Hey Mike, you should play rugby.
College is a time and place where people try new things, develop unexpected interests, and create life-long friendships. It promotes growth and change, and happens so quickly that it becomes easy to forget where it all started.
Mike Stackpole is midway through his junior year at SUNY Oswego, a school he never expected to go to, and it wasn’t his first, second, or third choice. Backup school or not, he has one career aspiration — to follow in the footsteps of his father.
Mike’s father, Michael Sr., is a retired New York City firefighter, and was a responder during the 2001 World Trade Center attacks.
These were big shoes to fill, and Michael, Sr. knew that his son would need to make serious changes to his body and mind in order to fill those shoes. He encouraged Mike to start getting in shape.
“You’re constantly carrying 100 pounds on your back when you’re a fireman. You have to be strong,” said Michael Sr.
Mike began to take that encouragement seriously in his sophomore year, where he decided that he wasn’t happy with his physical self — he was overweight. It began to creep into his mind; he thought about his career, his personal health, and his dad.
He began to take advantage of his campus. He went to the gym six days a week, starting his routine off with a 15 minute run. At the dining halls, he cut out fattening foods, and sometimes even skipped meals. His new meal plan earned playful ridicule from friends, but he didn’t care. He knew what he wanted.
Within a semester, he shed nearly 50 pounds of fat and began to build strength. He continued his routine through the rest of the year. The gym is still a part of his lifestyle now.
Entering his junior year, Michael was in the best shape of his life. He was more confident in himself, and took interest in playing a sport for the school — something he had never planned on doing when he first enrolled. After all, he had always been a fan of college sports. He just didn’t know which one he wanted to play.
In October 2017, Mike was out for a night with his friends when he stumbled across a high school friend, Nick Bandini, who transferred to Oswego State for his junior year. He was already a part of the school’s club rugby team.
When Nick saw Mike for the first time in months, he nearly didn’t recognize him in his new body.
“Hey Mike, you should play rugby,” said Nick.
Mike had no idea how to play the sport. He didn’t know the rules. He only knew the physical demands for the sport, and he was up for the challenge. The following Monday, he showed up for a practice session.
“I felt like a deer in headlights. I was trying to figure out everything, trying to learn the rules,” said Mike.
Members of the team took Mike in with open arms, teaching him everything they knew about the sport. Throughout this learning process, Mike found new friendships, and developed a love for a sport that he calls, “organized chaos.”
Organized chaos makes sense for a sport like rugby. It’s a fast-paced, 80-minute game with a constantly running clock and 30 people on the field at one time. Unlike football, there is no protective padding.
Though the game is physically demanding, Mike sees it as a form of therapy. For a few hours a day he gets to be among his friends, and away from reality. He doesn’t worry about school or his future when he’s on the field.
This physical demand motivates Mike to become stronger, and to bring his career aspiration closer to reality. He wants to keep playing after he graduates, and if he fills his father’s shoes as a firefighter.
“The FDNY has their own rugby team. I want to join it.”
