Coaching Mini Rugby (7s - 12s) Anyone?
Discussion
I spent this weekend on an IRFU Mini Rugby coaching course.
There were about 50 of us on the course which was led by Munster Coaches.
It was a valuable and to be honest extremely rewarding use of my time.
Is anyone else here involved in mini rugby that might like to chat about coaching?
(I have a load of questions, and thoughts on this.)
There were about 50 of us on the course which was led by Munster Coaches.
It was a valuable and to be honest extremely rewarding use of my time.
Is anyone else here involved in mini rugby that might like to chat about coaching?
(I have a load of questions, and thoughts on this.)
Yep - I'm involved with my local club, moving up through the age groups with my son.
He started playing at 5 and I was watching every Sunday.
Before the start of the following season, I was involved with the sessions and doing my Level 1.
We are now at U11 age and things are getting a lot more serious now.
The need for an ever increasing level of knowledge and coach education is obvious. Level 2 now looms, which is significantly more involved.
Make sure you keep up the CPD's and never be concerned about calling on the Club coaching Co-ordinator to arrange sessions with your governing body. It seems that everyone is keen to help.
It's truly rewarding to be involved.
The vast majority of kids that I encounter (our own club and others) are a credit to the sport and themselves.
We are governed by the NRoP, which drip feed in the contact.
To me, it's a great format as it allows players of all different shapes and sizes to remain engaged.
Matches are now both physical and competitive, with a good standard of rugby being displayed.
Best of luck with your new role! Hope it all works out well.
He started playing at 5 and I was watching every Sunday.
Before the start of the following season, I was involved with the sessions and doing my Level 1.
We are now at U11 age and things are getting a lot more serious now.
The need for an ever increasing level of knowledge and coach education is obvious. Level 2 now looms, which is significantly more involved.
Make sure you keep up the CPD's and never be concerned about calling on the Club coaching Co-ordinator to arrange sessions with your governing body. It seems that everyone is keen to help.
It's truly rewarding to be involved.
The vast majority of kids that I encounter (our own club and others) are a credit to the sport and themselves.
We are governed by the NRoP, which drip feed in the contact.
To me, it's a great format as it allows players of all different shapes and sizes to remain engaged.
Matches are now both physical and competitive, with a good standard of rugby being displayed.
Best of luck with your new role! Hope it all works out well.
Great to read the posts above!
I'm very new to this club so I have to be careful not to wade in and upset the status quo, one of the most interesting things I brought back from the Stage 1 course was, play, play, play play.
Play the game, if you see a repeated lack of understanding pull them out for a few minutes, quick drill then play rugby.
It's astonishingly obvious really, but in my day it was run 2 laps of the pitch, then drill scrums, line outs, rucks, mauls and if you were lucky you'd get 10-15 minutes of a game at the end.
All the lad's teaching us this weekend just said make them play a 'game' - not a match, only drill when it is obvious they are not getting it right.
So we've got 4v2 touch games, 7v4 pass games - don't get tagged.
I've got a great idea for warm up games if anyone is interested, I haven't tried it with the kids yet but it worked for a bunch 'elderly' adults.
I'd forgotten how good it feels to get out on a pitch with a bunch of like minded people and throw a ball around!
I've brought back a war
I'm very new to this club so I have to be careful not to wade in and upset the status quo, one of the most interesting things I brought back from the Stage 1 course was, play, play, play play.
Play the game, if you see a repeated lack of understanding pull them out for a few minutes, quick drill then play rugby.
It's astonishingly obvious really, but in my day it was run 2 laps of the pitch, then drill scrums, line outs, rucks, mauls and if you were lucky you'd get 10-15 minutes of a game at the end.
All the lad's teaching us this weekend just said make them play a 'game' - not a match, only drill when it is obvious they are not getting it right.
So we've got 4v2 touch games, 7v4 pass games - don't get tagged.
I've got a great idea for warm up games if anyone is interested, I haven't tried it with the kids yet but it worked for a bunch 'elderly' adults.
I'd forgotten how good it feels to get out on a pitch with a bunch of like minded people and throw a ball around!
I've brought back a war
You've got the right idea.
Keep them moving and learn by doing, concentration span is very limited while you're standing there talking.
Make sure they're enjoying it.
Be clear about what you want them to do and keep developing what you're doing to maintain interest.
Plan you're session well in advance so you've got it all straight in your mind before training.
Have a pint afterwards and encourage the parents to socialise and get help from the keen ones, that's your best weapon to maintain the numbers.
Keep them moving and learn by doing, concentration span is very limited while you're standing there talking.
Make sure they're enjoying it.
Be clear about what you want them to do and keep developing what you're doing to maintain interest.
Plan you're session well in advance so you've got it all straight in your mind before training.
Have a pint afterwards and encourage the parents to socialise and get help from the keen ones, that's your best weapon to maintain the numbers.
Well we just had the final training session in 2014, a Christmas party and a visit from Santa this morning so I thought I'd post an update.
Firstly, all about me, I've found these last few months to be incredibly rewarding and of course a little frustrating at times.
It really has been a fantastic season for the club, for our part, the under nines that I coach won all their matches bar the last one. The other coach (with me at this level) and I had a chat this morning and we are so proud of the lads. They've really come on as a team.
We still have one or two talented players that run for the try line as soon as they get the ball, leaving the rest of the team behind and consequently losing the ball, but these are generally the lads that don't turn up for the coaching on a Saturday morning. What we as coaches are noticing is that the lads that do attend the coaching are getting pissed of with this now and educating the fly-aways from within the team. To hear an 8 year old go up to one of his mates and say 'Why didn't you pass me the ball???? I could've scored there...' that's priceless.
We've had a few matches against teams where there is their coach on pitch during the match just roaring and screaming at his players "DRIVE ON... PUSH... PUSH.. DRIVE ON... YOU IDIOT PASS THE BALL!!!!", I personally loathe this, I always use it to my/our advantage, at half time in the huddle - 'Did you hear their coach roaring at them? - he's almost right, move the ball wide, you'll leave them dead'.
We make a point of never shouting at the kids during a match, we do roar at them a little in training though - but the whistle and a shout of 'FREEZE!' is great for just getting in there, pointing out what is wrong, correcting it and letting play continue.
During matches if they lose ball in a play or make a mistake, perhaps leave a wing wide open because they've run to the ruck; I just jog over to them during the reset and have a quiet word in their ear. (I find carrying a water bottle with me is great, 'here get a drink,... now you see how you just drifted out of position there', 'stay out of the ruck... call for the ball', 'keep the width' or 'why did you leave that hole in the middle of the defensive line'.... I'm of the opinion, never roar at kids that are trying their best.
Anyway, I just wanted to keep the thread alive, Andy Brace was due a visit to our club last week but the weather went against us.
But all in all it's been fantastic to be involved at this lower level of rugby.
Meeting the parents and being able to genuinely tell them that their kids really do play a massive part in the team is ace. I was chatting with a parent this morning who said his child is very shy, but the lad really wants to play rugby, he told me that [rugby] has made a massive difference to his kid's confidence.
Yey! So, 7-1 season win to Clan William under nines, 20 kids learning that you need to work as a team - priceless.
Just to finish (because I am a little proud to be involved in coaching this team) - this morning the lads played such clean ball from the ruck that it really surprised me, surprised the other coach too, in fact we chatted and weren't sure if in fact our team hadn't been replaced by aliens...
Roll on the 2015 matches.
Firstly, all about me, I've found these last few months to be incredibly rewarding and of course a little frustrating at times.
It really has been a fantastic season for the club, for our part, the under nines that I coach won all their matches bar the last one. The other coach (with me at this level) and I had a chat this morning and we are so proud of the lads. They've really come on as a team.
We still have one or two talented players that run for the try line as soon as they get the ball, leaving the rest of the team behind and consequently losing the ball, but these are generally the lads that don't turn up for the coaching on a Saturday morning. What we as coaches are noticing is that the lads that do attend the coaching are getting pissed of with this now and educating the fly-aways from within the team. To hear an 8 year old go up to one of his mates and say 'Why didn't you pass me the ball???? I could've scored there...' that's priceless.
We've had a few matches against teams where there is their coach on pitch during the match just roaring and screaming at his players "DRIVE ON... PUSH... PUSH.. DRIVE ON... YOU IDIOT PASS THE BALL!!!!", I personally loathe this, I always use it to my/our advantage, at half time in the huddle - 'Did you hear their coach roaring at them? - he's almost right, move the ball wide, you'll leave them dead'.
We make a point of never shouting at the kids during a match, we do roar at them a little in training though - but the whistle and a shout of 'FREEZE!' is great for just getting in there, pointing out what is wrong, correcting it and letting play continue.
During matches if they lose ball in a play or make a mistake, perhaps leave a wing wide open because they've run to the ruck; I just jog over to them during the reset and have a quiet word in their ear. (I find carrying a water bottle with me is great, 'here get a drink,... now you see how you just drifted out of position there', 'stay out of the ruck... call for the ball', 'keep the width' or 'why did you leave that hole in the middle of the defensive line'.... I'm of the opinion, never roar at kids that are trying their best.
Anyway, I just wanted to keep the thread alive, Andy Brace was due a visit to our club last week but the weather went against us.
But all in all it's been fantastic to be involved at this lower level of rugby.
Meeting the parents and being able to genuinely tell them that their kids really do play a massive part in the team is ace. I was chatting with a parent this morning who said his child is very shy, but the lad really wants to play rugby, he told me that [rugby] has made a massive difference to his kid's confidence.
Yey! So, 7-1 season win to Clan William under nines, 20 kids learning that you need to work as a team - priceless.
Just to finish (because I am a little proud to be involved in coaching this team) - this morning the lads played such clean ball from the ruck that it really surprised me, surprised the other coach too, in fact we chatted and weren't sure if in fact our team hadn't been replaced by aliens...
Roll on the 2015 matches.
I am a farther of 2 boys. They play rugby for the local club and i am ever in debt to the coaches who are willing to give up Sunday mornings to train the boys.
The coaches are not paid and the only rewards they get are from the satisfaction of training and boy do they do a good job.
I try and give the coaches a hand, even if its cleaning up or helping put the tag belts on.
so to all the coaches out there....especially Harrow/Pinner - Thank you!
The coaches are not paid and the only rewards they get are from the satisfaction of training and boy do they do a good job.
I try and give the coaches a hand, even if its cleaning up or helping put the tag belts on.
so to all the coaches out there....especially Harrow/Pinner - Thank you!
Derek Smith said:
Well done, mate. Without people like you, the sport would eventually dry up.
Thanks Derek. b.t.w. - did you ever find any software for tracking the sports stats that I remember you asking about a few years ago?I tried several times to contact you via mail and left notes all over the place here but never got any response.
AndStilliRise said:
The coaches are not paid and the only rewards they get are from the satisfaction of training and boy do they do a good job.
I try and give the coaches a hand, even if its cleaning up or helping put the tag belts on.
so to all the coaches out there....especially Harrow/Pinner - Thank you!
Thanks again, regarding the bit in bold, that's how I got started this time around, just watching the sessions and then wandering around at the end picking up cones and helping carrying everything back to the club-house.I try and give the coaches a hand, even if its cleaning up or helping put the tag belts on.
so to all the coaches out there....especially Harrow/Pinner - Thank you!
Chatting with the coaches during the walk back I guess they figured out I knew a little bit about the game (I'd coached under 8s about 6 years earlier for a different club) and from then on I found myself invited onto the pitch during matches to stand behind the lads and encourage them on their play.
This year I was formally invited to join the club and given the opportunity to attend the IRFU Mini Rugby Coaching course, which as I've said was fantastic fun and very informative.
In my opinion all clubs welcome any assistance, be that just running around with water bottles or picking up kit after a session, to driving a few kids out to the away matches.
Get involved in anyway you can - it'll be appreciated.
Legend83 said:
Bookmarked as I am looking into doing this when my son comes of age (only 3 at the moment, but working on a promising throw!).
Excellent stuff - it really is rewarding in terms of time spent.I'd say get him down to the local club/clubs whilst he's still this young, let him see what's going on, there'll be other small kids running around playing with a ball whilst the older kids are playing. Observe the sessions and talk to the coaches and get a feel for the club. In our club (mainly during the warmer months) we have kids of all ages hanging around. The youngest are are allowed to run around in a safe area with a few balls to kick and throw around.
I guess we've been lucky this year in that our lads have really excelled. You've got to make it fun and interesting, you can't stand there screaming and roaring at them.
With your lad at age three you can play around in the garden and teach all the fundamental mini rugby skills; ball carrying (two hands on the ball), dodging/side stepping, scoring a try, you can even let the little fella tackle you and fall down, let him to his feet, grab the ball to run and score - He'll love it!
It's all great stuff and whilst it might be a hell of an effort for us older folks to run around, the kids love doing that and will do it all day. Best thing I ever did for my lad was letting him tackle me (at a jog). When an 8yr old thinks he can safely floor an 11 Stone 6'2" fella, hearing and feeling him hit the ground, getting to his feet snatching the ball and charging off only to see Dad just about back on his knees, makes them think they're invincible
TheExcession said:
Derek Smith said:
Well done, mate. Without people like you, the sport would eventually dry up.
Thanks Derek. b.t.w. - did you ever find any software for tracking the sports stats that I remember you asking about a few years ago?I tried several times to contact you via mail and left notes all over the place here but never got any response.
The club my lad was playing for at the time didn't want to know so I did a fair bit of work for no result. I even got an offer from one software company to assist them in eliminating bugs so no cost to us.
My lad has returned to the team where he started out and they took on a new coach. He was one for stats and a local university lad decided to do his post grad thesis on sport statistics.
We helped him and he helped us. We now get stats back on a Monday, allowing for discussion and analysis on the Tuesday eve.
Last week we played against the top of the league club - we're mid table - and lost by two points. The stats show we had just under 72% of possession in the first half, 54 in the second and 63 overall. In the old days we'd be having arguments about who did what to whom but with the video and the stats, we can pinpoint. This Sat we are playing a team that always goes well against us. We know them and our stats not only shows the team to pick but gives individual players a heads up.
We've got a young side - my lad at 27 is second oldest - and they are hungry to learn. They lap it up.
Was up at the club tonight to do a couple of DBS checks. It was raining but the guys like you were out there with their lads. Mind you, it wasn't cold, quite warm for the time of year in fact, but the kids were soaked.
Thanks for trying to help me.
I repeat, well done in doing what you do. That said, chatting to the two coaches tonight shows that they love it.
My lad, Will, works for the Dellalio Foundation. As he says on here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlTLcjzxuH0, grassroots wouldn't happen without the likes of you.
My lad loves what he is doing. Reckons he gets more out of it than any other job he's done. Not only that, it gives people like Rio Ferdinand the chance to meet my lad as well.
Just a quick follow up;
So first thing to say, anyone thinking of getting involved, please do.
We had our first day back after the Christmas break, I'm coaching under nines and to be honest they all came back really eager to go.
We had a few issues with too many going into the ruck, but you have to remember they're only little kids and they are all trying their best.
Really looking forward to the rest of the season now, I think next week we'll work on getting getting faster ball out of the ruck and passed along the line.
There's only myself and one other coach working with these lads and to be honest we had a chat after the session and we both agreed that we are pulling them up on such minor technicalities that in a game at their level it would probably be let go.
As the other coach and I said afterwards, they're (the kids) are like sponges, they soak up everything you show them.
Brilliant stuff and a great day out on the pitch today.
So first thing to say, anyone thinking of getting involved, please do.
We had our first day back after the Christmas break, I'm coaching under nines and to be honest they all came back really eager to go.
We had a few issues with too many going into the ruck, but you have to remember they're only little kids and they are all trying their best.
Really looking forward to the rest of the season now, I think next week we'll work on getting getting faster ball out of the ruck and passed along the line.
There's only myself and one other coach working with these lads and to be honest we had a chat after the session and we both agreed that we are pulling them up on such minor technicalities that in a game at their level it would probably be let go.
As the other coach and I said afterwards, they're (the kids) are like sponges, they soak up everything you show them.
Brilliant stuff and a great day out on the pitch today.
Thought I'd drag this one out of dim and distant past.
U10s this year and obviously a hell of a lot more to coach to bring the boys up this year.
We had our first night back training a week ago - it was like herding cats, we gave them a lot freedom in that our club has a lot of players that haven't seen each other for a few months so concentration was never going to be a strong point on the first night back. They were all chatting about their summer holidays.
The second night was called off at our level due to rain/cold, but the U11s were playing and so myself and one of the other coaches met up, we had had two shows from our U10s - Little Ex and one other fella, so we asked and got them into the U11 training session.
Wow, just wow what a match these lads at U11 are playing - we're talking full width ball passed out to the wing, and still an overlap.
It was a great opportunity to watch the year above playing, a few parents came over afterwards to say 'that looked like real rugby'.
Little Ex played a blinder, at one point, he was behind the ruck, ball near his feat, put his hand on the guy in front, looked left, looked right, looked left again, picked and played the ball left.
You really couldn't ask for anything more from any of the players on his side to give him the opportunity to be able to do this.
Little Ex is now convinced he wants to go play with the U11s, and having watched the coaches at that level it gives me a lot of ideas to bring our crew up a level.
So did any of you people that said you were going to get involved last year do so?
I was given a book on coaching U9/10 from the IRFU - if anyone would like a copy I'll scan it to a PDF and send it over.
Here's to a new season
U10s this year and obviously a hell of a lot more to coach to bring the boys up this year.
We had our first night back training a week ago - it was like herding cats, we gave them a lot freedom in that our club has a lot of players that haven't seen each other for a few months so concentration was never going to be a strong point on the first night back. They were all chatting about their summer holidays.
The second night was called off at our level due to rain/cold, but the U11s were playing and so myself and one of the other coaches met up, we had had two shows from our U10s - Little Ex and one other fella, so we asked and got them into the U11 training session.
Wow, just wow what a match these lads at U11 are playing - we're talking full width ball passed out to the wing, and still an overlap.
It was a great opportunity to watch the year above playing, a few parents came over afterwards to say 'that looked like real rugby'.
Little Ex played a blinder, at one point, he was behind the ruck, ball near his feat, put his hand on the guy in front, looked left, looked right, looked left again, picked and played the ball left.
You really couldn't ask for anything more from any of the players on his side to give him the opportunity to be able to do this.
Little Ex is now convinced he wants to go play with the U11s, and having watched the coaches at that level it gives me a lot of ideas to bring our crew up a level.
So did any of you people that said you were going to get involved last year do so?
I was given a book on coaching U9/10 from the IRFU - if anyone would like a copy I'll scan it to a PDF and send it over.
Here's to a new season
Rugby league coach here, started at with the lads at 5, to the under 7s (their first season) and currently approaching the end of their 3rd season at U9s. No coach allowed on the field next season so working on this at the moment with the lads as well as tackling harder and giving the ball more width.
A good resource is the Panthers League Coach app, it's a league course but most of the skills will be relevant at junior level for both codes.
http://completepanthers.com/coach/
A good resource is the Panthers League Coach app, it's a league course but most of the skills will be relevant at junior level for both codes.
http://completepanthers.com/coach/
Muskythedog said:
No coach allowed on the field next season so working on this at the moment with the lads as well as tackling harder and giving the ball more width.
I like that no coach on the field issue, and that is going to make me ask our players what they want from me as a coach - likely it will be "STOP TELLING ME OFF!"As I said earlier Little Ex was playing in a level above his age/weight- at one moment he got launched backwards by a body check.
There was no wrap and tackle - he just got flattened - I was worried, but before I could even get there he was back on his feat and had scampered off to continue play.
We do have an issue with getting the lads to tackle properly.
Any one willing to give some advice on that?
Having started as a parent/assistant at U8, as a non-player (career started at 45 and ended at 46...) I've reached the limit of my technical knowledge at U14 and stepped-back to concentrate on strength & conditioning stuff, which the boys are starting to look for at our club from U13.
Re tackling - using bags can be controversial, but all our most able defenders built their confidence on them, or in intensive 1-on-1 development drills.
Re tackling - using bags can be controversial, but all our most able defenders built their confidence on them, or in intensive 1-on-1 development drills.
My lad has been playing since he was 5, and I started coaching at U6/7's.
Last season was terrible - we didn't have many kids going up to the U9's, I was coaching/managing alone and we ended up having sessions with another local club - tbh, I couldn't wait for the season to finish.
This year, (U10) we've joined that other club - 18 kids and 3 coaches, and I'm so looking forward to the rest of the season.
We have our fair share of non-tacklers and I'm still working on a solution for that.
My preference is to not use tackle bags too much - totally false situation in reality as no one about to be tackled is standing still.
Junior tackle suits are good, if only to give a bit of confidence to both tackler and carrier.
My lad is a very good ball carrier/retainer/support, isn't the fastest runner, but very hard to bring down and has good vision, but will he tackle? b
ks will he!
We've got the Prima Cup coming up - the first 'real' competition of the kids' playing careers, and the competition will be strong, but can't wait to get going!
Hopefully, the lure of playing at the Tigers in the semi/finals will get the kids going...
I need to get in another CPD soon, and am aiming for a refereeing one.
Last season was terrible - we didn't have many kids going up to the U9's, I was coaching/managing alone and we ended up having sessions with another local club - tbh, I couldn't wait for the season to finish.
This year, (U10) we've joined that other club - 18 kids and 3 coaches, and I'm so looking forward to the rest of the season.
We have our fair share of non-tacklers and I'm still working on a solution for that.
My preference is to not use tackle bags too much - totally false situation in reality as no one about to be tackled is standing still.
Junior tackle suits are good, if only to give a bit of confidence to both tackler and carrier.
My lad is a very good ball carrier/retainer/support, isn't the fastest runner, but very hard to bring down and has good vision, but will he tackle? b
ks will he!We've got the Prima Cup coming up - the first 'real' competition of the kids' playing careers, and the competition will be strong, but can't wait to get going!
Hopefully, the lure of playing at the Tigers in the semi/finals will get the kids going...
I need to get in another CPD soon, and am aiming for a refereeing one.
I spent 3 years studying coaching science at uni and hearing someone speaking with such passion and knowledge about coaching is fantastic. Chatting and reflecting upon practice is imo the best thing a coach can do, communities of practice enable us to share ideas and experiences and learn together.
I'm always happy to share ideas for sessions if your stuck for ideas!
All the best
Jamie
I
I'm always happy to share ideas for sessions if your stuck for ideas!
All the best
Jamie
I
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