Girls rugby player Brea Knapp plays every game with a purpose. Every time she steps foot on the field, Knapp has a goal.
In 2016, Knapp’s mom was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She was battling cancer on and off for six years before passing away when Knapp was only 13 years old.
“All of that [cancer] took a toll on her body. It made her immune system a lot weaker,” junior Break Knapp said.
Knapp says her mom was always her biggest supporter – whether it was sports, cello, or life. One of the hardest parts about losing a parent is simply just not having them there. Before every game Knapp plays, she honors her mom.
“Honestly, I think it’s helped my performance because I know I have something to play for,” Knapp said. “On all my cleats, I always write her name on the side of them.”
Knapp feels like she isn’t playing for herself. She plays for the people around her. Knapp believes that unity is the biggest thing a team needs to succeed in rugby.
“I think that [unity] is definitely the most important thing when you do anything in life. You have to recognize the fact that you’re not doing this for yourself. Honestly, it’s for all the people around you,” Knapp said.
Knapp played for the All-state team this past summer and just recently got invited to play for the All-Midwest team. Playing for these big teams has given Knapp a lot of exposure to colleges. At the beginning of her junior year, Knapp received an offer to play rugby at Notre Dame followed by an offer from Penn State. Knapp has interest from other major universities too. When Knapp received her first offer she believed she made her mom proud.
“Getting my first offer, I can just picture her looking down because she’s definitely my biggest supporter because she had battled cancer her whole life. So she also knew how to be there for others… I think she definitely was looking down on me, and that makes me really happy,” Knapp said.
Knapp stands out compared to other players on the field. She says that her mentality and dedication to the sport is a large part of this. The death of Knapp’s mom has built up her mental toughness.
“My mentality. It’s honestly so important when it comes to playing any sport. But I think with all that I’ve been through mentally, I think it’s just led me to strive differently. I’m also pretty dedicated because I have set a lot of goals for myself,” Knapp said.
Last year, the North Central girls rugby team placed third in state for the spring season. Knapp’s goal for this season is to help take the team to the State Championship. Most of the players have not been playing rugby for very long so Knapp believes they need to work together to succeed.
“It’s just important to build off of what we have as a team and kind of recognize the skills we already have and the skills that we can develop,” Knapp said.
The loss of Knapp’s mom has taught her a lot of lessons. One of those lessons is being appreciative of what she has. Knapp uses this lesson to recognize the people that have helped her succeed.
“I love my teammates so much, and I’m so fortunate to have been given such wonderful teammates and coaches. I think it’s definitely taught me a lot about understanding other people,” Knapp said. “Ultimately, my number one goal in life is to make her proud of me, even though she’s not with me in person.”
