I used to play rugby when I was younger. I played at quite a high level, could have signed a professional contract if there was any money in the sport.
Anyway, when I was 21 and at University I was the club captain and we had a coach called Frank Wilson. He was born in 1944 he played international rugby for Wales, he is one of the top 20 all time Welsh try scorers (210 tries in 435 professional games), challenge cup winner, he is of Welsh mining heritage and was black. I cannot imagine how tough it must have been for him growing up.
Anyway, 2003 or so and our University team (coached by Frank) were training one night and Frank was getting annoyed that the intensity wasn’t there.
He stopped the session, picked me out, gave me a ball and asked me to run at him as hard as I could.
I was 21 he was 58, I was probably 50lb heavier than he was and 2 inches taller than him.
I was concerned about bowling him over onto some equipment nearby, I thought he was crazy (he was a bit crazy).
But I have never been hit so hard before or after, in my entire life and over the years I played with a lot of people my own age who went on to dominate the sport at the top level.
I wasn’t just stopped, I was flat on my back with Frank on top of me. It was like being shot with a cannon. Frank was immediately worried he had given me brain damage or something and pulled me up patting me down checking I was OK. But his point stays with me forever… don’t waste your time.
I look back and I know some people are just not like the rest of us. I think Mike Tyson has this in him too, or certain did once upon a time.
But it’s more than possible for some 58 year old man to squash bigger men in their prime.
Great story Stu.
Good to see you here, been a while!
Yeah, I’ve been trying to de-online myself a bit more especially when at home.
Put the phone down.
Especially between 5pm and 10pm which is family time that I’m never getting back. I think cellphones might be the top deathbed regret in another decade or so.
It’s not easy. These things are weaponised.
Wise words. Being conscientious of these things can only be good, nobody is going to wish they spent more time on their phones on their deathbeds that’s for sure.
Hooking us in with wearables or implantables is where this ends up and I’m already not interested. Next generations might be a different story though..
In high school I had a similar experience but a different lesson. Coach was not happy with how I and the other teammate did the drill of a head on. He screamed for us to do it again "like you mean it". I ended up breaking his collarbone and the practice ended. The take away was emotion and intelligence are inversely proportional.
When the student becomes the master.
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