Chelsey Mitchell

Q : How did your rugby career begin?

A : Beswick (teammate) had on a basketball tee at the activities fair and I couldn't find club basketball. So I chose club rugby instead because they all played basketball too.

Q : What do you love about rugby?

A : I love the community it builds of friendships that turn into family and how supportive everyone is of each other to grow on and off the field. I also enjoy being able to tackle someone after a very stressful week.

Q : What's something you will miss about rugby?

A : I will miss Saturday mornings stepping onto the pitch with my teammates (won’t miss the weekly nervous pukes). I will also miss how good it feels when players start meshing together as a whole unit on and off the pitch.

Q : What is your favorite personal rugby moment?

A : Like personal as in I committed said action, because that would be scoring a try senior year during national playoffs off of a penalty. If it's just a moment I witnessed/was a part of--midwest playoffs senior year of college--Kara attempted to score of the 5 meter line thinking it was the try line or Charlotte cursing out the sir in French and him replying because he was fluent in French.

Q : How much impact has rugby had on your life?

A : LOL would I have friends without rugby? More seriously, rugby has provided me with lifelong friendships and a mini family structure that I truly cherish.

Q : To spread the rugby love, what would you like people to know about rugby who have never encountered the sport before?

A : Rugby gives back what you give to rugby. If you give rugby “your everything,” it returns you with everything. Rugby makes you stronger physically and mentally when you decide to commit. The sport creates an amazing bond between teammates to push themselves to limits they didn't know existed and find support in people you didn't know would support you. Rugby gives you a family whether you knew you needed them or not.

Q : Greatest lesson learned?

A : 1. Rugby is more fun when you are fit. 2. Every player has a role—not everyone can finish a match, not everyone can start a match, but the combination of players working together wins the match.

Q : If I had an airplane full of jellybeans and I wanted you to get them all out, but in a very sanitary way so that I could still eat them, what would you do? You have 24 hours to do this, but you have unlimited funds.

A : Does the airplane still have someone flying it or is it grounded? As long as someone can fly it, attach an oversized garbage bag to the door of the airplane and fly sideways until all the jellybeans dispense. Obviously going to use those funds to create a large enough bag.