The Hyde players collect their hardware after winning the High School Division of the 2003 NOVA 7s.
A question that frequently comes to mind in Rugby Magazine’s offices is why rugby does not attract more African American players. And one answer is that rugby is not readily available where many African Americans live. That scenario is starting to change through the efforts of such clubs as the Pittsburgh Harlequins and the Santa Monica RFC.
Another example of
successfully bringing the game to the people can be seen in the four year
old rugby program at the Hyde School in Washington DC. Rugby Magazine got
some insights on the Hyde program this August by speaking with the school’s
rugby coach and Athletic Director, Tal Bayer.
RUGBY: What exactly is the Hyde
School?
BAYER: The Hyde Leadership Charter
School is a public school in Washington DC open to any district student free
of charge. It opened its doors in the fall of 1999 and operates relatively
independently of the city school system. Hyde started with grades 7-9 but
has now expanded to K-12; there are 200 elementary school students, 250
middle school and 250 high school. Hyde has its own mission, curriculum and
financials and is subject to periodic audits from its chartering agency
and/or the District Public School System.
Hyde’s mission is grounded in "character education." We are part of a larger Hyde family with boarding schools in Bath, Maine and Woodstock, Connecticut. The boarding schools cater to a vastly different student population, but the principals and philosophy are the same.
Every class, activity and sports team places heavy emphasis on leadership, concern, integrity, curiosity and courage. In addition to our academic curriculum, we develop these characteristics by requiring all students to participate in sports, performing arts, community service, leadership retreats, journaling, group discussions and outdoor experiential education. These activities are considered co-curricular, not extra-curricular, and carry the same weight as any algebra, history or science class.
We require parents and faculty to attend monthly meetings and quarterly family weekends. It’s not like a PTA, but more geared to taking a deeper look and improving upon ourselves. We work in conjunction with the parents because if we are not supporting and working together, everything we emphasize goes out the window at the end of each school day.
RUGBY: What kind of athletic programs does the Hyde school have?
BAYER: We have a fairly comprehensive
12 sport program that includes football, cheerleading, cross country,
volleyball, golf, boys and girls soccer, basketball, wrestling, girls
lacrosse, track and rugby. We draw from approximately 250 high school
students of which 120 are male. Of that 120 students, approximately 30 are
members of Hyde Rugby.
RUGBY: What status does rugby
have?
BAYER: Rugby has varsity status and
is considered the sport to play in the spring. Varsity status means we have
a budget for uniforms, equipment, coaching stipends and continuing
education, conferences, CIPP fees, tournament fees, local travel and even
our subscription to Rugby Magazine. Varsity status is unusual for
high school rugby programs, but without financial support we never would
have been able to start a team.
Those things the school does not cover - such as cleats, scrum caps, shoulder pads, food for road trips, camp and tour expenses, etc - are covered by fundraising activities. Those expenses add up quickly and thanks to the generous support of the Washington Rugby Club and countless individuals, no player has ever missed playing rugby due to financial need.
RUGBY: How did you become
affiliated with the school?
BAYER: I came to Hyde through a rugby
connection. One of my former Washington RFC teammates and former Chico State
rugby coach, John Payne, had been a student at the Hyde School in Maine. He
knew of my interest in working with kids and put me in touch with the
incoming headmaster. Over the next 6-9 months, I attended parent or alumni
meetings to get an understanding of the school’s philosophy. I was so
impressed with the dedication and commitment of all involved that I wanted
to be a part of it. After one of the longest and toughest interviews I’ve
ever undergone, I was one of the first teachers hired in 1999.
RUGBY: What is your job at
Hyde?
BAYER: All Hyde teachers must be
involved in coaching, performing arts or some activity. When I first came to
Hyde, I taught algebra, coached rugby, taught chorus for performing arts and
helped with wrestling and soccer. In the school’s third year, I taught two
classes and served as acting Athletic Director and rugby coach. Last year, I
became the full time Athletic Director, but no longer taught classes.
RUGBY: Tell us about the Hyde
team.
BAYER: Our most significant
distinction is that the team is entirely African-American.
We began in the spring of 2000 with approximately 15-20 players in grades 7-9. That first season, we could count on 7-10 dedicated players. We would spend most of the day counting and recounting who was available, based on the most up to date suspension and detention list. Usually, we would end up grabbing the last 2-3 players as we walked out the door to our games. If they looked athletic or, more importantly, were willing to play, we put them in uniform.
That first year was a rough one. We lost 12 games and must have had 800-900 points scored against us.
I can still remember our first game out at Gravelly Point here in Washington. The kids spent the whole bus ride running their mouths about how they were going "truck somebody" and "punish" the other team. Needless to say, we were down by at least 50 points at half time before the opposition substituted all 15 players and slowed the massacre to an additional 30 points.
I wish I could say it was a quiet ride home, with the team reflecting on how to improve their rugby. In reality, I must have been watching a different game because the kids ran their mouths the whole way about this amazing run or that big hit. They acted like they had just won the Super Bowl. I knew then it was going to be a long battle, but I could not fault their enthusiasm. It was a trying first year.
RUGBY: Did things improve?
BAYER: Each successive year was a bit
better as we spent less time teaching how to practice sports and more time
learning rugby. While we had plenty of athletes, we really struggled with
team rugby; it was every man for himself. But at the very end of year two,
the team finally showed a glimmer of what was possible.
I can’t remember our opponent, but it was our scrum 70 meters from the try line. The scrumhalf and hooker finally got their timing right and the ball was quickly hooked back to the #8. The scrumhalf made a beautiful pass to the flyhalf (first time he probably ever had clean ball) and we ran a 1-2 crash that the center timed beautifully and broke the gain line. At the tackle point he set the ball like he actually had been practicing it for two years.
The back row cleaned things out nicely, the ball was out to the backs and the wing was off to the races before being corner flagged by their fullback. Our winger dished back inside to his trailing center who raced ahead only to be caught 20 meters from the try line. With composure not normally seen in a 10th grader, our center took the tackle on his terms, kept his feet and offloaded back to the winger for the try.
Despite losing by a large
margin, I knew at that moment that there was a god and maybe we were finally
heading in the right direction.
Hyde coach Tal Bayer
RUGBY: How are things today?
BAYER: This past year, our fourth,
you could really see improvement on and off the field due to several things.
First, our team and school cultures were finally taking root. Most of the players were making the connection that life could be a lot more interesting and fun if you had a positive attitude, gave your best, and held others to the same standard.
Secondly, we now have four full time USA Rugby certified coaches. It has greatly reduced our coach to player ratio and allowed us to work more consistently with individual positions and skills.
Third, we have done a lot of non-rugby activities such as "Friday Night Lock In/Movie Night". We’ve entered combined teacher/student 7s teams into social tournaments, and the kids worked together to host the MARFU 7s and New Zealand Embassy Ambassadors’ Shield Match. While these activities were a lot of fun, they also helped increase the teamwork, support and trust between players and coaches.
Our most successful team building activity, was taking 12 players, most of whom had never been camping, on a mid-winter trip to the mountains of West Virginia. Without tents and with temperatures dipping to 18 degrees at night., the kids had to build open faced shelters with a tarp and then construct a fire with a reflecting wall to push the heat back into their "tent". We did a variety of exercises to get the kids working together and challenge their frustration levels.
After dinner each player filled out an index card with the negative attitudes they saw themselves struggling with. We then passed each card around to the group and everybody tried to guess which player it was. They were quite surprised at some answers on the cards and even more surprised when the group gave each player two minutes of feedback regarding their answers. What might have caused fists to fly in previous days, seemed to be taken with an open heart and an honest interest in helping each other. Once everybody, including the coaches, had their turn, the cards were tossed into the fire, symbolizing the burning of negative attitudes.
The most valuable learning experience of that trip, however, happened after everybody went to bed. Each player served a one hour shift keeping the fire going so that they did not freeze. That first night was pretty easy as each player took his turn.
The next night was another kettle of fish. At about three am, I heard the boy on fire duty trying to wake up Josh, one of our props, to take over. Josh had apparently been the first guy on fire duty the previous night and made it clear that he had already pulled a shift. Josh failed to understand that everyone had already pulled a shift and it was back to him.
The fire went out as they curled up in their soon to be not so warm sleeping bags. The next morning, I tried to contain my laughter as the half frozen kids huddled around a smoldering pile of ash, trying to get it going again.
We rode Josh pretty hard that day but it provided our theme of the trip. "Keep the Fire Burning" was a way of reminding everyone that we are all part of a team. Sometimes it means picking up the slack for others and doing twice the work, but never quit on yourself or your teammates.
RUGBY: How are the coaching
duties divided up?
BAYER: John Robinette has been an
integral part of our team from day one. He works with the forwards but we
confer on all aspects of the team. John teaches Western Civilization and
History and brings a lot of the discipline and organization from his other
job as Hyde’s head football coach.
John Gross is in his second year as our scrumhalf coach. While John, the head soccer coach for Hyde and Catholic University, has limited rugby experience, he expressed interest in getting involved in rugby. While not coaching, he teaches Ethics and Civics courses at Hyde.
Patrick Christian came on board this past season to work with our outside backs and gave us another set of eyes. Patrick is the only coach still actively playing. He works in the Special Education department at Hyde.
I perform the normal head coaching duties and spend an enormous amount of time fundraising, taking care of kit, paperwork, driving the team bus, organizing team activities, attending conferences and meetings (COG, Cherry Blossom, coaching seminars) creating promotional pieces and being the team mouthpiece. It is not an easy job but I love it.
RUGBY: Is coaching at Hyde
different from coaching other programs?
BAYER: There are some marked
differences. We practice every day and frequently play two games a week. For
a lot of our players, rugby is an escape and an alternative from boredom or
trouble. Lately, it’s been a struggle to get them to go home or leave the
school.
Many external factors and pressures affect our players’ ability to focus on rugby and school. Some players have to take public transportation 1.5 hours each way to school; being responsible for younger siblings from the moment school’s out until well into the evening; teenage fatherhood; neighborhood and in some cases family violence; living in group homes or with relatives; drugs and alcohol; diet or lack of; unemployment; etc.
All these things affect our kids and cause many to grow up well before their time. The team has become such a strong unit because we can count on each other and provide a safe, supportive and fun environment.
Our school also allows coaches and teachers to go a lot further in dealing with issues and behaviors.
Patrick (PJ) Komognan is an amazing athlete who, even when playing or working at 50%, is better than just about anybody I can compare him to. But his efforts with schoolwork, at rugby practice and before games was horrible. This attitude was permeating everything PJ did. He was not making the connection that to be the best he had to give his best 100% of the time.
John Robinette, who has a good nose for getting kids back on track, said he wanted to "work on this one". PJ was removed from rugby and all of his classes and had to report to school an hour early and spend the day working out, writing, reflecting, and meeting with faculty and peers to discuss his attitudes and receive feedback.
This went on for over a week before things finally sunk in and PJ gave a heart felt apology to the team.
This kind of thing makes our program unique. We would not look the other way and allow PJ to give anything but his best. Hyde empowers teachers, coaches and students to hold each other to their "unique potential" or personal best. In "Hyde speak" we call that "Brothers’ Keeper."
RUGBY: Can programs like
Hyde’s be replicated in other cities?
BAYER: It can definitely be done but
requires huge amounts of time, patience and commitment. The easiest way to
build rapport with both the school and players is for the coach to be
employed by the school. That rapport is crucial to building numbers and
support.
Establishing a relationship with local club is also crucial. When Hyde first opened, the Washington RFC did everything from moving in hundreds of desks, computers and text books, to cleaning, landscaping the rugby field, purchasing and installing uprights. They also have provided scholarships for 17 of our players to attend USA Rugby Player Development camps over the last three years and financed our nine day Northeast rugby tour this past spring. Their work and financing built a relationship that helped foster support for rugby on the administrative level.
Charter schools are an untapped opportunity to develop outstanding rugby programs. Most have few sports programs and are always looking for ways for their students to compete. Rugby is an exciting, low cost alternative that kids love.
Charter schools are always searching for teachers, providing great job opportunities for domestic and foreign players to work, coach and play rugby. Starting salaries are in the low to mid 30s and escalate nicely once a teacher has been there a while.
RUGBY: What accomplishments
are you most proud of?
BAYER: Off the field highlights were
pretty numerous. Several players traveled to villages in the mountains
outside Guatemala City this summer with an awesome organization called Hoops
Sagrado. Basically, inner city kids from Washington DC learn Spanish, while
teaching English and basketball to Mayan children.
Three of our players had summer jobs with Godek Rugby. Summer employment is hard to come by in Washington and not very meaningful. Having a job and paycheck, being surrounded by rugby, and working with a great bunch of guys was much better than the usual summertime opportunities afforded district teens.
Four year player and team captain David Gaddie was in our first graduating class this year and will attend Morehouse University in Atlanta. Although incredibly bright, there were times I wasn’t sure David was going to make it. On the day of our biggest football game senior year, David came to school out of dress code (no shirt and tie). He was sent home to get dressed but didn’t show up for the next three weeks. It took several months, but his grades eventually rebounded. After a lot of hard work, good SATs, recommendations and an amazing college entrance essay, David was accepted into every school he applied to.
RUGBY: What about the rugby?
BAYER: Our biggest rugby highlight
took place this summer. The boys won 7s championships in three high school
tournaments, were runners up at our Pride 7s and won the social division of
the Severn River Tournament. Over the course of five tournaments, they
racked up 700+ points, while allowing only about 60.
Three Hyde players, TJ Brown, Bruce Evans and PJ Komognan played with the Washington Widgets at this year’s Cape Fear 7s, reaching the senior final before losing to the Charlotte RFC. Bruce Evans, a 16 year old, was a member of the Washington RFC side that won the Mid-Atlantic RFU Championship and competed in the National 7s Championship in Pittsburgh.
Unfortunately we’re still struggling with 15s.What looked like a promising season turned out to be a struggle as six of our older and larger forwards were not available due to injury, academic ineligibility or expulsion. I was proud of the kids who stepped in but it was difficult to put a mostly freshmen/ sophomore pack against the likes of Gonzaga, NOVA or the Maryland Exiles.
One player who exemplified the heart and courage Hyde tries to foster was Greg Hill, our team manager. Previously my right- hand- man and manager for just about every Hyde sport, Greg is an overweight 240 pound version of "Radar O’Reilly" from the TV show MASH. Greg knew we had no props this past season and despite having never having played an organized sport, volunteered to step in. He had a rough start but never quit; he knew we needed him and that was enough. Greg said he wants to go back to managing but I suspect he will experience that feeling we all get standing on the sideline watching someone else play.
I’ll keep his boots in my office just in case...
RUGBY: Has the rugby
community supported the Hyde team?
BAYER: Wonderfully! That’s what I
love about rugby. Our kids have made friends with players on opposing teams
and we have supporters from both men’s and women’s clubs. We would not have
made it this far without the support of the rugby community. The Washington
RFC has gone above and beyond the call of duty to make our program happen.
The Maryland Exiles, NOVA and Gonzaga U-19 programs have been nothing short
of awesome in the help they provided to get our club up and running.
Early on we ran some joint mid-winter practices with the Exiles that helped build our numbers for the spring season. The Exiles’ Dan Soso was always willing to lend a hand with my kids. PRU High School Director Lee Kelly has always been there as well, despite having a son playing for Gonzaga. Countless other teams have gone the extra mile to put on great games and post-match socials.
Rugby either "brings out the best people" or "brings out the best in people". I am not sure which it is, but the support has been inspiring, uplifting and appreciated.
About Tal Bayer:
Tal Bayer, the Hyde School’s 32 year old rugby coach and Athletic Director began playing high school rugby in Fairfax, Virginia with the West RFC in 1988. He played for Radford University from 1990-1993, and then played club rugby for the Atlanta Renegades (1993-1997) and Washington (1997-2001) RFCs.
He began coaching inner city kids from the Toby Grant Housing Project in Atlanta, Georgia. John Paul Hughes, a former teammate and Dekalb County police officer, got him involved with afternoon sports programs and it was at this point that he realized he wanted to work with kids and needed a career change. His "real" coaching experience began with Hyde in 1999.
Administratively, Tal has been an officer for each of the rugby clubs he’s played with over the years. While in Atlanta, he worked for two years assisting with the Georgia Games Youth Touch Rugby and Men’s 7s competitions and as an attaché for the British Olympic Association during the 1996 Olympics. In DC, in addition to all the athletic events associated with a high school sports program, Tal has helped coordinate everything from the 2002 MARFU 7s Championship to the 2002 New Zealand Embassy Ambassador’s Shield Game.
Tal and his wife Tori, a physical therapist, have a three year old girl named Emory, a ten month old boy named Colin and an English bulldog named Winston. Prior to teaching, he worked as a loan officer in a bank and an operations manager at a biotech-drug production and distribution facility.
Tal’s leisure interests include biking, history, reading, traveling and music.
