By Jordan Parker for Sport Nova Scotia Sport Quarterly
Sports were a reason for Lysa McGrath to focus her energy into positive directions as a youth, and now she gives the wisdom she’s gained to the girls she coaches.
The coach of the Auburn Drive High School girls rugby program has seen great success with the team, and also coached the U18 Rugby Nova Scotia girls team to an Atlantic championship.
“Helping others has always been a passion for me. I had an interesting upbringing, and my coaches and mentors kept pushing me. Sports got me into the right mindset,” she said.
McGrath still talks to her university coach regularly, and the Cole Harbour resident sees coaching as a chance to give back. She works as a teacher and also went through the Black and Indigenous Coach Mentorship Program.
She uses her skill set to help students and athletes on and off the field.
“The program was great, but it was definitely difficult to be in while working fulltime, going back to school and coaching at the same time. But being able to be around other Black coaches was incredible. There wasn’t a Black mentor in the program for me in my sport. Which was kind of disappointing but was to be excepted as there is no Black local coaches. However my mentor Anne Dodge was incredible, and encouraged me to work on my Level 2 for coaching,” she said.
McGrath says having representation of BIPOC and Indigenous players and coaches in rugby is paramount.
“To be around people who look like me and know they might have similar experience was very important to me,” she said. “And now It’s amazing that I’m in a position mentor not only athletes but Black athletes. It’s just something I never had through my rugby career.
“It can just be so impactful for players to see coaches who look like them. In a sport where the majority of people are white, to see more people with the same background and culture as you is crucial.”
“It was the same as why I decided to become a teacher. Growing up, there were no Black teachers. The difference of having someone you can see yourself in can be phenomenal. It can instantly makes someone feel so welcome to see other black people in a space.”
When she started coaching at Auburn Drive, the experience was an absolute whirlwind.
“I knew there was going to be buy-in and motivation because the team was already established. But for me to go into the gym and see that 75 per cent of the team was Black was comforting. I wanted to cry the first time I went in. I just want to help Black players be represented at the highest levels of the sport,” she said.
McGrath also had an incredible experience when she coached the U18 team as well.
“This is the first year they split things up. I coached U18 and next year will be with the same group as they move up to U19s. These athletes were amazing. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these players are AUS all-stars or play in the Olympics in a few years,” she said.
“That experience pushed me because these athletes are very skilled, and I was up for the challenge. I was embraced and I enjoyed it so much. Everyone learned from each other. To see the youngest team in the division win all their games and take home gold was perfect.”
McGrath loves seeing those involved with the program shine on the field, but she also wants to impart wisdom and skills that will stick with them in their everyday lives as well.
“My biggest goal with players when they leave this program is that they become better people. I hope to teach them to manage the world around them as best as they can. That would just be fantastic,” she said.
“There so much going on with women in the world right now, so to give players confidence and power they can carry from the sport into their lives is so crucial. I want to be a good example for the girls I coach.”
