Dartmouth Hopes to Clear Unique Hurdle, Make Ivy League Proud
The late winter start is new for many College Premier League teams, especially those faced with snowy, bleak conditions. However, Dartmouth is dealing with a unique challenge leading up to their Saturday College Premier League (CPL) debut against the University of Delaware.
(Ed Hagerty photo, Article by By Pat Clifton, Rugby Magazine)
The Ivy League school is on a trimester system, opposed to the semester system used by most colleges, and after Dartmouth sophomores finish their spring period, they don’t go home for the summer. Rather, they stay on campus for an extra trimester. In return, they’re given a trimester of choice off to study abroad or seek internships. For Dartmouth ruggers, that trimester’s traditionally been the winter of their junior year to accommodate for both the fall and spring seasons.
Two of Dartmouth’s top players and All Americans, Paul Jarvis (USA Rugby) and Derek Fish (RUGBY Magazine), are juniors, and instead of training with the rest of the team in Hanover, N.H. the last several weeks, they’ve been doing their own thing. Fish is back home in Madison, Conn. helping coach his former high school wrestling team and prepping for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), and according to Dartmouth coach Alex Magleby, Jarvis is, “in DC working for a think-tank writing about the Arab conflict.”
While some Dartmouth juniors won’t be available for the Delaware match, Fish and Jarvis will. So what’s it been like preparing for the biggest season of their college rugby careers away from campus and their teammates?
Read more about the Dartmouth vs. Delaware contest »
“It’s been tough. I’ve been doing the team strength and conditioning program pretty religiously, and I’ve got a few balls. When it hasn’t been covered in snow I’ve been passing and kicking,” said Fish. “Some of my brothers are seniors in high school, so I’ve been throwing the ball around with them, and I’ve gone up to school a couple times to get in some team trainings.
“This Premier thing is new, so missing the training is kind of weird for us. Obviously we’re concerned, but we think we’ve done enough to stay competitive and stay in shape.”