones!), orange booty shorts, orange fishnets, black knee high boots, and blue velvet opera gloves--note to self: NOT an outfit to do gymnastics in! I swear my bruises are from warmup though...
Overall: amazing weekend and I'm so glad I had the chance to go. It hasn't yet really hit me that the season is over, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and weekends (although as Rosalie said, "Next season is now."). Luckily, it's not all over--with the 7s tournament in 2 weeks and Trinidad in 3 weeks, I won't have to go long without the team :)
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
It's Go Time.
In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger:
Stiffen the sinews, conjure up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favored rage.
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Now set the teeth, and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath, and bend up every spirit
To his full height!”
--Shakespeare, Henry V
Tomorrow we fly to nationals! It's my 3rd trip to a final four and my first with NYRC and the familiar butterflies are back...I love this feeling, such a great mix of nerves, excitement, pent-up energy, aggression, and love for the team. Seriously, that on-the-spot decision to go to Saranac with a bunch of people I'd known for 2 hours is second only to my decision to go to PU in terms of best life choices! I am so excited to be a part of this trip with my New York family!
It's been a long time since my last trip to a warm, sunny locale for a semi-final game, and the faces around me in the pre-game huddle are all new, but I think the following still applies to my rugby experience and I am so grateful to Maggie for expressing what I was not able to. I've read this before every game I've played in or watched since I first heard it almost 4 years ago, and it never fails to ready me. So it's here, if for no other reason than for me to read it online when I lose my printout :)
It’s getting difficult to recall what life was like
before you could say hooker without a smirk,
what you did with your afternoons before
they became rugby time.
You’re used to this sort of confusion, of course –
the green, the self-conscious, the disoriented
haze after a hit to the head that takes you
back to your first time.
You weren’t quite sure where to put your head
or your hands, or your body for that matter.
You had to learn new meanings for old words:
prop and post became what you were and did,
and a dog and small child weren’t the first
things you thought of when you heard maul.
“Nice try” didn’t carry the same subtle, veiled
note of disappointment, and that host of –tion
words (motivation, inspiration, dedication)
was no longer something you made fun of for
its tendency to overrun corporate brochures,
inspirational videos, latenight infomercials.
That host of words was now a part of you:
you understood what it meant to be dedicated,
and you liked that you were, even if it meant
late, late nights and early, early mornings,
even if it meant runs and hits in rain and snow,
even if it meant you had to travel in uniform.
It’s getting difficult to recall what life was like
before you could play without getting sore,
bruised, and broken, before you had to
justify the pain and tear to everyone.
They ask: Why do you play? How can it be worth it?
You think of how good it feels to be sore and tired,
to win, to drink out of a trophy. But you know
that the real answers they just wouldn’t understand.
As modest stillness and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger:
Stiffen the sinews, conjure up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favored rage.
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Now set the teeth, and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath, and bend up every spirit
To his full height!”
--Shakespeare, Henry V
Tomorrow we fly to nationals! It's my 3rd trip to a final four and my first with NYRC and the familiar butterflies are back...I love this feeling, such a great mix of nerves, excitement, pent-up energy, aggression, and love for the team. Seriously, that on-the-spot decision to go to Saranac with a bunch of people I'd known for 2 hours is second only to my decision to go to PU in terms of best life choices! I am so excited to be a part of this trip with my New York family!
It's been a long time since my last trip to a warm, sunny locale for a semi-final game, and the faces around me in the pre-game huddle are all new, but I think the following still applies to my rugby experience and I am so grateful to Maggie for expressing what I was not able to. I've read this before every game I've played in or watched since I first heard it almost 4 years ago, and it never fails to ready me. So it's here, if for no other reason than for me to read it online when I lose my printout :)
It’s getting difficult to recall what life was like
before you could say hooker without a smirk,
what you did with your afternoons before
they became rugby time.
You’re used to this sort of confusion, of course –
the green, the self-conscious, the disoriented
haze after a hit to the head that takes you
back to your first time.
You weren’t quite sure where to put your head
or your hands, or your body for that matter.
You had to learn new meanings for old words:
prop and post became what you were and did,
and a dog and small child weren’t the first
things you thought of when you heard maul.
“Nice try” didn’t carry the same subtle, veiled
note of disappointment, and that host of –tion
words (motivation, inspiration, dedication)
was no longer something you made fun of for
its tendency to overrun corporate brochures,
inspirational videos, latenight infomercials.
That host of words was now a part of you:
you understood what it meant to be dedicated,
and you liked that you were, even if it meant
late, late nights and early, early mornings,
even if it meant runs and hits in rain and snow,
even if it meant you had to travel in uniform.
It’s getting difficult to recall what life was like
before you could play without getting sore,
bruised, and broken, before you had to
justify the pain and tear to everyone.
They ask: Why do you play? How can it be worth it?
You think of how good it feels to be sore and tired,
to win, to drink out of a trophy. But you know
that the real answers they just wouldn’t understand.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
!!!!!!
Yesterday was busy so I didn't get a chance to post about this, but...On Tuesday night at practice, they announced the Senior Squad for the Sweet 16 in Austin this weekend, and I made the list!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe I'm getting a little over-excited, since I most likely won't play (although they've arranged a Developmental game against Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon, which is awesome), but I can't help it and I'm psyched just to be there. I just never thought I'd play rugby after college, especially not with the legendary NYRC, so to be on the list for the Sweet 16 game is pretty much a dream. Thank goodness Jenni convinced me that the best thing I could do with that particular weekend was to go to Saranac!
I'm trying to listen to calming music--thanks to Jules for letting me steal it all!--in order to not be bouncing all over my cubicle, but it's not as effective as I thought it might be. Apparently Mat Kearney and Joshua Radin and Ben Harper are not enough to dampen my thoughts of sunny 78-degree Austin :)
Sooo the 3 hour meeting I'm about to have will probably be pretty interesting, seeing as I am still pretty wired and now also have Blake Shelton's song "Austin" stuck in my head...
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe I'm getting a little over-excited, since I most likely won't play (although they've arranged a Developmental game against Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon, which is awesome), but I can't help it and I'm psyched just to be there. I just never thought I'd play rugby after college, especially not with the legendary NYRC, so to be on the list for the Sweet 16 game is pretty much a dream. Thank goodness Jenni convinced me that the best thing I could do with that particular weekend was to go to Saranac!
I'm trying to listen to calming music--thanks to Jules for letting me steal it all!--in order to not be bouncing all over my cubicle, but it's not as effective as I thought it might be. Apparently Mat Kearney and Joshua Radin and Ben Harper are not enough to dampen my thoughts of sunny 78-degree Austin :)
Sooo the 3 hour meeting I'm about to have will probably be pretty interesting, seeing as I am still pretty wired and now also have Blake Shelton's song "Austin" stuck in my head...
Monday, October 15, 2007
I Lived The Dream
It's so perfect that this weekend happened right as I was beginning this blog, because I want to commemorate it somehow.
I signed up to go to Vermont with the NYRC U19s as a coach/driver, which I was really excited about. A bunch of us met to pick up the 15 passenger vans early on Saturday morning before our Developmental game. However, because of paperwork issues etc, it took longer than we thought it would and a few of us had to rush down to Coney Island to make it to the game. I guess the combination of being late, warming up without my own gear, and not having breakfast doesn't work for me, because I'm pretty sure I played some of my worst rugby ever and I couldn't stop shaking. There were good moments (and we won 41-5), but I was holding onto the ball too long, kicking straight to opposing players, and missing conversions from dead centre. Ugh, bad news. I do really want to thank whoever (Maura?) made me the sweet kicking tee from the Dunkin Donuts cup though :)
Anyways, after the game we got the kids and headed upstate. The drive was gorgeous and so much fun--Mira and I had 12 high school boys and they were hilarious, singing along to random songs on the few radio stations in range in rural VT ("Quit Playing Games With my Heart" was particularly good) and starting a capella versions when all we could find was static (those boys did a great version of "Hit Me Baby One More time"!). There was also a great full-van dance party to Soulja Boy's "Crank That". The drive itself was good because it allowed me to clear my head of the game and focus on the road and on the beautiful foliage--now I understand why people do fall foliage tours! I thought the Princeton towpath was beautiful, but upstate NY and VT are another thing entirely...
On Sunday we ran a clinic for our U19s, a U19 boys team from Saranac, and the Southern Vermont College girls. AJ and I ran the kicking station, doing grubbers and up & unders, and then we had split backs/forwards to work on different skills. I think the clinic was great for the kids' development, and also for all of us coaches--I've never been able to grubber and after practicing it with the kids, it looks much better (though still not too pretty). It also led to one of my favourite quotes of the weekend--as Twiggs was explaining that for the backs drills, the boys & girls teams would work together, she very seriously stressed that the boys shouldn't feel superior: "Just because men are faster, that doesn't mean you are any better than women. Besides, I could school all of you!" She did add a "just kidding", but I think Mira, Rosie and I were laughing so hard no one else could hear it!
But the best part was during the lunch break, when Molly asked Rosie, Mira and I to play for the SVC girls. And not just any positions--they needed forwards. After giving us the once over, she assigned Mira and Rosie to PROP and ME to LOCK!!! Direct quote from Molly: "Hoop, you're too big to prop." I told her I wanted that in writing and signed so I could have it forever--I've taken crap about my size from teammates for years!
Of course we all jumped at the chance to play our fantasy rugby positions! (Literally--we were bouncing all over the field and it took a few minutes to calm down enough to actually learn what to do!) With about 10 minutes of scrumming and lineout practice under our belts and an expert prewrap/tape headband provided by Annie to keep my ears on, we were ready to go.
I signed up to go to Vermont with the NYRC U19s as a coach/driver, which I was really excited about. A bunch of us met to pick up the 15 passenger vans early on Saturday morning before our Developmental game. However, because of paperwork issues etc, it took longer than we thought it would and a few of us had to rush down to Coney Island to make it to the game. I guess the combination of being late, warming up without my own gear, and not having breakfast doesn't work for me, because I'm pretty sure I played some of my worst rugby ever and I couldn't stop shaking. There were good moments (and we won 41-5), but I was holding onto the ball too long, kicking straight to opposing players, and missing conversions from dead centre. Ugh, bad news. I do really want to thank whoever (Maura?) made me the sweet kicking tee from the Dunkin Donuts cup though :)
Anyways, after the game we got the kids and headed upstate. The drive was gorgeous and so much fun--Mira and I had 12 high school boys and they were hilarious, singing along to random songs on the few radio stations in range in rural VT ("Quit Playing Games With my Heart" was particularly good) and starting a capella versions when all we could find was static (those boys did a great version of "Hit Me Baby One More time"!). There was also a great full-van dance party to Soulja Boy's "Crank That". The drive itself was good because it allowed me to clear my head of the game and focus on the road and on the beautiful foliage--now I understand why people do fall foliage tours! I thought the Princeton towpath was beautiful, but upstate NY and VT are another thing entirely...
On Sunday we ran a clinic for our U19s, a U19 boys team from Saranac, and the Southern Vermont College girls. AJ and I ran the kicking station, doing grubbers and up & unders, and then we had split backs/forwards to work on different skills. I think the clinic was great for the kids' development, and also for all of us coaches--I've never been able to grubber and after practicing it with the kids, it looks much better (though still not too pretty). It also led to one of my favourite quotes of the weekend--as Twiggs was explaining that for the backs drills, the boys & girls teams would work together, she very seriously stressed that the boys shouldn't feel superior: "Just because men are faster, that doesn't mean you are any better than women. Besides, I could school all of you!" She did add a "just kidding", but I think Mira, Rosie and I were laughing so hard no one else could hear it!
But the best part was during the lunch break, when Molly asked Rosie, Mira and I to play for the SVC girls. And not just any positions--they needed forwards. After giving us the once over, she assigned Mira and Rosie to PROP and ME to LOCK!!! Direct quote from Molly: "Hoop, you're too big to prop." I told her I wanted that in writing and signed so I could have it forever--I've taken crap about my size from teammates for years!
Of course we all jumped at the chance to play our fantasy rugby positions! (Literally--we were bouncing all over the field and it took a few minutes to calm down enough to actually learn what to do!) With about 10 minutes of scrumming and lineout practice under our belts and an expert prewrap/tape headband provided by Annie to keep my ears on, we were ready to go.
We played with only 1 pod in the lineouts, so Mira and Rosie and I (the Mod Pod) were it, with the two of them lifting me and getting full extension nearly every time. And scrumming was actually pretty fun when it went well--it was kind of cozy in there! However, after we had about 3459897 scrums, it wasn't so fun anymore... It was interesting to compare the forward & back perspectives. For a back, the reaction is usually something like, "oh man, I feel stupid for dropping that ball. Oh well, better catch my breath and set up on defense" :) As a forward...well, it was a little bit different. Every back should get the chance to really experience the consequences of a forward pass or knock on!
It was definitely one of the most fun games I've ever played, and I'm so happy to have gotten the chance. The whole weekend was a great time and I loved working with the kids, and getting to live out a rugby dream was the icing on the cake. So now I can check that off the life list, and look forward to demo-ing the Mod Pod lineout tonight at practice!
It was definitely one of the most fun games I've ever played, and I'm so happy to have gotten the chance. The whole weekend was a great time and I loved working with the kids, and getting to live out a rugby dream was the icing on the cake. So now I can check that off the life list, and look forward to demo-ing the Mod Pod lineout tonight at practice!
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