- "Pride Of DC: The Hyde Rugby Odyssey" is a feature length documentary about the first all African-American, high school rugby team in the US.
- "Pride Of DC: The Hyde Rugby Odyssey" is a feature length documentary that tells the story of the first all African-American, high school rugby team. Filmmaker Jonni Masella captures the most intimate moments of the team experience as players struggle to learn an unfamiliar sport, finding triumph and brotherhood against the gritty backdrop of every day life in Northeast Washington, DC. At the center of it all is their dedicated coach, Tal Bayer, a Hyde Leadership Public Charter School teacher who founded the rugby program on the school's philosophy of building character. As the season wears on we follow the students' battles on and off the field, and see how the lessons learned in the rough sport of Rugby can translate to success in the game of life. Aware of the myriad challenges facing young black males today, "Pride Of DC: The Hyde Rugby Odyssey" shows us a positive portrayal of black youth not often captured in today's media. Even as the school faces challenges to keep its door open, the student athletes soldier on; revealing how boys become men, and a team becomes a family.—Jonni Masella
- Faced with the reality of so many of our elected leaders who, through either financial influence and/or self interest, are not fit to lead, where are we to turn? Pride Of DC: the hyde rugby odyssey" is a feature length documentary that tells the inspirational story of the first all African-American, high school rugby team in the US. Filmmaker Jonni Masella captures the most innermost moments of the team experience, as players navigate though this unfamiliar sport against the gritty backdrop of every day life, only to learn a new set of rules equally as valuable to their personal challenges as they are in the game. At the center of it all is the Hyde Rugby program, born out of the "character first education" of Hyde Leadership Public Charter School and rugby enthusiast, coach Tal Bayer who, like all teachers at Hyde, was given an assignment by the head of school to "find something you're passionate about and start it up here". Partnering the character philosophy of Hyde with the extended brotherhood of rugby, Hyde Rugby challenges all stereotypes on a multiple of fronts. As the players, and the adults guiding them, emerge from their NE Washington DC landscape into the rugby culture, being accountable for their successes and failures, they discover the leadership they need in each other. Aware of the myriad challenges facing young black males today, "Pride Of DC: the hyde rugby odyssey" shows us a positive portrayal of black youth rarely captured in today's media. The Hyde Rugby story also gives voice to the inner city life of the Washington DC., where from the shadow of our nations Capitol a new paradigm of humanity as a global team comes into light.
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