Airman rugby player sets standard of excellence

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Benjamin Raughton
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La,. --  Staff Sgt. Joseph Senteno has a chance to make history.

Having won the Air Force Global Strike Outstanding Airman of the Year award, the 2nd Comptroller Squadron budget analyst continues a streak of excellence by being selected from a pool of more than 60 Airmen who tried out for the AF Rugby team in Las Vegas. Senteno will soon compete at the national level, and eyes will be on him to see if he's good enough to play for Team USA in the 2016 Olympic Games.

How does an Airman get such an opportunity?

Senteno was born in Carlsbad, Calif., to a manicurist mother and a construction working father. He would later have two brothers and two sisters who would all be supportive of him in both his military career and his Rugby endeavor.

Senteno began playing football when he was 7 years old and continued to play through junior high and high school. He experienced setbacks, such as a broken leg, but his competitive spirit was undaunted.

With support of his family and friends, Senteno decided to try a different kind of football.

"At San Diego State University, while I was working on my degree in finance, my fraternity brother asked me if I wanted to play Rugby," said Senteno. "He took me to the practice field on campus and I tried it out. I didn't like it at first, but I continued to work out with them. I found I wanted to be more competitive. I've been playing ever since."

Currently, Senteno plays for the city of Shreveport, but he has higher aspirations: The U.S. Military Memorial Cup and beyond that, the 2016 Olympic Games.

In 2016, Rugby will be coming back to the Olympic Games, but for Senteno to be eligible, he will first compete in the inaugural U.S. Military Memorial Cup at PPL Park, Philadelphia. The Military Memorial Cup will be televised by NBC Sports and is expected to reach a national viewership upwards of 7 million households.

Representatives from the World Class Athlete Program will also attend the event to recruit military members who will temporarily leave duty to train and play rugby.

"The best rugby athletes from all branches are represented at the Military Memorial Cup," said Senteno. "This is good military exposure to the public and shows we have good athletes. This is also the first of many events leading up to the Olympics. If I get picked up by WCAP I could possibly train with Team USA and get picked up to play in the Olympics.

With his sights set on the gold, Senteno's training has only intensified.

"I'm running every day and doing a workout that consists of sprints, endurance training, weights and game practice," said Senteno. "I train six days a week and I also use the USA rugby training program so I can competitively be at their level."

Senteno trains hard because he knows his goals will require hard work to achieve and he may not get another chance.

"I never imagined I could ever get to this level of competition," he said. "You don't get many chances like this in your career so you take every chance you get."

Senteno's example can be inspiring to Airmen, encouraging them to set their goals high and strive for excellence.

"This will definitely be a positive image for Barksdale," said Senteno. "My entire squadron has been an inspiration to me. Being mentored by my leadership here and them giving me the opportunity to go and compete. I also encourage Airmen, no matter what their job is, to recognize that they work with talented individuals."

Senteno has also received the Eighth Air Force Airman of the Year award, Barksdale Airman of the Year award, AF Financial Management Airman of the Year award, all for 2012 and is going for the AF-level Airman of the Year award. He is also working on a Master's of Business Administration in Finance.

Senteno is grateful to the Air Force for giving him this chance for excellence.

"I probably wouldn't get this opportunity if I didn't join the military," he said. "My family and friends want me to go as far as I can with the Air force and the Rugby team. They're all rooting for me."