When it Rains it Pours

It was bad enough that I was transferred away from Illinois and my beloved team, the Gladiators. Not only had I forged some good friendships on the team I had developed a deep passion for the game of rugby that I didn't even expect. I will forever be grateful to the Gladiators for the opportunity to play the game with them, for their patience as I developed, and for the immeasurable fun I had on the pitch. I moved to Northern Virginia where I immediately went searching for a new team to play for.

Luckily I was able to find a team no further than 15 miles from my new house. I was excited to get back to the pitch this fall. At this point I need to step back into the past. When I decided to take up Rugby I was a bit intimidated about my age and the level of violence of the sport. I was worried that I would break my neck or leg in a fluke accident and become disabled. As I learned the sport I found that rugby is actually a safer sport than football. This is because the athletes are not armored nor to they use their heads as battering rams as they do in football. Additionally, in football a Quarterback and Wide Receiver tend to turn their back to a charging opponent. In rugby the linear style and head-to-head play as well as the non-padded contact may seem counterintuitive but it is safer.

It is ironic or sad or maybe even comical that I snapped my tibia and fibula after falling from a ladder while cleaning my gutters on my new house. In an instant my rugby career was over with a painful snap. As I landed I thought "Oh, Shit! I can't believe I did that!" After an IV of morphine and an ambulance ride to the hospital it was apparent that I had made a mess of my leg. The next day I was taken to surgery and was fitted with an external fixator to keep my leg immobilized until it could heal enough for further surgery.

17 days later I was released from the hospital after having reconstructive surgery, which consisted of adding two titanium plates and 12 screws. It has been a long miserable recovery. Instead of running the pitch I spent the season in wheelchair and physical therapy. Needless to say I was a bit depressed and stayed clear of the pitch this fall.

All has not been lost though. I have upgraded to a sports package on TV that gives me weekly rugby matches so I am getting my hit fix. I am 43 now and now have this crazy goal to play one more match. I want to end my playing days on my own terms and prove to myself that I can. It may be crazy but that is what the spirit of Rugby is about.