Personal Statement
I have been playing rugby since I was 6. My Dad who is a Level 3 Rugby Coach has insisted since 6 that I would not be given the 'big kid' label and he has worked with me to develop the skills of a forward and a back and to be fast. These years of training have made me into an extremely effective and ruthless ball carrier and I have played for Bristol Bears Academy and won 2 Rugby Scholarships. I will be trialing for Exeter Chiefs, a national club in September. I am fearless in contact and it takes a lot to stop me. I have transferred these skills to playing American Football in the UK, playing for my club as well as for Great Britain U19s and consequently I dominate games when I play either in attack or as a decoy. I am an aggressive contact seeking Tight End and I also love the defensive line attacking the quarterback.
I am also an all round athlete. I am currently in the UK top 10 U17 Discus throwers throwing national standard throws. I know and practice every day what it takes to keep your position in a team; the hard daily gym work, the practices, the good nutrition and healthy lifestyle, the need for resilience and solid academic results. I am very dyslexic but my GPA shows how hard I work to keep up my academic results and this same work ethic is applied to my sports. I am extremely physically competitive but I also love the intricate detail of team training and gym work because I know it underpins my performance.
I have been a rugby team captain for many years with my local club the Minehead Barbarians, athletics captain in my previous school and I am applying for Senior Sports Pillar in my current school. I am a trained Lifeguard and I work in a holiday village as part of a team. I am a totally committed and supportive team player and I recognise the value of every team member. Every coach I have had has said that I am extremely coachable, I listen and I work hard to do what has been asked of me. I never give up.
I bring 11 years of highly competitive combative rugby skills and with the right coaching I believe I have the potential to be a very strong football player. I was offered two places in the London NFL Academy, O Line and Tight End. I turned these offers down because the college was not academically strong and also because I wanted to keep playing all 3 sports and this would not have been an option at the Academy.
Coach Reference:
To whom it may concern,
My name is Damon Kirby and I am the head coach of the Somerset Wyverns. I have been coaching for over 30 years, both nationally and internationally. I have coached every level of the game in this country and have seen players I have coached from a young age go on to the NFL.
I am writing on behalf of Ben Crosby, whom I have coached for the last 3 years. In that time I have come to know Ben very well as both a player and a person. Ben is thoroughly hardworking and leads by example, helping to teach younger players a new, unfamiliar sport, safely and to a high standard.
Having only played the sport for a very short time, he was scouted by the Great Britain national team and excelled at the GB Trials and easily bettered the rest of the countries finest. His imposing size quickly led to the GB team asking to switch position, which Ben did seemlessly.
Ben loves to compete and when he does it is with relentless effort. He loves to win, at everything, and normally does!
I've rarely had the pleasure to teach such a promising and gifted athlete. If Ben continues to work hard off the field, increasing his strength in the gym and speed/agility on the track and knowledge in classroom there are no limits to his potential.
