Rugby's Jonathan DiBacco lends his helping hands

Senior Jonathan DiBacco has been making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate since well before he was a Keelhauler. The stalwart on the pitch for Cal Maritime Rugby shares his experiences with the non-profit organization, Hands of Mercy, for which he was recognized as a finalist for the Penn Mutual Life of Significance Award at the NSCRO National Tournament.

"I got started with Hands of Mercy when I was in the 8th grade," Dibacco said from his commercial cruise assignment. "One of my father's acquaintances from our church told him about a weekend trip down to Mexico that was coming up where they build houses. My dad asked me if I wanted to go with him, and it sounded like fun."

Even with all of the challenges that come with that type of charity work, DiBacco was hooked on the experience right away.

"The weekend was incredibly hot, and one of the guys we bunked up with in Mexico snored so loud that my father and I went out side and slept in the bed of a truck instead of in the bunk house," DiBacco joked. "The dirt roads threw us all around and hurt my back, but despite all of that, it was the most rewarding and fun weekend my dad and I had ever participated in. Once we got back, we couldn't wait to go down again. The next time we brought my older brother. He got sick and had a fever the whole weekend, but he had the same reaction as us and couldn't wait to go back down. After that, our whole family went down there, and our involvement has only increased with the ministry."

Every year at the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championships, The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company recognizes collegiate rugby student-athletes for the value, contribution and impact they have made for their team, rugby community and the people around them. All nominees exemplify values such as integrity, respect and loyalty both on and off the pitch, as well as serve as mentors, perform community service and contribute their time to charitable organizations.

This year, 21 individuals – the largest group of nominees to date – were honored. Of those 21, six were NSRCO players and four nominees were women.

The genesis of The Penn Mutual Life of Significance Award comes from the book, "Living a Life of Significance," by Joseph Jordan.

DiBacco has certainly been living a life of significance, impacting countless families in Mexico. It's not surprising to see DiBacco make a sacrifice for the greater good, as he did the same on the field this past season when the devastating runner at wing moved to the front row to help the team.

"I do it because it is such a simple way for me to give of my time and energy to bless someone's life," DiBacco said. "Hands of Mercy partners with local churches in Mexico where we operate, and the pastors select the people who receive the houses. As a Christian in the U.S., I have been blessed with an abundance of time and resources. So this is an opportunity to share those with Christians, and non Christians, that don't have those same resources.

"In return I get to witness a faith that is much more dependent on God for their day-to-day needs. It is so encouraging to see the joy they can have, even though there is very little security in their lives. I truly believe that the ministry helps a lot us Americans who go down and see the faith of the Mexican locals we help, as much as the house helps them."

The San Pedro, Calif. native's connection to his faith and learning about others will stick with him the most from his work in Mexico.

"My best memories are about the people and spending time with them and how they have blessed me with their faith," DiBacco said. "The joy that we find in our situation has very little to do with what we have. Our contentedness is reliant on our faith, attitude, and relationships. I have met people there who were happier than I have ever been and they literally lived in the dirt, their home had no floor, and were just the neighbors of someone we were building a house for. They were just happy for there neighbors and friends for their good fortune."

The Mechanical Engineering major admitted to being a little dissapointed he didn't win the Penn Mutual Life of Significance award due to what it could have done for Hands of Mercy.

"The nomination was nice, because it gave me a chance to tell a lot of people about Hands of Mercy that might never have heard about it any other way," DiBacco noted. "I regret that I didn't win. The ministry could of used the money you get to purchase a new trailer, or possibly a van. I don't do any of the volunteer work I do for recognition. I volunteer because of my faith. The only reward I expect is the feeling of accomplishment and fulfillment. I appreciate coaches and teammates nominating me, and I am proud that they see some of the things that i'm doing. I hope that my example can help inspire them to get involved, and possibly even find their faith."

NOTES: Twenty-five student-athletes were named to the inaugural NSCRO Men's All-Americans and along with 25 Rising Stars for the 2017-18 season... Cal Maritime's CJ Ferrigno and John Bulaich were named All Americans in the first year for this program, which honors players for their on-field skills demonstrated through teamwork, athletic ability, game knowledge, match awareness and more.

Junior Michael Mukuru-Tumusiime was named an NSCRO Rising Star, which recognizes young players with emerging talents and show promise of confidently ascending towards NSCRO All-American recognition... Players were considered based on nominations submitted to NSCRO, reports from NSCRO scouts at the playoffs, and at the All-Star National Championship...

Those same three Keelhaulers were also named part of the All-Star Weekend All-Tournament team, as six Cal Maritime players participated on the Pacific West team, including Carter Maltese, George Petrucci, and Kevyn Huntsman... The Keelhauler contingency led the Pacific West squad to the innagural NSCRO All-Star Championship.