Kaitlyn Schwarting's leadership and broad range of talents has seen her make it to the list of finalists for the MA Sorensen Award.
She doesn't do it with power but she does do it with strength, throwing herself into the defensive responsibilities of being a center on one of the best teams in the nation, and facing up to some imposing defenses.
It's not hard to see the parallels.
"My team is never the biggest, but we put in the work and we have unmatched fitness, grit, and aggression," Schwarting told Goff Rugby Report. "We use every piece of the game and every person to accomplish the end goal, because we cannot win this game alone. I am extremely grateful to be selected as a finalist for this award. I believe it reflects the amount of trust my team put in me this year."
Trust is a big thing in rugby and Schwarting is certainly someone who earns trust. She is perhaps at her best under pressure, tackling, running, setting up teammates, and kicking, she takes smart options, always. And while the West Point coaching staff did a lot to help mold this player, she also had a good start in her youth program.
"My first ever rugby game was at Surfside Sevens, when I was 12, for my high school team North Bay," she said. "I was about 85 pounds and I learned very quickly that I would never be the kind of player that could run through people. I had to be fast, cheeky, aggressive, knowledgeable and I had to know that when I inevitably get hit hard, I would have to get right back up."
Schwarting played with Atlantis and grew up as a player with North Bay.
"North Bay and the girls I played with on that team set me up to play at West Point," she said. "The coaches at North Bay and the girls I had the pleasure of playing with and against in high school enabled the development of my rugby knowledge and foundation."
