Sparks Signs Rugby Scholarship with SNU
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
GRAPELAND – It’s always fun to watch a student/athlete sign their National Letter of Intent to continue their athletic careers at the next level.
In the local area, the largest school district is in Class 4A (Palestine) and there have been signings in football, volleyball, basketball, powerlifting, baseball, softball and track. On Monday, however, there was a new sport added to the list as Grapeland High School senior Kamryn Sparks inked her name to go and play rugby at Southern Nazarene University (SNU) in Bethany, Oklahoma.
After all the pictures, congratulatory hugs and handshakes, Kamryn sat down with The Messenger to discuss how she came to be interested in rugby and SNU.
“I started playing rugby in my 8th grade year.” she said, “Well, I started going to practices in my 8th grade year but I really got into it my freshman year when my football coach told me I couldn’t play football because I was a girl.”
Kamryn said this happened when her family was living in The Woodlands.
When asked what drew her to the sport, she smiled and replied, “Mostly the contact and that anyone can score. It doesn’t matter about your size or how fast you are. I can still truck people and score. It makes me happy.”
As to how she found out about the SNU Crimson Storm, Kamryn said her current rugby coach with the Texas Nuclear Thunder Rugby Team “… told her that there was this coach that wanted to talk to me and get to know me. He said he had a scholarship to offer me if I got to know him and his team. He contacted me and got me to fill out an application for the school. He talked to me about the sport and academics. I also fell in love with the campus. It was gorgeous. I love their weight room and the indoor track.”
Concerning what advice she might have for her classmates and softball teammates, Kamryn said, “Always commit. Whether you’re in the dugout or on the sidelines, always cheer on your team and always show them you care about the sport and that you will do anything for it. It will show them that you don’t have to be playing to be a part of the team.”
Kamryn said she plans to pursue a degree in animal science so she can become an ag teacher when she graduates.
According to the SNU website, the university was “…founded in 1899, Southern Nazarene University is a private, Christian, liberal arts university-a service of the Church of the Nazarene. Located on a 44-acre campus just west of Oklahoma City, SNU grew out of several small colleges committed to training people for service to God and to one another. More than 32,000 alumni work and serve throughout the United States and the world.”
From all of us at The Messenger Sports, congratulations Kamryn and best of luck in your future endeavors.
Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].
