OCR Text |
Show SS ini PAGE 18 TUESDAY Crum. _ Armstrong ' Strong Arms Her ay to National mvull wall glided } | 1 =e il _— eam Tryouts eth By KARI GIBB SPORTS EDITOR fa ter weat soaked bodies collide in a heap of mud, and blood flows from at least a dozen cuts on cheeks and foreheads. This will | be the scene at the U.S. National Rugby Team tryouts to be = ee —— held in Saratiac, New York, this week. Among the hopeful hitters will be one Heber City resident. And no, it isn’t a former college football player or some one from Australia. Meet Heather Armstrong. St , To look at Armstrong, one would never guess that Me is a top-_ level rugby player. Tennis oo aii An athlete for sure. But rugby? ; “Yeah, my friends whe fon’ t say rugby think I am crazy2—_— Armstrong said. “Those who do know the game, they respect me rt ene _ what I am doing. So I am fine with that.” Local rugby star, Heather Armstrong shows her skills in recent action. Armstrong will be in Signe New York for the U.S. Rugby Team tryouts this were. Watch i in The Courier for apis on how Armstring fares at the tryouts. What Armstrong is doing is getting a shot at playing a one sport at the top level of play in the U.S. and possibly the world. Born and raised in Southern California, Armstrong was a soccer standout and loved the athletic lifestyle. A trip to Utah 12 years ago kept her in Park City. Like so many other visitors, Armstrong fell in love with the natural beauty and the active lifestyle that the ski town had to offer. With a degree in Exercise Physiology and a history of playing team sports, | rugby seemed like a natural choice for Armstrong when Park City started a ‘women’s team. “I really missed the oinaradens and team spirit that comes from competition,” Armstrong said. “This is a very demanding and physical sport. But it devel-. ops a deep sense of team unity. I like that.” the eye of then contacted friends that coached the women’s national team and a tryout was arranged. “They are taking a chance on me, having me come out without ever having seen me play,” Armstrong said. “I feel lucky to have this chance and I intend to make the best of it.” To get ready for the tryouts, Armstrong has been working out with the Park City men’s team for the spring besides the regular games payed at Utah State University and Idaho State University. “It has been tough, but good for me to practice with the guys,” essarsai said. “Some of those guys are pretty big and it has made me a better player.” see RUGBY on page 21 Bi mn — + is While playing for the Park City Women’s team, Armstrong eer the men’s team, the Muckers’, coach, Bryan Morgan. He a net eR EP ES Summer Sets, Fall (Sports) Approach ea 0 he days are getting shorter. | swear it. And you all know EC what that means... Fall sports are fast approaching. Football, soccer, volleyball and cross-country will occupy | my life, and hopefully yours, until snow falls and winter creeps in. While I await giddily the start of the school sports season, I have a new sport to mull over in my mind. With Heather Armstrong heading out for Saranac, New York, and the U.S. National Team tryouts, I get to learn all about the finer points of pe rugby. ; 7 _ For years my cousin tried to get me into the rugby scene with SPR 0 Sen P Milne, sesso him. He played college football and then switched to rugby because “the hits were more realistic without pads on.” Had I not been coaching football at the time, I think he might have talked me into it (had my wife allowed it that is...) and I would have had some time to practice the sport. _Now that we have a star rugby player living here in Heber, well, what can I say. Let the Scrum begin! | I swear to you all, getting involved in a physical activity, one that requires you to learn new things - both in mind and body, really does keep you young. Er, ok, maybe not all that young. My . knees are still getting stiffer each year no matter how many new and exciting things I take up. But my spirit has stayed young and I feel like a kid at heart, if not in my joints. So, Iam very excited to learn all about the game of rugby. How lucky we are in Wasatch County to have such a vast array of sports and recreational activities to choose from. Anything from cross-country skiing to hunting can be enjoyed during all four seasons here in the local area. | I can’t think of another place in the Nation, or even the world for that matter that offers so many activities to enjoy in such a ‘minimal travel frame. And while I ramble on, the day’s keep getting shorter, the nights cooler and the fall sports season closer. See each one of you at the games this year. By KARI GIBB . Courier SPORTS Eprror tines MOE |