By James McGrath
Photo courtesy Scion Rugby Academy
Last May I wrote an article about our daughter Jade. The article touched on several themes everyone in the rugby community and many other “minor” sports on the American sports landscape is familiar with: unseen dedication, self-motivated effort, inventiveness in finding places to practice all while maintaining the personal qualities and values that help make these sports so successful. The article, while deeply personal, was really intended to speak to the thousands of people who support our dreamers as much as it was to tell one simple story of an athlete striving to reach her potential and a goal.
This article is just personal.
Rita (Jade’s mom) and I are the biggest supporters of our three children’s choices to do what they have a passion for, even from across the ocean. We simply ask them to be honest with themselves when setting goals. We are fortunate enough to be able to help them in both small and big ways. Jade has been realistic and her development with Scion Rugby has her at the upper levels of the sport in the U.S. (my opinion anyway!). With this as a backdrop, Rita and I decided we would double up summer vacation and watch Jade play in the club nationals and the NDIT before getting her younger brother off to university. Mom had never seen her play.
This story isn’t about how well she played at nationals or Scion finishing third there. It’s not about how she played even better at the NDIT and Scion won that event. This story is not about whether or not she would have even gotten an invite to any camp that might lead to an Olympic opportunity. She had done everything she could have so it was out of her hands. No, this is a story that starts with, “Jim, one of the players is hurt.”
My response to Rita was, “That’s your daughter and it’s bad. Listen.”
The trainer on the field was fast. So was a coach. I walked slowly out to help them move her off the field. Once at the aid station the trainer realized there were a couple issues. The separated shoulder we were able to put back in place (sorry for choking you with the sheet, Jade!). There was nothing we could do for the broken collarbone. When the trainer said, “We need to call an ambulance,” was the moment Jade realized what the injury meant.
Jade being injured did not bother me too much. That is sport. Her being crushed made me cry. Looking at her laying there devastated realizing her Olympic dream was over was one of the hardest things I have had to endure as a parent. The same realization struck her again when the ambulance showed up. A third time when the doctor told her it definitely required surgery and would be a long recovery.
Properly medicated she only wanted to go back to watch the championship. We made it back to the field after the game but she was able to be in the team picture. Dropping her off at the team hotel that evening after dinner was tough. Concerned parents headed off to bed wondering how their little girl was. And, more importantly, how she was going to be.
I walked over to the team hotel in the morning to meet Jade for breakfast and help her move into our hotel for the evening. I asked her if she was alright and she responded, “It hurts a lot. But I am alright. Will have surgery as soon as I am back in D.C. and then time to start getting ready for World Cup 2021. We are still going to Japan. As soon as I can start hitting I will play 15s.” I was able to tell mom that she was, in fact, alright.
Jade’s recovery has been long but steadily progressing, currently hitting blocking pads, increasing strength training and working on her explosiveness. The things an athlete does when recovering from an injury. Being young and healthy helps. Being motivated, resilient and passionate makes recovery even easier.
Jade has demonstrated her motivation and recovering from a second collarbone surgery with the desire to play checks the resiliency box. The passion: rugby.
This summer we will go watch her play in the club nationals again with Scion and maybe make a trip in the fall to see her play 15s for the first time since we attended a game against UConn when she was at Boston College two years ago. The simple fact that we are planning these things before she is even hitting anyone on the field speaks volumes about the special young rugby player we call “our daughter.”
#JadeMcGrath #Scion