For Immediate Release
August 4, 2009
USA Rugby Concludes its Inaugural Advanced Coaching Course
GLENDALE, Colo. – USA Rugby’s first Advanced Coaching Course (ACC) wrapped up this past weekend in Glendale, Colo.
The Advanced Coaching Course is a year-long course designed to challenge coaches at the very highest level. Attendees participated in three, three-day sessions over the course of a year, working with professional coaches, referees, strength and conditioning specialists, position specialists, and IRB licensed assessors and mentors.
Completion of the course marks a significant accomplishment for the participating coaches. In between face to face sessions, coaches developed player and team profiles, annual periodization plans, and player and team development plans. Each coach submitted video coaching sessions for review by IRB and USA assessors.
The highlight of the final weekend was the presentation of each coach’s research project. Coaches were tasked to conduct a research project on their own, write a paper as the outcome of their research, and present relevant findings for discussion by the group.
The USA Rugby Advanced Coaching Course is designed to be equivalent to the new IRB Level 3 Coaching Course. Coaches who completed the course demonstrated a high level of tactical and technical proficiency, an ability to operate across the coaching continuum, team profiling, analysis, and game planning skills, player profiling and development skills, and an ability to conduct and deliver research findings to an audience of coaches.
Twelve coaches successfully completed the final weekend, including USA Women’s National Team coaches Kathy Flores and Candi Orsini, Men’s National Team assistant coach Dave Hodges, and several other coaches recently assigned to age-grade and USA Selects XV programs. Several Super League coaches also attended, including coaches of Super League finalists San Francisco Golden Gate and Life University.
“As coaches we were challenged to step up and outside our comfort zone and try new things. This led to the adopting of new ideas and reinforcement of others,” said Hodges.
Flores reiterated that sentiment, saying, “I thought the course was invaluable in terms of collegial discussion. Working through the initial stages of unfamiliarity with some, it was great to feel the development of trust and sharing of knowledge, both tactical, and psychological.”
Paul Keeler, San Francisco Golden Gate and Selects XV coach added, “I found the course a great experience. It provided insights and tools to improve my coaching, and more importantly the players.”
2009 Advanced Coaching Course Attendees:
Paule Barford – All American Men, Life University
Kathy Flores – USA Women’s National Team
Dave Hamilton – Charlotte Rugby, MARFU Men
Dave Hodges – USA Men’s National Team, Denver Barbarians
Paul Keeler – USA Selects, San Francisco Golden Gate
Ron Laszewski – St Louis Bombers, West Senior Men’s
Eugene Mountjoy – USA Selects, Boston Rugby Club, Boston College
Sean O’Leary – University of Notre Dame
Candi Orsini – USA Women’s National Team
Lisa Rosen – Philadelphia Women’s Rugby, MARFU U-23 Women
Pete Steinberg – All-American Women, Penn State Women, Keystone Women, Philadelphia City-Based Sevens Team
Bob Weir – Wilmington Colts
The next iteration of the 2010 version of the year-long Advanced Coaching Course is currently in the planning stages and will be accepting applications after September 1. For more information, contact USA Rugby’s Coach Development Department at mmccarthy@usarugby.org.
USA Rugby Mentors and Assessors
Norm Mottram – USA Rugby Coach Development Director
George Betzler – Former USA Coach
Kevin O’Brien – Former Women’s National Team Coach
Ed Burlingham – Former USA Coach
Bill Mottram – Former USA Coach
Coarse Development assistance provided by:
Gary Townsend – RFU
Gary Henderson – RFU
Mike Luke – NAWIRA Coaching Director, Former Canada Coach