When thinking about an aspect of my life that is both unique and fundamental to knowing what kind of person I am, the first thing that comes to mind is my involvement in the UGA Rugby Club. I know what you’re thinking, playing rugby in America is about as common as playing the Star-Spangled Banner in Russia. Most people don’t even know UGA has a Rugby club, including myself until a few years ago. To understand how I started playing Rugby, you first have to understand what came before. Growing up in Georgia, I was pretty much expected to be playing football from a very young age. So from the age of 6 all the way to the age of 18, that’s what I did. And I loved the game as an outlet for competition and physicality. However, when it came down to choosing where to go to school, I was finally faced with the harsh truth that I just wasn’t that good. I had to decide whether I wanted to play D3 football, or further my education at a great university like UGA. I chose my education and left football behind me, but that competitiveness never left. When I got on campus, I was approached by the club’s former coach about joining the team. I agreed to attend a practice, albeit cautiously as I knew nothing about rugby. After the practice, I knew I had found my place at this university. My teammates would go on to become some of my closest friends and my involvement became so great I had the honor of being elected as one of the club’s officers at the beginning of the new year. I’m now entering into my second season and cannot wait to see what the future holds for my career.