Lindenwood is arguably one of the top programs in the country and this partially has to do with the recruiting of international players. Mickey Bateman made the long journey from Auckland, New Zealand and is helping Lindenwood dominate the competition.
Coming to a new country for college can be a tough transition for some. Luckily for Bateman, he came into a strong program with welcoming teammates. “The transition was easy thanks to the welcoming atmosphere that was already well established in the team. The standard and growth of rugby has really surprised me and I’m eager to see where this Lindenwood program can get to. Hopefully this year we will see new heights,” explained the scrumhalf.
Lindenwood is an extremely serious and professional program where the expectations are high for players. The team does everything together and this, in turn, turns the team into one large family. “Playing for Lindenwood is full on like joining a brotherhood. We eat, train, learn and sleep together. We are treated like professionals and are expected to act like professionals all players have respect for the jersey and what it stands for on and off the field. Creating a good culture within our boys,” explained the communications major.
Lindenwood takes on Davenport University this Saturday and when the two teams meet it is sure not to disappoint. “This week we are digging deep for pride , obviously playing for the Charles Labry memorial shield is a huge deal for out players and we will be putting our bodies on the line to make him proud. 2 weeks ago against life we had good systems in place but failed to execute. These past two weeks have given us time to spend fixing those small problems so that we are able to play a clinical accurate game of footy,” continued Bateman.
Be sure to watch Lindenwood take on Davenport HERE on Gift-Time Rugby Network.