LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 39 born, long haired, grizzly bearded man; my Father. Nine years later, I arrived as the youngest of three, natural born rugby players. I have no memory of the first rugby game I saw, or even the first time I threw a ball. My siblings and I traveled with the Mountaineers' Men's and Women's teams for nearly every game for at least a decade. In all of those years, there was never any one babysitter or person to watch the kids. For the most part, once we were at the field, it was our turn to watch the grown ups. It was the same each week. Both teams play, both teams beat each other up, both teams laugh about it afterwards. There's an old saying in rugby which describes the sport as "a hooligan's game, played by gentlemen." After every game, this saying rang truer in my brain. It's the only sport I've been around where you can hate someone for 80 straight minutes and then share a cold beverage afterwards like nothing happened. At the end of the day, everyone on the field shares one common attribute: they love rugby. Once I started playing, I went on to notice the same things I saw growing up. I would battle and attack players for 80 minutes only to create lifelong friends after the final whistle. The positive impact rugby has had for me, person- ally, extends way past the field. Right after my first year playing college rugby, I was fortunate enough to receive an invite to a combine for young players looking to advance their rugby careers. I was 19 years old and the combine was to recruit college kids to play for New York City rugby clubs for the summer. I played well but at the end of the day, it wasn't my rugby ability that sold me to one of the teams. It was my last name and hometown that influenced a team to recruit me. In the grand scheme of things, Saranac Lake is a small town located in the heart of the Adirondacks. However, in the rugby community, Saranac Lake is a true-blue rugby town. Thanks to my connection to the Adirondacks and rugby, I was able to get my first taste of life outside of the woods. I ended up playing for the Village Lions Rugby Football Club in NYC for the next three sum- mers. Being a poor college student, I would need a New York City apartment and a part time job for the summer. Things not easily found as a 19 year old. That's another part of the rugby culture; they look after their own. Before I even had even packed my clothes, this rugby club — whom I had never met — had an apartment and job waiting for me for the sum- mer. Rugby had officially guided me through a massive journey in my life. Thanks to this game, I have made friends and con- nections with people I would have never met other- wise. I've played games all across the United States, and in two different countries. I've played for over ten different rugby teams in four different states. Each team has had different players from various walks of life, but they all share one thing in common: they, too, all love rugby. After years of playing the sport I love, I've come to realize how lucky I was. Most people have to search to find the sense of family and community that rugby holds. I was lucky enough to be born into the game that would help guide me in life. Sharing that rugby community with the Adirondacks every year is truly special. t Opposite page: The Mountaineers first game. Left: A poster showing the growth of the club. Above: The Mountaineers after a victor y in 2018.

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