REECE BARBARA / RUGBY+CHEER

Reece Barbara is not your typical cheerleader. Once she’s o the sideline of the football field, you can find her blitzing with the best of them on the rugby pitch.

STATUS: Hillcrest High School senior; plays for Dallas Bears Rugby.

TEAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS: State runnerup in Rugby Texas’ Division II in 2018.

WHY RUGBY: “I was a cheerleader for Cistercian and needed a change. It’s good for letting go of stress. It feels empowering. I feel powerful. I feel bold.”

OTHER SPORTS: Cheer.

WHY SHE LOVES RUGBY: “I did not know anything about this sport before I came. Two practices in, we were tackling people. I feel like a boss. Rugby is a hard sport. It’s down and dirty. If I can do that, I can do anything.”

MEMORABLE MOMENTS: Playing on turf in 100 degrees and scoring for the first time. “I didn't think I was going to be good at this sport, but it’s all mental. If you can push yourself through the game, you're going to get through it.”

ON TEAMWORK: “You can't look back to see who you're passing to. You have to listen for their voice and know whether to go left, right or spin.”

WHY SHE LOVES HER TEAM: “There's never a time when we're not laughing. We get serious when we need to be serious, but we also have fun.”

FUTURE PLANS: Studying business at Austin Community College.

LIFE ACCORDING TO DALLAS BEARS

COACH MIKE XUEREB: “Rugby has helped us learn many lessons, such as the importance of hard work, how to get back up when knocked down, learning to blaze new trails, creating a true team and overcoming preconceived notions.”