Compiled by The Bedford Citizen
Kelly Craven, an Assistant Teacher at Davis School, recently received the Game Official of the Year award for girls rugby from the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, or MIAA. The ceremony was held in May at MIAA headquarters in Franklin, MA, where 23 of the state’s top referees were honored.
The award recognizes “the highest standards of sportsmanship, ethical conduct, and moral character.” It is given each year to referees in the sports governed by MIAA who have been nominated by team coaches.
Craven has been officiating club and intercollegiate rugby for 35 years and high school girls’ rugby since 2010. She was the referee selected to officiate last year’s inaugural MIAA Girls’ Rugby State Championship between Algonquin and Lincoln-Sudbury.
She also continues to enjoy playing rugby, which has been a passion of hers for 37 years. She first began playing while in high school in Albany, NY, and played while a student at MIT. Since then she has played as a member of Beantown Women’s Rugby Club, with whom she has won three national championships. Craven also played for the National Women’s Rugby Team in 1992-1994.
Craven has instructed at collegiate rugby clinics and is a mentor to her Beantown teammates. Commenting on her role as referee for high school rugby, she explains “Girls’ and women’s sports are a great gateway to necessary skills and attitudes for life such as focus, confidence, and teamwork. I am excited to help provide opportunities for younger generations to play the sport that I love by officiating and mentoring.”
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