On most mornings, long before campus begins to stir, someone on the BYU women\u2019s rugby team is already awake, packing lunch, lacing cleats or rushing from one responsibility to another. <\/p>\n
The players come from different majors, backgrounds, and schedules, but they share one thing: a daily balancing act that demands discipline, sacrifice, and a lot of heart.<\/p>\n
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Photographer Pete Haraguchi<\/p>\n
For pre-nursing major Aunika DelHoyo, a typical Monday feels like a full sprint.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wake up and make sure I have everything done for the day,\u201d she said. \u201cI pack my lunch and then go straight into four classes.\u201d <\/p>\n
After class, she shifts to physical training. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe have weights from 2 to 3, and then I go to the athletic trainer for recovery or injury help,” DelHoyo said.<\/p>\n
Then the schoolwork begins again before practice from 5 to 7 p.m. \u201cAfter practice, I go home, eat, take a break, and then do more homework,” she said.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a cycle she repeats multiple times a week, and that doesn\u2019t even include the 10 to 15 hours she used to work when she had a job. <\/p>\n
\u201cTuesdays and Thursdays were my work days,\u201d DelHoyo said. \u201cI didn\u2019t have class until the evening, so I\u2019d work in the mornings before everything else.\u201d<\/p>\n
The hardest part, she says, isn\u2019t the packed schedule itself, but staying disciplined within it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to be committed. Time-blocking and actually sticking to it is the hardest part,\u201d DelHoyo said. \u201cNo doom scrolling. I\u2019ve learned that.\u201d<\/p>\n
To avoid burnout, DelHoyo separates her responsibilities mentally as well as physically.<\/p>\n
\u201cI try to be present wherever I am,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen I\u2019m in rugby, I\u2019m thinking about rugby. When I\u2019m in school, I\u2019m not thinking about rugby at all. That helps me not get overwhelmed because I\u2019m not thinking of a thousand things at once.\u201d<\/p>\n
Support from professors and coaches makes the load lighter.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy coaches are super accommodating; they always put school first,\u201d she said. Her professors respond the same way. \u201cWhen we have to travel or miss class, they\u2019re always willing to help.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even so, she leans heavily on her family, especially when her responsibilities seem too great.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen things get hard, I call my dad and tell him I don\u2019t know if I can do everything,\u201d she said. \u201cHe always reminds me that I can do my schoolwork, I can do rugby, I can get enough sleep, I can do my church stuff. Just having that support helps a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
DelHoyo also acknowledges the challenges that come with competing in an extramural sport; one that doesn\u2019t receive the same resources or support as some Division I teams. But instead of feeling resentful, she focuses on gratitude.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re always jealous of the sports that get more support,\u201d she admitted with a laugh. \u201cBut honestly, I just feel lucky I get to wear the Y at all. Rugby has come a long way in the last ten years. The fact that we have coaches, a trainer, and a weight room is amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
She keeps her advice for other student athletes simple.<\/p>\n
\u201cPut your priorities in line. Know why you\u2019re doing what you\u2019re doing,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd if you\u2019re a member of the Church, find ways to worship God in everything you do. Keeping that as my priority helps me stay grounded.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Photographer Pete Haraguchi<\/p>\n
Psychology major Ashley Tyrell understands the grind just as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday I woke up at 4:45 and went to practice until 8,\u201d she said. \u201cThen I went home, changed, and went straight to work until noon. I eat lunch while I drive to class because I have to go straight from work, and then I\u2019m in class until 5:15.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Tyrell, the biggest challenge isn\u2019t the full scheldule, it\u2019s the feeling of being stretched thin.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes it feels like I can\u2019t give my all to everything,\u201d she said. \u201cI feel like I\u2019m not doing enough with rugby, or school, or church. I\u2019ve had to learn to be okay with doing what I can in each category.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like DelHoyo, she finds support in her teammates, people who understand the exhausting balancing act because they live it too. She also leans on her faith.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a testimony of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father, and prayer is big for me when I\u2019m stressed,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen I put Christ first, everything else is easier to balance. Things fall into place more easily when I make prayer and scripture study a priority.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the long days, Tyrell keeps returning to the pitch for reasons both emotional and practical.<\/p>\n
\u201cExercise is a really good outlet for me,\u201d she said. \u201cI love the competitive aspect; it gives me something to work toward. And it\u2019s cool to see improvement in myself, especially since I started just last year. Staying in shape is a big motivator too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her advice mirrors DelHoyo\u2019s.<\/p>\n
\u201cFigure out your priorities and set goals you can actually measure and maintain,\u201d she said. \u201cThen stick to those goals, even when you\u2019re tired. It\u2019s a lot more fulfilling when you follow through.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the women of BYU rugby, balance is a daily discipline. Their days may start before sunrise and end well past sundown, but each player finds her own way to stay grounded through faith, friendship, family, and a deep love for the sport. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s not easy, but as both DelHoyo and Tyrell show, it\u2019s possible to carry the load well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On most mornings, long before campus begins to stir, someone on the BYU women\u2019s rugby team is already…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":337993,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,760,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-337992","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-rugby","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337992","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=337992"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337992\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/337993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=337992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=337992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=337992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}