I was always an extremely hyperactive kid, the kind that couldn’t sit still for more than three minutes, so naturally my parents put me into sports at a young age. I participated in a variety of extra curricular activities over the years, but my main two were soccer and dance. In high school I was dancing somewhere close to 20 hours a week, needless to say, it was a huge aspect of my youth.
In grade 11, a friend recommended that I join my school’s rugby team. Which may seem like an odd recommendation for a dancer, but given my athleticism and aggression, it was actually a good fit. I picked up this sport rather quickly and within two years I was a starting player on UBC’s Women’s Rugby Team.
Dance in some ways did help me with my game. Being well aware of my body and agility helped me with my footwork on the field. In fact, my old soccer coach nick-named me “twinkle toes”, partially because he hated the fact that I was a dancer, but also because of my quick footwork.
It was a tough transition going from a dancer to a rugby player. In dance it is beneficial to have slender muscles, while in rugby it helps to be bulkier. Therefore, I had a lot of work to do in the gym in order to be a threat on the field. One of my coaches told me in my first training camp that I should gain at least ten pounds to be competitive in my position.
As I started rugby at a later age, I was a bit of an underdog on the team and I had a lot of technique and rugby knowledge to acquire. In high school I mostly relied on my natural athleticism, but that is not enough at the collegiate level. I was forced to have a sharp learning curve not only to keep my starting position, but also to avoid injury going up against those big teams.
For my first few years, my greatest weakness was my lack of vision on the field. Since this skill mostly comes with experience and knowledge of the game, I struggled with this, often feeling somewhat lost on the field. However, over my four years with UBC my vision improved and this past season I was the starting fullback (for those of you that don’t know rugby well, that is the last player back, the last line of defence, and the person with the best view of the field who therefore has to help direct the rest of the team).
Being a part of the UBC Women’s Rugby program is a major factor in making my University experience so incredible. Moving across the country when you are 17 is terrifying, but knowing you will have 25 best friends there is very comforting. My team has been my West Coast family for the past four years. I have learned so much (rugby and non-rugby related) from each and every teammate and my coaches.
I do not understand why many of my friends who were high level athletes in high school, did not continue playing in University. The main excuse I’ve heard is that is is too time consuming and would take away from their education. I disagree with this, because I have found that being busy has made me more aware of my time, and, therefore, more able to manage it. Also because I have always been highly competitive in sports, I couldn’t imagine stopping, especially when most other aspects of life changes when you start University. Sport has always been a positive and motivating constant in my life.
My life would be so much different if my parents had never put me into sports. I have always been known as an athlete, and I am beyond grateful that I was able to carry that title into my University career.
Nicole Mallow, Rugby Player With UBC Thunderbirds.
Any individuals in sports and fitness who would like to share their voice, please submit to hank@hankfittraining.com