JIM BATES

The greater rugby community has random and unique connections all over the place. Look no further than Ashland, NE back in the late 80’s where one former rugger and then student teacher, Jim Bates, introduced then high school senior football player, Kevin Garner, to the game of rugby. As the saying goes, “It’s a small, small world!”

Originally from Superior, NE near the Kansas border, “fell in love with rugby” because it combined his two favorite athletic past times– wrestling and football – and provided him an opportunity to meet a great group of teammates, many of whom he still speaks with on a regular basis.

Jim Bates played football at Fort Hayes State University in Kansas But as luck would have it, he and his then girlfriend (now wife) decided they needed a change and moved to Lincoln to complete their respective education.

It was on floor six of Abel Hall where he saw a sweaty guy in dirty white shorts and covered in grass stains. “What happened to you?” Jim asked. The student’s reply, “Oh, just rugby practice!” This informal dorm-room meeting was enough to peak his interest in the sport and he eventually decided to give it a try the following semester. Jim loved the game immediately, He began to recruit players, he soon excelled and earned regional all-star accolades as a loose forward. He would ultimately captain the squad during the seasons of 1987-’88 under the tutelage of head coach, Vince Powers.

While not wanting to omit names, Jim recalls great memories and playing alongside players such as Dave Kleiber, Ira Shapiro, Rob Kotus, John Sunderman, Craig Zeller, Dean Glover, Barry Kubat, Steve Thompson, Roger and Ryan Menze, Jim Wiggs, Paul Riddle, Dave “Mad Dog” Kaulfield, Erik Klanderud, Mike Ferdig, Darrel Hitch, Dan Herink, Tom Stestak, Mark Palmer, and a player named Jeff “St. Frances” Eisenminger who always wore a blue St. Frances High shirt to practice – and several more, great times at the University.
Jim and his wife married while in college, so he “oftentimes missed a lot of the post-game fun,” but would not change his experience for the world. A prized possession of his remains a beer stein that reads, “Outstanding Rookie.”

The couple moved to Omaha upon graduating and worked as family teachers at Boystown, living with upwards of eight children. It was during this time that he played two years with the GOATS, but this time as a prop because “We now had one daughter and I gained about 30 pounds, during the pregnancy!”

Jim found his passion in preaching the Word of the Lord via the Victory Christian Fellowship Church in Columbus, NE, first as an associate pastor for six years, and for the past 25 years, as the head pastor at the church. He and members from his congregation make annual trips to Peru in South America and have drilled at least seven water pumping stations in that area on the Amazon River. They have visited southeast and central Asia on mission trips as well.

Jim and his wife of 37 years Mindy have two daughters and nine grandchildren.