Jersey #9: Kentucky's Journey

Last weekend, as I have done many times before, I hopped on an airplane and flew off into the sunset towards what I like to refer to as "Rugby Land". In reality, I was heading to Philadelphia, PA - but it may as well have been any random field in any random state, in any random country on the planet. Seattle, Austin, Philly, Chicago...they have all been the same to me. A field which is more or less green, more or less covered with grass (or in this case turf), and more or less filled with familiar rugby faces. In this particular case, the faces were a little less familiar, as I was attending a Julie McCoy rugby footwork camp, filled mostly with local Philly players and those from the surrounding area - New York, DC, Boston, etc. I was a lonely Midwest player in a sea of MARFU (sprinkled with some NERFU), and certainly the only player from anywhere close to Northern Iowa. However, I wasn't completely alone - Lisa Rosen (my former U19 forwards coach) had been the one who had alerted me to the camp, and invited me to come out and stay with her for the weekend while I picked up some much-needed evasive running skills. I also ran into a couple other players from my days of playing for the Red, White, and Blue, which helped me to settle into somewhat of a comfort zone...

Also warming my heart a bit were the voices of my coaches. Jules and her assisting strength coach (Sean Ross) happen to be very much from the South, and after a couple of years amidst a nasal caccaphony of midwesterners, the sweet sound of a slow-spoken "ya'll" is a very welcome sound indeed. For this particular weekend, I was not alone in my hillbillyishness, and was able to share not only my last name, but my accent with a few members of the staff....for a second, Rugby Land seemed fairly close to home =)


Although not a tryout, I can't say that I was able to trump my usual rugby anxiety levels for long - southern drawls or not. Rugby, as it so happens, is one of those rare things I can honestly admit myself to be good at. That level of "good" is yet to be determined, but after a long struggle with self-doubt, I am usually able to look beyond my flaws and short-comings and admit to myself that yeah, I'm pretty decent at this. So when it comes to any rugby event that falls anywhere below the level of select-side tryout, I don't expect to get too terribly worked up. In this case, I wouldn't even be asked to play a game - merely to learn some training techniques, and then run through a few hours of attacking drills - so really, what's the worst that could happen???

Well, friday night went smoothly enough. Since I had previously acquired one of the 7's national team workouts on the rugby internet blackmarket (totally joking), much of the weight training program was not knew to me. I picked up a few new techniques and a much better understanding of the PURPOSE of many of the exercises - which I found very helpful. I was also able to earn Ellie Karvoski's approval of my 1-arm snatch form, which is always a compliment. In short, Friday was easy. I learned stuff, I had fun.

Saturday, however, is where my fun REALLY began. As it turns out, footwork camp can be a very humbling experience. Filled with players of just about every ability level from D2 club and collegiete to DI Club National Champs and U23 National Team captains, the ability to clump all of us together for this learning experience speaks to the level of innovation Jules has put into these clinics. I can't say that I excelled at the initial one on one and one on two evasive running drills - but I also wasn't terrible...I felt that I was, well, learning - as it should be I suppose. Where I ran into trouble, though, was when passing was added. Contrary to every rugby drill I believe I have ever run, this drill required us to pass after cutting and while running TOWARDS our supported. On paper, my brain said "sure, I can do that"...on the field however? AHHH!!! On the first run, I made my cut out wide and then immediately proceeded to power my pass off my back foot and sail the ball about 10 yards past my supporter (who is also running toward me)...

"McCoy! Looks like you been practicing that pass off your back foot for 10 years!" Jules words echoe in my head. We did this drill so many times...but you know what, I don't think I ever REALLY got it. It got better, yes. But great? Never. As a scrumhalf, my pass is something that I'm supposed to pride myself on - but WHY COULDN'T I DO THIS!?!?! I'm still not quite sure, and though it's not a skill I would use for every situation on the rugby field, it is a handy tool to have in my rugger toolbox, and so I would like to think I could execute it if necessary or desired. Looking back, I can remember many players having trouble with this very same thing - good players, new players, great players....everyone really. But the exceedingly selfish person that I am believed that this should not be the case for me. I left the field knotted up inside, biting the collar of my jersey, thinking of places I could escape to and wondering how I could better indulge myself with a little self-degradation and pity. Fortunately, I was not given the chance. Instead, I was forced to lighten up a little over a couple of beers and a hamburger at a local bar/restaurant. Sunday would be a new day.

And it was. A rugby day, no matter how disagreeable the previous one, always begins as a good one for me, and Sunday proved to be no exception. My feet, hands, and mind, having picked up a few new tricks from the day before, began this day with a little more ease. The running lines were better, I was good at defense, and even the pass became (slightly) better. The high point of my day came when running a 1 on 2 as the offense in a defensive drill in which I came through to the goal line untouched using some pretty snazzy new running lines. Confidence grew.

Though I am still by no means an expert or even very good at the skills taught to me over my most recent Rugby Land adventure, I intend to do everything in my power to stick with the program provided me there in order to become better able to execute the evasive running skills I will need become an elite-level player. Do I still need to be faster - well, yes. But it doesn't hurt to be able to evade the defense even without a trimmed-up 40 time. With this program, hopefully, I will improve both.

I can't say that I agree with everything taught me footwork camp - but I can't say that I disagree with much either. There are so many ways to play rugby and so many different philosophies, and though you can't use all of them simultaneously, I believe you can take bits and pieces from all and invest them into your overall quest toward being a better player. Though I may more often play in a more support-oriented offense than the one presented to me at camp, it cannot possibly hurt to evade two or three defenders before finally dishing the ball, rather than getting stopped by the first defender standing in my way. Most of all, I believe footwork camp has given me the confidence to believe in my ability to run with the ball, instead of constantly looking for a "fast" player to do it for me.

Though I love being a scrumhalf, I also must learn to be a rugby player - because after that ball comes out of the ruck or scrum I am just as much entitled to have a go as anyone sporting a 12 or 13...

In the meantime I'll be faithfully executing the Jules McCoy/Ellie Karvoski rugby workout, and will be reaching the peak of my training just as DI Nationals get underway....

see you there ;0)