Ramage Setting the Pace
Ramage Setting the Pace
There was a bit of a delay in Kat Ramage’s correspondence, for which she ardently apologized. She had taken a 20-hour trip to Little Rock, Ark., to start her eight-week residency at the American Rugby Pro Training Center (ARPTC), trained for a few days, and then traveled to the Cancun 7s as part of Tiger Rugby. She took four stitches to her head during the team’s title run, one that included an unscored-upon record and a victory over the Mexican national team.
“This last year has been a whirlwind to say the least,” Ramage wrote the understatement of the century.
The New Jersey native has worn jerseys for Morris, New Jersey Blaze, Atlantis, USA at the Youth Olympic Games, and the Girls High School All Americans – all in the course of 365 days and with titles and trophies to boot. It’d be one thing if these events were evenly spread throughout the year, or if Ramage was a one-sport athlete, or if the senior wasn’t applying to Ivy League schools – but the opposite is true. Ramage is unique, but she’s also the prototype for what the young, aspiring athlete needs to do to be Eagle-ready.
“Just about a year ago, I was at James Madison University at the WJAA camp trying out for a spot on the U20 team,” Ramage reflected on her build-up to senior year at Roxbury High School. “After that I was in Denver for the HSAA Stars & Stripes, where I captained the Stars team. I was barely home from Colorado for 24 hours before I was back on a plane to California to spend a week in Chula Vista at the OTC training with my soon-to-be Olympic teammates.”
That surge of activity was rewarded with an unforgettable experience in China representing the USA at the Youth Olympic Games' first-ever rugby competition. Ramage suffered a concussion during the USA’s Bronze medal game against China, and the injury sidelined the goalkeeper for the upcoming soccer season, preventing her fourth varsity letter in the sport. The extra time was put to good use, as Ramage was able to focus on her SATs, ACTs, and college applications, and fit in visits to Penn State, Norwich, Lindenwood, Harvard, and Dartmouth. Maybe all those campus visits influenced her next move: When Ramage’s hometown doctors cleared her for contact sports, she joined the NJ Blaze in pursuit of a fall 7s series trophy instead of rejoining the soccer team.
After playing in the New York 7s with Blaze, Ramage decided to sit out the winter track season as well. It would have been Ramage’s fourth varsity letter in that sport as well, but the power center realized that her body needed a rest. “Rest” is a relative term, as Ramage still filled her week with indoor rugby sessions, CrossFit, and additional lifting sessions.
2015 began with another honor, as Ramage was named to the inaugural Girls High School All American team, which competed in and won the LVI 7s.
“It was wonderful to be back with the ‘China girls,’ but we missed having Dana [Olsen] and Haley [Langan] with us because of injury,” Ramage reminisced. “It was also cool to be among so many other great players. I knew so many people because I had been with them at other camps, played with them at Stars & Stripes, or played against them during my regular seasons and tournaments. It was also pretty special to be in Vegas with a few of my current and former NJ Blaze teammates, who were playing for Atlantis teams, including my sister, Alie, who played scrumhalf and wing on the U16 Atlantis team.”
Before 15s began, Ramage captained the Atlantis 7s team that won the Atlanta 7s Festival. She also managed a fourth varsity letter in spring track, setting several personal bests in javelin, shotput, and discus.
“It was tough to fit in school, training, rugby matches, and track meets, plus making up class and homework for all the days I missed because of rugby, but I was able to do it all and still maintain my grades,” Ramage said of her 3.9 GPA and Honor Roll achievement.
Ramage helped Morris to another New Jersey State Championship and was integral in the team’s debut performance at DI nationals, where the Lady Lions finished 7th. She joined the NJ Blaze at the High School Rugby Challenge for a repeat title over Doylestown, and she left directly for the National All Star Competition (NASC) after the final. Ramage was trying out for a spot on this year’s U20 team (and has qualified for the second round of tryouts in Greeley, Colo., next week) and left NASC a day early for the New Jersey state championship. Two weeks later, Ramage was in Pittsburgh for the Mid-Atlantic all-stars for her final high school 15s game.
“I got home, unpacked, did laundry, re-packed and headed to the airport to fly to Little Rock to start my eight-week residency at the ARPTC,” said Ramage, who has traveled to the Cancun 7s and Dallas for a summer 7s qualifier. “It's been an amazing opportunity. I am learning so much here with coach [Julie] McCoy and the rest of the residents and coaches. It's an incredible atmosphere where I can make mistakes without pressure and just continue to get better and better.”
In case you’ve lost track, Ramage is currently in the summer after her senior year of high school. Another month and she’ll be heading to college, but she’s not viewing these final weeks as vacation.
“I didn't have a typical senior year of high school,” Ramage stated. “I missed my prom, Friday night football games with friends, even missed my graduation ceremony, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
“I knew that for my rugby development, the ARPTC was the best choice for me,” Ramage added. “I want to be an Eagle someday; that wasn't going to happen by relaxing and going to the beach or NYC the summer before college. As my old coach says, ‘Dreams don't work unless you do.’ So I'm spending the summer working for my dream.”
Ramage displays a lot of poise for someone her age, and it comes as no surprise that she’s heading to Dartmouth this fall. Well, a little bit of a surprise. She was initially heading to Lindenwood, but once the Big Green went varsity and Katie Dowty signed on as head coach, Ramage had a change of heart and is hoping to follow in the footsteps of other successful Dartmouth alumni.
“It’s really not hard,” Ramage said of the mental stress. “One of the Morris moms, whenever I or another player is leaving for a camp, she always reminds us to ‘be a sponge.’ To learn everything we can from everyone we can. Sometimes it’s from the coaches, but lots of times it’s from the other players or just the situations that we're in. Every camp I go to, I come back better than I left, and not just better at rugby – better in general. All those experiences and all those relationships just make you a better person.”
As accomplished as Ramage is, the journey's only beginning, and considering her record, the soon-to-be freshman should be setting new standards for what's expected of college students gunning for the national team.
Related Articles:
Early Selection Gripes at Stars & Stripes
