Culture Before Championships: What KC Can Learn from the Chicago Lions

Recently, I had the opportunity to spend time with one of the most respected rugby organizations in the United States, the Chicago Lions. Like many people, I knew of their success on the field. What I did not fully appreciate until walking through their facility and sitting down with some of their leadership and seeing that their greatest accomplishment is not winning championships. It is building a rugby community that has thrived for more than six decades.

A Conversation with Chicago Lions Leadership

One of the highlights of my visit was spending time with Bob Maszkowski, a longtime leader of the Chicago Lions and one of the key architects behind the club's modern growth. Few people have invested more time and passion into creating not just a successful rugby club, but a lasting rugby community. Sitting down with someone who has spent decades shaping one of the country's premier rugby organizations provided insights that simply cannot be gained from reading about a program or touring a facility. When I asked Bob about the Chicago Lions, he didn't begin by talking about championships. Instead, he simply smiled and said,

"The Chicago Lions are the best rugby club in the Midwest. We've been around for over 60 years… investing in community."

That history certainly matters, but what makes the Lions special is not simply longevity. It is their willingness to build something much bigger than rugby. Bob explained that very few clubs intentionally choose to establish themselves where the Lions did. They took the longest and hardest route that has lead to the best of outcomes.

"There aren't many clubs that chose to be in one of the worst neighborhoods in America."

Rather than avoiding the challenges, they embraced them. The Lions built lasting partnerships with the surrounding community and with Chicago Hope Academy, the high school that shares the property. Their goal was never simply to have a rugby pitch. Their goal was to become part of the neighborhood. Bob summed up that philosophy with a statement that has stayed with me since I left Chicago.

"Let's go somewhere where it's bad and make it good. We're not running away from this fight."

That sentence captures everything about the Chicago Lions' culture. Too often, organizations wait for the perfect facility, the perfect funding source, or the perfect opportunity before taking the next step. The Chicago Lions proved something different.

Culture comes first. Facilities and resources follow.

As someone working to establish the Kansas City Metro Rugby Foundation, that conversation reinforced exactly why this effort matters. Sustainable rugby communities are not built by chasing short-term success. They are built by creating places where people want to belong, where families invest in the next generation, and where every decision strengthens the community as much as the club.

A Club Built on Generations

Walking their grounds, you quickly realize that everything points toward the future. Great facilities. Youth programs. Alumni engagement. Volunteers. Coaches. Referees. A culture where everyone understands they are building something that will outlast them.

The Lions have spent decades investing in something bigger than a single team. They have built an ecosystem. One thing that stood out was how intentionally they welcome the broader community into the club. Former players stay involved. They coach. They volunteer. They donate. They bring their children back to play. Parents become volunteers. Coaches mentor new coaches. Referees are developed alongside players.

The relationship does not end when someone hangs up their boots. It simply evolves into another way of giving back. That is the difference between building a team and building a rugby community.

Building a System, Not Just Teams

Another highlight of my visit was spending time shadowing Ahn Gallagher, Director of Youth Rugby for the Chicago Lions. While Bob shared the history, philosophy, and vision behind the organization, Ahn showed me how those ideas are intentionally put into practice every single day.

She walked me through the club's structure, culture, and the pathways it has created for players, coaches, referees, volunteers, and families. What impressed me most wasn't simply the number of people involved. It was how every piece fit together.

Nothing existed in isolation.

Every age group had a purpose. Every coach understood the next step in a player's development. Referees were developed alongside players. Coaches were mentored. Parents were encouraged to become volunteers. Alumni remained engaged long after their playing careers had ended.

The result wasn't just a collection of teams. It was a complete rugby ecosystem. It was something that can be repeated in KC.

From a child picking up a rugby ball for the first time, to becoming a high school player, a senior club player, a coach, a referee, or eventually a volunteer or board member, there was a clear pathway to remain involved. The Chicago Lions have intentionally built an organization where people do not simply play rugby. They become lifelong members of the rugby community.

As Ahn walked me through the program, one thing became obvious. They are not simply developing rugby players. They are intentionally developing future coaches, referees, volunteers, administrators, and leaders. That mindset changes everything. Many clubs ask, "How do we field a team this season?" The Chicago Lions ask a much bigger question.

How do we build a community that will still be thriving thirty years from now?

That lesson may have been one of the most valuable takeaways from my visit. It reinforced something I've been thinking about throughout this journey. Sustainable rugby communities do not happen by accident. They are intentionally designed. Every player pathway, every coaching certification, every referee development opportunity, every volunteer role, and every alumni connection strengthens the entire rugby ecosystem.

As the KC Metro Rugby Foundation continues to take shape, this is exactly the type of model we hope to help create. Our goal is not simply to introduce more children to rugby. It is to build clear pathways that allow players, coaches, referees, parents, and volunteers to remain involved for a lifetime while strengthening every club across our region.

Youth Is the Foundation

When I asked Bob how they have been able to grow rugby in Chicago, his answer wasn't about recruiting players. It was about the game itself.

"Rugby is just a better game. Everybody can score… After the game, you eat with the other team and enjoy their company instead of stomping off the field."

That simple philosophy explains why rugby creates such strong communities. Competition lasts for eighty minutes. Respect lasts much longer.

The youth program is not treated as a separate organization. It is not viewed as a feeder system. It is simply part of who the Chicago Lions are. Every young player represents another opportunity to grow the game. Instead of asking, "How do we get players for our club?" they ask, "How do we get more kids playing rugby?"

Those are very different questions.

The Lions have shown that youth rugby is not an expense. It is an investment. Every child who discovers rugby strengthens the club, expands the volunteer base, creates future coaches and referees, and helps ensure the next generation has the same opportunities.

Success Does Not Require a Big Budget

One of the biggest takeaways from my conversation with Bob and Ahn was that sustainable growth does not come from spending the most money. It comes from spending wisely.

The Chicago Lions have operated for years on a relatively modest budget compared to what many would expect for an organization of their size and reputation. They focused on developing volunteers, maximizing partnerships, encouraging alumni to give back, and making smart investments over time. Growth was not fueled by one large donation. It was fueled by thousands of small contributions from people who believed in the mission. That is an encouraging message for communities like Kansas City.

We do not need the biggest budget to build the strongest rugby community. We need people willing to contribute their time, expertise, relationships, and passion.

The Opportunity in Kansas City

Kansas City has tremendous potential to duplicate this.

We have passionate clubs. Eager volunteers. Willing coaches. Supportive families. Growing youth participation. What is missing is not passion. It is coordination.

One piece of advice Bob offered really resonated with me. When I asked what he would do if he were starting in Kansas City today, he didn't talk about expensive facilities or major fundraising campaigns. He said he would focus on neighborhoods that need opportunity the most.

"Get in neighborhoods of KC, get those kids playing."

He even pointed to one of the signs displayed at the club.

"You want to be a tough guy? Put down your guns and play rugby."

That captures what sport can do. Rugby is not just about developing better athletes. It is about creating better communities. What inspired me most about the Chicago Lions was not that they had something Kansas City does not. It was that they started with many of the same challenges we face today.

They simply committed to solving them one generation at a time. That should give every rugby leader in our city confidence that we can build something just as meaningful. Imagine if every club viewed youth rugby as shared infrastructure instead of competition.

Imagine if coaching certifications, referee development, physical education outreach, grants, fundraising, and school programming became community-wide efforts. Imagine if every child who wanted to play rugby had a place to start, regardless of which club they eventually joined. That is exactly why the Kansas City Metro Rugby Foundation exists.

Our goal is not to create another club. Our goal is to strengthen every club. To invest in the pieces that benefit everyone. To help clubs spend less time competing for limited resources and more time introducing new families to the game.

Looking Forward

Every successful rugby community has people who choose to think beyond their own club.

They invest in coaches they will never coach alongside. They help referees they will never play under. They introduce rugby into schools their children will never attend. They plant trees knowing someone else will enjoy the shade. The Chicago Lions are living proof that this approach works.

They did not become one of America's premier rugby organizations because they had the biggest budget or the fanciest facility. The Lions became successful because, year after year, they built relationships, welcomed families, invested in youth, and made rugby a central part of their community.

Kansas City has every opportunity to do the same on a variety of levels. It will not happen overnight, but it can happen. If we are willing to think beyond our individual clubs and work together for the next generation, there is no reason KC cannot become one of the premier rugby communities in North America.

As I wrapped up my visit, I left with a notebook full of ideas and an even greater appreciation for what the Chicago Lions have built over the past six decades. Things are being talked about and implemented from that trip. Their success is a reminder that sustainable growth comes from culture, community, and people who are willing to invest in the next generation.

Next up on my journey is a visit with the Madison Rugby Club, another organization with a long history of growing the game and building a strong rugby culture. I am looking forward to learning from their experiences, hearing their story, and discovering more ideas that can help shape the future of rugby here in the greater KC metro.

Every club has lessons to share. Every visit strengthens the vision.

And every conversation reinforces the belief that if rugby communities invest in one another, the game will continue to grow for generations to come.