Petty Officer 2nd Class Ra’Shaun Coker didn’t grow up playing rugby. In fact, she hadn’t planned on joining the Coast Guard either.
But on a rugby field outside San Diego this summer, that didn’t matter. When the ball landed in her hands on the wing, Coker’s track speed took over, leaving defenders trailing behind as she sprinted down the field for the Coast Guard Women’s Rugby Team.
Today, Coker, a yeoman and member of the Coast Guard Women’s Rugby Team, is known by her teammates and shipmates for a quiet leadership style that shows up in small moments: solving problems before they grow, supporting teammates under pressure, and stepping forward when help is needed. Whether managing personnel issues at her unit or sprinting down the wing on a rugby pitch, her focus remains the same, taking care of the team.
“YN2 Coker consistently goes above and beyond, whether she's tackling complex administrative issues for our members or competing for a win on the rugby pitch,” said her supervisor, LTJG Brodie Froehlich, who heads the Logistics Department. “Her victory in our unit fitness competition is a testament to her personal dedication to excellence. She is a leader who inspires others through her actions.”
Always a problem solver
Coker’s first unit as a non-rate was a small boat station where administrative systems and resources were stretched thin. Shipmates often struggled to navigate the paperwork and processes that kept daily operations running.
Rather than becoming frustrated, Coker stepped in.
She taught herself how to solve problems, helping both herself and others navigate the system. The experience shaped her path in the service and eventually led her to become a yeoman; a support rate centered on taking care of shipmates and maintaining strict control over information and quality.
That instinct surfaced again during the 2023 Direct Access updates. Without prompting from leadership, Coker created and shared an Excel guide explaining each icon and function, helping both fellow yeomen and members of her chain of command adapt more easily.
Stepping onto the rugby pitch
Pushing herself to do more eventually led to rugby.
“I had never played rugby before, but when the message came out looking for players, I saw it as a challenge,” Coker said. “I’m someone who seeks out opportunities that make me uncomfortable, because that’s where real growth happens.”
This past summer, athletes from across all branches of the military gathered in San Diego for the United States Armed Forces Sports Rugby Championship. The tournament lasted only a weekend, but months of training led up to it.
Two weeks before the championship, the Coast Guard Women’s Rugby Team trained on a small patch of bright green crab grass near the I-5 freeway in Chula Vista, California. In previous seasons, the team had finished last. The odds often favor the larger services, which have deeper pools of athletes to draw from.
But the Coast Guard has never let its size deter it from greatness, and it never begins any endeavor planning to fail.
Grit and grace under pressure
About 25 women showed up for the first days of training. In civilian clothes, service members can appear unassuming — courteous in public, providing the day’s greetings, hair neatly maintained. But that outward calm often belies the demanding reality of their careers.
On this field were gunner’s mates and officers on ships and major units. Some had spent months at sea before arriving for training. On the rugby pitch, the grit forged in boot camp or during Swab Summer at the Coast Guard Academy was on full display.
Sports, like the military, create a kind of micro-society. Just as in service life, different types of leaders emerge.
Some are vocal and directive, calling plays and correcting mistakes in real time. Others lead through performance, letting speed, awareness, and consistency elevate everyone around them.
Coker often fell into the latter category.
Playing on the wing, she draws on her track background, timing runs and accelerating past defenders. When the ball lands in her hands, the gap between her and the trailing defense often grows quickly as she tears down the field.
More than the game
But the moments that stood out most didn’t always happen during a play.
When teammates came off the field frustrated or overwhelmed, Coker often noticed immediately. While others focused on drills or recovery, she focused on people. She would sit beside anxious teammates during water breaks, sometimes offering a few grounding words, other times simply sharing the silence to ease the pressure of the moment.
That instinct followed her off the field as well. At team gatherings, Coker was often one of the last to enter the room, not out of hesitation, but with intention. Instead of gravitating toward the center of the crowd, she would sit with whoever was alone, closing a distance that many people never notice.
“Ra'Shaun is a genuine person with a sincere and heartfelt approach to everything she does,” said rugby teammate, LTJG Jordan Day. “Watching her grow has been so inspiring. I know that each time she’s on the pitch with me, I can rely on her skill and her calm but fierce energy. She also has a secretly funny side that can lighten up the most intense moments.”
Balancing service, family, and sport
For Coker, rugby quickly became more than just a sport. While the game can be brutal, she describes the team as a family, bonded through intense training and a shared understanding of the demands of military service.
Off the field, Coker is also the mother of a toddler. With family roots in Virginia, she values balance between service, family, and the opportunities the Coast Guard provides.
Rugby, leadership, and motherhood all intersect in how she shows up for the people around her.
At her core, Coker leads the same way she plays: present, committed, and attentive to the people around her; proving that leadership does not always announce itself, but it is always felt.
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