The classroom wasn't the only place Capt. Dianna Le learned how to become a good officer at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

She learned quite a bit on the pitch as well.

While attending West Point, Le played rugby on the academy's women's club team, helping build the fledgling program into a ranked powerhouse.

"Going through West Point they say rugby is really the best way to develop an officer because you have to work on your communication, see the field as it is and think on the fly - making the decision even if it's not the best decision at the time but still going with it," said Le, a Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier with the 504th Military Police Battalion.

The 26-year-old is now bringing that same knowledge and discipline to the Tacoma Rugby Club's newly formed women's recreational team, The Sirens.

Le has been helping out as a player/coach for about a month with the team, which practices twice a week at Portland Avenue Playfields in Tacoma. After playing briefly with another team based in Olympia, Le decided to stay a bit closer to the base and join up with the Sirens.

"I was thinking about getting back into elite level rugby, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to commit going up to Seattle because I'm getting ready to deploy," said Le, who stands 5-foot tall and is nicknamed "Micro" (a play on her Micronesian heritage and small stature).  "I saw there was a team out here so I just started coming out. They're a relatively new team, so I started sharing my knowledge and experience, and it's been really beneficial. It's been really gratifying to be part of the team."

Players on the team range in age from 18 to 45, and include all different skill levels.

Spc. Rochelle Gomez, an intelligence analyst with the 1st Special Forces Group, came out to a practice after being encouraged from some other soldiers in her office who play with the men's team.

"I was like ‘Rugby?'" said the 19-year-old Dinuba, Calif. native. "But they brought me out here and I liked it."

While Gomez admits she had to watch a couple of YouTube instructional videos to get a better feel for the game, she's had nothing but fun since getting involved with the club.

"I'm a pretty aggressive person, so it's fun being out here," Gomez said. "I also like to play soccer and rugby integrates certain facets of it. It's pretty cool."

The team is still in the formative stages, but it plans to schedule games with local collegiate teams and other recreational clubs in the upcoming months.

"They've grown a lot in the month that I've been here and it's really great to see," Le said.

Le hopes more women will give it a try and come out to see all that playing rugby has to offer.

"The women here are just really amazing," she said. "Anyone can play. All women of shape, sizes and backgrounds. There's always a spot and a position on the team for them - as long as they have the willingness, tenacity and toughness."