I have played rugby for three years now, beginning in High School. I played for Orchard Park High School, the Niagara Wasps, the Virginia Beach Falcons, and currently the Christopher Newport University Captains. My career began in Orchard Park, as a newcomer playing on a team of newcomers. We were learning as we went, suffering brutal defeat after brutal defeat. Through the pain and turmoil, we bonded as a group. Every game, we set out to fight for each other-- no matter what. Promoted to a leadership role in the middle of the season, I tried my best to keep the team motivated, encouraged, and positive even when the scoreboard didn’t give us much reason to be. Despite the challenges, I had fallen in love with the sport--unfortunately, I soon learned what heartbreak felt like. I went down with an injury, and was told what no one wants to hear; I would begin a 6-month journey toward recovery. Fortunately, the doctor was wrong. Still, I could not play in our last game, which hurt more than any knee ever could. We never stopped believing in each other and our ability to win, but this was the last chance to prove it. In that last game of our season, I witnessed an incredibly beautiful display of perseverance, grit, and determination. I watched my brothers fight, push, scratch, and claw, keeping the game within reach. Eventually, when it looked like there was little hope of a comeback, a series of unexpected events began to unfold. Every single member of the team had a game-saving moment in those last 10 minutes-- whether it was a tackle, a line-break, a ruck, etc. No one on that field had let themselves be disheartened by the embarrassing season we endured. They never stopped believing in themselves. That day, I saw a team and program that was ready for the future. I saw a team that had learned how to play together and for each other. Most importantly, I saw a team that didn't need me any more than it needed anyone else on the field that day. I did not play that day, but I learned an important and valuable lesson-- victory comes as a result of unity and resilience, built through hardships and setbacks. Winning is great, but the journey toward it is just as important. Throughout my own journey with the sport, I have faced a number of challenges and setbacks-- from injuries to conference disputes and unstable rosters... Throughout all of this, I have only seen the ways rugby continues to help me grow on and off the pitch, teaching me the power of resilience in the face of injury and patience during times of uncertainty, the importance of playing selflessly, and the value a tight-knight group that can push through difficult circumstances together. Every team will be different, but the core values remain throughout. Rugby demands not just physical toughness, but character. The sport has tested and transformed me, teaching me how to lead, how to serve, how to listen, and how to be a part of something bigger than myself. It’s a sport built on respect, courage, and community. You train in the mud, you play in the heat, you push through the pain and the moments of doubt, not for any kind of personal glory... You do it out of love-- for the game and your rugby family. It's a community like no other. It changed my life, and I know that it'll always be a part of me, continuously shaping the person I’m becoming in every aspect of life.