How Rugby Changed My Life
I remember my first attempt at rugby was at the age of 12 in 1993.
Not having much knowledge of the game, I sprinted down the field and threw the ball down in a mock American Football style. The shrill whistle and the unamused looks of the coach and my classmates made me understand that that was not what I should have done. A few tips/lessons later I was hooked and carried on playing for another 7 years.
So what do I mean when I say rugby changed my life? Well here are 3 reasons how:
1. Teamwork
I am probably going to get a lot of grief for this, but rugby is probably one of the few team sports where all the players involved are needed 90% of the time to score a try (a try being equal to scoring a goal in football).
If you are unfamiliar with rugby then check out the video below:
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Because in rugby the only way to pass a ball is backwards you have to trust the person behind you to be there to catch it.
It also thought me that sometimes you have to look back to get ahead.
2. Fitness
Being an Asian teenager in the 90’s didn’t bring in a high importance to fitness. Fact is that empty lots and public parks proved to be our gym of mischief. While a bike and an empty road gave us all the cardiovascular exercise we needed. Nowadays the story is much different. In fact at my gym (InnerFight) they even have a special rugby programme – how things have changed.
I loved sports in general. In school I would try out for everything. But playing rugby made the sphere of fitness more acute. You could be fast or you could be big but being both was a deadly combination in rugby.
Playing the game and during the dormant years, I appreciated the positive impact a sport can have on your body and on your mind. This brings me nicely to my next point, mental fitness.
3. Mental strength
The more the game got physical the stronger you had to be mentally. Tackling someone is one thing, however knowing that was going to happen to you sooner or later was a whole other story.
When I first started playing I would avoid getting hit at any cost. But as I got older and tactics became more important, I had to take a hit more often then not. But every time I had to push myself to get back up again and keep taking the hits. I had my share of injuries. It only made me stronger.
This help me understand that sometimes when you get hit you just need to get back up again otherwise you are going to miss all the action.
For those who’ve played the game, you can probably relate.
I still love watching the game and the thrill of how it made me feel back then still keeps creeping back.
I have new goals. I have new aspirations. I also have a new passion. I like to think that what I learnt in those seven years – I will keep taking forward.
