Local youngsters develop a passion for rugby
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com
Typically, when the words "offensive lineman" roll off the tongue, compliments such as "nice hands" or "fast runner" don't follow.
With the continued growth of the West Valley Wolverines, a youth rugby club in Calabasas, more kids are finding out that linemen can put points on the scoreboard, too.
Shawn Lipman, a former member of the United States national team and president of the Wolverines, said watching rugby is a little different from watching your typical American football game.
"It's such a great game because everyone on the field is constantly involved," Lipman said.
"In rugby, not only are linemen able to catch the ball and score, but it happens all the time. The sport is very aerobic because you're running the whole game, and it teaches you hand-eye coordination and the proper use of teamwork."
Club board member Paul Delbick said it's been a pleasure watching his son Ben play.
"When (Ben) plays football, he's a lineman, so he doesn't touch the ball often," Delbick said. "But it's great to see him in rugby get to carry the ball and run with it. His eyes light up when he scores a touchdown."
The Wolverines consist of five age groups—co-ed 8-year-old and under, as well as boys' leagues for 10-and-under, 12-and-under and 14-and-under. There's also a newly formed high school league.
The club began shortly after Lipman spoke with Tony Spinella, the founder of the Wolverines.
"It was about six years ago, and I was taking my kid to his basketball game when I ran into Spinella," Lipman said. "Spinella had worked at the administrative level in rugby for a while, and he was trying to introduce kids to the sport.
"We talked about forming a youth league, and it wasn't long before we started to take it more seriously."
Two years ago, only 30 kids were in the club. Those 30 members started to tell their friends, and the next season the club doubled in size. These days, there are approximately 80 kids in the Wolverines' program.
One of the kids that began playing during the Wolverines' inception was 10-year-old Jamie Lipman.
"I've been playing for about five years, but there is footage of me playing the game as early as when I was 2," Jamie Lipman said.
"I also play football for the Calabasas Raiders, but I love rugby a little more. In football, you run a play and then stop to come back to the huddle. In rugby, there are no huddles. It's nonstop."
The club meets on Wednesdays and Saturdays to play innerclub games. Shawn Lipman said the Wolverine squads are all about having fun, and he isn't looking for it to become too serious. All games are placed at A.C. Stelle Middle School in Calabasas.
"We're trying to build internally and have a nice recreational league," Shawn Lipman said. "We don't travel too much, and we try to keep things easy. We teach the game to kids in building blocks so they can improve each day."
Previously, the club played without contact, but after many kids kept asking, the Wolverines finally went to tackle this season.
In order to play a game, kids must wear protective head gear and a mouthpiece at all times.
"Luckily, we haven't seen any significant injuries the whole time I've been here," Shawn Lipman said.
"What's nice is one of our coaches is a doctor, so in case something goes wrong, we do have someone with a medical background."
Jamie Lipman said a new player should still do his research before deciding to compete.
"You can still get hurt, so you want to know what you're doing," Jamie Lipman said. "Coaches go over and over in practice with us the correct ways to tackle people. We don't want anyone breaking a neck or anything."
Shawn Lipman said a lot of work goes into organizing the five teams, but at the end of the day, it's all worth it.
"When you see 80 kids playing, I mean really playing and loving it, that's the best part of this league for me," Shawn Lipman said.
"The league has really grown, and now, more and more, you are seeing kids that want to carry on playing after the day is done."
Anyone interested in joining the league can visit the website www.westvalleyrugby.com for more information.