RUGBY FEVER – A lot of rucking pressure!

A school master’s prerogative is to protect the child or to use the archaic term be ‘in loco parentis’ (in the place of the parent). This is the foundation that allowed my mother and many mothers since, to sleep at night knowing that little darling was in the safe and capable hands of a school that was being paid in blood, sweat and beer money from hubby. A school that was forming and moulding her little lump of child into a man worthy of showing off at office parties, introducing to prospective business partners – and his daughter – and knowing that there would be no eminent embarrassment to have to try and clean up. I know I, as a future father would be more at ease allowing my future daughter out on a date with a well groomed fine young gentleman rather than a long-haired, gum-chewing slang-slurring bloke…’My broo’!
This is why parents pay a considerable fortune – something similar to the gross domestic profit of a small African country – to send sons to high school. Sorry I nearly forgot, there is also the education factor, but that is the little cork floating in the waves of the stormy Atlantic that is RUGBY!!! We all love rugby. Next to soccer it is probably the most supported sport in the country. Yet when it comes to the selection of schoolboy players and the so-called support of their coaches, rugby season becomes somewhat of a blur. I have in my experience watched normal, well rounded schoolmasters transform overnight into tormented, testosterone oozing monsters of focus the instant rugby season starts. Coaches swear that much more often, because it seems to ‘focus’ the boys more. They need to be pushed like that if we are to succeed. Boys don’t understand you if you aren’t tough on them. “Bollocks!” After a spate of bullying incidents in schools around the country being dealt with and parents, outraged at how this type of incident can be allowed, they stand on the touch-line throwing fuel on the fire by placing so much emphasis on the game of rugby. It is suddenly alright for masters and coaches to do things on a rugby field that they would never dream of doing in any other arena.

“You will attend at least two practices and one fitness session a week if you want to have a chance at selection.”(this, stated one week into the first quarter…still January!)

Timmy is in matric and a keen player who will definitely play in the second fifteen, but does have a real chance at the firsts if he works hard. He plays in the first eleven cricket too. Timmy has cricket practice two afternoons a week and rugby practice two afternoons a week. Only two rugby practices are compulsory, the other two are voluntary, but then according to his coach: so is selection! Captains practice is on a Friday and rugby fitness on a Wednesday morning. Fitness testing has to be fitted in too. If he doesn’t do his rugby gym program he probably won’t make the squad. There is a cricket match on Saturday afternoon and his girlfriend is coming to watch with his parents. There is also matric to worry about, one or two A symbols are needed if he is to gain access to his degree course of choice. Oh, wait…he also needs to be a boy and have friends and enjoy life! Midlife crisis at seventeen retired at nineteen! How fair is it that we place so much emphasis on so much in such a short space of time on our boys?

Granted, rugby is not the only arena where this type of pressure occurs. Coaches and parents alike live their youth’s failed aspirations of glory onto their shiny-eyed players and athletes. Aspiring to teach what they could not do. Do we consider that when boys are in our care that they cannot make their own choices? They aren’t too young to make their own decisions. I made up my mind at the age of three that I did not like brussel sprouts – didn’t much care how good they were for me. The same for sport; let the child decide. If he is happy in the D team, be happy with him in the D team. Encourage, don’t pressure!

Too much pressure turns you into that playground bully. Now how parentis is that?