Lone Star Pitch and Gridiron

Lion Man - A Book Review

2010-07-16T08:10:00.000-07:00

British and Irish Lions legend Ian McGeechan's new book Lion Man: The Autobiography is an exciting insight into the mind of one of rugby's legendary coaches. McGeechan renowned as a Lion's player and coach details his experiences and explains what makes the Lions such a special enterprise. His insiders approach takes the reader into the locker room with some of the great Lion's teams of our era.

McGeechan began his international career with Scotland, playing flyhalf and center while winning 32 caps. He also made 30 appearances for the Lions and was a integral member of the 1974 team that is considered by many to be the best of all time. His coaching career included stops at Northhampton, London Wasps, and Scotland (winning the Grand Slam over in England in 1990). However, he is most famous for his four stints as head coach of the British and Irish Lions (no other coach has had more than one). He won two of the series and was unlucky not to have won the 2009 series in South Africa. His playing and coaching career makes McGeechan a living legend in rugby.

This is an exciting book and is well-written, although at times a bit redundant. Perhaps the only disappointment (especially for coaches trying to glean coaching secrets) is that McGeechan spends very little time discussing coaching technique. However, this is more than made up for by the fascinating and frank discussion of the Lions experience and future. This is a must read for coaches and anyone interested in understanding the culture of the Lions and the insights of the Northern Hemisphere's greatest coach.

All-Americans

2010-07-08T14:38:00.001-07:00

Former St. Thomas Eagles Andres Diaz, Conor Mills, and Paul Rogers were named to the U20 USA National team (Junior All-Americans) and played in the US Collegiate All-Star tournament held in Denver this June. The All-Americans played against the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate All-Stars and New England All-Stars during the tournament, in which the went 1-1. A thrill for STH fans occured when Mills matched up at flyhalf against former teammate Alex Reeves (Worcester Polytechnic Institute), who was playing for the New England side. The U20s finished their assembly against the University of Cardiff (Wales - last year's runner-up in Great Britain's collegiate championships). Diaz and Mills are teammates at Texas A&M University and Paul Rogers plays for Louisiana State University. "This is very exciting for STH rugby," said STH head coach Jim Wolfinger, "to have so many former players playing at such a high level is a thrill and testament to the hard work they put in while on campus." "We could not be more proud of our guys and wish them continued success."

Eagle Ruggers Represent

2010-07-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

St. Thomas rugby was well-represented during the Rocky Mountain Challenge Cup in June. The Rocky Mt. Challenge Cup is the premier all-star rugby event (age-grade) in the United States and is a selection vehicle for national team selection. Dixon Garnett, Sebastian Gracia, and John Boudreaux were named to the Texas U17 all-star team. Ryan Sullivan, Paul Rogers (LSU), Will Gutkowski, Conor Mills (TAMU), and Kingsley McGowan were selected to the Texas U19 squad that won the Rocky Mt. Challenge with a thrilling 7-3 victory over defending champion Utah. The U19 squad defeated Minnesota 33-22, Arizona 41-0, and Wisconsin 29-10 on their way to the final. McGowan scored the winning try in the championship match off a thrilling run through the Utah defense. The Texas defense was forced to hold Utah during a five minute goal line stand at the end of the match to secure the victory. Conor Mills and Paul Rogers were both named to the All-Tournament team.

Eagle Scrum in Action

2010-02-14T15:16:00.000-08:00

This short video clip is a look at the varsity team's scrum in action - notice the quickness to the engagement and the power.

Back on Track

2010-02-14T06:55:00.000-08:00

The STH Eagles traveled to Stony Point for a key early season match on Saturday and won by the narrowest of margins -29-26. St. Thomas was trying to recover from last week's 23-8 loss to Austin Westlake and needed a win to regain momentum. The Tigers proved to be physically tough and skilled opponents and gave the Eagles everything they could handle.

The Eagles dominated the Tigers the last two seasons, winning 65-0, and 57-0, but the Tigers were much improved and under the guidance of head coach Jesse Adams were 2-0 going into their rematch with St. Thomas. Despite admonishments not to take Stony Point lightly, the Eagles seemed to play much of the match in a mental haze, believing that this year's game would be an automatic replay of the previous two.

The Eagles started the match in style with Dixon Garnett scoring a try in the first minute and a half of the game. They scored again off a long run by Will Gutkowski (4:33) and appeared to be on their way to another lopsided victory, but the Tigers were not willing to lay down nor give up the fight. They scored two tries of their own and led at halftime 14-12.

Stony Point pushed their lead to 21-12 early in the second half, before Conor O'Brien scored(53:44), bringing the Eagles to within two points -21-19. The Tigers answered with another try three minutes later and St. Thomas appeared to be in real danger with the score 26-19. The last 15 minutes of the game were all Eagles though, as John Boudreaux scored a brilliant try (61:00) when he stole the ball from the opposition scrumhalf near the goaline - diving over for the score. The conversion kick was critical and Sebastian Gracia hit a difficult 25 meter kick from the sideline to even the score at 26-26.

The Eagles pushed into Tiger territory with three minutes remaining. After as series of line-breaks, Stony Point was penalized for diving over the top. Gracia calmly slotted the penalty kick (67:32) giving the Eagles a 29-26 lead. They then played stifling defense for the last minute and a half to secure the comeback win.

This was a critical win for the Eagles, who did not seem fully recovered from the loss to Westlake. It was also an indication of the how tough the road to the state championship will be for St. Thomas. The competitive level of the league has risen dramatically and there are no easy wins for any team. St. Thomas travels to Dallas Jesuit next weekend to defend its Bishop Cup title against the Rangers. The season is off to an interesting and exciting start!

Eagles Rugby Video Channel

2010-02-14T06:50:00.000-08:00

Rugby Fans,
Check out the Eagles Rugby Channel and get the latest highlights, interviews, and news from the world of Eagles Varsity XV Rugby.

http://www.youtube.com/sthseaglesrugby

Eagles Hit Hurdle

2010-02-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

The Eagles Varsity XV fell to a powerful Austin Westlake side 23-8, on Friday night. This was the first regular season loss for STH in over two years. The Eagles beat Westlake in two hard-fought wins last season on their way to a second state title, but the Chaparrals were not to be denied this time. Westlake has a veteran team which returned all but two starters from last season's semi-final squad and going into the season had to be considered favorites for post-season honors.

St. Thomas led at halftime 8-6 on the back of a Sebastian Gracia penalty kick and a Logan Stryk try, but were unable to mount any offense in the second half. Westlake managed two tries and another penalty in the second stanza.

The game was an extremely physical affair with both sides going toe to toe at the breakdowns and in the tackle zone. Westlake played very well, but the Eagles took themselves out of the game with numerous penalties throughout the second half. St. Thomas had a difficult time mounting any offense as the backs played flat and did not get any momentum when the hit the tackle zone. The aggressive Chaparral backs took full advantage of these factors and delivered some punishing blows which brought the Eagle offense to a standstill.

While the loss was a bitter pill for the Eagles and their fans to swallow, solace was taken in the fact that they had a number of opportunities to gain a victory. The final scoreline flattered the Chaparrals as they put the last score on the board with less than 2 minutes remaining in the match. Part of the growth process for the young and relatively inexperienced Eagle squad will be finding the ability to recovery quickly from mistakes and minimize the penalty count. While the loss was painful it is clear that the Eagles will grow from the lessons learned from their encounter with a tough and skilled Westlake side. The Eagles face the Stony Point Tigers this Saturday in an intriguing matchup. Stony Point is currently 2-0 and looks to give the Eagles another physical contest.

Eagles Rugby Victorious Against Jesuit

2010-01-31T11:00:00.000-08:00

The St. Thomas Eagles Varsity XV opened up their 2010 season with a 33-12 victory over New Orleans Jesuit on Saturday afternoon (01-30-10). The Eagles were coming off a 17-2 season in which they placed 7th at the National Championships. While they had eight returning starters, many of those were in new positions to start the new campaign.

Will Gutkowski earned the starting role at flyhalf, replacing the Eagles all-time leading scorer and All-American Conor Mills, and demonstrated his skills on Saturday. Will did an excellent job of running the offensive and made a number of spectacular runs through the defense which set-up tries. Joining Gutkowski in the havoc caused by the back division was the dangerous Josh Ibarra. Ibarra's blazing speed and quick feet allowed him to repeatedly penetrate the Blue Jay's defense. Ibarra scored a fantastic try through the heart of New Orlean's defense and his defensive play was hard and aggressive throughout the game.

The forwards, led by Captain Ryan Sullivan, did a magnificent job of winning the loose-play throughout the match. Their ability to get to the breakdown and secure or poach ball was instrumental in the Eagles' victory. Logan Stryk, playing in his first rugby match, looked like a veteran and played with a controlled aggressiveness that put the Blue Jay backs on their heels throughout the match.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was the play of junior wing Rob Mabry. Mabry making his first start and appearance with the Varsity XV, had a brilliant game. He scored two tries and his second was a highlight reel affair. After intercepting a Blue Jay pass, Mabry ran the 45 meters and slipped a tackle, spinning off a defender to score under the posts. A fantastic effort and one of the most exciting tries one can hope to see! Rob is a great example of hard-work and determination in play.

All of the Eagles played well and this was a classic team-effort on the part of the First XV. There was a great crowd for the match and a wonderful post-match affair put on by the parent volunteers, led by the Price family. Saturday's affair was a great way to start out the season and although there is much the team needs to work on, we hope a harbinger for another great season!

Passion

2009-12-11T19:57:00.000-08:00

I just watched Julie and Julia and I loved it! How is that for keeping it real? Not something you would expect to hear on a rugby and football blog. Now for an explanation -I really admire people who have passion and loyalty is one of the character traits which I cherish the most. This movie has plenty of both. I find in a female cook- the delightful Julia Child and her husband Paul, role-models for life and coaching.

For those of you who have not seen the movie it is a light-hearted duel biopic covering the career of Julia Child, interspersed with the attempt by author Julie Powell to cook all of Child's recipes in a year. While it is a fun movie to watch with a date, I thought it provided a lot of lessons as well. I do not know if this was the director's intent, but it really struck a chord with me and how much it relates to my love of rugby.

Throughout the movie Child demonstrated an amazing amount of perserverence as she trained to be a chef in the male dominated world of Parsian cooking. She met every set-back with a smile and the determination to overcome her obstacles. Although she was extremely competitive, she treated everyone with dignity and warmth. Her devoted husband Paul, provided her with a foundation of support and love that allowed her to become a national treasure. She was able to to succeed because she had character that is rare in people and a consuming passion to be a master chef and share her joy of great food with the world.

Passion is a rare thing. The world is full of people who get paid to do whatever it is they do. However, you can measure those who have true passion for their particular line of work in a thimble. Watching Meryl Streep portray Julia Child was fascinating because she excuded passion. Her thrill of cooking was so intense to be almost spirtual. The joy of being in the same room (even if it is actor in a movie) with someone who has real passion is invigorating. I relate because I have a passion for coaching rugby.

It cannot be explained or quantified, but it is real nontheless. A passion can consume you in your search to master whatever it is that you are passionate about and hope to share with the world. This is what drives me, the desire to share my love of the game with my family, players, and anyone else who is even slightly interested (and many who are not). I am a very lucky man as my vocation, teaching, is the same as my passion, coaching (make no mistake - teaching =coaching), so I have the perfect platform for my quest.

I believe that to be the best a what you do, one must be passionate, but as Julia Child so ably demonstrated, passion of ones' profession, must always take a subordinate position to the passion one has for their faith, spouse, and (in my case) children. These areas of life provide the foundation for the pursuit of your other passions and to be quite honest, make them all the sweeter, especially when shared with the ones you love. So raise your glass to Julia and thank her for reminding us that passion revealed and shared is a powerful thing - Bon Appetite!

Accountable Coaching

2009-12-07T08:26:00.000-08:00

I spent this last weekend re-certifying my coaching license with USA Rugby. I will be honest, I was not very excited about retaking a course I had already demonstrated competency in. Whenever you have to give up a weekend (which by the way is all the time if you are a rugby coach, player, or referee), you do a cost-benefit analysis. Was spending my weekend out in the cold and the rain worth it? The cost in this analysis is easy to measure - time away from my family and home (something hugely important to me) is always bad. So what is or are the benefits?

Rugby in the United States has made tremendous strides since I began my involvement in 1984. We have grown from a largely recreational/alcohol past time, to a serious sport that has involvement from youth to national team. While the governing body (United States of America Rugby Football Union) is a source of constant (and often justified) complaints among its constituents, it has done a great deal to improve the game in America. I believe that the coaching certification program is one of those positives.

The coaching certification program has aligned USA rugby with the other members of the IRB (International Rugby Board) and has provided a system of accountability and a benchmark for competency. One of the factors which defines legitimacy for any organization is the process by which it qualifies its members. The new USA coaching certification program clearly provides such legitimacy. Every team in the country must have at least one USA certified coach. This provides for some type of standardization of basic safety and tactical/skill knowledge for all coaches who are working daily with players. Currently there are three levels of certification (Introduction, Developing skills, and Advanced), which build on the processes and methods established in each of the earlier courses.

While it is never convenient to spend a weekend getting a certification, there is a practical and intrinsic value in receiving that certification. Coaches know they have the basic skills required to their job and while education is a continuum, they have a foundation which is similar to their colleagues. The intrinsic comes from the satisfaction that you had to earn your coaching credentials. No other sport (that I am aware of) in Texas, other than soccer, requires you to get a license and demonstrate competency. I coached football for a long time and can assure you that there are no requirements to coach it. The first coach I ever worked for asked me if I had any experience, and when I said no, he replied, "you look like a smart enough guy, you will pick it up..." Apparently I looked a lot smarter then than I do now. I would suggest that this is probably not the best way to get the most competent and capable coaches. Just because a guy played does not make him a coach - and that is true for rugby or any sport. By getting certified you must prove that you are knowledgeable and have demonstrated competency before multiple evaluators.

In the end, the benefits are valuable enough to sacrifice time away from my family. I believe the process and the way it is taught and has value - the most important being it makes coaches become introspective about their knowledge, skills, demeanor, and how they coach. While I find the courses have value, I do have some issues (you knew the other shoe would drop). The first is the recertification process. We are required to take the exact some course as before, it would be far more productive to have different courses which expand on the core competencies. The second issue is the CE (continuing education) credits that coaches can get to extend their three year certification. The staff at USA is not very responsive to requests or inquiries and sometimes do not answer you at all. Finally, the Advanced course is cost prohibitive for most coaches, so even if you want to get the certification, finances make it a non-starter. This is exclusive rather than inclusive and one hopes that will change in the future.

In sum, it is a good process and despite some weaknesses, it provides the American rugby coach with credibility. I applaud USA's efforts to put our coaches on an even keel with the rest of the rugby world. Although I lost time with my family, I will be a better coach for the effort.

Coaches and Their Impact

2009-11-28T08:06:00.001-08:00

I have a saying, "A good teacher makes a difference and a bad teacher makes a bigger difference." This is especially true for coaches. Coaching, when done right, can be an extremely powerful tool in helping mold young men and women into successful adults. Every athlete who had a positive experience can point to a coach's impact on them. Good coaches teach players to be competitive while remaining a good sport, to deal with loss (something they face the rest of their lives), how to set goals and how to reach those goals, the art of time management, and most importantly the fact that anything worth while is worth working hard for.

Coaching gone bad can be devasting. The world of sport is filled with martinets, petty tyrants, selfish and self-centered coaches whose impact is akin to a meteor strike. For these types of coaches it is about self-promotion or all about the "sport", forgetting that there is a very real human factor involved. How many guys have played for the "factory" coach, where the player is just a number, another cog, which can be easily replaced or tossed on the heap? These type of coaches take away the joy of sport and replace it with dread and loathing.

As a case in point, I remember when my oldest son began his football playing career. As young boy it was impossible to contain his enthusiasm and excitement for what promised to be a wonderful eight years. I also remember how this same enthusiasm was crushed by coaches who were insensitive, did little to teach the technical skills needed, and showed favoritism. While my son would later go on to a fanastic football career (marked by 1st team all-state honors), he never rekindled his passion for the game and demonstrated a lack of trust in those who coached him later on.

Have I succumbed to the forces of political correctness? Absolutely not, I believe it is critical for coaches to maintain good discipline, demand excellence, and to push the physical limits of their athletes. However, they must do so while always remembering that they are dealing with human beings. A coach must be flexible and adapt to the modern era. So often I have heard the complaint that modern players are whimps, lazy, and self-centered - if they could only return to the old days, blah, blah, blah.... A good coach looks for ways to overcome these obstacles by understanding his players and finds the tools that will motivate them.

One of my coaching heroes, Coach John Wooden, coached during the turbulent 1960s, when all of society was complaining about how worthless and out-of-hand the younger generation was. How then did Coach Wooden win all those championships with that generation? He treated his players like men, set expectations, demanded excellence, all while maintaining his own self-control. Wooden understood that while "the times may be a changing," people never do. To understand players as people translates into success, and when it is done in a positive, rather than manipulative fashion, it is magical.

My hope is that our young coaches look to the past and use men like Wooden as an example, remembering the positive difference they can make in a young person's life, while at the same time understanding the impact they have if it is done wrong. This type of coaching is not politically correct, but the key to success. Wooden demonstrated that contrary to Leo Durocher's comment, "Nice guys finish last", in fact, nice guys win championships (Wooden won 10 NCAA championships in 12 years). So heres to coaches who make a difference - a POSITIVE difference!

A Pilgrim to Aggieland

2009-11-25T21:19:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I had a sporting experience that transcended the football game which I had traveled to see. My family and I were invited to go to the Texas A&M v. Baylor game. I was very excited as I enjoy visiting College Station (my oldest son is a freshman there) and this game had bowl implications. If the Aggies won, they would be bowl eligible for the first time in a while with six wins. In addition, I have a distant connection to the Aggies as I coached Matt Sherman (son of Aggie Coach) at STH. I really believe his dad will be a huge success in Aggieland. However, the biggest reason for my excitment was due to the fact that this was my first gametime visit to Kyle Field. Despite having watched a large number of A&M games in my almost 21 years in Texas, I had never gone to one of their games - I could not have imagined how amazing the experience would be.

The experience began shortly after our arrival with the Corps "Step Off". Watching the entire Corps of Cadets marching to the stadium reminded me of my time in the Army. We were in the middle of the boulevard as they marched past - very cool to see them on both sides of you and chilling at the same time. After watching the Corps march we moved through the hordes of supporters and tailgaters. It was a fantastic festival atmosphere in which everyone seemed to be full of excitment and anticipation. A visitor is struck by the friendliness of everyone, of course it does not hurt if you have Aggie kit on!

The pre-game rituals (yell leaders and drumming the team on the field) were impressive, but not as impressive of watching roughly 40,000 students file into the student section. Amazing! The 12th Man support throughout the game is truely unique to college football and perhaps in all of college sports. However, my favorite part of the day was the halftime performance of the Fighting Aggie Band. I have seen them on TV, but nothing beats being there and man, the band was something to brag about!

I remember ten years ago when the Bonfire tragedy occured and while I shared the sorrow of all my fellow Texans, I was a bit perplexed by the outpouring of grief by Aggies I knew. I didn't get it. My day in Aggieland gave me to a sudden understanding of it all. Aggies love their school, the team, and each other. The traditions which are a part of their four (or five or six) years at A&M meld them together with a shared experience. It becomes a part of who they are - and they spend the rest of their life serving as keepers of those traditions. They take care of their own and delight in allowing the uninitiated to share in their experience. Thank you Aggieland for a great day and an experience that was only remotely about a football game. I drank the Kool-Aide and man does it taste good!

Former Eagles and Future Eagles

2009-11-24T08:26:00.000-08:00

Former St. Thomas Eagles Varsity Rugby players Andres Diaz and Conor Mills were named to the USA U20 All American squad which will compete against the New Zealand U21 Academies squad in Santa Barbara, California over Christmas break. Diaz, currently a sophomore and playing for Texas A&M University, was named to the U20 squad last year and competed at the Junior World Cup in Kenya. Diaz was also a member of the U18 squad that went to England in 2008. Mills, a freshman who is also at A&M, was named to the U18 USA National team last year. He was a starter on the U17 squad that went 2-1 at the prestigious Millfield Tournament in 2008. Both players are starters for the A&M squad that is currently ranked #11 in the United States.

Texas A&M v. University of Texas

2009-11-24T07:52:00.000-08:00

The Texas A&M Aggies squared off against long-time rival the Texas Longhorns at the Polo Grounds on Saturday Nov. 14. As always, there was a large and vocal crowd there to support both squads. The Aggies were looking to establish their dominance in TRU Cup play. They had easy wins early in the season against Sam Houston State(48-3), Oklahoma (51-3), and Nebraska (57-7) and felt that an improved Texas squad would provide a stiffer challenge. The Longhorns had added a number of new players (Australians, English, and Irish players) and looked to provide some serious competition for A&M.

In the end, the Aggies dominated the game from start to finish for a 42-12 win. While Texas was very physical they had trouble containing the athletic Aggie backline. Led by freshman #10 Conor Mills, the backline used hard-earned ball from the forwards and scored repeatedly. The Aggie forwards, led by #8 Conor Bertrand and #7 Chris Parker controlled the breakdown and were absolutely ferocious defensively. #13 Joey Talley made a number of vicious hits on his Longhorn opposite number, making a huge impact on the match. As a result of the physical defensive play, the Longhorns had virtually no "go forward" ball. In the end, the Aggies' physical dominance and conditioning paid big dividends in the win.

Mills, who scored 17 points in the match (2 tries, 2 conversions, and 1 penalty kick) was named Player of the Game for his performance.

Fans v. Supporters

2009-11-24T06:57:00.000-08:00

It has been a fascinating football season and I had the good fortune to attend a ton of games. Based on observations from around the city I see a disturbing trend that has increased in negative "volume" over the years. The observation in question is fan behavior. Long gone are the days of "my team win or lose." They have been replaced by a growing number of "experts," who seem to know more than the coaches, and boo birds who vocalize their disenchantment loudly and proudly. Based on the fan behavior I have witnessed, I have come to the conclusion that "fans" are displaying a sense of entitlement to say whatever, whenever, they desire. While there have always been disgruntled supporters, what shocks me, is their derision is now directed at their own team- sometimes even their own kids. Wow, when did high school football get replaced by the NFL? It is one thing to beat up on a grown man making millions, but an entirely different issue when directed toward an adolescent who is giving his best to represent his school. I fear we have truly lost the plot!

While I fear that soceital trends cannot be changed by one man, it is often one man who makes a difference, so in that light I offer my solution to this growing problem. We need to adopt the rugby model of supporter rather than fan. To be sure, rugby has it share of hooligans and idiots who attend matches, but their loyalty to their team is never in question. A supporter is someone who gets behind their team and regardless the score is there to cheer and lend moral support- win, lose, or draw.

A perfect example is 2008 European Champion Munster (Ireland). Munster is an amazing story which bears some examination. Munster is famous for their support of their side and their stadium in Limmerick is considered one of the loudest in the world. They consistently travel with more supporters than their opposition has at its own home stadium. While they are intense in their support of the homeside, they show their opposition the respect accorded to an opponent well-met on the field of competition. Last summer Munster played the New Zealand All Blacks in Limmerick. The match was a brilliant one and it all came down to a All Black penalty kick for the win. One could imagine that the stadium would be deafening in an effort to throw the kicker's concentration off, but instead there was absolute silence. When Dan Carter made the kick, the crowd applauded his efforts. What an amazing display of sportsmanship! I cannot imagine an American crowd responding that way.

Poor fan behavior is symptomatic of the "win at all costs" attitude that permiates our society. What are sports really about? The giant high school stadiums, millions in resources, and win at all cost mentality seems to reflect adults vicariously basking in the glory of their youth. God help the team and coaches when they lose, because this is wrongly seen as a personal affront - a poor reflection on the adults. Perhaps its time we give the game back to the kids and use it once again as a vehicle to teach sportsmanship, work ethic, teamwork, love of comrades and the game. Maybe we can learn something from our Irish cousins and go home from the game with a smile on our face, win, lose or draw - because we supported our team, who played their hearts out for us and demonstrated all those virtues that make sport such an amazing experience. Lets be supporters and let the fans go to the Texans' games.

Texas Collegiate All Stars and Smash Mouth Rugby

2009-09-16T06:13:00.000-07:00

I was privileged to be a part of last weekend's Texas High Performance Collegiate Rugby assembly in Austin. The assembly is the first of two that determines the Texas Collegiate All-Star team (the second assembly will be held in Houston on Oct. 3). It is always exciting to get the opportunity to work with such a fine bunch of athletes!

Saturday's session went from 8:00 until 6:00, with the long-training day being compounded by the rain which fell all day long. Although one might suspect that Burr Field would be in pour condition after all the water, it held up extremely well and was in the best shape I have ever seen it. The players shrugged off the conditions and had an exceptional day of training. They put in a tremendous amount of work and one could see a great deal of improvement from the beginning until the end of the day. Perhaps what impressed me most was the ability of all the players to adapt and learn new concepts and drills quickly and efficiently.

Working with Director of TRU High Performance Michael Engelbrecht is always a treat. He is without a doubt one of the finest coaches in the United States and anyone who works with him learns a great deal. What I like most about Michael is his personality. He is a fantastic gentleman and in my experience, always kind and courteous to everyone he deals with. While he expects his players to perform at a extremely high-level, he never resorts to shouting and screaming. I would say his body of work demonstrates that you can be a good man and a successful coach at the same time.

Sunday's matches were spectacular results for squads that had one day to train. The opponents on Sunday were the Austin Huns and Austin Blacks. The collegiates won both matches putting up over 40 points in each game and giving up only 7. The rugby was hard and at times ferocious, but the collegiates met every challenge their veteran opponents could throw at them.

What was most exciting about the weekend was the fact that close to 90% of the college players who were there were ex-high school players. This is an amazing change from just a few years ago. The growth of the youth game is beginning to make a larger impact of the game as a whole and all the high school programs should be commended for the yeoman's work in this area.

On a similar note, at one stage in Sunday's match against the Blacks, the Texas squad had no less than four US Age Grade National Team players on the field - Andres Diaz (A&M), Hamish Roberts (A&M), Curtis Chaffin (Katy), and Conor Mills (A&M). In addition, A&M's Chris Parker, another All American, was on the sideline due to injury. In addition, Zac Mizell (Dallas Harlequins), was a Super League player. There is some major young talent in Texas right now.

Fun and exciting rugby and a fantastic weekend all around. It will be great to watch as this squad continues to take shape over the next month.

Thunderbolt and Lightening

2009-08-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

Friday night's St. Thomas-Strake Jesuit match up was picked as the game of the week and it definitely lived up to expectations. Despite recent domination of the series by the Crusaders, there was a large crowd on hand to witness the 45th contest in this storied rivalry. No one left the stadium disappointed, as the game proved to be an exciting affair. Jesuit managed a 38-27 win for their twelfth consecutive victory over the Eagles, but STH ensured the final result was in doubt until the last whistle.

The game was delayed for an hour as a result of storms which produced some intense lightening in the area. It was reminiscent of the game two years ago which was delayed for two-hours before being completed. It is difficult to say how much, if any, the delay effected the teams. One thing is certain, the lightening in the sky was matched by "lightening" on the field as both teams put up a load of points.

The game turned on turnovers and mistakes, with some extremely costly ones being committed by the Eagles special teams. This will be a game of "what ifs" for St. Thomas as they played great football, but repeatedly gave the Crusaders good field position which was used to generate points.

The Eagles took an early fourteen point lead after giving Strake the ball on the opening kickoff. The Crusaders then proceeded to turn the ball over leading to an early Eagles's touchdown. A few plays later linebacker Logan Stryk took a deflected ball in for a 5 yd score and the Eagles were off to a quick lead. The adrenaline began to wear off rapidly however, and after another muffed kickoff Strake managed to score, quickly followed by another touchdown - two scores in less than nine seconds. The Crusaders put in another score early in the second quarter and it looked as if they were going to pull away. However, the Eagles demonstrated their mastery of the spread offense and Hunter Kopycinski lead them on a nifty drive and a score right before the half. With the score tied at 21-21, and less than a minute and a half on the clock, it looked as if the teams would go into the locker rooms tied. Strake then put together a quick drive, capped by a long run from their tailback Jordan Hollingsworth. The Crusaders led 28-21 at the half.

The touchdown before the half was a severe psychological blow to the visitors, one which I am not sure they recovered from. Strake completely dominiated time of possession in the 3rd quarter scoring at the end of a quarter-eating drive. The Eagles would put together a late drive in the 4th quarter which was capped by a brilliant one-hand grab by Ian Stout, but it proved to be too little too late.

Both coaches have to be happy with their team's efforts on Friday night. Coach Counter's crew once again demonstrated character and resilience in coming back from a early STH lead. Crusader QB Hunter Schiro responded to two early and costly interceptions by playing a fantastic game, maintaining his confidence and poise like a veteran. For Coach Hollas and his staff, the defeat was gutting, but his team was extremely competitive and played well enough to win had they not committed so many mistakes. Like the Crusaders, the Eagles had some questions at QB going into the game, but both Fisch and Kopycinski played well. If anything, the game demonstrated that Hollas can used these two players in different roles - Fisch as the running QB and Kopycinski as the passer. Both teams managed to move the ball well and put up points.

However, both coaches also have some major concerns going into this week's games. Both secondaries proved to be very vulnerable (something that hurt STH last season). While the play up front was solid for both teams, they must shore up their coverages before they face their next opponents. The Eagles' running game was also suspect. If you do not have a reliable running game in the spread offense, teams are able to tee off on the passing game. Coach Hollas will need to address this issue if he is going to give his quarterbacks the time they need to run the passing offense. Finally, the Eagle special teams are going to need some major league work. The game's final score rested squarely on the mistakes made by St. Thomas mistakes in the kicking game.

It was a game of mistakes, passion, and excitement. If I am not mistaken it was a giant step in the continued revival of the proud STH football tradition. While there was huge disappointment on the part of the Eagles, however, they must be heartened by the fact that they could have won this game. Strake won its twelfth straight, and Coach Counter and his men demonstrated once again not to take the Crusaders lightly. It will be interesting to watch the season progress and the results of both these squads in 2009.

Coaching a Son

2009-08-18T05:36:00.001-07:00

I recently completed an incredible four-year journey with my oldest son Conor. I was privledged to coach him during our program's most successful run. Although I have heard horror stories from coaching colleagues about their experiences with their own sons, mine was exceptional and I head into the 2010 season saddened by his graduation.

Conor was exposed to rugby at a very young age, but did not get actively involved as a player until elementary school when he began playing touch-rugby for the Woodlands RFC. As is often the case, the Woodlands was short on coaches, so I joined the staff on the youth team. An interesting thing happened while we worked together in the Woodlands. I spent a great deal of time working with Conor on his skills, but I developed a player-centered approach with him. At the time I had a very coach-centric approach, and by watching and working with Conor I developed a new and infinitely more valuable way in which to work with players. By giving him and later all my players a major stake-hold in decisions, I saw major growth in their ability to make the correct decisions. Even at a young age I trusted Conor's instinct and as he grew as a player the trust became implicit. It was during this period that we also developed what I call the Dad/Coach - Son/Player relationship. Whenever discussing matches we would always determine whether or not we were discussing as family or as members of the team. We were able to maintain a loving relationship on one side and a business relationship on the other.

I moved to St. Thomas in 2002 (perhaps the greatest professional decision I ever made). Conor entered school as a freshman in 2006, but immediately gained the trust and respect of the coaching staff (under the leadership of my best friend Jim Wolfinger), and proceeded to start and play every minute of every match for the next four years - 74 consecutive matches in which the Eagles won an extraordinary 61. He served as captain of the squad at the National Championships in 2007 as a sophomore and then as full captain during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. While a STH Conor broke every record in the school's record book except for one. What an incredible experience to be able to work and coach any player with this type of skill, but to have him be your son was an unbelievable experience. I have so many brilliant memories from our time together and could not be more proud. One memory which stands out was the 2007 Western Championship in which Conor hit a massive drop-goal at the end of the match for the win. As the post-match chaos broke on to the field, Conor and I found each other and embraced and all time stopped for me. Sharing the excitment, love, glory, and thrill with him was a priceless treasure.

The pride comes not from all his accomplishments, but because of the character, poise, and grace which Conor showed throughout his career. Despite his individual achievements, he maintained a deep sense of humility and his only desire was to see his team win. He gave everything he had toward that end. His opponents feared him, but had a massive amount of respect for him. When he won the Texas Player of the Year award in 2008, he got a standing ovation from his peers which is the ultimate sign of respect.

I would not have traded the opportunity to coach my son for all the money in the world. I like to think I may have helped him develop, but perhaps it was his influence on me that helped me grow more as a coach and person. I got to do something that few dads get to do anymore - spend time with their child. All the conversations, matches, and comraderie are an indelible part of me. Although I am sad I will not longer have the opportunity to be his coach, I watch him leave with a huge amount of pride and the knowledge that he will be a huge success wherever he goes. I can recommend without reservation that Dad/Coach is the best thing that you will ever do. My greatest thrill is that I have two more sons are their way up which will give me an opportunity to experience it all over again!

The Big Step

2009-08-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

The Texas Youth Rugby Association and high school rugby took another big step toward maturation as a accepted sport in the Lone Star state this past July. The Texas High School Rugby Conference was officially formed at a general meeting held in Houston. Although the THSRC operated under a semi-official status last season, the coaches put their seal of approval on the new structure - a foundation for the future growth of the high school game in Texas. The new THSRC will be under the overall authority of TYRA, which is a state-based organization (SBO), but will handle all single-school rugby operations.

Why another structure and layer of administration? There was a growing concern among single-school coaches that TYRA was having a difficult time meeting the "administrative" needs of their teams. Single-school teams have a far different framework in which they work than clubs. They must answer to athletic directors, face UIL and TAPPS athletic and academic rules, and individual school rules. In addition, their field times are usually shared with other varsity sports and are scheduled through the athletic directors office. The THSRC will be able to plan, respond to, and organize the single-schools in a manner that is sensitive to the needs of its constituency.

This is the best possible organization for single-schools as they move into a new era of high school rugby. The new THSRC is modeled after the highly successful soccer and lacrosse leagues that came before it. The new organization provides a sense of stability and legitimacy which will foster more growth for the high school game. The organization is divided into easily recognizable districts with a playoff format very similar to football. The hope of THSRC administrators is the new structure will help them gain traction with recalcitrant ADs who in the past have written off rugby because of its haphazard structure.

Perhaps the most important success of the meeting was the spirit of cooperation and common purpose which manifested itself for the first time. Despite a number of spirited disagreements, the different organizations came together in common cause, providing the groundwork for a solid foundation for the future. Much of the credit goes to TYRA President Rick Marshall who fully supported the new setup. Let us hope that for the sake of the game that this cooperation grows and flourishes. First steps are often the hardest, but once made, walking comes easy - kudos to all of the coaches and administrators for their hard-work and commitment to the stability and growth of the high school game.

JB Memorial

2009-08-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

The STH Rugby family will be having a memorial for Johnie Brown on Monday night (August 17, 2009) at 7:00 pm in the Reckling Gymnasium. We invite anyone who knew Johnie, but most importantly, all who have played or been a part of Eagle Rugby to come to the event.

Johnie's funeral was held last Friday and was an emotional and yet joyful gathering. JB would be happy to have so many family and friends paying their respect - not for a life lost, but for a life well-lived.

Sneak Peak of Eagle Football

2009-08-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

I was downtown this morning for the first intrasquad football scrimmage for the St. Thomas Eagles in 2009. It is clear early in the season that Coach Hollas has his troops feeling much more comfortable with the offense than last year. There is an old adage in football in which the most growth in a program comes between the first and second years - we will see if this is true with Hollas's Eagles, but right now they appear to be on the right course.

In the battle for starting QB, Senior Scooter Fisch looked to have staked a major claim today over his sophomore rival Hunter Kopysinski. Fisch has an impressive arm and good speed. Although he had some difficulty moving the ball against the first defense, there were flashes of great things to come. Kopysinski will be a good one down the road, but could use a year of experience on the varsity working on his progressions before he is fully ready. Fisch is much bigger physically as one would expect with an older player. It will be interesting to see how Fisch, who has not played since his freshman year, adapts to Friday night lights and all the stunts he will see in game one against Strake Jesuit. He definitely has the physical tools and according to the coaches, Scooter is a lead by example player - best of luck to him as the season progresses.

The defense was very impressive. There were a number of very hard hits throughout the morning delivered by Eagle defenders with linebackers Logan Stryk and Kyle Willard standing out. Senior Ian Stout was the recepient of one of the blows and was forced to leave the field. This must be disconcerting for Hollas and his staff as Stout played with an injury most of last season keeping his production down from his breakout sophomore season. They will need a healthy Stout this year. Although there were some breakdowns in coverage, for the most part the secondary was solid. This was a weak spot in the defense last season and the growth of this unit will be the key to any hopes of post-season play for the Eagles.

Coach Hollas and his staff must be pleased with the state of Eagle football at this early stage of the campaign. The offense seems to be much more comfortable with the spread and on defense, schemes have been simplied (and were well-executed during the scrimmage). The pre-season is a time of hope for every program in which all things are possible. The Eagles are determined to win more than two games this year, so hopes are high. Coach Hollas has his crew believing in the system, so opponents should not underestimate the Eagles. Just how far they have progressed will be revealed when the Eagles open against the Strake Jesuit Crusaders on Sept. 28.

Rugby and the Olympics

2009-08-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

How important is the fact that rugby is one step away from returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1924? In a word - huge! Rugby in the United States has grown exponentially (at least at the high school level) over the last ten years, but it has not broken into the mainstream in the sporting community. With a single stroke of a pen, rugby will become legitimate in the eyes of the non-rugby world.

The Olympic games are the biggest sporting event in the world and billions of people are glued to televisions every four years. TV=$ The never-ending quest for sponsorships dollars should be eased with rugby joining other sports in the Games. Money and sponsorship will help gain visibility for the Eagle's Sevens squad and the game as a whole.

Today's youth rugby players in the United States now have a major goal to shoot for. Representing one's country at the international level has always been rugby's biggest honor, but now the chance to represent one's country as an Olympian is an even bigger honor.

This is a major step for making rugby a mainstream sport in the United States. The US Eagles Sevens team is always competitive at the international level which will increase the likelihood of viewership back home. Lets not forget that the United States won the last two gold medals in rugby before it was removed from competition. This is an incredible time for rugby fans and we all look forward to the return of the world's greatest game to the world's greatest sporting event!

Read more about rugby's return to the Olympics at: http://www.erugbynews.com/article.php?sec=4&a=5271

Good Bye JB

2009-08-14T05:08:00.000-07:00

Johnie Brown will be laid to rest today - be assured that his legacy will be carried on at STH by his friends and players. We will miss you JB - we hope the grass is green and the pitch is soft!

1560 The Game

2009-08-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

My broadcasting partner Lonnie King and I will be working our second season together on 1560 this year. Friday night football on the radio - it will be a blast. Lonnie is incredible - a seasoned professional and a fantastic human being. It is honor to be paired up with him and I look forward to a great season together. Our first broadcast is on August 28th - St. Thomas v. Strake Jesuit. An exciting redux of an old rivalry. More on the game later.

Johnie Eldrege Brown

2009-08-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

Houston and Texas rugby lost a giant last week with the passing of Johnie JB Brown. Brown died unexpected at the age of 58 and left a huge hole in the rugby community. Best known for his smile and quick embrace, JB was a legend as a player and coach. He was a star for the Houston Old Boys for almost 25 years - a scoring machine and a menace defensively. His ability to go the length of the pitch is still talked about in pubs across the Lone Star State. One can argue that his biggest impact to the game was not as a player, but as a coach and molder of young men. Johnie defined true character and helped instill it in his charges during a ten-year career with St. Thomas High School. He was a major factor in the Eagles rise to national prominence in 2007. From 2007-2009 the Eagles appeared in the State Championship three times (winning back to back titles in 2008 and 2009), three straight Western RFU Regional Championships, and three straight USA National High School finals. Johnie was the Head JV Coach at STH at the time of his death.JB will be sorely missed by family, friends, coaches, players, and the rugby community at large. He was a great man and his influence and spirit will live on through the lives of all the players he touched for some many years. Good bye Johnie - we love you and miss you!