Image: Kevin Lowman
Let any of his friends tell you: Kevin Lowman is a busy man 24/7. Being on one of the only D1 teams here at West Chester University (WCU) and being the president of the American Marketing Association is no easy task. But with great power comes great responsibility, and Lowman shows nothing but being up for it. I am grateful for the opportunity to spotlight Lowman and give insight on the method to the madness of his life.
I first asked him about the man we see today. Lowman told me a culmination of the experiences he’s had makes him the person he is today. Lowman was born and raised in Philadelphia but moved to the suburbs of Upper Dublin, PA. during high school. The contrast of living in these two places helped him realize things about not only himself but the world as well. He grew up playing sports and fell in love with it. Lowman detailed to me that his body changed a lot; when he was younger, he used to be shorter in the perspective of other taller people and was stockier. He played football growing up and did a little track from eighth to 12th grade. He also dabbled in wrestling and basketball, but not as seriously. As his body got bigger with age and his diet started to change, so did the positions and the way he played sports. He also loved going to school and wanted to pursue a computer science degree and play football for WCU. However, after realizing his love for public speaking and getting to know people, he changed his major to marketing.
In terms of sports, coming into college, Lowman still wanted to pursue football but changed directions when he was positioned as a receiver, which is not something he wanted to do. When he looked into rugby after discovering it during a club fair, then went to one of their practices, and he realized it was the best of both worlds in what he liked in other sports he played, he fell in love with it. He explains it was a lot of learning the sport when he first practiced, whether it was catching or passing the ball and introducing the need for a strong mentality in the sport. A significant moment that solidified his continuing the sport was in his sophomore year when they were in the playoffs and went to Boston College in Boston, MA. last fall. Everyone wasn’t able to go, but Lowman was selected to and realized walking into the stadium how surreal it felt, being proud of not only his team but the work he put in and how big the crowd was. It put in perspective the influence the sport could have on him. A huge mentor for him was Jacob Dike, who was second row, and Matt, who played 8-man. He said they took him under their wing early when Lowman was still very timid, but he was able to get a lot of tips and tricks from them. To make sure he’s physically prepared to play rugby, Lowman said preparation starts during the offseason, whether that’s lifting or stretching every day and not losing conditioning. During the season, he tries to eat right.
That’s what stuck with me the most during our conversation. Lowman tells me he eats about 5,000 calories daily. He admitted in trying to achieve this goal that he isn’t the cleanest but specifically says to achieve this he’s eating about seven to 14 plates per trip to the dining hall. The plates usually consist of pizzas, salads, and any protein or carbs they’re offering, along with lemonades and water for his beverage. I asked him honestly about the self-consciousness about getting up and getting that many plates, but he said since he’s been doing it for so long, it’s not even something that crosses his mind. He said if he goes around two hours without eating, he feels like he’s starving. This semester, his food intake consists of two trips to the dining hall and two trips to the Sykes food court. In Sykes, he usually gets Chick-fil-A and orders two chicken sandwiches, two eight-count nuggets, mac and cheese, and a cookie, and that’s one order.
Switching back to rugby, I asked Lowman about what he thinks is the most misunderstood aspect of the sport. His mom, after coming to one of his games, says she won’t come back because of its physicality. He thinks that even though it’s a violent sport, rugby is a sport that deals with your brain and the amount of planning that goes into it, plus the amount of film they watch and the endurance it takes to play because of how long the matches could be without many stops.
If he had to describe the sport, Lowman said “If someone knows a little bit about sports, it’s kind of a combination between, I say, football and soccer in a sense where it’s a football kickoff. It’s like a constant football kickoff. Except, the time doesn’t stop, which is also similar to soccer, and you can only pass the ball backward. To score, you can’t just pass the ball like football; you have to touch the ball down as well.”
He also detailed that there are 15 players on each team and talked about the aspects of lineouts. Moving on to the season that’s just passed, Lowman felt like it was a solid season for him and one that was pretty competitive, and he experienced a lot of growth from beginning to end, especially as it was one of the first seasons where he started every game. A personal goal he has for next season is to win more games, reach deeper in the playoffs, hopefully aid the team in going undefeated and, of course, win a championship. He said for the team as a whole, fixing the small stuff is important, and winning games by a larger margin is important to him. When asked about his teammates, he said the funniest is Dio Ruiz, the one who’s always mad is Christian Reagor and the most serious is Q.
Transitioning to what he wants to pursue other than rugby, he said that even though that’s something he’s still looking into after college, he wants to see where his body is during that time. He wants to move up the ladder in the American Marketing Association.
Before any practice or games, he says he goes to the bathroom and doesn’t stretch either. If he could change one rule in rugby, it would be the no hurdling rule, and what he values most in a teammate is someone who’s understanding. To the team culture, Lowman thinks he brings intensity and volume to the team. He stays motivated by making another play and how much it would mean for not only him but for his team and affirming himself that he can still put more effort into his game. During his downtime from rugby, he likes to play the piano and hang out with his friends and partner, Indigo.
In a closing statement, Lowman wants to make his mark on anything he does, whether that’s through his academics or rugby here at WCU. He shared that when you aspire to make your mark, he doesn’t think you could go wrong. Lowman wants everyone to watch a game of rugby at Matlack Field.
Isaiah Ireland is a fourth-year Media and Culture major.