To Those Going For The Gold....


For those of us who follow rugby around the world, it can get pretty hectic.  There's a lot of teams on a local, regional, national and international level to keep track of it all.  Not to mention all the tournaments and international events that can take the whole of the spotlight.  Personally, I've spent the last year trying to keep up with SMRC, Wales, USA Eagles, Lions....and frankly geesh I'm glad the international stage is clearing down a bit.


It's easy to get lost in it all.  It's easy to forget important events.  It's easy to not even know about them. 
But one event that I'm not forgetting is another team USA that's making a rugby stand over the next few weeks in Israel.  The Maccabi USA Rugby team is right now in Israel competing for gold medals in both 7s and 15s rugby at the 19th Maccabiah Games.  The opening ceremonies will air live July 18th, 1pm EST @ http://www.jltv.tv

The Games bring together players of Jewish heritage of various sports from countries around the world.   Resisting the urge to write a super extended long blog, I encourage you to go to their website and discover for yourself how they are impacting and bringing together not only those with Jewish heritage, but people from all cultures and sports from around the world.

Our Maccabi USA rugby team.  They look like gold to me!

Thanks to the surge in social media, a whole lot more of us know these games are going on.  And many more of us are going to be watching and waiting for updates and photos.  FYI - here's their schedule for 7s on July 17th.... And hopefully, there will be links to viewing the games. (These are local times so use noggin to figure out your time zone. FYI-they're 10 hours ahead of LA.) 

5.20PM Great Britain vs. Israel

5.40PM USA vs. South Africa

7.00 PM Great Britain vs vs. South Africa

7.20PM USA vs. Israel

8.40PM USA vs. Great Britain

9.00PM South Africa vs. Israel

10.00PM Bronze Medal Final

10.20PM Gold/Silver Medal Final

When we wake up tomorrow, they'll already be playing the 7s games, and USA will be playing South Africa at 7:40AM PST.  By the time those of us on the west coast are eating lunch, the gold medal game will be underway.

The 15s get started in a few days.  Here's Team USA's 15s schedule (again, do your own math for your own local time):

7/21/13 - USA v Canada 5pm

7/23/13 - USA v Great Britain 8pm

7/25/13 - play off to 5th/6th place match 5:30pm

7/25/13 - Semi Final 1  7pm

7/25/13 - Semi Final 2  8:30pm

7/29/13 - 5th/6th Place Match 5pm

7/29/13 - 3rd/4th Place Match  6:30pm

7/29/13 - Gold Medal Match  8pm

(A full schedule for all sports is here.)

I found out about these games earlier this year, through the blog of my friend and Vice Captain of Team USA, Aaron Davis. (You can follow his Maccabi Team USA journey at his blog.)  His story reminded me of a strange trip I went on through sport and subsequently I'm now wrapped up in following the USA Maccabi team.  More and more it's made me think about the tapestry of our lives.  How what we think and do affects so many others.  How one journey we go on impacts not only ourselves but the lives of those we've met and will meet along the way.

When I was little, and my father passed, the whole concept of rugby disappeared from my life.  By mere chance, I re-discovered it.  Then, fell in love with it again in the midst of tragedy.   I didn't know at the time that I would ever have a reason to reflect on that tragedy again.  I never thought I'd see those events as connecting me to something else in the future.  I knew I'd change course, but didn't think of how or where my potential was now headed.  Being a supporter has introduced me to new opportunities and friends that would have gone right past me.  It's changed my life, impacted my career, and given me clearer vision for change and growth across the board for myself and the world around me.  And it's because I lived those moments, that I live my life the way I do now.  

I am overcome with emotion about the people I know who are there playing these next few weeks.  Sure we have a two stellar teams there, playing for the gold medal.  But they are playing for so much more.  When they come back, there won't be endorsement deals, parades, banners and headlines.  But there will be a gold medal around their necks and the swell of pride in their hearts.  Even more, there will be their contribution to the growth of rugby, to the growth of the Maccabi games, to the growth of their local teams, to the growth of the people they've met, to the growth of their own lives.  There will be memories, friendships, photos and team spirit that they carry always.  I look forward to their arrival back in the states, they are missed.  Even more, I want to see what's changed in their eyes.  What's been sparked in them to change their world and all our worlds again.  United in their Jewish heritage, united as a rugby team, united as Team USA, united with all of us as friends and family.  United and connected to the world and the people around them in a whole new way.

Look for the hashtags #ForTheBoys & #MaccabiUSA to help support our team.

Finally to Dave, Aaron and Ross - Good luck, safe travels and get back here with the GOLD!!

UPDATE: 7/17/13 - Maccabi USA 7s team has won the gold medal defeating Israel in an awesome final match 17-14  Congrats to both teams!!  

UPDATE: 8/16/13- A LONG overdue update.  (forgive me my day job butted in LOL)  Team USA brought home the Bronze!  And while it wasn't the gold they went for, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the trip was a huge SUCCESS!  I feel nothing but pride for these guys.  And Aaron-get your butt home soon we all miss you!!