With COVID-19 putting live sporting events on hold, the Cascade Collegiate Conference wanted to take the time to highlight families within our #ThisIsTheCCC community. Many of our member institutions have administration, coaches and student-athletes family members competing together, making the CCC truly a family affair.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Goalkeepers and defenders usually have a special bond, as it’s their jobs to make sure the other team doesn’t get through to score a goal. Eastern Oregon University’s Jack and Max Rose take that to a whole other level as the defender and goalkeeper are brothers.
After growing up in a small seaside town of Redcar, England and being two years apart, Jack and Max didn’t get to play together until they came to EOU.
“It's always been difficult to actually play with him growing up in the UK,” said Jack. “However, when I moved to Eastern Oregon, I was able to get a couple of year together with him on the same team. It was a surreal experience to say the least.”
It wasn’t the plan to come to the USA together, let alone the same school, though.
“It was never really in our plans to actually come out to the USA and play together, but when the opportunity arose for it to happen, it was something I was really excited to do with my younger brother,” said Jack.
Having his brother as his teammate meant Jack got to enjoy experiences that much more since they were doing it together.
“I was able to explore different parts of the world when we travelled on away games,” said Jack. “This was something that would never really have been possible back home.”
Jack just finished his senior season as a defender and plans to graduate with a degree in physical activity and health, with a concentration in community health. He wants to pursue a career in coaching. Max, a sophomore goalkeeper, still has two more seasons to play at EOU and is majoring in business administration.
This past year, the Rose brothers teamed up to help the Mountaineers advance to the Cascade Collegiate Conference Men’s Soccer Tournament Championship, presented by U.S. Bank, and make an appearance in the NAIA National Championship Tournament. Jack was in the backline doing what big brothers do best, protecting his little brother Max.