U17’s League Champions
Hear this now. Another checkpoint ticked off on the long arduous but definitively planned road to establishing a long term sustainable Bective Rangers production line - from cradle to the grave. That road started years ago with Maybo’s Mini’s, it continues now through early years under age youths and it expects to lead to next seasons U-20’s squad. After our Bective U-18.5’s won their Leinster Cup last season, the possibility of our age group below them at U-17’s also winning a trophy just 11 months later seemed at best hopeful and at worst beyond us. But it happened. Last Sunday. Leinster League Champions in dramatic injury time chaos, nay bedlam, in Holmpatrick.
And now here we are. Two groups of Bective Rangers young men, two years apart, have had hugely positive experiences, have learned how to build a team, their team, and have hopefully come to realise that they are hugely valued, highly appreciated and warmly welcomed into our family, our club, Bective Rangers. We’re nearly there – so close. Once these young men progress up the line to U-20’s they will be best placed to compete. Remember - success breeds success. And then ultimately they evolve into the senior squad and Bective Rangers finally have the production line in full operation, through all the age groups, regularly producing, from our own young family, the seniors of the future. A production line. From cradle to grave. All the bases covered. Nearly there.
Google conducted and recently published the results of a 5 year survey on team connection and collaboration. Key conclusion? It doesn’t matter who is on the team – it matters how they work together. Thanks Google – a manufactured, gift wrapped and hand delivered on a silver platter synopsis for this Bective Rangers U-17’s squad. For this youths team, a pot pourri of young men that only got together early October, psychological safety must have played a huge part in their bonding, their blossoming and ultimately their triumphing. Communication, team cohesion, continuous improvement, learning from failure, trust, inclusion, a common goal, mutual respect. All those boxes were surely ticked by this team in their growth from initial set up, through the norming stage developing cohesion and a shared load and on to being a strong team, with a singular purpose ultimately delivering the pinnacle – victory.
Richie Maybury succinctly explained in his recent episode of Chucks Chats that his minis in Bective were in the main having positive experiences and thus those kids were following their coaches up through the age grades. People buy from people. Patience would be required, and investment in coaches training a must, but he was confident that we were nearly ready to progress through to U-20’s. He was right. Nearly there indeed.
As a club we have reinvented ourselves recently, focusing inward, accepting the need for change and evolution, not revolution, to build this production line so we ultimately become self-sufficient, masters of our own destiny. We recognised the need for youth, the elixir of life. Many members have worked damn hard to develop our youngsters out of mini’s and on into youths. Everyone recognised it was the only way to survive. We all pulled together – one goal – nourish what youth we have produced from mini’s and invite anyone else out on the margins, perhaps not yet committed to a rugby school or a competing sport, into our family, open the doors to our home, showcase what we have and ask if they want to be in our gang. Build it and they will come? Indeed.
Our mini’s and youth management and coaches must have been cognisant of Dale Carnegie’s “How to win friends and influence people.” Implementing his theories in developing our new teams, trying to entice new members, getting these youths parents on board. No criticism, no condemnation, no complaining. Positive affirmation, sincere appreciation. Awaken a desire, a want. Be genuinely interested in them, in their development. All those boxes ticked. We have that in spades. Coaches and parents aligned in helping these young men mature into adults by harnessing the value of team sport and the camaraderie of an all-inclusive rugby club. Big on personal development. All hugely positive in the handling and maturing of hormone ravaged teenagers, desperate to fit in, to be included, to find their tribe. Have they found their tribe? Bective Rangers certainly hopes so. Welcome to your tribe men.
The investment from the coaches and parents of time, energy and hope is invaluable but not invisible We see you. We don’t take you for granted. Thank you for your service – the production line would collapse without you. Be proud – you are kneading and sculpting our future. Deserved congratulations also to those young men last Sunday who were the best versions of themselves and by extension the best version of Bective Rangers.
The future looks bright. Our future. A Rose, Green & White future. From cradle to the grave. Nearly there.
Team: 15 Hugh McDonnell, 14 Colin Lydon, 13 Dara Keane, 12 Danial McDavid, 11 Max Sheridan, 10. David Byrne, 9 Louis O’Brien. 8 Cian Walsh - Capt., 7 Tom Reynolds, 6 Neil Ryan, 5 Ross Gargan, 4 Johnny Donohue,3 Harry Donohue, 2 Luke Loughrey, 1 Ross O’Sullivan.
Subs. Andrew O’Reilly , James Green, Ben Stuart, Jack Nugent , Simon O’Kane, Joshua Carroll, David Quinn, Marcus Butler, Jack Carr .
