Rugby has given me the opportunity to call 45 people who were strangers, my family. Since starting collegiate rugby, I have been brought into a sisterhood where I can both be relied on and be of service to my teammates. My rugby family is made up of 45 young women who have seen me laugh, cry, sweat, struggle and win. They know me and I know them extremely well. Rugby pushes us on and off the pitch. Being a rugby family means making connections I will have for years , even after I graduate from college. A rugby family means people who will push me to be the best athlete, and the best person on and off the pitch. My rugby family means people who can understand me and hold me up to my athletic and life goals. I have played many sports since I was a child, from soccer to roller derby. I have been on international and local club teams and have had many teammates and coaches over that time. However since starting rugby, no team has given me a bond quite like my rugby team has. Rugby was a relatively new sport to me when I started playing for my college, Penn State and many of my teammates had years of experience before being recruited to play. However, I was welcomed with open arms, and given a space to truly learn the sport. My teammates supported me unconditionally through every knock-on, try, practice and lift. This was a very comforting experience. They provided the love that I very much needed while becoming acclimated to college life. My rugby team has given me support as a family related by blood would, if not more. I have learned over time in my first year, that a team dynamic is like balancing both ends of a scale. A singular person can bring so much to a team and balance one side of the scale, but if someone is in need or does not have enough to overcome or get through something, the team is there on the other side of the scale to bring them up. Similarly, if a team is in need, one singular person can help their team in great ways. Whether that has been boosting morale in the locker room, being encouraging during hard practices or helping someone off the pitch. A team has a dynamic unique and strong, different from any dynamic you might find. The team serves to balance each individual. As a result, to me, having a rugby family means everything. I always find myself thinking of my teammates who are my friends, my coaches who are my mentors or the pitch which has become my home.

I was 11 when I started playing roller derby. It was the best thing to ever happen to me. I have had and yet to make so many memories. I started playing for Gotham Girls Junior Roller derby in 2016 until 2020 and I joined Philly Roller Derby Juniors(PRDJ) in January 2022. It was a big jump for me to play for a new team but I settled in and I quickly began to learn more names of teammates who would soon be my best friends and more about the coaches who I would soon call family. Last season my team and I won Regional Playoffs in Hagerstown Maryland which advanced us to National Championships In Pheonix Arizona. We won gold in national championships and completed our season undefeated. My team has become more meaningful than I ever could’ve imagined. PRDJ has made me a better skater and a better person. I have made tremendous progress skill-wise and within myself. I recently became a sponsored skater for HitSquadTV and made the National USA team. I will be playing in the World Cup in Valence, France in the summer of 2023. I've become a mentor to younger and newer skaters and closer to my teammates. My sport has opened up a world of opportunity. It makes me feel strong and gives me meaning. I have become part of a team and must put in my 100% to succeed. My sport upholds me to a standard and establishes responsibility in my life. It has taught me to always trust my gut, whether that is during a game, or off the track making smart decisions. Roller Derby has also taught me to take risks. During the offseason last year I joined a rugby team, having never played rugby before. It's a new experience and scary but it has been good for me. I plan to play in college and have already secured a spot on Pennsylvania State University's rugby team. I've learned to embrace new things because I know what they can bring me. Positivity if I put my all into it. The trials and tribulations for something can be rough. Early practice times at 6 am, injuries, and hard drills aren't always easy. But I've learned that hard work not just in athletics but in life will produce results. And if I can accomplish things and improve myself in the end, it's a process I'm willing to undergo.