TEAM PHI PSI

By HQ Staff

One has but to scroll through social media to find Phi Psis involved in a wide range of sports. We have professional athletes and Olympic champions in our ranks, right along with collegiate competitors and weekend warriors. 

Our talented undergraduate gentlemen hone their skills on playing fields, wrestling mats, ice rinks, and bowling alleys, just to name a few. Many alumni continue to make time for sports, too, whether they are dinking on a pickleball court, training for a marathon or coaching a local youth league. It’s all about staying connected to the things that bring you joy!

Whether in team or individual endeavors, brothers liken the discipline and training of athletics to the commitment and leadership required to be part of a fraternity. The focus on social and physical health is certainly a factor, too. Some of our active chapter members shared their thoughts on being student athletes.

Brady Mosberger Allegheny ’22 has played hockey all his life, but he also enjoys videogames, which he played at the collegiate level for a while. He was drawn to Phi Psi because of the strength of the brotherhood and the focus on supporting mental health. “Being a part of fraternity and sports teams are similar,” he said. “You are all working together for a common purpose.” Mosberger admits the two also differ because on a sports team you go, do your thing, and then go home. But the brotherhood continues. “The Fraternity is a life and a lifestyle.”

Depending on the size of the school, the sport and the length of its season, the balance of being a student-athlete while being involved in a fraternity can be challenging. Brock Taylor Vanderbilt ’24 found it especially tricky. Because being the kicker on the Commodores football team and being a TN Delta founding father were equally important, he gained some new time management skills.

When Taylor first got to school, he had no plan for joining a fraternity. However, an upperclassman who was also in Phi Psi and a student-athlete shared all the things he loved about being involved in both. Through the recruitment process, Taylor met so many guys he really enjoyed being around, so that confirmed his decision. “It only made sense to join the brotherhood, which I am extremely thankful for.”

Training for gridiron games can be grueling but so can the member recruitment process. “We work as a team to have a successful Rush process and meet all the younger guys, which is taxing but very enjoyable — just how football can be sometimes,” said Taylor. The victory comes as the members of the chapter — or team — finally gel and have each other’s backs. A support system with several others who also need to focus without distraction helps establish both a good offense and defense. “Having friends around who all know how to let their work ethic separate themselves from so many other talented students is extremely rewarding.”

“I’ve been involved in sports since I can remember, but wrestling is my main sport. I grew up in a household where being a well-rounded individual was nonnegotiable. Being involved in sports, music, etc., was an expectation,” said Josh Searle W & J ’22. 

At Washington & Jefferson College, many sports teams are drawn to specific Greek organizations. “PA Alpha happens to be the ‘wrestling house.’” Before arriving on campus, Searle had no plans to be involved in Greek life. However, the wrestling team’s strong relationship with Phi Psi compelled him to join.

Searle finds sports participation like being in a fraternity because in both you not only become familiar with failure but also find ways to reset and readjust. On the mat and in the chapter house, you have to be willing to work with people on the best approach to achieve a common goal. “Athletics and fraternity life are both incubators for adult skills.”

Clemson University Colony member Oliver Zerillo played rugby in high school. Then played American football at the University of Brighton in England before transferring to Clemson in 2024, where he is back on the rugby field.

What drew Zerillo to Phi Psi was the promise of connectivity. “I love meeting new people and building connections with them, and Phi Psi gave me the opportunity to do that,” he said. Being new to campus as a transfer student, Zerillo was incredibly grateful to be able to join Phi Psi and develop a strong group of brothers so quickly. “It has really helped me feel a sense of belonging on campus.”

Zerillo has embraced the challenge of being part of a growing colony and finds it not so different from playing sports. “It is so rewarding to be a part of something bigger than just myself, knowing that each one of us here in the Clemson colony is working toward the same goal together is amazing.”

The necessity for strong communication between every member of the organization can create a very similar mentality within both a sports team and a fraternity. Along with this, the sense of camaraderie between brothers or teammates is genuinely hard to find outside the context of either organization. “It is something that allows you to form some of the longest lasting and highest quality bonds in your life.”

TIME OUT! Are you involved in sports? We want to hear about it… and cheer about it! Email us: marketing@phikappapsi.com