JUST DO IT! DARYL BAKER

Daryl and Table Mountain, South Africa

JUST DO IT!

BY DARYL BAKER END USER SPECIALIST, IT DEPARTMENT

10 years ago this summer I joined the RGS Support Staff IT team having previously worked in various businesses. The school environment is a very different habitat!

As with any new job, comes a steep learning curve, not only to understand your new role, to find your way around the buildings along with creating working relationships (and remembering their names) with new found colleagues.

I distinctly remember sitting in what was the old IT office when Mr Andrew Watt, Sports’ Teacher in Charge of Rugby, came thundering into the office with some sort of IT issues, probably related to his love of Apple Mac products. Out of pure coincidence I was wearing a British Lions rugby shirt, it was the summer holidays and not required to wear our usual office attire.

“Into Rugby are ya?” without an introduction, “I am, yes” I replied, “You fancy helping out with a little bit of coaching?” “Yes, I would be interested in doing that, but I haven’t got any experience”. “That’s fine” he said and from that moment forward I was given the coaching role over what has now become the legendary RGS Spartans 3rd XV.

Over time I’ve been involved in all the senior teams in some capacity, the last couple of years running the U16s. In the beginning, the first few training sessions where quite daunting not being used to talking to groups, let alone being responsible for them. But I soon settled into to the role. The boys have always been very welcoming along with the support of some great and highly experienced coaches which RGS has a wealth of that I owe the majority of my coaching knowledge to.

Being RGS Support Staff, and a Coach, brings some added experiences. The students understand that I am ultimately responsible for them and respect me as staff, but they are also more open to talk about personal issues, which I refer to the Pastoral Team.

Daryl and Liam Messam, All Blacks player

The students understand that I am ultimately responsible for them and respect me as staff, but they are also more open to talk about personal issues.”

Coaching at RGS has given me the opportunity to go on some of the fantastic tours such as Italy, Belfast, Romania and of course the big one, South Africa. Even visiting these places on holiday would not give the same experiences you get as you go on tour. Hopefully there are many more years to come and many more players to coach.

It is amazing to see boys joining U16s senior rugby to when they reach Upper Sixth and then playing for their relative teams: Spartans, 2nds and 1st XV, how much they grow and mature over three short years.

What is really nice is that every once in a while, one of the old boys will drop by the school or send me a message. It’s great to hear how well they are doing beyond their time at RGS and to have in some way, been part of that memory.