Study on game day match preparation ... I need your help!

Dearest visitors:

I'm conducting a research project, and I need your help. I'm currently in the data collection phase of my project, and your input is critical. This study will require participation from players, coaches, and player-coaches. If you already know you want to participate, skip reading and go straight to the survey.

This study will inform a research project as part of required coursework for a USA Rugby and IRB Advanced Coaching Certification. The subject of this study is Match Day Game Preparation Behavior and Perceptions, and will examine a broad spectrum of warm up activities for Rugby Union, and their relation to player and coach performance self-assessments.

Participation in this study is purely voluntary, no compensation will be provided. Information provided will not be used for any reason other than that expressly describe above. Personal data, email addresses, and individual responses will remain anonymous unless express permission is granted by the study respondent.

Your participation is greatly appreciated! In order for the study to provide the most statistical relevance, a large volume of participants are needed. While participants are not paid or otherwise compensated for their effort, this study provides an opportunity to improve and enhance match day preparation throughout the rugby community. The study will take between 10 and 15 minutes (slightly longer if you are both a player and a coach) to complete.

Results will be published at the conclusion of this study at http://coachingrugby.blogspot.com responses will be collected until midnight EST on July 10th, at which time the data collection phase of the study will be complete.

Please feel free to circulate this study to your teammates and coaches, as well as to contacts from other rugby programs. If you have any questions about the study or any of the questions in the survey, contact Lisa Rosen at coachinrugby@gmail.com.

Thank you for your time!

Begin the survey!

Answers re: Community Guidelines on Ruck and Tackle from the National Panel Manager

Many thanks to Richard Every, the National Panel Manager for referees, for taking the time to respond to my many questions in such detail!

Here's his response to my recent post on ruck & tackle guidelines. I'm reposting rather than just put in the comments because I think it's THAT important.

INTRODUCTION

The RSL Guidelines differ in referee "instruction" at certain areas, and allow more room for interpretation by the referee with regards to materiality of offenses.

A. The Tackle

Defenders, want to slow down ball availability. In the RSL we decided that if we have to instruct the tackler to move away, that they have already slowed down ball possession and should be liable to PK. If attacking players arrive at a tackle, and do not make contact with opposition players, but 2 or 3 of them huddle over the ball, no ruck is formed and there are no offside lines, except for the existing tackle gate. If a defender counter rucks, a ruck is formed. We work with the referees to get to the tackle early, ensure the tackler has released the tackled player and the tackled player exercised their options. Only if a ruck forms, AND the ball is secured, to then ensure the fringes are onside, and then to move out to manage the backlines. A big issue is that referees do not get in to manage the tackle, but rather remain some distance away, and assume a ruck forms on most occasions.

B. The Gate

You question the "square shoulders". It was suggested by a coach, as at times the gate is wide, and at times, narrow. It is a part of the game that is refereed inconsistently, but that referees would give preference to players in the "square shoulders" entry, as it would visually appear that the player is entering correctly. Your diagram is correct that all 4 players are legally entering through the gate.

C. Arriving Players

The answer is that the guidelines are applicable to all rugby, and include iRB Directives, and serve as clarification of Law and application. An example is that at international level, as seen in some (NOT ALL) Six Nations matches, referees instruct the tackler to move away, which they then do, which has already slowed down ball recycling, and allows the defense that extra time to get into position, and on almost all occasions when this is consistent throughout, leads to a low scoring game. Quick ball availability = dynamic rugby.

The player in the illustration that you refer to as obstruction, is not. The tackle area is dynamic, and often many things happen very quickly, so the player does not necesarily remain static in this position for very long. We will allow players to take that position over or very near the ball. It is allowed internationally. If the player gets far beyond the ball it would be obstruction. It is a subjective judgement by the referee.

Your view on the "diving over" is correct. Here is a video from the RSL 2009 which clarifies what is allowed and what is not. It is an 18 minute video with 40 clips. Probably best to view it more than once. (http://richardevery.com/Tackle.wmv)

Richard Every

National Panel Manager

USA Rugby Referees

T: 773 895 6013

Community guidelines around ruck and tackle - REFs and COACHES please read and chime in

Yesterday I had the pleasure of watching two local D2 teams play and one D3 college team and one thing stood out: There is a big disconnect between how coaches perceive the how a post-tackle contest should be refereed, and how the referees actually referee the post-tackle contest.

Back in February a document named "Community Management Guidelines for 2009," that made it to most all in the ref community, but not necessarily to folks in the coaching community. So that's what we're going to look at today, as well as explore some options to get refs and coaches on the same page earlier. Throughout this post, highlights from the document will be displayed in dark green. Its worth noting that while the excerpts below refer to USA Rugby, a similar document was circulated by the RFU. So these aren't just "American Rules."

INTRODUCTION:
USA Rugby Referees’ management has established guidelines to refereeing at all levels in USA Rugby. These guidelines enable players and referees to have a clearer approach to the game, to enable consistency in Law application throughout the country. They also reflect directives from the iRB, particularly in relation to the tackle/ruck, and players staying on their feet. The guidelines were first established for the USA Rugby Super League in 2008, and upon its success, it has been further developed for the 2009 season. The RSL Game Management Guidelines 2009 apply only to that competition. This document applies to all other competitions. These guidelines are to be distributed nationally to all referees, referee observers, referee coaches, players/teams, coaches and administrators.

Ed Todd, Referee Manager, USA Rugby Richard Every, National Panel Manager, USA Rugby

I personally received this document because it was forwarded to me by a friend who refs. At that time, I was getting ready to do a guest session with the USA U20s, specifically on ruck/counter ruck and creating turnover ball, and the one thing unclear about the first statement is "does this apply to our national teams as well?" What's the difference between community guidelines and law? I also have several WNT pool players I work with - will these laws apply to them as well, and if so, how to I coach them to do one thing in a league match, and another when they are training with the WNT. So that's one part I want to know. The other part is this: If RSL (Rugby Super League) is playing to a different set of guidelines, what are they, AND will the new Women's Premier League play under different guidelines than D1 and D2?

Let's dive in to the specific guidlines around law (displayed in green below):

Tackle/Ruck

A. The Tackle

1. The tackler has to immediately release the tackled player, and move away or get to their feet. PK

2. The tackled player must exercise their options immediately. PK

3. Players that slow the ball down should be penalized immediately. PK

4. Referees may instruct the players, i.e. “release the ball”, “roll away”, etc., as long as these players have not already slowed down ball availability.

Referees are to approach a low tolerance level at the breakdown and should penalize early in the match to establish compliance. PK

For the most part, the section on tackle hasn't, changed but there are some clear guidelines about what should be immediately penalized that lead me to some questions: 1 and 2 are basically stuff we all know and all coach - but what about slowing down the ball? A technique used by one to team to speed up ball delivery (something like sealing) is certainly speeding up ball delivery, but it has, over time, started to erode the contest for the a ball. Over time this has evolved into strategies like "zero ruck", where essentially it only takes a tackled player and a sealing support player to secure possession and rather than contest, the defense sets up a 7 or 8 man picket fence on the fringe. Since there is technically no ruck formed, no one is offsides, and the defense can launch without waiting for a ball to be "out" Because there is no contest for the ball, the balance in the IRB charter is off (The IRB charter states that one of the unique qualities of rugby is the balance between the contest for possession and continuity of play). So what of counter-rucking? It's certainly designed to slow down (or turn over) the ball at the tackle contest but I can't imagine it would be blown up as it's absolutely part of the fair contest for the ball. So that's another question I'd like to have answered by a high level slash B panel ref. I think most coaches teach their players defensively to slow down the ball in order to limit the offenses optionsand buy time for their defense to re-align.

B. The Gate

Overhead view, Blue tackled Red. Players are only allowed square entry through their indicated gate area.

1. All players have to enter the tackle through the gate, referred to as a square entry, shoulders parallel to the goal lines. No part of a player’s body (including their arms), may enter the tackle through any other area. PK

2. Not entering through the gate should not be tolerated. PK

Ok, we're all on board with entering through the gate. But entering with square shoulders is either new, or I've just been ignorant (both are possible). I was forever under the impression that as long as you entered through the gate, you were kosher. Sometimes its advantageous to take an angle to remove a player from the ruck and create a turnover, or even to clear out fringers who may be dangerously offsides. But "square shoulders" implies something entirely different ...


Overhead view, Blue tackled Red. Blue A and Red C are entering through the gate with square shoulders, Blue B is beginning his/her run from outside the gate, but entering through the gate, without square shoulders. Red D is entering from behind the gate and going through the gate, but without square shoulders.

So in the above illustration, who is legal? I suppose A and C are no brainers. Are B and D illegal because their shoulders aren't square? Is only D illegal because technically his or her hand or arm might be outside the gate upon entry. Again Bish or higher level referees, HELP!

Next up:

C. Arriving Players

1. Players are to enter the tackle on their feet, and remain on their feet. PK

2. At a tackle, arriving players are allowed to play the ball with their hands after an opposition player binds onto them, if:

a. They arrive at the tackle legally,
b. remain on their feet, and
c. Have possession of the ball (i.e. was grasping/holding the ball) prior to the contact occurring.
NOTE: Thus, a ruck has not formed yet.

3. No players may bind onto players that are on the ground. PK

4. Players who secure the ball without their weight fully on their feet (i.e. bound on OR leaning on players on the ground) OR who go to ground head first, or dive over players on the ground, OR dive over players on the ground with the ball between them should not be tolerated and penalized. PK





From the images above, and from item 4, it should be CRYSTAL CLEAR that the act commonly known as "sealing" (also sometimes referred to as bridging, which technically is where the players hand is on the ground, rather than the body) is without question ILLEGAL and will be penalized. That didn't take long ... didn't we just start teaching this a couple of years ago? Phoey!

But seriously - my real question here goes back to the somewhat ambiguous verbiage around "Community Guidelines". Is this application of the law only relevant to "community" rugby (ie anything other than International, Professional, or in the USA, Super league NA4, .. and, with the new structure in place ... Women's Premier League. Or, are community guidelines like this simply addendum's to the law book issued between annual publishing, and do they apply to EVERYONE?

The first illustration below, illustrating legal actions by arriving players, confuses me. Why? It appears to be obstruction. Can my player really stand in a ready for contact position, on the other side of the ball carrier, and initiate a ruck when the ball carrier is not beneath her or in front of here. REF PLEASE HELP! The second illustration should be something we are all familiar with and probably requires no discussion.



Part 5 of this series of clarifications is the one that I find MOST INTERESTING AND RELEVANT, and that from my observation, is not generally being applied uniformly, AT ALL. The referee who did yesterdays game did employ this new clariication, to the delight of one team, and to the frustration of another. Once she explained fully to both sides the logic behind this particular guideline, I think everyone understood and adjusted as well as they could. Here it is:

5. If a player enters the tackle in conformance with the required criteria and subsequently goes to ground during the process of removing a tackler or because the opposition were unable to retain their position at contact, this player should not be penalized because they did not willfully go to ground.
NOTE: They may not remain on the ground, nor be lying on or over the ball. PK

Between guideline 4- specifically the below phrase:

4. ...... or dive over players on the ground, OR dive over players on the ground with the ball between them should not be tolerated and penalized. PK

and guideline 4 in it's entirety (repeated below for clarity)

5. If a player enters the tackle in conformance with the required criteria and subsequently goes to ground during the process of removing a tackler or because the opposition were unable to retain their position at contact, this player should not be penalized because they did not willfully go to ground.

I interpret that the "Diving Over" penalty is reserved only for, literally, DIVING OVER. As in, "hey, there's a player on the ground, the balls on the other side, I'm going to DIVE over the player and try to kill the ball or get the ball". It's got to be willful. It's got to be intentional. Period.

From what i've seen, refs across the country are implementing the no sealing law. But they aren't implementing the subtlies of the diving over law. Stuff like pulling a rucking player over the top, backing out of a ruck as a player comes at you, or simply playing zero ruck, giving the opposition NO CONTEST, will almost always result in a player on the ground in what appears to be a "Diving Over" position. And that player gets penalized for diving over, when really he or she is simply attempting to participate in a contest for the ball. Going forward, if I read this right, if a player winds up on the ground on the opposite side of the player or the ball, because they encountered little or no resistance, because the defense lost their feet and as a result the rucking player lost their feet, or because they were pulled down by their opponent, it is not a willful act of "diving over", and it should not be penalized, as long as the player fulfills his or her obligation to roll away.

Refs and coaches - any thoughts on this?

In yesterdays game, one team was clearly stronger moving the ball wide and superior outside speed. The second team was clearly strong at the breakdown and created alot of possession for themselves through turnovers. The first team put only one or two defensive players in the ruck, and set everyone else up on the fringe, or got bodies in the ruck and didn't drive through. The second team piled players in, over, and through the ruck, and frequently wound up on the wrong side of the ball. But since it wasn't willfully diving, and because it occurred as a result of the opposition not giving them enough of a contest, it was not penalized, they were able to play from a quick source of possession, AND turn over a lot of ball (that didn't help them win, but the game itself was a classic forward vs back game, with nearly every try on the outside - it was a 3 points separated the teams at the final whistle)

So how do get get coaches and refs on the same page, and how can we prep our players BEFORE new interpretations go into effect.

Its simply in my mind - just like with the ELVS, give the coaches warning before any implementation. If there are minorm law changes or guidelines, 30-90 days is probably fine. Major changes, like the ELVs, require at least 6 months to a year. Give coaches an implementation date, across the country. Give us time to prep our players.

What's happening now, is that guidelines or law changes are circulated to the various referee societies, and not every union circulates them to coaches (or coaches don't ready them: BAD coach!). As a result, players show up at game day and are reffed to a different standard than they have been coached to all year, and coaches get P.O.ed because they think the ref doesn't know or is making up laws as they go, when really, these referees are attentive and reading and learning all the updates.

We also need referees and/or referee educators - but not just C2/C3 type referees, bonafide B panel refs and ref educators at coach development events, and coaches (again not just new coaches, but coach educators and mentors) at referee development events. The reason I say not just C2/C3 types and not just new coaches, is because I believe when bringing in a high level coach (or ref) for coach (or ref) development, a high level ref (or coach) is needed to put things in context, explain issues of materiality, spirit of the game, etc. Lower level refs tend to err on the whistle blowing side and ref towards whatever style of rugby they are most familiar with. On the flip side, a higher level coach can explain what techniques and tools are currently in use to deal with particular rules, what techniques are blatantly illegal, and what techniques truly rely on the discretion of the refs. That will in turn help some of the negative sideline chatter that occurs when coaches and refs disagree about what the law is.

There are more community guidelines available - the Midwest has converted the pdf to html and has them them posted on their site - http://www.midwestrugby.org/09usarugbygmguidelines.htm . I'm sure they are on the USA Rugby Site, but when i was search for an online version, this was the first result.

Let's have a lively dialogue about this one. I want to know if my interpretations are correct (especially regarding part 5), and I'd really like to hear from both coaches and refs. The closer we get to each other in our understanding of the laws the game and how they are enforced, the closer we will get to the spirit of the game. So go for it!

Making Lemonade - Ruggerfest 2009 with MARFU U23 Dev

As most readers probably know, i coach the MidAtlantic U23s. We've got about a zillion players in our territory, from traditional powerhouses like Penn State, UVA, and Navy, all the way to DIII collegiate.

Since there's such a range, we work very hard to ensure that we do events that specifically target the NON powerhouse team. Every D2 or D3 club out there has at least one natural athlete waiting to be discovered. Its the discovery process that is so time consuming and so hard.

The primary venue is the LAU Round Robin. With the U19 program moving to U20, its an opportunity not only to assess U23 players, but U20 players as well.

The Round Robin happens at the very end of the fall season, and I get a team of selectors to watch players in position groups on specific team. From there, we invite about 40 players to the Capitol City Ruggerfest, hosted by the DC Furies. 40 sounds like alot of players, but Ruggerfest falls right between Collegiate Round of 16, and the Championships aka final 4. This year two D1 MARFU Teams (PSU and Navy) and two D2 MARFU teams (UDel and Shippensburg) are going to final 4, and we generally know that because of that, at least half the players we invite will decline. Which is again, OK - it just opens up doors for other players. Basiclly the rule is "if in doubt, invite".

We try not to "stack" this team, and use the NASC vets primarily in leadership positions and to provide program continuity. In the 2009 tournament we had only two NASC vets - all the rest were first timers in a MARFU jersey. Only one player is aging out after this year, and most of the players were 19 or 20. We had about 4 21-22 year olds, and a 17 year old high school player. A 17 year old 8, 19 year old 9, and 19 year old 10 is indeed a young team.

Well this year, in addition to the normal players going to nationals declinations, school conflicts, last minute game conflicts etc, we had 6 injuries less than a week before the event. So the coaching staff and myself had to make a decision. Should we/could we really go down there with 12 players? Three more were coming Sunday, so what we ultimately decided to do was loosen our requirements this year.

Normally we tell college players who's teams are in the tournament that they must make a full commitment to the MARFU team - no cross rostering, except for the occasional senior looking to get one final 1/2 with her team before graduation. My view is that if you want to play and train at a high pace, you can't overdue it. I know the young players have huge energy reserves, but its very hot and we try to create an environment that makes the players feel special and encourages peak performance.

This year we had no choice - torn patella tendons, dislocated shoulder, sprained ankle AND knee, a broken arm, and a concussion just aren;t things you can predict. So we reached out to all the coaches in the territory first for last minute recommendations, and then contacted all the college coaches with teams in the tournament. The same eligibility rules applied, players must be U23 eligible members of MARFU, and this year we would allow cross rostering.

So miraculously, thanks in no small part to American University, George Washington, Temple, and Norfolk, we filled the hooker/flanker/wing vacancies we had and on Sunday actually had a couple of subs.

Things looked pretty bleak at first. We got together friday evening in DC, at a patch of grass on Catholic University, just to work out our communication system, get to know each other, and just do some loose play. At first the players were very quiet, and you could literally hear a pin drop when I told them we had 12 players. But, as the session went on, everyone loosened up. We were very fortunate to have Eamonn Hogan, who I previously blogged about, join us for the tourney, and he did a 40 minute contact skills session for the girls on Friday, and stuck around to watch them play on Saturday.

Slowly confidence began to shift. Every single one of the core group was a good athlete and a good rugby player - they just needed to believe it. As long as our pickups could hold their own, we would be OK.

American University sent us three players, right off their game, and they fit like a glove. I don't know how much rugby those three played that weekend, but they probably deserve a full week off. So off we were to our first match, at 8:30 AM, against Chesaoeake, an upwardly moving but relatively new DII club in MARFU. The only prep we had done for scrums or lineouts happened in the pre-game warmup. Bottom line, when putting together a team like this, you can;t cover everythihg. We mde sure the scrums would be safe and we had some lineout options, and off to kickoff we went.

Chesapeake really kicked our ass in the scrums, but our fitness and speed shined through. Our forwards did a great job enploying the tools Eamonn taught, although we did pay the price with penalties when we didn't execute fast enough. Lineouts were so so and continuity wasn;t great, but we came away with a W (10-0) and a clear picture of what we needed to work on.

At these types of events, we don't do the traditional warmup, except prior to the very first game. Instead, we have the captain take the team through some dynamic stretching, and then we introduce a new tool. So prior to game II, we decided we needed to really straighten out how we used the forwards on attack, and how we were going to realign on defense, and how we were going to deal with penalties.

So we introduced the pick and charge and the power up, and then we played a defensive realignment game where the coach randomly awards penalties, just to introduce the idea of moving away from the old school "give it to a forward and crash" method of attack to the two passes away from contact method.

After that it was time for game II, against the Maryland Stingers, a women's D1 club. It was obvious the players confidence ws growing, but we struggled to maintain focus and discipline for the length of the game. Our scrums were much improved, but our lineouts still left alot to be desired. It was pretty typical - moments of brilliance, moments of disaster. Lucky for us, we had more moments of brilliance and few moments of disaster, but the outcome of the game could have gone anyway until right at the end. Final score MARFU 27, Stingers 14.

It was getting really, really hot, so prior to our last game, against the Furies B, we decided to stay in the shade until the last possible minute, and just do 10 minutes of dynamic stretching and a 5 minute team run. This was the game where EVERYTHING clicked. The team was clearly borderline exhausted when they got on the field, so Roshna and I did our very best to channel our excitement into their brains and hearts. And we scored on the first kickoff, and never stopped. there was continuity, lateral and vertical support, line breaks all over, dominated in scrums, went about 50/50 in lineouts, and just played great rugby until the final whistle. Final score, 63-0. Many of these players in D2 or D3 programs have only every been on the receiving end of a game like that, so going 3-0, finishing the game with such great continuity, really had everyone feeling positive. It was during that game that those players became a team.

After giving every one the hydrate, icebath, sunscreen, eat speach, the players and staff dissapated. We watched Amercan University and our cross rostered players play yet another game, and watched some of the Temple U game. And then it was time for hotel, shower, and AC.

We had a team dinner at noodles and company in Alexandria (great place for a team dinner FYI), and handed out an award to the player who did the most to "spark" the team. I'm not a huge fan of MVP awards, as they usually wind uo going to the person who scores all the tries, although there are appropriate times for them. This award was more about providing inspiration - and it went to Hannah Bennett, our 19 year old scrumhalf from Drexel University, who all game just kept hammering, She realy lit up the field in the third game, and quite dramatically dived completely over the top of a ruck at the try line, ball in hand, to score. Congrats Hannah!

Everyone dispersed for the evening and got some much needed sleep.

The next morning - us VS Back in Black. Normally that spells doom for not-Back in Black, but I believed these girls had it them to upset the forever champions, and if not that, keep it close.

For warmups we introduced a couple of more things - the notion that you actually start rucking BEFORE the player hits the ground, as well as introducing a hinge run but the forwards to allow more options for the 10. Practice went well and spirits were high. Players were super excited to hear that one of our players, Tanya, would actually be playing against her Mom. I recall being asked why one of the Black in Black players had "63" on their back, and explained that most of the team actually wears the year they were born on their back. So it was definitely the youngest team in the tourney, vs the oldest. This was the 4th consecutive year we've met BinB in either the semis or finals, and we coaches knew what to expect. Fast, smart, and alot of tactical quiking.

We did great for the first 30 minutes, and while BinB had most of the possession, we played great defense and they were forced to play going backwards. We traded tries, and BinB went ahead by one try and a penalty kick just before the half.

It sill looked doable, and we had fresh legs (or as fresh as they can be after 3 Saturday games). We put our fresh legs in, but alas, Back in Black had broken our code. We just couldn't react as fast as they could, nor could we pass as long as they could. As a result they were able to isolate our outside backs, and they literally gave us a lesson in how quick tap penalties AND line outs should be done. Final score saw them up 3 tries and a PK on us, for a final score of 37-14.

As a final act, we awarded the "Spark" award for the Back in Black game to SMBC's Laura Miller. She made head on tackles, side tackles, from behind tackles, and was essentially a tackling machine. Congrats Laura!

While it would have been nice to have the upset of the century and play in the final, I think more was learned by playing hard and loosing to a team of this caliber. Beacuse these players represented 11 different schools I think we can assume that where this team struggled, many players at this level will struggle, and we'll be able to sort out some of those issues at the Evasive running, playmaking, and support workshop at American University on May 10th, and at the Selection and Training Camp May 23-24 at the University of Maryland.

Anyway,it was a great weekend and I have high hopes for tryouts. I know that the players who participated will be better prepared, we have gobs of information regarding where we're at and what we need to work on, and all the players will be with us for several years.

Additional information on the MARfU U-23 Program can be found on my sister blog, http://marfu-u23s.blogspot.com, or on our facbook page at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29161390168

The Ruggerfest MARFU U23 Developmental Roster is reprinted below.

Hannah Bennet - Drexel (scrumhalf) - 89 SPARK WINNER FOR SATURDAY
Elaine Bigelow - Princeton (back row)- 88
Loretta Charles- George Washington (back row) - 87
Rebecca DeMoor - Philly Women - 86
Mia Escobar - 87- Drexel (front row) - 87
Tanya Gouws - University of Maryland (center) - 88
Liz Hilliard - American (front row) - 89
Katie Hunt - Temple - (back row) - 87
Laura Miller - St Mary's BC-(lock)- 88 VICE CAPTAIN AND SPARK WINNER FOR SUNDAY
Ugochi Madubata - Princeton (lock, back row) - 87
Danielle Monica - Temple (wing) - 87 MARFU 2008 NASC VET
Shantel Nelson - American (wing) - 89
Trish Nowlan - George Washington (front row) - 89
Kate Rada - Westchester (flyhalf) - 89
Kaitlyn Rooney- American -(back row) - 89
Nicki Scheurch - Temple (fullback, wing) - 87
Moira Somerdyk - Temple (center) -88 CAPTAIN and MARFU NASC 2008 VET
Hannah Strayer - West Shore United High School (bacck row)- 91
Molly Walter - Mary Washington( front row) - 88
Angela Yue - Princeton (wing) - 89

Special thanks to American University and George Washington University for allowing their players to participate at very short notice, to Eamonn Hogan for the great session on Friday night, to Emily Sabato, our manager, and to Roshna Wunderlich, my fabulous assistant coach.

the Master of Disaster part II with video!

Yesterday my club, Philly Women, had the pleasure of hosting Eamonn Hogan's second clinic. This session was designed primarily for adult players and their coaches, but we had several more experienced players from Princeton, UPenn, and Drexel, as well as men and women from Skuylkill River Exiles (our Philadelphia rugger brothers), Philly Women, and Brandywine Riot.

The weather was much better and we advanced and a pretty quick pace, finishing with a full contact series of games. Unfortunately I was only about to video document about half of the session, as the lights on the field just weren't enough when the sun went down, but I hope you'll like what you see and can use some of it in your coaching.

Part 1 of 2


Part 2 of 2

This event has been approved for Continuing Coach Education credits via partnership between USA Rugby and EPRU, so if you attended or want to learn more about continuing coach education, visit http://www.usarugby.org/goto/ceu

The Master of Disaster/ Continuing Coach Education

Through a growing network of rugby coaches dedicated to growing the game from the grassroots all the way up the the national teams, EPRU was able to get the services of Eamonn Hogan aka the Master of Disaster (see previous post for his bio etc). Eamonn ran the first of four clinics yesterday with local high school and college players (men and women). The topic - point of contact skills.

The focus shifted back and forth from offense (how to not turn over the ball and buy time for supoort ) to defense (how to turn over the ball and attack quick.

We opened the session to all area coaches, and the EPRU picked up the bill. I can't tell you how terrific it is to be in a union that believes in coach and player development, and is willing to put $$ behind it. So often we have fabulous coaches come over for clinics and workshops, and the grass roots coaches just never get face time with them. So we decided to change that.

It was raining (medium to hard) and FREEZING, so I was a little concerned with turnout. But, buy 4 pm, i'd already gotten 6 "is it still on" phone calls. At the end of the day, 16 coaches and 65 player showed up. Not bad for 5-6:45 on a Monday night, eh?

Some highlights:

• a new spin on the long body ruck that I like a whole lot better than the old spin on the long body ruck
• how to determine, as a player, if you really have been tackled and hence if you have any obligation to release the ball
• several tools to deal with poachers
• the "clamp" - we've been using this with my team, never had a name for it, I guess we do now! Basically it's another tool to deal with potential poachers
• the judo take down (hip throw) tackle with follow up ball disruption
• turtle (we call it a barrel roll on my team)
• some other sneaky #$&*

After the session some of the coaches met up to do a casual Q&A with Eamonn at a local mexican restaurant and I ate some amazing fish tacos.

Thanks so much to Philly Women, who are hosting the first two sessions getting all the equipment there, battling to get that tent up, hosting Eamonn, and for the great turnout.

I really wanted to video the session, but alas the rain was too much. I'll try again tonight.

Eamonn is doing another session tonight (7:15 - 9:00) for the Philadelphia Women and the Schuylkill River Exiles Men, and any adult players (and select higher level college players) are welcome to attend - FREE for EPRU, nominal ($5 - players, $10 coaches just observing for 1 CEU, $25 - coaches participating and coaching for 4 CEUs) for non- EPRU members. There will be an open social at O'Neals Pub, 3rd & South St, proud sponser of both Philly and Schuylkill after the session

He'll be in Delaware Wed and Thursday, doing a U19 session, and then another collegiate session . Details are here ... http://epru.org/news/news-and-events.php?n=955

After that, Eamonn is headed to DC where Friday evening he'll work with the MARFU U23 Developmental team for a short while, and then will be running an open session or two at DC Ruggerfest courtesy of the Furies (contact Dre Khoury - drekhoury@hotmail.com for details.

The EPRU sessions are approved by USA Rugby for 4 continuing education units. Since you can apply for a single CEU for a wide range of self directed coach development activities, participants at the DC clinic should be able to apply for 1 CEU - instructions will be available. For more information about the Contining Education component of USA Rugby's coach development program, visit http://www.usarugby.org/goto/ceu

More after tonight's session - if you are in the Philadelphia area and are interested in attending, please contact me directly (coachingrugby@gmail.com). Hopefully the rain will stay away and i can get some decent video.

On an unrelated note, please accept my apologies for not blogging about anything coach worthy for a while. I had a pretty major neck surgery recently (recovering now) and just wasn't in the right mental space to make this a priority. Activity will now resume!

EPRU Partners with USA Rugby for Continuing Coach Education Workshops April 20-23, 2009

EPRU Announces USA Rugby Continuing Coach Education Series: Mastering the Collision Area with Eamonn Hogan
The EPRU, in conjunction with USA Rugby's Coach Development Program, is proud to welcome Eamonn Hogan to the EPRU for a series of FREE practical coaching and player development workshops April 20 - April 23, 2009. In an effort to provide coaches with ongoing educational opportunities, the USA Rugby Coach Development Program (CDP) has launched a continuing education program. Coaches who hold a current USA Rugby coach certification will be able to extend the life of their certification by participating in various coach education events. EPRU Members will have four FREE sessions to choose from (detailed workshop schedule follows)

Eamonn Hogan
Coach Hogan will be joining us in the EPRU fresh off his tour as the backs coach with the USA U17 National Team. Coach Hogan most recently served as the Talent Development Coordinator and Tigers Academy coach for Leicester. As the Talent Coordinator for the Leicester Tigers, Coach Hogan managed 4 Elite Player Development Centers and a staff of 15. Coach Hogan was responsible for recruiting new talent and identifying potential elite players for entry into the Leicester Academy.

Known as the "Master of Disaster" at the collision area, Coach Hogan has conducted extensive research and pioneered techniques such as the "Sandwich", the "Turtle", and the "Clamp".

Coach Hogan is currently consulting to USA Rugby's Age Grade programs as a Backs and Breakdown specialist, and serves as the Master in Charge of Rugby at the Lincoln Minster School. Coach Hogan holds numerous certifications and is a former RFU Tutor and Assessor. Coach Hogan's rich resume includes coaching assignments with the England Women Student's, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire,

USA Rugby Continuing Coach Education Credits
EPRU has been approved as a continuing education partner to USA Rugby for this professional development series, and this workshop series is free for all EPRU members. Local USA Rugby and IRB Educators will be on hand to assist with any Continuing Education issues related to these workshops.

Coaches can receive continuing education credits two ways:

1 CEU: Coaches attending a workshop as an observer will recieve 1 USA Rugby Coach Development Continuing Eduction Credits (FREE for EPRU Members, $10 for non-members)

4 CEU: Coaches attending a workshop who bringing 10 player participants and engage in coaching activities will recieve 4 USA Rugby Coach Development Continuing Education Credits (FREE for EPRU Members, $25 for non-members)

Workshop Schedule: April 20, 21, 22, 23 2009

SESSION 1
April 20th 2009 5:00PM - 7:00PM
Edgely Field, Fairmount Park Philadelphia
E. Reservoir Dr & Edgely Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19121, (www.pwrfc.org for directions)
Players actively participating in this session should be high school or college men and women and their coaches
Hosted by the Philadelphia Women's Rugby Football Club (PWRFC). A coaches meet and greet will be available at Johnny Mananas 4201 Ridge Avenue, in East Falls PA, at the conclusion of training. Coaches from all ages grades are invited to attend.

RSVP TO: Lisa Rosen, coachingrugby@gmail.com or 215 421-1823
FREE to EPRU Memners
NON- EPRU members will be charged a $10 or $25 Fee depending on level of participation.

SESSION 2
April 21th 2009 7:00PM - 9:00PM
Greys Ferry Community Center, Philadelphia, PA
29th & Wharton Sts, Philadelphia, PA. (www.pwrfc.org for directions)
Players actively participating in this session should be adult men or women and their coaches
Hosted by the Philadelphia Women's Rugby Football Club (PWRFC) with support from the Schuylkill River Exiles. An evening adult social with open Q&A will be held at O'Neills Pub, 3rd and South Street at the conclusion of training. Coaches from all age grades are invited to attend

RSVP TO: Lisa Rosen, coachingrugby@gmail.com or 215 421-1823
FREE to EPRU Members
NON- EPRU members will be charged a $10 or $25 Fee depending on level of participation.

SESSION 3
April 22th 2009 3:30PM - 5:30PM
Stanton Middle School, 1800 Limestone Road, Wilmington, DE 19803
Players actively participating in this session should be U19 high school boys and girls and their coaches
Hosted by the Wilmington Colts U -19. An evening coaches dinner will be held at Buckleyʼs Tavern, 5812 Kennett Pike Wilmington, DE 19807 . A traditional supper with adult beverages will be served at 7 PM for $20. A Q & A session will be held afterwards. Coaches from all age grades are invited to attend; seating is limited to 25.

RSVP to Bob Weir at 302-377-6107
FREE to EPRU Members
NON- EPRU members will be charged a $10 or $25 Fee depending on level of participation.

SESSION 4
April 23th 2009 8:00PM - 10:00PM
University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Players actively participating in this session should be college and adult men and women and their coaches
Hosted by the Wilmington Rugby Club and the University of Delaware DE 19807.
Exact training location is TBA - contact Bob Weir for details.

RSVP to Bob Weir at 302-377-6107
FREE to EPRU Members
NON- EPRU members will be charged a $10 or $25 Fee depending on level of participation.


Full release below - click to enlarge




While we recognize the timeline on this is very short, it was an opportunity we couldn't pass up. If you can make it up to any of the sessions (FREE for EPRU members, NOMINAL for others), please give it a try. I'm also so grateful for my club, Philadelphia Women's Rugby Football Club , for taking on a huge leadership role in making these sessions happen. If you a player or coach and your interested in what it's all about, please stop by the Tuesday session have a run around, and join us out for a post-training sharing of ideas and information.

If you have any questions at all about the sessions, which one you should go to, bringing/sending players, etc don't hesitates to ask.

MARFU U23 Spring/Summer schedule

All local coaches & age-eligible players are welcome!

The MARFU U23 program, defending USA Rugby National All Star Champions from 2007 and 2008, announces their schedule for spring 2009.

April 24 - 26 MARFU U23 Developmental at DC Ruggerfest.
Players will assemble for a short training session Friday evening, participate in the tournament, and will be involved in mini-training sessions throughout the weekend. Initial invitations have been sent, and an additional round of invitations will be sent after the MARFU Collegiate Championships this weekend.

May 10 - skills camp (open, location TBD): Part 1: Winning the tackle contest. PART 2: counterattack.

MAY 24 - 25 - Selection camp & matches (open, Washington DC area, exact location TBD)
Saturday May 24th we will introduce the tools and tactics that the team will use in a competitive format. Two teams will be identified and two matches played will be played on Sunday May 25th. Selections for the 2009 National All Star Championship team will be made at this venue. All efforts will be made to find local lodging for players and eliminate any costs.

May 26- Selection deadline. All players will be notified of selections no later than May 26.

June 9 - June 14 - USA Rugby U-23 National All Star Championship, Pittsburg, PA

The MARFU U23 squad will assemble in Pittsburg PA on Tuesday June 9th. The team will train together Wed and Thursday. Friday MARFU will play the Northeast U23 team. Sunday MARFU U-23 will play either the Midwest U-23 or the Pacific Coast U-23 All Stars.

Players competing to represent MARFU should be fit, have a fundamental grasp of general rugby skills, and be highly competitive players who thrive in a team environment. Eligible players are CIPP registered members of MARFU born on or after January 2, 1986.

RSVP for camps are recommended but not required. If you intend on attending the the MARFU U23 event or if you have any questions, please contact:

Lisa Rosen, Head Coach - coachingrugby@gmail.com
Emily Sabato, Manager - emilysabato@gmail.com

Every effort has been made to work around graduation conflicts, but we understand that exception circumstances may impact individual players. If you are unable to attend the selection camp but wish to be considered for the 2009 team, please contact Lisa directly.

For further details, please visit the MARFU U23 blog at http://marfu-u23s.blogspot.com .

*** PLEASE NOTE: THE MARFU SENIOR WOMEN's program is running a concurrent schedule. For information about the MARFU senior side, please contact Lance Connelly, Head Coach - proplance@aol.com or Maria Vastola, Manager - mvastola@gmail.com

Pat Summit reaches 1000 wins ....

Thought this was worth sharing...

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090202/SPORTS0601/902020349 .



ESPN has a list of Summitt's former players that are now in coaching as part of their all-Pat-Summitt tribute... and it's impressive

Professional ranks
Nancy Darsch, A/GA (1978-85): Assistant, Seattle Storm
Danielle Donehew, BO (2001-08): Executive VP, Atlanta Dream
Tanya Haave, P (1980-84): Former head coach, Satila Skene, Sweden
Lisa Harrison, P (1989-2003): Former assistant, Phoenix Mercury
Carla McGhee, P (1986-90): Former WNBA Player Personnel
Carolyn Peck, A (1993-95): Former head coach, Orlando Miracle
Trish Roberts, P (1976-77): Former head coach, Atlanta Glory (ABL)
Heidi VanDerveer, GA (1986-88): Former assistant, Seattle Storm

College ranks
Jody Adams, P (1989-93): Head coach, Wichita State
Jane Albright, GA (1981-83): Former head coach, Wichita State
Kathy Allen, GA (2002-04): Assistant at UAB
Sheila Frost Anderson, P (1985-89): Former assistant, Richmond
Debbie Ayers, GA (1989-90): Assistant, Stony Brook
Alysiah Bond, BO (1998-2001): Assistant, Arizona
Al Brown, A (1991-2002): Assistant, Duke
Greg Brown, A/GA (2002-04): Assistant, Central Florida
Niya Butts, P (1996-2000): Head coach, Arizona
Tasha Butts, P (2000-2005): Assistant, UCLA
Nikki Caldwell, P (1990-94)/A (2003-08): Head coach, UCLA
Shelia Collins, P (1981-85): Former head coach, West Georgia College
Abby Conklin, P (1993-97): Assistant, San Francisco
Kelli Casteel Cook, P (1988-92): Former head coach, Maryville College
Tony Cross, GA (1983-84): Head coach, Belmont
Nancy Darsch, A/GA (1978-1985): Former head coach, Ohio State
Mickie DeMoss, A (1985-2003): Assistant, Texas
Rochone Dilligard, P (1991-94): Former assistant, Austin Peay
Todd Dooley, M (1994-97): Former assistant, Maryville College
Tonya Edwards, P (1986-90): Head coach, Alcorn State
Angel Elderkin, GA (2006-07): Assistant, Virginia
Kyra Elzy, P (1996-2001): Assistant, Kentucky
Sharon Fanning, GA (1975-76): Head coach, Mississippi State
Daedra Charles Furlow, P (1989-91): Assistant, Tennessee
Teresa Geter, P (1997-99): Head coach, Denmark Technical College
Bridgette Gordon, P (1985-89): Assistant, Georgia State
Aubrey Guastalli, P (2005-06): Assistant, Fresno Pacific
Tanya Haave, P (1980-84): Head coach, San Francisco
Sylvia Hatchell, GA (1974-75): Head coach, North Carolina
Cindy Noble Hauserman, P (1978-81): Retired head coach, Centre College
Dean Head, P (1988-92): Former assistant, Central Connecticut State
Marlene Jeter, P (1990-92): Former head coach, Clinton (South Carolina) JC
Bernitha Johnson, M (2003-05): Assistant, Binghampton
Dana Johnson, P (1991-95): Former assistant, Morgan State
Kellie Jolly Harper, P (1995-99): Head coach, Western Carolina
Nancy Bowman Ladd, P (1973-75): Retired head coach, University of the South
Angela Lawson, GA (1989-91): Head coach, University of the Incarnate Word
Cheryl Littlejohn, P (1983-87): Former head coach, Chicago State
Lea Henry Manning, P (1979-83): Head coach, Georgia Stated
Michelle Marciniak, P (1993-96): Former assistant, South Carolina
Nikki McCray, P (1991-95): Assistant, South Carolina
Calamity McEntire, M (2002-03): Director of Basketball Operations, UC Santa Barbara
Carla McGhee, P (1986-90): Assistant, South Carolina
Matthew Mitchell, GA (1999-2000): Head coach, Kentucky
Zandra Montgomery Morris, P (1977-79): Former assistant, Lee
Mary Ostrowski, P (1980-84): Former assistant, Ohio State
Carolyn Peck, A (1993-95): Former head coach, Florida
Shalon Pillow, P (1998-2002): Assistant, Hofstra
Semeka Randall, P (1997-2001): Head coach, Ohio
Jill Rankin Schneider, P (1979-80)/GA (1980-81): Former assistant, Texas
Trish Roberts, P (1976-77): Former head coach, Stony Brook
Joy Scruggs, P (1972-75): Head coach, Emory & Henry College
Amber Stocks, BO/GA (2000-02): Assistant, Xavier
Judy Southard, GA (1977-78): Retired head coach, Marshall
Pam Tanner, GA/A (1990-93): Former head coach, Denver
Heidi VanDerveer, GA (1986-88): Head coach, Occidental College
Holly Warlick, P (1976-80)/A (1986-08): Assistant, Tennessee

High school ranks
Janet Allmon, GA (1983-84): Former head coach, Baldwin (Ga.) HS
Sheila Frost Anderson, P (1985-89): Assistant at Giles Colo. HS
Debbie Ayres, GA (1989-90): Former head coach, California School for the Deaf
Diane Brady, P (1974-75): Former head coach, McMinn Colo. HS
Cindy Brogdon, P (1977-79): Former head coach, Centennial (Ga.) HS; Facilities Director, Northview (Ga.) HS
Debbie Groover Buckner, P (1977-81): Assistant, Woodstock (Ga.) HS
Shelley Sexton Collier, P (1983-87): Head coach, Webb (Tenn.) HS
Abby Conklin, P (1993-97): Former head coach, Trinity (Ill.) HS
Karla Horton Douglas, P (1984-87): Assistant, Webb (Tenn.) HS
Rochone Dilligard, P (1991-94): Former head coach, Lebanon (Tenn.) HS
Tonya Edwards, P (1986-90): Former head coach, Northwestern (Mich.) HS
Cindy Noble Hauserman, P (1978-81): Head coach, Chillicothe (Ohio) HS
Marlene Jeter, P (1990-92): Assistant, Victory Christian Center (N.C.) HS
Dana Johnson, P (1991-95): Assistant, Western High (Md.) HS
Dawn Marsh, P (1984-88): Former head coach, Duluth (Ga.) HS
Zandra Montgomery Morris, P (1977-79): Former head coach, Cleveland (Tenn.) HS (boys team)
Pam Owens, GA (2006): Head coach, Judson (San Antonio, Texas) HS
Jill Rankin Schneider, P (1979-80)/GA (1980-81): Head coach, Monterey (Texas) HS
Suzanne Barbre Singleton, P (1974-78): Former head coach, Maryville (Tenn.) HS
Tiffany Woosley, P (1991-95): Former head coach, Lincoln Country (Fayetteville, Tenn.) HS

Some interesting highlights:

• A few notes:
• Summitt has a 100 percent graduation rate for all Lady Vols who have completed their eligibility at UT.
• Summitt is the first woman’s basketball coach to earn a $1 million salary [but only as of 2006 and despite huge success].
• She donated $600,000 last August to be split between UT-Martin and UT-Knoxville to support the women’s basketball programs.
• Coached gold medal winning U.S. team at the 1984 Olympics (with Kay Yow).
• Has won 8 national NCAA women’s basketball titles, 27 SEC tournament and regular season titles, 27 consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournamment Sweet 16.
• Tennessee players include 12 Olympians, 19 Kodak All-Americans and 71 All-SEC players.
• Summitt earned the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching lifetime achievement award in 2008.

Her son's unique perspective on women's sports, by virtue of his unique mom, is really interesting (althought admittedly has a little cheesy touched-by-an-angel feeling to it that's probablly not quite reality) http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=summitt

Upcoming Clinics for College/U23 women

Feb 21 2009 (Saturday): "Winning the Tackle Contest". Hosted by the MARFU U23 program, and James Madison University.

http://www.facebook.com/editevent.php?info&eid=73295614224

March 1 2009 (Sunday): Philadelphia Women's Rugby Free Collegiate Clinic. Hosted by PWRFC and Temple University. Register online at http://www.pwrfc.org/register.html

http://www.facebook.com/editevent.php?info&eid=73295614224#/event.php?eid=51448907521

The 100-0 high school girls basketball debacle ...

I don't even really know where to begin with this. Having been, like most of us, on both sides of the ridiculous score coin and:

1) instructed my team to try and defend one blade of grass and measure our success by how long the interval between trys is, or how often they actually had to stiff arm one of us to get in the try zone

OR

2) subbed every player and then instructed everyone to play with their shoes untied, out of position, using only one hand, and not score until 10 people had touched the ball

I'm exaggerating for effect, obviously, but I'm sure you get the point.

Anyway, in a nutshell, a high school girls basketball team in Texas, who in previous seasons had lost as badly as 86-6, beat another team 100 - 0.

http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=264483

The coach was accused of unsportsmanlike conduct for allowing his girls to run up the score, and was asked to issue an apology. He didn't. The school did. At issue is the contention from the losing team that he kept his starters in way too long. The coach in question says this is unrepresentative of the actual game and that he subbed very early. The coach of the winning team did write a rather compelling statement in support of his choices, his players, and the lessons learned along the way.

He got fired.

http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=266213


Thoughts?

New Resource: IRB Coaching.com

Just got an email from the IRB peeps about a new online resource they have released:

http://www.irbcoaching.com/sp8/ngb/irb/6stages/en/index.jsp

It looks like there's quite a bit of material there, so take a look, and please don't be shy about sharing your opinions. Membership is free!

Call for Contributors!

I've been MIA for a little while, and decided that perhaps the best way to contribute to the coaching dialog here in the USA would be to open this blog to other coaches from around the community.

So how about it? Let's take this from "Lisa's blog" to a real, bonefide, mult-voice dialog.

I'd love to get a handful of regular contributors representing the various age/division/gender groups in the community - mens, women's, high school, college, D1, D2, etc etc.

2009 will undoubtedly be a very exciting year for rugby coaches here in the US ... just a few things coming down the pipe on the coaching side that I'm aware of:

USAR/IRB Advanced Coaching Course part 2 in Atlanta, February
USA Rugby Coach Development workshops all winter
IRANZ High Performance Coaching course in Glendale
Queensland University Coaching workshops
USA 7s and World Cup 7s (go USA!!)
Women's Territorial Season
Women's Superleage possibilities
Women's National Team camp in Feb - u20s, USA A, USA
Women's National Team USA and USA A matches with Canada this summer
Elite Coach Development Program attachment opportunities
a new MARFU Women's Senior Side coach (congrats Lance!!)

Anyone interested in being a contributor, just shoot me an email and let's get started!

Queensland Coaching Videos - Attack vs Defence Activities

The folks that run the Queensland Rugby Union coaching courses have passed on some clips (below) from their various clinics ... For more information on the QRU, or to register, visit http://www.qru.com.au/qru/qru.rugby/page/67050

The Roff Drill for a simple overload and re-alignment activity, developed many years ago by Joe Roff while playing for the ACT Brumbies. The Activity develops both attacking and defensive realignment skills as well as attacking with, and defending against an overload in a dynamic situation.

Mark Bell Interview – 6 Principals of Scrummaging


Scrummaging 1v1 Progression Example


Video-Based Decision-Making (best viewed full screen & high quality)


Hooker – Post engagement shoulder technique


Front on Defense Technique


Catch/Pass Technique Demonstration


Catch/Pass Footage Examples Lecture


Ball Carrier into Contact - Tackle Contest Technique Demonstration


Tackle Contest - Ball Carrier Footage Examples

Pool workouts? Anyone?

It's the off season now, and players are either in recovery mode or off season training mode.

I recently received an inquiry from a player recovering from some minor joint injuries for some pool training.

Anyone out there have any good pool workouts?

Good wishes to the WNT and MNT 7s team in Dubai !

I heart thanksgiving. It's really the only holiday I really and truly celebrate. So, while we're thinking of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, string bean casserole, corn, sweet potatoes w/marshmallows, cranberry sauce, gravy, apple pie and pumpkin pie, enjoy some november highlights ...

Best of luck to both programs in their 7s World Cup rehersal ... track the womens experience here .

Congrats to everyone in the U19NASC and the red/white game .

Props to Candice from DC on her Obermann appearance .. here.

And happy Thanksgiving to everyone courtesy of our favorite gun-toting vice presidential nominee ... here.

No WAY...Rugby is for GIRLS !

We train at field next to a playground/community center in a West Philly neighborhood. Every day there's an interesting assortment of kids out - some love us and are constantly tossing rugby balls around, hitting tackle dummies, etc. Some just see as as people occupying their playground space and interfering with their ability to toss around a football or hit some baseballs any time they want. "PERMIT? Lady, we were here first!" (ie playground rules apply).

Regardless of which kids are out at the playground that day, it's usually an entertaining and highly interactive experience.

Yesterday at training, one of our players was working on her throw-ins (hooker). She was interacting with one of the more colorful kids - (he's about 3 feet tall, sweet as cherry pie one day, and the next - he's got the mouth of a sailor who's having abdominal surgery with no anesthesia).

Dialog follows ...

Player to kid: So, are you gonna play rugby when you get bigger?
Kid to player: No WAY ..... Rugby is for GIRLS

Out of the mouths of babes ... :)

Defense!

I've heard two pretty interesting and very different statements over my career from two VERY successful coaches.

"Sometimes you just have to play defense long enough to figure out how to win".

"I don't coach defense, I coach turning over the ball, and offense."

What do you think? How much of your time is spent during any given session, week, or season on defense?

Women's Club Rugby Action Calendar - available online (updated)!

Pass the word (shameless self promotion of my club):

Philadelphia Women's Rugby is proud to present our first ever Women's Rugby Calendar for 2009! This calendar is filled with high quality action shots of some of the top women's rugby teams and players. Calendars are $25 each or two for $40. Proceeds benefit the Philadelphia Women's Rugby Football Club.

Attached is a screen shot of "July", featuring the Atlanta Harlequins vs the Raleigh Venom.
Each month features a top matchup from games and all over the country (not just pumpkinfest as I previously posted ... sorry!) including shots from the National Round of 16 and the National Championships in 2007. We've got teams from all across the country, including Berkeley, ORSU, and the Amazons.

More previews and order information is available at www.albrightstudio.com/anthony. html

Enjoy!

What are YOU going to do to help?

I can't help but notice, reading the rugby news sites (Gainline, ERN aka Goff) how much venom is in the comments. What's it all about? Winning - specifically, the lack thereof.

Whether its our MNT or our WNT, age grade or seniors, it's the same. Everyone wants results from our national teams, and if those results don't come the moment we want them, the masses rally with pitchforks and torches, ready to storm the castle.

We complain about money, salaries, resources, etc. We complain about assemblies and foreigners, and boards and grants. We whine about what other countries have, and focus on what we do not.

Well, this is America. So why don't we talk about America - after all that's what this is all about, and we have, quite surely, lost sight of what that means.

Sports, at the international level, are so much more than just demonstrations of skill. Our sports teams reflect our successes and failings as a culture and as a society. Our sports teams reflect our social and political identity. Our sports teams reflect how we live our lives and how we conduct ourselves in the face of adversity.

International athletic competition, at its most base level, is a metaphor for war. It is a way for civilized cultures to test their mettle against each other in a way that doesn't involve loss of life or territory. No where is this clearer than in the most recent Olympic games - one only need look at the medal race between the USA and China to realize - these Americans aren't just competing to see if they are faster, fitter, or can better nail a vault but to demonstrate that athletes don't need to be political prisoners in order to be successful.

It's not just a test of our physical and mental toughness, it's a test of our ability to organize, its a test of our technology, it's a test of our leadership.

If anyone out there thinks that China wasn't sending a message about their organization, technical superiority, and unity of purpose, watch the opening ceremonies again.

Some quick historical reminders of how international sports aren't really about speed, agility, or quickness:

• Adolf Hitler and the 1932 games
• Jessie Owens response to Adolf Hitler and the 1932 games
• USA vs Russia, the Miracle on Ice, during the height of the cold war.
• USA's boycott of the Moscow Olympics in 1980, in protest of Soviet aggression in Afghanistan.
• The massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich games in 1972
• The bombing at the Atlanta games by white supremist Eric Rudolf in 1996

If national sports teams are a reflection of who we are as a nation, what does that reflection look like, for rugby?

I see players, men and women, who reflect a vastly diverse cross section of our population. We have 'foreign born players'? Well, we have foreign born Americans. We have gay and lesbian players? Well, we have and protect that diversity in America.

Our support of womens national teams and programs reflects our commitment to equality and women's rights, our cultural and social diversity reflects our commitment to embrace social and cultural diversity as a country.

But we are losing our @#*(, if I may speak bluntly. So I'm asking everyone out there ... what have YOU, personally, done to help our national team programs - both genders, all age groups? Anything?

What can you do?

Alot.

Our national team coaches need players to come into the system fit, skilled, smart, and tough. They need to step into their first assembly with skills and smarts. No one coach needs this any more than any other. If we started from scratch with new coaches in every single position, they would still need players who were fit, skilled, smart, and tough. You have the power to make that happen.

How? We need to step out of comfort zones and start learning from each other. We need to start working with each other, not against each other. First and foremost, we need to start asking "How can I help?", and never stop asking.

Go to a coaching clinic. Don't like the material presented? Then get something from the other coaches. Go to someone else's practice. Have someone else run yours. Step out of your silo. Some of the best coaching in our country are at the collegiate level and even at the youth level. Talk to them. Watch them. Ask them what they do. Who cares that you coach superleage and they coach College? I bet you'll still leave the session with something new to try, or a new way to present the information.

Find a coaching partner, who can watch you coach and help you improve. Watch him or her, and help him improve.

Question everything you do. Push yourself.

Volunteer to host camps & events. If funding is a problem for our national teams, let's find ways to use the resources we have, so our men and women and boys and girls don't have to pay for them.

DO SOMETHING. BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.

If we want rugby to be embraced by Americans, American's rugby people need to start embracing rugby. All the way. And that means we all need to start working harder - we need actions, not words, plans instead of just ideas.

We need leadership, and when leaders are identified and chosen, we need to support and trust them, and give them time to build something. We need to support and trust our leaders AND the players the select, their jobs are hard enough as it is without them having to fight a never-ending internal battles.

We need to start treating our national teams, our players and coaches, as the flag bearers for our country. We need to embrace all that is great about being American, and inject that into the heart and soul of every player or coach wearing a jersey or polo - whether they were born here or not. Bottom line, players need to want to play for the USA because they want to represent the USA - not just because it's cool, they get a trip to a foreign country, a few weeks off work, and maybe a pro contract.

We need to practice singing the National Anthem, and when we sing it, we need to sing it with love not just for the game, but for the freedoms and opportunities that being AMERICAN give us. And we need to find away for EVERY player with the desire, heart, and skill to represent America to get there, not just the players who can afford it.

So I'm putting out an open call to everyone coaching rugby out there, and I'm gonna ask ... what are you going to do? What specific, measurable, step are YOU going to take to help? If you're willing to share an idea here, let's see it. No bitching or moaning, no whining. Just action. What are you going to do?