Occidental Rugby Season Recap (Summer reading)

[Jeremy Castro]

(pictures for this email are here... )

Gentlemen, Ladies & Blackshirts Alike,

A group of us (Mitch, Ahlo, Jav, Johnny, Hendo) were at my place in El Segundo on Friday for a viewing of the Virginia games and some real world debauchery.  We had a quick 5-minute hello from Zak and his pops - Zak flew in from Nicaragua and his pops from Costa Rica - before they made the drive to Michigan to see their family.

We watch the first half of Ithaca twice and drank each time someone did something good and drank a shot of beer each minute until Longwood got to 19 points (20 game minutes and probably 30 actual minutes with stoppage, etc).

The next day, my neighbor said "what game were you watching?   It seemed like you were going crazy screaming and yelling for over 5 hours."  Needless to say, a lot of emotions came out and eventually had us finishing a ton of beers, whiskey and cigs and Mitch leaving a trail of technicolor yawn from the bar to my warehouse.

As I put in some work tonight, I'm replaying the games with less noise and really listening to the commentary and smiling because they could not help but like us and our style of play.

Obviously, 2nd best in the nation is great.  But #2 is never good enough when #1 is in your sights.   And it was.  #2 is not enough.

But, we also need to take a moment to pause for some Socratic thought because we defied expectations...

• Who thought we would win those 3 games in Long Beach in the Fall?
  
  
• Who thought we'd be something like 16-1 to end the season?  (Someone do the math for me)
  
  
• Who could have guessed the group of "Gentlemen of the World" could find the kind of cohesiveness we had when we came into camp despite all the historical "differences" exposed on our tshirts?
  
  
• Did anyone realize the season long importance of the try Ahlo scored against Riverside when he scored it?
  
  
• As the momentum built and Spring Break came around, who could have imagined our heads hanging low with Michigan in town to play us?
  
  
• And who would have thought with the help of Guthrie and The Champ, we would have pulled off a huge victory despite key people being out of town?
  
  
• As UNLV came into town under the lights of Paterson Field, who could have predicted such a smart and well executed game of rugby?
  
  
• To take it back even further, could Mitch, Johnny, Jav, Ahlo, Jackson, McManemin, Boehme or Drew think they could eventually lead such a merry band of Blackshirts when they were 18 years old Freshman?
  
  
• Who would have thought the Olde Boys and College Teams would finally regain their good relationship, thus making each team better in the process?
  
  
• Who thought they would spend a couple days in April studying and hanging out at the Sports Club Motel in Wayne, FUCKING Nebraska?
  
  
• Did anyone think it would be possible to RAISE nearly $40,000 to get us to be #2 in the nation?  Having each person flown over 10,000 miles with over 32 players, a couple coaches, 3 women's team leaders.
  
  
• Did Fernando think his first time on an airplane would be because of Rugby and taking him to Omaha, Nebraska and Virginia Beach, Virginia?
  
  
• Who would have believed they could walk down the quad on a Tuesday and see random people they do not even know wearing OXY RUGBY tshirts?
  
  
• Who of us would believe your professors, administrators, classmates, family, friends or girlfriends would be watching our game online while we traveled to Virginia?
  
  
• Who amongst us (and alumni) knew Godfree would be the only person to single handedly find a whole in the TSA the same weekend Osama gets capped in the head?
  
  
• Did anyone believe we'd travel with 100 Occidental players, supporters, family from all over the United States in addition to London and Costa Rica?
  
  
• Who would have thought at Training Camp, while listening to Godfree give his "speech" in the stands of Paterson Field, they would be listening to him say "You made an old man happy" while under the posts of a pitch in Virginia, bringing tears to me and Guthrie?
  
  
• Who thought someone would have bigger calves than me?   (hint hint, my dad!)
  
  
• Who would have predicted that Johnny would channel his emotion in such a way that he became a fan favorite, a big time ass whooper and inspirational leader and "Heart and Soul" recipient?  DO IT FOR JOHNNY.
  
  
• Who could believe me made our flight home on Sunday night?  And outside of somehow puking in the airport and McManemin almost getting kicked off the flight... there were no problems.
  

Guys, as I watch this game I am very excited to have been a part of this adventure.   It helped me just as much as it helped you guys.   Having come off a business "failure" of epic proportions, this season helped remind me of some things I'm good at.

I honestly believe we built a family this season and our ability to work together as the College Men's team and as Occidental Rugby Football Club (Olde Boys/Women's team included) is the true reason for our success.   The camaraderie, friendship and enjoyment amongst each other on and off the field allowed you all to LEARN and PLAY good rugby.

You all truly proved to be GENTLEMEN OF THE WORLD, which was highlighted by the fact that we had the only diverse team in both tournaments (dammit Desmond, where the heck you at foooolio!!!, come back to us!).   This is both a testament to the nature of Occidental College as an institution and each of your families for getting you in a position for me to ask any of the above questions.

Over the summer learn the rugby gospel from people other than your Oxy cohorts.   Find a club around your hometown or WHATEVER city you are in.   There is one close by [look here].  They will accept you and you will immediately have new friends and teammates.  You will bring something to their team for the summer and you will bring a ton back to Occidental next season.  Do it.  You will fall in love with Sevens (both the game and summer tournament format)

While I am here, my "job" is not just as Coach of the the Men's Team.  I am here to help THE PROGAM, Occidental Rugby Football Club, and I think we all need to think like that.  The Women's Team needs some help and the Men's Team will play a large role in recruiting next year.   Let's get this family strong and no family is complete without some strong willed ladies around.   Let's step our game up.

Thank you all for a great season and, as I have stated before, my life is not in a place to commit to this forever but please know while I am around (and the rest of us alumni), this club will be taken care of and the Blackshirts will always live on.   The leadership of this club begins with the coach but ultimately, it is YOU, the players with the help of Alumni that have kept our club thriving for over 45 years. Player run and player owned.  Who will step up next season?

"And Ithaca is gonna run it up, and he's gonna run into a bunch of BLACK SHIRTS" says the commentator.

Viva Las Blackshirts.   The commentator just proved why we are known as THE BLACKSHIRTS.

Cheers,

Castro

[Jonathan Ni]

You guys missed out on a fun night.  I don't even remember watching the Longwood game at all but I do remember Mitch puking in the parking lot of the bar.  I'm not entirely sure but I think he punched me in the left eye as well. 

[Mitchell Grummon]

avoid consuming boiler makers, they are the poor man's irish car bomb 

i repudiate these spurious allegations of assault made by the Wildebeest

win next year, renew the dynasty, and continue on the long strange journey  

[Jonathan Ni]

You guys missed out on another great night.  Highlights include:

-Mitch being cheap and tipping the taxi driver a dollar after the driver insisted on tip
-Mitch running around yelling and screaming after exiting the taxi
-Mitch knocking over trash cans left and right
-Mitch jumping and kneeing me in the spine
-Mitch trying to fight me
-Mitch running on top of someone's car and yelling and screaming
-Mitch pissing off of said car
-Javi and me running away in absolute terror from Mitch

Hope to see you boys this weekend if I can make it