Bryan Kean -
 2009 Kevin Higgins College Scholarship Grant Recipient

San Diego, CA (October 20, 2009) - Growing up in Ohio, Bryan Kean thought baseball was going to be his sport. That thought process was shattered his freshman year in high school when he was cut from the St. Edward High School baseball team. Devastated, Bryan looked for another sport to get into and found rugby. He immediately fell in love with the sport and his zest for the game has only intensified since then. As a freshman, Bryan traveled to Dartmouth College to watch his team finish 8^th in Nationals but the seed was planted for Bryan to explore all avenues to be the best that he could be.

Bryan’s forwards coach at St. Edward High School, Thomas Cleary, remembers the passion Bryan had when he first came out for training. “Bryan started playing rugby at St. Edward as a freshman and showed a determination and drive that I have rarely seen in my 20 years of playing and coaching rugby. He not only practiced with his team but also accompanied me to my practice with the local men’s team where he made every practice, even if it meant practicing twice a day. It was during these times that Bryan learned to be humble while learning from the older and more experienced players and coaches. He would then always take what he had learned and put it into use at the next practices. Bryan learned to be a leader over these past four years and developed into the type of player every coach desires to have and every player wants to play alongside of him during a match.”

Bryan made the steady progression up the St. Edward depth chart. As a sophomore he played mainly B-side matches but was still selected to play on the Ohio U19 team as a 15 year old. That same year he also played for the Midwest U19 in a match against Canada. His play was also good enough for him to be invited to try out for the USA U17 team. Bryan started for St. Edward his last two years in school and was one of the team’s co-captains in 2009. Through it all, Brian continued to train with the local men’s team. He even started 10s and 7s teams to compete in summer tournaments.

In addition to his rugby, maintaining a 3.3 GPA and working 20 hours a week, Bryan thrived socially and spiritually during his high school years. He was involved with preparing and serving community meals to the less fortunate. He also participated in spiritual retreats and volunteered his time and energy to assist his younger sister’s athletic teams.

According to his coach at Bowling Green University, Tony Mazzarella, Bryan is fitting in just fine at his new surroundings. “Bryan has been a welcome addition to our team, both on and off the field. He has made his way into several first fifteen matches and his versatility throughout the forwards positions is a welcome option. His open field skills are typical of someone of much more advanced experience, showing an immediate recognition of both offensive and defensive patterns. He continually practices skills that are not typical of players at his position, but are key skills that a complete rugby player should possess. Off the field, Bryan has become a man who several of our newer players can look up to and learn from.  He has been one of the first people to volunteer for fundraising, field set up, and other club activities off the field of play.  We are very excited about his arrival to our club, and look forward to the next four years of watching him continue to grow as player and as a person.”

Bryan is planning on earning his degree in Criminal Justice at Bowling Green with the hopes of landing a job with the FBI or another federal agency.

Congratulations Bryan on being named a 2009 Kevin Higgins College Scholarship recipient.

Read about Jack White, 2009 Kevin Higgins College Scholarship recipient.