Jersey #9: Kentucky's Journey

...but it's just because I'm busy planning out my life. Rugby and otherwise. But the exciting news is that YAY!!!! It's summer rugby time!!! I can almost smell it in the air - the grass, the dirt, the sweaty scrumcaps....*ahhh*. Summer rugby means amping up the training and amping up the intensity. Games are few and far between, but when you play, you play big - and afterwards, because you've worked so hard, you party big. It's for seeing all those rugby friends spread out all over the country - former teammates, current teammates, coaches from u19 this and u23 that. Maybe you drive in a car singing Journey songs for hours on end or maybe you hop in a jet that drops you off God knows where and suddenly, you arrive in what I like to call, "Rugby Land". It's the greatest place on Earth - only, it isn't really a place. Or at least, it's never the same place. It doesn't matter whether it's Seattle or Austin or Rockford or Philly - because wherever it is, no matter what tournament it is, you're bound to see people you love from all over the place. My most favoritest tournament happens to be the U23 NASC or ITT's or whatever you wanna call it because it seems to be the center of everything. Now the senior women have been holding their tourney at the same time so there's even more people there than before. But most of all I love it because the stakes are high. First, I'll head off to Midwest tryouts and try to wipe the dust off of the connections between myself and the teammates I haven't played with for a while, as well as forge new connections with all the rookies. Weeks of 2 a day training come together for 2 days of a$$ busting hard work, trying to prove once again that I've got what it takes to wear the Green and Gold - there are fitness tests, speed tests, tons of hard hitting drills, and of course, scrimmaging - and after it's all over all I can hope for is to have done my very best and proven myself worthy to go on to the big dance.

Making it that far is already an accomplishment - I've played in the NASC three times now (once as a USA U19er, twice as a U23 Thunderbird), and it just never gets old. Last year, though it had a disappointing ending for us MW players, was especially exciting for me because I was a starter for the first time. I played my heart out but the team fell short, so you can bet we'll be back this summer with a vengence......seriously, I can't freaking wait.

Getting back to the high stakes - ah, yes, besides really, really, really wanting to take those gold medals home, there's an underlying "try out" aspect to the whole All-Star tournament thing. When explaining rugby life to anyone outside the sport I always like to tell them that rugby is kind of like one continuous tryout. Yes, it's fun as hell, but it seems we're always being watched or evaluated for something, and for this year's NASC that will be especially true. Last year at the tournament, I was playing my heart for my team, as well as for a chance to tryout for the U23 National Team. Well, this year the prize is much greater, as the USA U23 team which goes to New Zealand will supposedly be announced sometime following the NASC. Whoa - talk about pressure. But no worries - no amount of pressure can take away my love of select-side rugby and summer rugby in general. Maybe it's just me, but I just can't think of anything better than soaking up the sun and soaking up the rugby with some of the best young players in the country...

Rugby Land - here I come!!