by Caroline Cheek
Staff Writer
With the start of the new year comes the start of a new women’s rugby season. The team, reformed by Kathleen Kelso (C’17) and Erin Smolskis (C’17) in Fall of 2013, has begun practicing in anticipation of its sophomore season. The girls played a few matches last semester to test their abilities, and while the scoreboard was not in their favor, the team’s potential was apparent. Rather than discourage the players, the premier season of the newly revamped women’s team garnered enthusiasm for the upcoming season.
The team is focusing on improvement as the main goal regardless of the score. This season, Kelso is implementing a “new focus on structure in order to make the team dynamic more stable”. The new design will have multi-member leadership as opposed to only a few members running the entire operation. This will give, “ownership of the team to multiple people”, allowing each member to be used to their full potential and contribute to the team’s overall success. Kelso thinks this dynamic will help the team both on and off the field, making each member accountable for the team’s success and development. It is obvious that the team has progress on their minds and with that comes expansion of the roster. Hannah Gallagher (C’16) discussed the many new faces at training, though she admits many girls are hesitant because of the sports intensity.
The team is encouraging all girls with an interest in the game to come out and give it a try; tackling and contact practice will come into play in later weeks. These girls are hoping to strengthen this team and make a commonly male-dominated sport into a universal experience. Their first game is slotted for October, but an exact date is unknown at this time. Contact kelsokd0@sewanee.edu with any questions about Women’s Rugby and how to get involved.