Portal:1999 Fall Women/Intro

After our match at Navy during the fall of 99, we went to the Air Force vs Navy football game, which was played at Landover, MD - Washington Redskins Stadium that year. Vic Tise, Gary Middlestad and Mitch Reed were the coaching staff. Vic retired from the Army at AFA in Feb 2000 and stayed coaching as an Assistant Coach (Backs coach) for Alan through the Fall season of 01.

Because of the football game there were no vans to rent from Washington National airport, so Paula Kelly helped to find a Bus Service from Dulles airport that came to pick us up at Washington National and took us to Annapolis. The bus service was cheap and very reliable throughout the weekend.

The Middies Rugby team failed to meet us at the Naval Academy, so we found rooms at a visiting team dorm/barracks facility by the Annapolis football fields. That evening me, Gary and Mitch went to a Restaurant right out the side gate of the Academy and ate enough blue crabs to fill a bucket and a half with crab shells. The girls found a bunch of untouched box dinners left by the visiting team before us and we were able to open a supply closet to get everyone clean sheets. A few months after our stay in the visiting team dorm, Annapolis sent AFA an unexpected bill for our stay in the dorm.

That Fall season we also went to the High Desert Tournament in Albuquerque and beat 4 other teams, I believe it was 115 - 5 to win the tournament. Referees commented how much of a pleasure it was to Ref Rugby matches for the AFA Women’s Rugby team, because of their quality of play and sportsmanship. Again, me, Gary and Mitch were the coaches.

We also played UNM in Albuquerque that season. UNM threw a great party and some of the AFA ruggers did not want to go because they were afraid of getting hit-on by some of the UNM ruggers. I remember this, cause I told the Team everyone would be getting on the bus and we would ALL go to the party, because UNM paid a lot of money for food and drink. Plus, I told them that if they get hit on and weren’t interested - just politely tell them “I’m not interested.” Amazing how many Zoomies came to me afterwards and said, “Thanks Coach - for making us go to the party.”