Details, details, details...

So practice starts next Monday... not tonight.

(From the ever helpful Coach John)
Hey guys... just to clarify and update our practice schedule:

Tuesday 2/21 - Chalk Talk at Lee's- 7-9 PM
Indoor practices - Mondays & Wednesdays - 2/27-3/13 - Norman Thomas HS, 9th Floor, 33rd St & Park Ave - 7-9 PM
Outdoor practices - Tuesdays & Thursdays - 3/16-3/25 - Randall's Island, pitch # TBA, 7-9 PM
Outdoor practice - Saturday - 3/4 - Pier 40 Courtyard Field East #1 - 8-10 AM
Bootcamp - Saturday -3/11 - Randall's Island, pitch # TBA - 11 AM - 4 PM

This gives me a few more days to stress out before the practice season officially starts.

No "I" in Team

I ran into Healy and Doug and Turtle at the Eagle on Sunday. Yeah, I'm on the website too. Nice photo, eh? I love it when I get "crazy eyes".

At the Eagle there was much whooping and drinking and cheer. I spilled my beer all over myself - a common occurrence when I'm tipsy, be it rugby drink-up or just an early morning commute to work.

"Are we gonna see you (this season)?!", was asked more than a few times. And I blustered and thumped my chest and declared a resounding "Yes!"

Even as an inner dialogue tacked on, "…but I don't know if I really want to. I mean. This shit is a lot of work, yo."

Stupid little voices. And weirdly enough I'm confronted with whether I should identify teammates on this forum. I'd like to. Bingham/Rugby is a team endeavor. I love these guys dearly and want to celebrate their accomplishments. I'm constantly amazed at the dedication they put into their sport.

Maybe if I complain, I won't identify friends. No need for a derogatory blog affecting team morale. I think the tone of this tome will be very honest - sure a little catty? But nothing hurtful.

Rugby hurts enough without emotional jabs tossed in. So tonight is first practice, specifically indoor practice. We're meeting at a High School gym to do passing drills and running back and forth. Primarily stuff that you don't require space for and excercises that can be taught on the unforgiving hardness of a gymnasium floor. So no tackling.

I look forward to the tackling. But that's several weeks down the road. Oh yeah. And considering it is February in New York - it's a wee bit chilly to be out of doors.

Doing my work, I'm surprised how I keep cycling my thoughts back towards anticipation of tonight's practice. Why am I so nervous?

Paying My Dues

10:14AM Mystery Teammate: hhhmmm, the cost of bingham goes up after tuesday

10:15AM Gayest Neil: YIKES!
10:15AM Gayest Neil: to what?

10:16AM Mystery Teammate: One more thing: You can pay a combined Spring Dues/Early Bingham for $400 (before 2/28) (not sure what the price will be after 2/28..stay tuned)...Please make sure that you register!!! Even if you have paid the above dues combo YOU STILL HAVE TO REGISTER (if you don't register, you will not be allowed on the pitch during the tournament) **
10:16AM Mystery Teammate: I think it goes up to either $450 or $475 total

10:16AM Gayest Neil: huh...i need to register now then. I guess.
10:17AM Gayest Neil: so it's $175 for bingham
10:17AM Gayest Neil: that means dues are 225? Momma is poor!

10:19AM Mystery Teammate: Spring 2006 Dues will be $250. Players who return in the fall will pay another $100 for the fall season. We may revisit the fall amount if our expenses run less than anticipated or we find ourselves in a better financial position by the end of the summer. Players who play the fall season only will pay $200. That amount will not change (any fall price decrease will only apply to players who paid for the spring). **

10:19AM Mystery Teammate: As you know, Bingham Registration has begun, and fees are $175 of paid by February 28. You may pay both your Spring Dues and your early deadline Bingham fees for a total amount of $400, but you must pay the full amount by February 28 to take advantage of this offer. If you're planning on playing in the Bingham Cup and know you're going to be able to have everything paid by the end of February, then this is the way to go because you'll end up saving $50 (based on the price of Bingham registration after Feb. 28). **

10:21AM Mystery Teammate: the math doesn't come out right, lol

10:24AM Gayest Neil: yeah we save $25 by registering now?

10:25AM Mystery Teammate: oh, you mean $25 off the normal early bird registration of $175?

10:26AM Gayest Neil: no. $25 … I don't know …

10:26AM Mystery Teammate: ha

10:26AM Gayest Neil: its' $400 if we register now
10:26AM Gayest Neil: it's $222 for bingham and $250 for Gotham if we don't register now
10:26AM Gayest Neil: sorry $225
10:27AM Gayest Neil: so we shave $75?
10:27AM Gayest Neil: i don't know
10:31AM Gayest Neil: Haha. I said "Shave"!

**Note: Text in BOLD are from player reminders.

Bingham Blogged Begins

Hello there. Some of you may know me from my Diary. I'm Neil and I play rugby.

Everyone in unison: "Hello, Neil."

Aw...thank you. That's very kind. Well, I've been playing rugby for almost two years now. I started in September of 2004. I belong to the Gotham Knights. This Spring we're hosting the third annual Bingham Cup.

The Bingham Cup is an international, rugby tournament named in the memory of Mark Bingham.

"Why another blog Neil?"

Good question. I've mentioned my rugby experiences a few times on DoaCD. With Bingham, though, I think I have an opportunity to create a beginning and an end.

Beginning

The season started with a meeting to discuss team goals on Tuesday. I missed it. A work party with an open bar pulled me away. C'mon, an open bar versus a "chalk talk" would give any footballer pause to consider which is more important. I see Tuesday's free vodkas as ample training for those strenuous post game drink-ups.

I've puked at one too many. I needed my liver kicked back into the rugby season.

I actually need alot kicked back into the season. The past "off-season" I've not run. I've not gone to the gym. I've not lifted a barbell. Nothing. I'm anticipating getting back into shape will be horrible. Eh. I anticipate horror in most things. I've leared rugby isn't the sport for the habitual worry-wart.

That is precisely why I fell in love with it two years ago. Running and colliding on "the pitch" takes me out of my neurotic head. Adrenalin is an addictive substance. Those instinctual decisions and pushing as hard you can - and yeah... sometimes simply puttering out..

So - let's take a nervous ride for a few months to the Bingham Cup together. Enough excuses and enough putting it off. Tonight the indoor practices begin. I'll push myself and complain about it here. And maybe, just maybe, if I push myself hard enough - I'll stop bitching and actually rediscover why I enjoyed this sport as much as I did two years ago.