Tryouts
Sign up for tryouts!
Donate
Click here to make a donation to magnUM. Thanks for your support!
Mike DeRubeis
Junior - #28
Michael DeRubeis: The Unique Story of Ultimate’s Unsung Hero
“Alright Michael, it’s time to come in!” His mother’s voice echoed down the street, calling the young boy in for dinner. It was summer in Rochester Hills and the rows of indistinguishable houses and well-manicured front lawns were on full display. It was as if the owners took pride in the conformity and unoriginality that their neighborhood evoked. As expected, the inhabitants of these trim dwellings lived lives akin to their home exteriors. The same principles that created the bland uniformity of the neighborhood were at work on the people residing there as well.
For Michael DeRubeis, these terrors of growing up in affluent suburbia were all too real. While such a vapid existence would likely crush the soul out of most children, Michael was strong-willed and independent. He lashed out at his overbearing parents and sordid surroundings by experimenting with theatre at an early age. He sought solace in the companionship of others like him, unwittingly conforming to his “nonconformist” friends. His pursuits began innocently enough at first, joining the school musical in a production of Jesus Christ Superstar. However, by the time he reached high school he had moved on to more “advanced” material. It was in May of his sophomore year that he hit rock bottom. After not arriving home from school one day, his parents went searching for him. Eventually they found him, but what they found shocked them. Michael had locked himself in the school auditorium and was putting on his own one-man rendition of Mamma Mia! For this, he was suspended from school and sent to a theatre rehabilitation facility for three months.
After the incident DeRubeis lost interest in his schoolwork and began to isolate himself from his classmates. Worried about his worsening psychological condition, his parents encouraged him to take up a new hobby in order to stay busy. Still fed up with the agonizing tedium of Rochester Hills, Michael found comfort in the unique nature of Ultimate. That day marked the beginning of Michael’s soon-to-be obsession.
Three years later, DeRubeis became a member of MagnUM Reserve and a part of one of the nation’s premier Ultimate programs. Since then, he has honed his skills as a player and a teammate – becoming an integral part of the Reserve fabric. He has become well known for his gratuitous layouts and dedication to the team…and for that one special day in April when he made dreams come true. Let’s hope that he has many more accomplishments to chronicle before his time here is up.
