Louisiana Tech inside center, Aaron Gootzeit, has quite the reputation across the Deep South Conference. He is known for his size, power, and strong running ability. Gootzeit, who started playing in 2011, fell in love with the sport of rugby when he arrived at Tech. From there, he went on to be selected to play with the Deep South All Stars and he was eventually named captain of the team. Gootzeit explained his time at Tech has been phenomenal and loves the brotherhood atmosphere among his team and the superior coaching.
Gootzeit favorite moment of playing rugby at LA Tech came this year when he saw a solid number of people come out to practice. “My favorite rugby moment was walking out to practice the first time this season and seeing 35 guys there,” said Gootzeit. He was beyond excited to see strong numbers heading into the fall season. Gootzeit is confident about his team this season as well. He said, “This season is going pretty well so far we have a tough schedule coming up, I am excited for the challenge.” LA Tech has been off to a strong start this season with big wins over University of Louisiana Lafayette and the University of Southern Mississippi.
Over the summer Gootzeit had an amazing opportunity, he worked as a strength and conditioning intern for Tiger Rugby. Tiger Rugby is one of the most elite teams in the US. Located in Columbus, OH, they travel across the world competing in various tournaments and they always bring top level talent. Gootzeit’s responsibilities included, treating and rehabbing injuries, designing workouts, and warming players up for training. He worked specifically with a team called 1823.
Gootzeit, along with the rest of LA Tech are looking to continue to surprise the conference with their play this year. Be sure to check out LA Tech as they take on Spring Hill at home this Saturday.