MAISIE STRADER
Special to The Leader
The Fredonia women’s rugby team was canceled for a short period of time last year after a personal team dispute.
However, they have come back with their minds solely on the field.
“I really don’t know how to feel about it being my last year,” said President Taylor White, a senior. “I mean, I am so proud of how far I’ve come so I have this sense of accomplishment but I’m also not ready to leave.”
After a semester without a coach, teammates grouped together to find one as soon as possible.
For no money and no notice, Ashley Nice, a nearby Hamburg, N.Y. resident, immediately jumped to fill the position.
“Our coach Ashley is truly incredible, I think she really helped a lot of girls find their passion for the sport again,” White stated.
Thrilled by the opportunity to show her coaching skills, Nice has supported and trained her players respectfully and healthily, knowing that not all of them have an athletic background.
One such player is sophomore and Treasurer Kim Wilk, who hasn’t touched a ball since middle school.
Wilk joined her freshman year not knowing what lay behind the dirt and mud, just thinking it was a good way to meet friends.
Now, she has been able to raise money for the group, in hopes to take the team to a whole different level.
After being canceled last year, the girls understood what that meant for their team – loss of players and loss of funding.
“I am actually in the process of planning many more fundraisers that students may like; there’s gonna be a Harry Potter trivia night, a thrift sale and more bake sales,” Wilk said.
On Saturday, Sept. 9, the women’s rugby thrift sale will have all sorts of books, shoes and clothes that people can buy to support the team’s efforts, along with photo booths and a changing area.
So watch out for the chance to buy a new shirt, take some pictures with friends and even get your very own Harry Potter basket full of treats, while also supporting the team.
What can we actually expect from the rugby team this season?
“Expect a lot of passion and resilience from the girls team this year,” White said. “We all have fought so hard to come back and save this program … We are more determined than ever to prove that we are worth having at Fredonia.”
These players aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty on game day, and encourage others to join.
“I always [tell] people who want to join to just try it, because you’ll never know until you do so … Rugby truly is a sport for everyone, [and] we will find a spot for anyone,” White said.