Help me Improve my sons rugby please!
Discussion
Hoping that the collective of piston heads may have some ideas.
Having played rugby myself from the age go 7 until university, I introduced my son to it last year at U8 level. He is not a naturally boisterous boy but seemed to enjoy going and only ever complained once when it was bitterly cold.
This year is his first move into contact and he seems to have gone backwards. Whilst he is still happy to turn up every week he's not really getting involved choosing to stay out on the wing and avoid both the ball and the tackle.
I have a number of difficulties in trying to see some improvement.
1. He attends a local primary school that we chose specifically so he always has contacts in the area and can walk to school. The school is excellent in many ways but is lacking in its attitude to sport preferring to concentrate on more of the arts.
2. His year group is very much dominated by girls and those boys who are in his class do not live locally so meeting up and practising with them is difficult.
3. The hours I am currently working will soon mean that it is dark before I get home so getting out into the garden will be limited to Saturdays for daylight.
4. A number of the boys in his year group at the rugby club have been playing together for a number of years (both at the club and some of them at the local private schools) and are therefore some way ahead in terms of skill level and development.
Has anyone else been in this situation and found some solutions, or are there any drills that I can do with him one on one that might improve his confidence etc?
I appreciate that ultimately rugby may not be his thing but want to give it the best shot.
Thanks in advance for any ideas.
Having played rugby myself from the age go 7 until university, I introduced my son to it last year at U8 level. He is not a naturally boisterous boy but seemed to enjoy going and only ever complained once when it was bitterly cold.
This year is his first move into contact and he seems to have gone backwards. Whilst he is still happy to turn up every week he's not really getting involved choosing to stay out on the wing and avoid both the ball and the tackle.
I have a number of difficulties in trying to see some improvement.
1. He attends a local primary school that we chose specifically so he always has contacts in the area and can walk to school. The school is excellent in many ways but is lacking in its attitude to sport preferring to concentrate on more of the arts.
2. His year group is very much dominated by girls and those boys who are in his class do not live locally so meeting up and practising with them is difficult.
3. The hours I am currently working will soon mean that it is dark before I get home so getting out into the garden will be limited to Saturdays for daylight.
4. A number of the boys in his year group at the rugby club have been playing together for a number of years (both at the club and some of them at the local private schools) and are therefore some way ahead in terms of skill level and development.
Has anyone else been in this situation and found some solutions, or are there any drills that I can do with him one on one that might improve his confidence etc?
I appreciate that ultimately rugby may not be his thing but want to give it the best shot.
Thanks in advance for any ideas.
Hi
I think that you probably have two things to do.
The first is to consciously let the rugby slide; stop pushing it/talking about it/engaging with it and see whether your son "pulls" to carry on.
If he doesn't, I would be inclined to let it go; he can always come back to it later. If he does, I think that you might need to find a club with a larger and more inclusive youth programme &/or one that has a big enough pool in each age group to be able to field a 2nd & 3rd XV. I do t know where you are in the country and, obviously, the more rural the area, the harder that will be to find but is sounds like he needs somewhere a little less cliquey and more nurturing than where he currently is
I think that you probably have two things to do.
The first is to consciously let the rugby slide; stop pushing it/talking about it/engaging with it and see whether your son "pulls" to carry on.
If he doesn't, I would be inclined to let it go; he can always come back to it later. If he does, I think that you might need to find a club with a larger and more inclusive youth programme &/or one that has a big enough pool in each age group to be able to field a 2nd & 3rd XV. I do t know where you are in the country and, obviously, the more rural the area, the harder that will be to find but is sounds like he needs somewhere a little less cliquey and more nurturing than where he currently is
I have been through a similar process some years ago, being a competitive sportsman myself (when younger!) I was keen for my son to follow in his dad's footsteps, took him to tennis when young and progressed to the local rugby club, he really didn't fancy the physical side of the game which I didn't understand, anyway long story short, he took up skateboarding and became consumed by it.
No real competitive edge, a bit like surfing, just doing what he enjoys, he's made loads of mates, stays fit ( and I'd like to say healthy, but he's alwys coming home with turned ankles and grazed elbows and knees, but never complains about it)
The moral of my story is let them try as many different sports as possible, but let them decide what floats their boat.
This is one of his edits (or at least I think that's what they call videos these days!)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zL6aQc7cjiI
No real competitive edge, a bit like surfing, just doing what he enjoys, he's made loads of mates, stays fit ( and I'd like to say healthy, but he's alwys coming home with turned ankles and grazed elbows and knees, but never complains about it)
The moral of my story is let them try as many different sports as possible, but let them decide what floats their boat.
This is one of his edits (or at least I think that's what they call videos these days!)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zL6aQc7cjiI
OP,
As previously said, don't push him into it.
The move into contact can be a tricky one.
Have you spoken with your sons coaches about this? If they are worth their salt, they should be able to address this. Tackling needs to be very well coached at the introduction stage, to ensure the players are safe and have it demonstrated, that if done properly, doesn't hurt.
I run an U12 age group and this year we've had 5 new starters, who are obviously well behind the majority of the age group. We run adapted games, to help the confidence of the less experienced lads and it really works. There's no point thrusting them into a full contact game, if they are just going to be put off.
Talk with his coaches and see what they can do.
As previously said, don't push him into it.
The move into contact can be a tricky one.
Have you spoken with your sons coaches about this? If they are worth their salt, they should be able to address this. Tackling needs to be very well coached at the introduction stage, to ensure the players are safe and have it demonstrated, that if done properly, doesn't hurt.
I run an U12 age group and this year we've had 5 new starters, who are obviously well behind the majority of the age group. We run adapted games, to help the confidence of the less experienced lads and it really works. There's no point thrusting them into a full contact game, if they are just going to be put off.
Talk with his coaches and see what they can do.
This week was a considerable improvement both on Oscarmac juniors part and that of the coaches.
The head coach in particular seemed to place an emphasis on there being a squad ethos.
There is a friend from school now at the club and it seems to have spurred the young one on a bit.
I purchased a tackle bag for practice in the garden and that has gone down a storm! (I'll donate it to the club if the interest wains)
The head coach in particular seemed to place an emphasis on there being a squad ethos.
There is a friend from school now at the club and it seems to have spurred the young one on a bit.
I purchased a tackle bag for practice in the garden and that has gone down a storm! (I'll donate it to the club if the interest wains)
When Rugby Union found me, on the second day of High School, it was an immediate natural fit and started me on a (hopefully life-long) enjoyment of sports participation. I got stuck in, played for the school, captained the team for a while (and my county) and was on the 1st XV from the Fifth form through Sixth Form. I went for trials for the Northern region. We also dabbled in Rugby League to national success.
Most of the lads at my Rugby obsessed school hated playing. You can't force people to play with enthusiasm.
I have always been someone who likes physical contact and was good at tackling, getting to the breakdown and gaining possession. My Dad didn't play and had no interest in the game, other than coming to watch me play sometimes.
I am glad I gave it up when I did, at uni, as I would have even more injuries now and I never liked the Rugby club culture anyway.
Most of the lads at my Rugby obsessed school hated playing. You can't force people to play with enthusiasm.
I have always been someone who likes physical contact and was good at tackling, getting to the breakdown and gaining possession. My Dad didn't play and had no interest in the game, other than coming to watch me play sometimes.
I am glad I gave it up when I did, at uni, as I would have even more injuries now and I never liked the Rugby club culture anyway.
Edited by MC Bodge on Tuesday 27th October 07:42
How big is your club?
As others have said, it may just be that rugby isn't going to be his thing, but the right club - and the right year group within any given club, as they're all run pretty independently by the coaches who happen to have kids of the right age - can make a huge difference.
I've coached all three of my kids. Daughter gave up at U9 because she didn't like being the only girl, middle son gave up at U10 because he'd much rather be mountain biking, and I'm now coaching youngest son in U8 one week, and taking middle son mountain biking the next.
Each of our year groups typically has 40-60 kids, and at least up to around U11, we'll usually have at least half a dozen or more new kids start at the beginning of each year. This means we never get kids chucked in at the deep end on their own with nothing but kids who've been playing together since U5, and also makes it easier for one of the coaches to run a few weeks of easing in tuition before they're let loose with the rest.
As for stuff you can do at home, I don't really think there's much you will be able to do. If the issue was passing & catching, then obviously you can practice that with him, but you're too big to tackle him or for him to try tackling you, and tackle bags are, frankly, utterly useless for kids. Sure, he'll enjoy throwing himself at it in the garden, but once he's back at the club, faced with having to tackle another kid with pumping knees and elbows and lack of padding, it's a totally different prospect.
Whenever I've introduced kids to contact, I've always started off getting them to do it on their knees statically, then on their knees whilst moving (you'd be amazed how fast some kids can move on their knees!) then standing walking, jogging and eventually running. It sounds like your lad's issue is mental rather than physical, so as long as he's got his technique right, is leading with his shoulder, going in low, getting his head on the right side, etc, then the best way forwards in my mind would be that gradual, phased progression. Once he realises he's not got hurt tackling on his knees, doing it at a walk isn't that much of a jump, then he's jogging, and it's only a small step up to running, and he can look back and wonder what all the fuss was about.
Anyway, good luck, and as others have said, don't force it! The right activity will be out there for him somewhere...
As others have said, it may just be that rugby isn't going to be his thing, but the right club - and the right year group within any given club, as they're all run pretty independently by the coaches who happen to have kids of the right age - can make a huge difference.
I've coached all three of my kids. Daughter gave up at U9 because she didn't like being the only girl, middle son gave up at U10 because he'd much rather be mountain biking, and I'm now coaching youngest son in U8 one week, and taking middle son mountain biking the next.
Each of our year groups typically has 40-60 kids, and at least up to around U11, we'll usually have at least half a dozen or more new kids start at the beginning of each year. This means we never get kids chucked in at the deep end on their own with nothing but kids who've been playing together since U5, and also makes it easier for one of the coaches to run a few weeks of easing in tuition before they're let loose with the rest.
As for stuff you can do at home, I don't really think there's much you will be able to do. If the issue was passing & catching, then obviously you can practice that with him, but you're too big to tackle him or for him to try tackling you, and tackle bags are, frankly, utterly useless for kids. Sure, he'll enjoy throwing himself at it in the garden, but once he's back at the club, faced with having to tackle another kid with pumping knees and elbows and lack of padding, it's a totally different prospect.
Whenever I've introduced kids to contact, I've always started off getting them to do it on their knees statically, then on their knees whilst moving (you'd be amazed how fast some kids can move on their knees!) then standing walking, jogging and eventually running. It sounds like your lad's issue is mental rather than physical, so as long as he's got his technique right, is leading with his shoulder, going in low, getting his head on the right side, etc, then the best way forwards in my mind would be that gradual, phased progression. Once he realises he's not got hurt tackling on his knees, doing it at a walk isn't that much of a jump, then he's jogging, and it's only a small step up to running, and he can look back and wonder what all the fuss was about.
Anyway, good luck, and as others have said, don't force it! The right activity will be out there for him somewhere...
Gassing Station | Sports | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff