June Alumnus of the Month: Aaron Turk

Aaron Turk is the June Alumnus of the Month. Turk was a mainstay of the early 2000 teams that included the 2004 Midwest Championship team. Aaron was a captain on that squad and also played on the Midwest Collegiate All-Star team in 2005. Aaron played wing and outside center for U of M and flyhalf for the Midwest team. While not deployed with the Navy, Turk has played with Pensacola and PAC. Aaron is now headed back to school at Harvard, in their MBA program.

When did you play?
2001-2005. I happened to have Spanish 232 with Matt Kuriluk my freshman year. I remember Matt bringing his UMRFC kit bag to class one day, which sparked a conversation about rugby (I had loosely followed the sport) and, as it turns out, a lifelong friendship. Having wrestled and played soccer at a fairly high level in high school, I was itching to get back into competitive athletics. I showed up to practice that night and the rest is history.

Any special honors?
As far as personal accomplishments go, I had the honor of captaining the backs my senior year and I led the team in scoring (I handled the kicking duties as well). I was selected for the Michigan and Midwest Select Sides and ended up playing flyhalf for the All-Midwest team in the 2005 All-American Tournament. I was also, thanks to Kevin Barlow, interviewed for a spot in Sports Illustrated that, to my knowledge, never got published. That’s a real bummer.

Some of my proudest moments have come while wearing the Michigan Rugby jersey. We had extraordinary success my senior year – remaining undefeated, winning the Michigan Rugby Union Championship, Midwest Championship, and eventually losing a hard fought match in the National Semifinals. The foundation for that team was laid well before our time by some of the immortals mentioned here already. Mike Livanos really pulled the club together my freshman year. I remember him and Andrew Marcus as larger than life (Marcus was scary good). Their performance on the field and leadership in the club helped recruit and retain an exceptional crop of underclassmen. They gave us a taste of success that year, showing us what a bit of talent and commitment could do. In 2003, Craig Williams took the reigns and led the team with an infectious passion. To this day, he remains one of the most inspirational leaders I have ever followed. All heart. After a disappointing finish in 2003-04, we faced a critical juncture. I remember sitting down with some of the team’s leadership to discuss the future of the club. We felt the momentum – 12 or so starters were returning – and knew we had a shot at a nationals our senior year. We also realized it would take an enormous sacrifice that not everyone in the club would agree with. It wasn’t an easy feat convincing the team of the new direction and I remember having to take a pretty hard line at times. In the end, though, it was well worth it. We were able to add two coaches – Englishman Adam Eustace and Canadian Steve Crozier, who were both completing graduate/PhD work in the local area. They complemented Wes and Finn by providing additional structure and two objective pairs of eyes, which were key to our development. With their help, we also developed an intense spring/summer fitness routine and instituted a fitness test upon our return to campus in the fall. Everyone bought in. It was beautiful. We came back a fitter, stronger, hungrier, and more cohesive unit that fall. I think everyone realized that if they were going to play rugby at the University of Michigan, they wanted to give it 100%. Plus, it doesn’t take long to realize that victory feels better than defeat.

I am immensely proud of every member of that team.

Favorite memories?
Far too many to list. A few of my favorites, though:

Thailand 2005. Another initiative our senior year was to incorporate service into our spring tours. The blend of meaningful post-tsunami volunteer work in Khao Lak and high-level rugby in Bangkok made for an exceptionally rewarding experience.

Listening to Sars recite the legendary “soiled meat and sand” article (Michigan Daily, Issue 1, Volume 1) by heart and upon request.

Beating a nationally ranked BGSU squad twice in two weeks – once for the Michigan Rugby Union Championship and again for the Midwest Championship. It was a very exciting time to be part of the club. We felt like our hard work was paying off and we were finally getting the respect and recognition our great university and all those who played before us deserved.

What are you doing now?
I’m finishing up a stint with the Navy in Washington, DC, where I live with my fiancée Luisa. I was in NROTC at Michigan and was commissioned upon graduation. I spent the first two years of my career in flight school and the next three flying operationally, during which I deployed multiple times to the Middle East and Central America. I’ve spent the last two years working in international engagement for the Director of Naval Intelligence at the Pentagon. In August, I will separate from active duty to pursue an MBA in Boston.

We have a number of alumni in the service. Nick Warack, Dan Kuriluk, and Beau Brodtman are all naval aviators, all either returning from deployment or about to head out the door. At various times throughout our military careers, we’ve each had the opportunity to play for the All-Navy rugby team – another great honor.

Anything else you want us to know?
UMRFC holds a special place in my heart. It was a transformational time for me, as it was for many of us.
To alumni: I will be the first to admit that I haven’t been as connected to the club during the last seven years as I would have liked. As I enter this new phase in my life, I intend to change that. I believe the club is once again at an inflection point and could use our support. Mid and long term goals are being developed and there are discussions of starting a Michigan Rugby Endowment. Thanks to those who have continued to support the club throughout the years. To the rest of us, I ask that you remember how much it meant to you to wear that Michigan Rugby jersey and join me in stepping up our contribution to the current club.

To current student-athletes: This is a great time to be playing at the collegiate level. It may seem odd but despite 1200 hours flying for the Navy and numerous combat deployments, Michigan Rugby remains one of the best (and toughest) leadership experiences of my life. Tweaking the culture of the organization and aligning the goals and abilities of 45+ diverse individuals was incredibly difficult and took a true team effort. But our experience taught us that change is possible and it can happen rather quickly. You’re on the right track and you’re in good hands with Coach Trenary. The hard work will pay off. I look forward to following your progress in the years to come and if there is anything I can do for any of you, please don’t hesitate to contact me.