Teamwork makes the dream work

from USA Rugby:

This article is part of the USA Women’s Eagles blog. All articles are written exclusively by Women’s Eagles themselves.

I have two sisters – the absolute loves of my life whose excellence I could rant and rave about until you were so bored you just walked away and I didn’t even realize it. That’s not to say we haven’t had more than our fair share of disagreements and fights as all families do. My little sister has the claws of a tiger, and I think the older one learned that “mom stare” that makes you cower in a corner by the time I was three. Trust me, they are beautiful and hilarious, but they are not to be messed with. Neither is the solid, irreplaceable relationship I have with them. Now if only I could get them to play rugby . . .

We never lived further than a few hours from each other until I moved out to California. And that’s when the importance of teammates really set in.

USA Rugby Eagle Kimber Rozier

Okay, so your teammates are your friends . . . usually. We get along just fine just for that to be shattered by the first hit of practice when I want to get up and charge down whoever just crushed me. Usually it’s Jillion Potter. I do just that and for a moment there’s about to be a brawl . . . but then we just laugh, high-five or hug it out and go back to playing.Teammates are this weird cross between friends and siblings.

Like friends, you spend a lot of time together. You laugh and you joke and sometimes even hang out in those rare moments of free time between Pete Steinberg]’s pre-pre-practice meetings or between narrow breaths at Ric [Suggitt]’s conditioning sessions. You share stories, ups, downs, tears and joy from hard work, close wins and devastating losses.

But, just like siblings, you don’t necessarily have to be friends. However, also like siblings, teammates never seem to go away. They’re still there annoying you to get your butt out of bed to run the beep test or in your ear when you need some tough love. Or stealing your clothes (unless you’re the smallest rugby player ever like me) because athletes need real people clothes, too. And sometimes you just don’t get along at all. But they’re still there, and you can choose to bicker over petty problems, or find a way to work it out so that the team can perform. Because guess what? They can play.

I can’t stress enough how fortunate I am to be a part of the families that I am. In both my biological family and my Eagle family, I have the benefit of being great friends with my siblings and teammates. It’s a bond that can’t be split by distance nor discord. We’ve been through it all and only come out stronger (and funnier).

You better watch out when all three Rozier sisters walk in to a room together.

And the rest of the world better watch out when the Eagles walk out onto that pitch together, filled with pride for our country and united by a bond forged in the fire.

1 thought on “Teamwork makes the dream work”

  1. wow, this is fantastic, so true and very well written! Can’t wait to get into camp with my girls now 🙂 Good luck and keep writing 🙂

    Reply

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