Amherst High School Senior Scout Spadoni recently signed to play rugby with Division II Frostburg State in Frostburg, Maryland. Frostburg added women’s rugby in 2023 and competes in the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association as part of the NCAA’s Emerging Sports program. The multi-sport athlete and the Spirit’s Junior Person of the Year took time out from training to answer a few questions about her sports career and future plans.
You’ve been an athlete for some time and have played a number of different sports. When did rugby enter the scene for you, and how did that happen?
Spadoni: I began playing rugby near the end of my sophomore year. My uncle was always a huge rugby fan, so I’d briefly heard of the sport. It wasn’t until my friend offered me rides to rugby if I would just try it, since the practices were all the way in Stevens Point.
What was it like moving to rugby from softball, another sport at which you were excelling at the time?
Spadoni: I played football from fourth grade to eighth grade, so I was used to contact sports, plus my family being my family, we always played competitively and physically in the backyard. After my freshman year, I was losing interest in softball and wanted some sort of change. I tried rugby and immediately loved it.
How did you identify the school at which you signed; how did that process play out?
Spadoni: With women’s rugby being so new and not as well known, I had to get creative. I made an Instagram account strictly for rugby pictures and highlights. I followed women’s rugby schools that were well known and some that were not. In mid-February, Coach Horton from Frostburg reached out to me on Instagram saying I was on their short-list to watch and asked if I was going to Tropical 7s the next week. Tropical 7s was a select travel tournament, and I was planning to play with Badger Selects. Unfortunately, I had an injury at the time and surgery on the schedule. I told Coach Horton this, and instead of waving me off, he stayed persistent and asked to set up a Zoom call to talk. The rest is history.
Were other schools in serious contention for you; and what are your thoughts on flying like a Falcon far from home?
Spadoni: There were a few offers on the table, and a few in serious contention, even after Frostburg’s initial offer. What stood out with Frostburg is how welcoming the coaching staff was and how they were already talking about implementing me in their game plan and got me looking forward to next year. I’ve been able to tour Frostburg State twice now, and it’s such a gorgeous campus, and the facilities are new and maintained well. I think I’ll fit right in and enjoy my time there. I’m very excited for the future.
What are your goals in rugby and at college?
Spadoni: The ultimate goal is to win a national championship with Frostburg. They’re a brand-new program — next fall will be their second fall season — and I would love to be on their first national championship team and be considered a national champion. A personal goal would be to become an All-American and have my name sketched in Frostburg athletics forever. On the educational sides of things, I want to earn my master’s degree and stay in academic honors.
What are your goals for after college?
Spadoni: Depending on what I decide to pursue, I either would like to be a special education teacher or work for a professional sports team. If I pursue sports management, the ultimate dream would be to become the first-ever female general manager for an NFL team, preferably for the Packers so I can come back home. No matter what I get my degree in, I do want to become a coach as well … high school basketball, rugby, or football.
Who are some of the folks at Amherst who have been most influential to you; those who have helped you become your best you?
Spadoni: I’d really like to thank my parents; I truly would not be able to do this without them. Also, my coaches and teachers from the last few years. Tim Wandtke for teaching me rugby, considering I knew absolutely nothing. Basketball coaches Claire Karl and Brandon for pushing me in general to be a better athlete and leader in general. And lastly, I have to thank my dad again for implementing the importance of hard work, lifting, and a tough mentality since I was little.
Scout Spadoni participates in both rugby (left) and girls basketball (right).
The Spadoni family. Front row, left to right: Ray, Scout, and Jack. Back row, left to right: Parents Amy and Doug.