Congratulations to Ethan Kaminski, our Player of the Month!
Position: Forward
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 195 lbs
Year: Junior
Major: Industrial and Operations Engineering
Hometown: Ada, Michigan
Why did you decide to play rugby?
I decided to play rugby because I wanted to do another extracurricular activity. I missed playing sports in high school and I thought that rugby would be fun to try. I had heard a lot of good things about it and I wish that I had joined sooner.
What have you liked about Michigan Rugby so far?
I like that there is a high level of competition on the team. Having this competition has helped me set my goals and gives me more motivation to keep getting better.
Describe your most memorable moment on the field.
My most memorable moment is the first sevens game that I got to play last winter. I joined two months before practice cancellations due to Covid, so I only got to participate in intrasquads. I was really nervous just as the game started, but about a minute in I was not nervous anymore and realized how much fun I was having.
What’s your most favorite rugby drill in practice? Least favorite?
My favorite rugby drill is probably 50s passing. My least favorite rugby drill is definitely the bronco.
What other sports have you played?
Football and Lacrosse.
What do you see yourself doing in five years?
Hopefully, in five years I am working a job that I love or just finishing up grad school. I’m not sure yet if I want to pursue grad school right after undergrad or if I want to wait a couple of years in between. I’d like to be working in the renewable energy sector.
What is an embarrassing childhood memory that you can share with us?
When I was little my family and I visited Yellowstone to see my uncle who was a park ranger and his family. My brother then started to tell me about jackalopes, rabbits that have antelope horns. He convinced me that they were real and that we had a really good chance of seeing one because they were native to the American West. We happened to see a rabbit during the trip and my brother told me it was a female jackalope. He claimed that female jackalopes did not grow antelope horns. Eventually, we went on a short hike guided by a park ranger and my brother convinced me to tell him I saw a jackalope. We were in a large group with several other families, and when I told the ranger that I had seen a jackalope he replied saying that someone must have been playing a prank on me because jackalopes weren’t real. Anyways, my brother did a great job of tricking me because I certainly felt embarrassed in front of all those people I didn’t know for claiming I saw a jackalope.
What is your favorite place in Ann Arbor?
Sadako.
What is your biggest fear?
I am incredibly scared of snakes. They just seem so scary to me and I swear I will never touch one.
What is your favorite food?
My favorite food is probably bacon-wrapped shrimp that my dad makes for holiday dinners.
Do you have any game-day superstitions?
I wouldn’t really call it a superstition, but I try to get a great night of sleep the night before a game. Waking up refreshed is just such a good feeling and it makes the rest of my day better.
Who is your favorite superhero and why?
My favorite superhero is Batman. He does not have any special abilities other than his own work ethic and dedication to his craft. It obviously helps that he has a lot of money, but it took a lot of hard work to get to his level. I like to think that through our own hard work, we can all get to the level of skill that he is at that suits our own interests. Whether it be a professional career or something like rugby, I think we can all achieve our goals given we have a strong work ethic.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
The best advice that I have received is “Complacency Kills”. If you are not actively getting better, then you are probably going to get left behind because there are plenty of other people working just as hard as you.
And here he is, breaking our Deadlift Record!
Again, congratulations to our February Player of the Month, Ethan Kaminski!
