During my first semester of college, I felt extremely lost, and lonely, and I wanted to transfer closer to home. In my second semester, I loved my school, and my friends, and my mental health started to improve. So, what changed between the two semesters? I joined the rugby team. While I am still relatively new to the sport, I feel like I am at home playing. I have an amazing team that has not only helped me adjust to playing a new sport but adjust to a whole new life at school. To me, a rugby family means that I will always have people to support me and an amazing community that will have my back as I grow up. Since I started playing, I have made connections with other students who play rugby at schools across the country. Having this family makes me feel safe and loved as well as feeling appreciated. From the first day that I stepped onto the field, my teammates and my amazing coach were there to teach me and help me learn. Despite only playing for a few months, I became a starter on my team and we ended up competing at Nationals in Washington D.C. This was so special because I had always felt like a bench warmer during my years in soccer. I had felt left out and that I didn't belong. Rugby has been completely different. I feel like this is my calling, I feel happy and excited to go to practice, and I feel proud when my team competes. While my rugby family will always be special on the field, I feel that the connection and bond moves far beyond the 14-minute games. One specific memory I have from my team is our late-night study sessions where we would keep each other company while we got work done for classes non of us even shared. It gave us a chance to bond and spend time together that I never got playing high school sports. As a freshman, I felt that the kids on my team were there for me not only with rugby but with class struggles and mental health hiccups. It feels like a true family in a home away from home. Overall, I am extremely grateful to have been given this special opportunity with some of the greatest people I have ever met. If it wasn't for my school's rugby team, I probably would have transferred and would never have made the lifelong friendships that I did this past semester. Although it has only been a semester, my teammates have created such a loving and welcoming environment, it feels like I've known them all for years. This rugby family means the world to me and I can't wait to extend this welcoming and happy hand to the newest group of Ohio Wesleyan University players.