I am constantly creating connections with girls around the world. I have been playing rugby for eleven years, and this sport is built on connections and chemistry. This sport made me feel as if I belonged. I want that for others. Rugby is a sport where everyone belongs and has a role on the team. I am captain for my team, and for some select sides, and it's important to me that people know, no matter what you look like or what you have been through, you have a home with your team, who becomes family. When it comes to meeting new people, my dad always taught me to be welcoming and encouraging. I try to make everyone feel seen and heard, whether that's remembering their name when you first meet them or giving them genuine advice. From my experience, bringing people together can be a beautiful thing; it's one of the hardest feelings in the world after a Rugby tour, when you have been with the same girls for weeks and have to say goodbye to them. This community, this family, means the world to me. They come to me when they need someone to listen truly. I have grown close to so many of the girls because of it. Rugby can seem like an aggressive sport, but it creates a family you want to fight for on the field and off. A time I demonstrated kindness in action, I was in Ireland for an elite rugby tour. This was my third time there, and I was excited to help guide the younger girls. After the first couple of training sessions, I noticed one of the younger girls on the U16 was upset, and I instantly knew it must have been something at practice. I didn't want to push her, so I waited until she and I were alone and in a much quieter area. I asked her what was wrong, and she instantly started to cry. I gave her a huge hug. She told me she felt she was performing horribly and that she didn't deserve to be here. My heart ached for her; I, too, have been in her shoes. There comes a time in every athlete's life when they second-guess themselves, especially when surrounded by high-level players. I comforted her, but I tried not to say anything that she had already thought about in her head. Sometimes, no matter what we say, the feeling doesn't go away. The only thing we can do is use this hurt and frustration to work harder, not to prove something to the coaches, but to prove it to ourselves. I gave her something I wish I had when I felt that way, a listening ear. She ended up turning things around, and she did amazing on tour. She and I have remained close, but after the tour ended, she told me how much that moment meant to her, how safe and supported she felt by me. This moment was important to me because it made me realize that I can use my own experiences to help others who may feel what I have felt. It led me to want to keep helping others feel seen and heard. I want them to know they are not alone, even when they feel like it. Everyone deserves to feel loved and wanted. I feel my gift to help people this way is to support them through hard times.

I have been playing rugby for eleven years. When I first started playing, it was co-ed, and I was the only girl. This sport was brand new to me, and to say it wasn't intimidating would be a lie. After the first practice, I was intrigued by the complexity of the sport and how unique it was compared to other sports. I wasn't very good, but I wanted to improve because I found it a lot of fun and fulfilling. As annoying as the boys were, I considered them family. Years went by, and I started to pick up on the sport and the rules, learning to use my size against others to my advantage. I was at the same club for six years, we moved to NH, and I found a new club that would help me in so many ways I never knew. Growing with this new club, Amoskeag Rugby Club. I learned the intense, fast-paced rugby you see high-level athletes play. This year will be my fifth and final year with this program. Because of this program, I have been selected for select sides like EIRA (Eagle Impact Rugby Academy). This select side goes to places like Ireland, Portugal, Italy, Spain, the netherlands and belgium, and Canada. This will be my fourth summer traveling with them, and I have gotten the opportunity to be a captain for this select side. This program has given me friends for life. I have met some amazing girls and coaches who have helped shape me into who I am today. All the girls give 100% all the time, and everyone wants to work hard to get better, and we lift each other, not tear each other down. The coaches have always believed in me, even when I haven't, pushing me to be my absolute best. They have taught me I can play at that level, and I have the determination and drive to succeed. I found my 7s club about three years after I moved, Mystic River Rugby Club. Based in Malden, MA, I went to this club because the same girls from Amoskeag were there, and I loved playing and training with them. A few years after I joined the club, I am now the captain of Mystic. This club has allowed me to play 7s all year round. While I am not a huge fan of 7s, it has taught me to trust my teammates and to be creative as a forward. Throughout my experiences with rugby, I can strongly say it has changed my life. It has taught me to be humble and kind and given me the chance to help other girls who may be in the same situations that I have been in. Rugby is all about community; everyone has an important role. This sport has given me that and more: a family. The girls I have formed life-long friendships with, I consider my sisters; we care for each other and cheer for each other, even though we are all spread around the world. Being a leader, it has given me the chance to guide others and be a strong, positive figure for them. It has taught me to love my body, my broad shoulders, my large legs. My body was made for this sport. When I am on the field, I am most confident in this sport, and I want other girls to find community and empowerment in this sport as I have.

Rugby isn't just a sport. It is a way of life, a second family. I have been playing Rugby for a while, and I can tell you I wouldn't be the person I am today without it. From traveling overseas to playing with high school boys, my rugby journey has taught me so many attributes that I will bring with me on and off the field. When my rugby journey began, I was the only girl on a team full of boys, I saw it as a challenge but later as an advantage. I was able to train with some amazing athletes and be coached by some of the best. Playing with boys gave me a sense of no fear, which I brought when playing with all girls. The friendships I have gained through these teams are some I will forever have, and I consider them my sisters. We all pushed each other, and we want each other to be our absolute best. Rugby means the world to me because it has helped me grow confident in myself and my body. The body I once had a hard time loving became this powerful machine. Rugby taught me that my body was made this way to play the position I play, my broad shoulders i used to hate, and I see as strong. The way rugby has taught me to be aggressive yet sweet, intense, yet calm. I have always dreamed of playing at a high level. In 2023, my dreams came true. I was selected for a select side traveling to Ireland. I was nervous, yet I knew this challenge was what I wanted. That moment changed my life. Being around girls who want the high level and want to work even when it is tough was so important to me. They pushed me to be a better person and an athlete. We lift each other up even when it's hard. Most importantly, rugby gave me a family. These are girls I can go to whenever I feel sad, or upset, and angry. They listen to all my problems and they are always there for me. Not just my teammates but the coaches I have had the honor of being around. They have given me some of the best advice for on and off the field. Their belief in me gave me strength in my hardest times. From my oldest coach to my newest, they have all contributed so much in my life, and I am forever thankful. From the coaches to the teammates, rugby has given me the best years of my life, and through the blood, sweat, and tears, I wouldn't trade it for anything.