Last year, freshman Ryan Rapp moved 8,000 miles from his home in Australia to Pullman, Washington, to play basketball for Washington State University. The move continues to push him to grow in new ways.
Ryan said Pullman reminds him of the small town where his mom grew up in Australia and the familiarity helped him adjust. Though he's made the transition, he says the hardest part of being away is being without his mom's cooking.
Before making the intercontinental move to play for WSU, Ryan played for Mazenod High School where he served as team captain three years in a row. His team won the 2017 Associated Catholic College title for the first time in the high school's history. Ryan led his team to two titles and won MVP both of those years.
This leadership position helped Ryan to prepare physically and mentally for the transition from high school and club basketball to playing for a Pac-12 team.
"Being team captain just helps build your confidence. When I came [to WSU], I wasn't that shy around everyone," Ryan said.
Ryan said part of his leadership style on the team is being energetic around his teammates and lifting them up. He said he proves you do not need to hold a formal leadership title to have a positive effect on your teammates or peers.
As he looks to his future as a Cougar, Ryan hopes to take on a more formal leadership role.
"I would like to eventually become team captain, whenever that may be," Ryan said.
Ryan said he is inspired by Jeff Pollard's leadership on the team and the kind of mentor he has been to other players. He said he would "like to fill his shoes."
"He was a really good mentor to all of the freshmen. He really took us in like his own," Ryan said.
But Ryan's goals in Pullman are not limited to the basketball court. He recognizes that life does not end with basketball and he cannot count on it always being there.
"I want to try to graduate in three years so I can get my masters' [in business] in my fourth year," he said.
Though he aims to play professionally, Ryan is using his time as a business student at WSU to prepare for a career in the business aspect of sports, though he doesn't rule out coaching basketball.
Sports and academics aside, Ryan is committed to having fun as a college student. He said that was the biggest piece of advice his father, a former University of California San Diego basketball player, and his aunt, a former Duke basketball player, gave him as he left for the United States.
In the limited downtime that his schedule includes, Ryan enjoys playing ping pong, pool and "anything competitive."
He is also a movie junkie, but don't ask him to narrow his favorite down to just one because there are simply "too many good movies out there."
In an unfamiliar place and environment, Ryan Rapp is finding ways to put his leadership experience to use and has ambitions of strengthening these skills on the court and in the classroom.
Ryan said Pullman reminds him of the small town where his mom grew up in Australia and the familiarity helped him adjust. Though he's made the transition, he says the hardest part of being away is being without his mom's cooking.
Before making the intercontinental move to play for WSU, Ryan played for Mazenod High School where he served as team captain three years in a row. His team won the 2017 Associated Catholic College title for the first time in the high school's history. Ryan led his team to two titles and won MVP both of those years.
This leadership position helped Ryan to prepare physically and mentally for the transition from high school and club basketball to playing for a Pac-12 team.
"Being team captain just helps build your confidence. When I came [to WSU], I wasn't that shy around everyone," Ryan said.
Ryan said part of his leadership style on the team is being energetic around his teammates and lifting them up. He said he proves you do not need to hold a formal leadership title to have a positive effect on your teammates or peers.
As he looks to his future as a Cougar, Ryan hopes to take on a more formal leadership role.
"I would like to eventually become team captain, whenever that may be," Ryan said.
Ryan said he is inspired by Jeff Pollard's leadership on the team and the kind of mentor he has been to other players. He said he would "like to fill his shoes."
"He was a really good mentor to all of the freshmen. He really took us in like his own," Ryan said.
But Ryan's goals in Pullman are not limited to the basketball court. He recognizes that life does not end with basketball and he cannot count on it always being there.
"I want to try to graduate in three years so I can get my masters' [in business] in my fourth year," he said.
Though he aims to play professionally, Ryan is using his time as a business student at WSU to prepare for a career in the business aspect of sports, though he doesn't rule out coaching basketball.
Sports and academics aside, Ryan is committed to having fun as a college student. He said that was the biggest piece of advice his father, a former University of California San Diego basketball player, and his aunt, a former Duke basketball player, gave him as he left for the United States.
In the limited downtime that his schedule includes, Ryan enjoys playing ping pong, pool and "anything competitive."
He is also a movie junkie, but don't ask him to narrow his favorite down to just one because there are simply "too many good movies out there."
In an unfamiliar place and environment, Ryan Rapp is finding ways to put his leadership experience to use and has ambitions of strengthening these skills on the court and in the classroom.