Clay Crouch ’18

My time at Staples has been exciting and helped shape who I am today. I have grown as a person and a student throughout my three years as a Wrecker.

One activity in particular has been responsible for this growth: rugby. I started playing freshman year and instantly fell in love with the game and the culture surrounding it. Now, in my final year, I can reflect on the impact rugby has had on me.

I realized how much I liked the sport after my first game.
When the game had finished, instead of packing up and going home, our team headed to the other team’s side.

We enjoyed a dinner with the people who not ten minutes ago we wanted to destroy.

This obscure tradition takes place throughout the world of rugby. The home team prepares the meal and all sides enjoy the meal after the game. This opened me up to the respect and sportsmanship of the game.

Sure, most sports conclude with a handshake, but that is nothing compared to this. This chivalrous act has showed me the respect you should have for people in all facets of life. If you can respect your competition, you can respect anyone. When you sit down with and understand your competition, you can learn from them.

The coaches are also wonderful and really want you to become a lifelong fan of the game. The head coach, David Lyme, continues to shape me as a person through his invaluable lessons.

Coach Lyme has us routinely perform breathing exercises where we imagine what we want to do in the game. He tells us that in order to do something, you have to envision it and believe you can achieve it. This advice and wisdom has helped me not just on the field but academically as well.

It is important to take the lessons you learn and hold on to them. Rugby, the sport I love, has provided me with many.