Garrett Lamb was raised in West Park and attended Our Lady of Angels for grade school.
Garrett is an only child.
Garrett grew up like most kids at Catholic grade schools – playing CYO sports. Eventually, Garrett would be introduced to a new sport away from the world of CYO – rugby.
Jack Rolf ‘19 and his parents would be the ones to introduce Garrett to rugby. Garrett signed up for rugby and never looked back, with his parents fully supporting him at all times. Garrett will now reflect on four years of Wildcat Rugby.
Freshman Year: “Freshman year, I started playing 9 (scrumhalf). I played it all the way up until three weeks before my game. The 10 (flyhalf) at the time got a concussion and I filled in. I played fly half the whole year until a major injury occurred. We were playing our second game of the day against Penn, I had a head on collision and suffered from a brain bleed. I was allowed to do nothing for three months. But our coaching staff and teammates gave me unconditional support always asking if there was something they could do. That’s when I really realized that this program was different, it was special.”.
Sophomore Year: “Sophomore year was an amazing year. I was selected to play varsity this season and my emotion was uncontrollable. I was so excited – excited to see what was ahead of me. That year we traveled to France for our international tour. While we were there, I got my first A-side start. Our starting 10 had gone down with a shoulder injury and it was my call up. I was nervous, I questioned if I was ready to play at this level of play. But my teammates had my back, we won that game, and it's a memory I will forever hold. But later that year would be another great accomplishment, my first state championship.”
Junior Year: “Junior year was a hard year for me on the injury side once again, but loaded with tons of great experiences. That year brought a trip that is unforgettable. Traveling to South Africa was a very long and dreadful trip over. But once we arrived, we had the time of our lives. I got to experience things I thought I’d never be able to do. South Africa was beautiful, had amazing life in the city, great foods and welcoming people. It really opened me to traveling and had me fall in love with visiting foreign countries. But the trip also allowed me to build an even closer relationship with my teammates and coaches. I also credit the trip to allowing our team to improve it’s skill immensely and believe it was a pinnacle to us going back to back in state championships against St. Eds.”.
Senior Year: “Senior was going great, as we had just won fall 7’s championship. But my shoulder kept irritating me. I would have to have surgery on my shoulder. I was upset and mad. I was angry that this had to happen again. I tore my labrum, the doctor would tell me. I had a very difficult time coping with it. But my teammates and coaches picked me up once again. They’ve kept me involved, kept me as part of the team and it something I'll be appreciative for the rest of my life. They didn’t let me walk, they were the reasons for getting me through these difficult times.”
After playing and living with his shoulder injury, Garrett would have to end his playing career and start his managerial career. When Garrett made the jump from Rookie Rugby to Wildcat Rugby, he realized how different it was but realized there was less pressure on him thanks to the pack, which was a relief.
Garrett will be attending Ohio University in the fall and will major either in nursing or pre-med. Due to injuries, Garrett will not play rugby at Ohio University. Garrett chose Ohio University because of its phenomenal nursing and pre-med program, a great group of friends will attend with him and the strong alumni network.
Garrett would like to thank the following people, “I want to thank the coaches, Coach Arbeznik ‘00, you never game up on me. You always supported me even though I was inconsistent and riddled with injuries. You always kept me feeling like I was always a part of the team. Coach Fitzpatrick ‘94, you helped me become the player I have become, you kept me head strong, kept me always focused on the task at hand. Coach White ‘92, thanks for giving us all the motivation we could ever need. Your excessively loud voice will always be imprinted in my head before playing a big game. I want to also thank my teammates for always having my back and giving me the unconditional support. Especially the senior players who are my closest of friends. What we have is something I will cherish the rest of my life. Lastly I want to thank my parents. You are the reason for all this. Without you two, I would have never been able to develop into the person/player I am today.”