The Square Life

As members of Brigham Young University’s extramural sports teams, Elliot Grow, the lacrosse team’s endurance man, Steve St. Pierre, the rugby team captain, and Zach De Francis, an offensive star of the men’s soccer team, share common ground. In fact, they recognize each other from the training room. But moreover, their leagues are unique compared to those of other BYU sports. Their sports offer a twist on the typical with cultures of their own—even transcending geographical boundaries. In addition, each team is in a pattern of success. And the players, stars of their respective teams, are humble, yet enthusiastic, in spite of their athleticism.

Elliot Grow
I sat down first with Elliot Grow, whose shirt read “Ask me anything,” and so I did. Just before high school, this junior starting mid-fielder from Salt Lake City learned lacrosse from his older brother, Adam, and their neighbor. “I picked up the stick and I just could never put it down,” he says. The fast-paced sport, a combination of soccer, football, and basketball, came naturally to Grow, who played point guard for his state-champion high school basketball team. “I feel like I see the field of lacrosse just like I see the court of basketball,” he says. He also played lacrosse in high school, and that’s when he cherished his time playing side by side his brother. But when the pair met on the field in college, they were on opposing teams, Adam playing for the University of Utah. The face-offs, with emotional ties, were less-enjoyable for Grow. With his brother gone from the U, Grow looks forward to a pure rivalry. The bonded team from New England—and the rest of the country—represents the new national popularity of lacrosse, the Native American sport. “It’s unbelievable how fast the sport is growing,” he says.

Steve St. Pierre
Steve St. Pierre played baseball and football during his high school years in a Denver suburb, but he was always drawn to rugby. Upon arriving at BYU, he joined this football-physical sport and learned its workings. Years later, he stands as team captain, recently returned from his second tour with the All-American Collegiate Rugby Team. Last year’s tour pinned them against Oxford University and this year’s, against New Zealand professionals. Both tours taught him a higher level of play. St. Pierre plays flanker, but he says, “Kind of in rugby, everybody does everything.” Specifically, flankers run the ball and tackle on defense. He categorizes the sport as “entertaining.” Yet, St. Pierre says, “Rugby is like a full-time job for me, sometimes.” The challenge is to balance his accounting studies with rugby demands. “It’s made my time-management skills a lot better,” he says. St. Pierre then conveys his work ethic through hard work on the field. The team has players from the South Pacific, Canada, and South Africa, with their coach, David Smyth, from Ireland. “It’s very diverse,” he says. “It’s a lot of fun. There’s a unique dynamic that comes with the sport. It’s a great team to play for.”

Zach De Francis
Soccer has been part of forward Zach De Francis’s life since age five. With the way he juggles the ball on his head, I believe it. The team’s Premier Division League is a higher level of play. In fact, BYU is the only college in this semi-professional league, preparatory to Major League Soccer. Because of this, De Francis sometimes plays with Real Salt Lake, and he is considering a professional career. In addition to experiencing pro soccer, De Francis has felt the impact of the sport on national identities. Most recently, he was in Fiji with the team, where they befriended Fijians of all ages. The trip also gave him the chance to assess his level of play after knee surgery. De Francis found he could play better than expected, and he even scored his best goal of the year. Fiji is quite a contrast in climate with that of his hometown, Tempe, Ariz. De Francis says the flat dirt fields in the desert heat made for the best training. And he plays all sports—with friends and family alike. His passion for athletics is evident in his exercise science studies en route to sports medicine. But BYU wasn’t always on the map for De Francis. It wasn’t until he was being recruited that he opened his mind to the team and the school. “Being here, I realize that the university is unique and it’s a good fit for me,” he says.