From the bush to the beach, March Madness has officially begun.
Coaches in any sport play an integral part in helping to lay the foundation and plotting the success of a team, and NSW Rugby is working around the clock to develop our coaching pathways further.
NSW Rugby Coach Education and Pathway Manager Matt Evrard believes one of the successes of community rugby lies in the continued development of our coaches.
“This year, we have nearly 20 Level One Foundations courses across four weekends in March alone around the Sydney and country regions. We also have five pre-season Level Two courses available in Kingscliff, Ourimbah, Dural, Dubbo, and Gunnedah. The Kingscliff, Ourimbah and Dural courses have already been completed with close to 50 coaches attending the training.”
The natural development for coaches is to progress onto the Level Two course, which is designed to progress and further develop a coach's skills.
In February, Rugby Australia announced that junior players between 10-15 years who fall outside a specific height and weight range, will be independently assessed to determine which age group they should play in. The new size for age dispensation will be a part of the Level Two course with a focus on weight for age sign-offs part of the curriculum.
“From a Level Two point of view, it's about holding and building capacity. We want to better equip NSW and give regions the opportunity to take control and independently provide teams with quality coaching across metro and rural areas,” Evrard said.
“More importantly, we want these coaches to influence at representative level and the youth development age groups. We aim to raise the standards of coaching.
“From a Level Two perspective, our focus is to give our coaches more resources. Whether they just want to know more drills, more information about laws or just general tips on how to coach, we are their support network and we want to make sure our coaches across NSW are fully skilled.”
Whether you strive to be the next Wallabies head coach or you just want to get more involved in your child's rugby team, NSW Rugby is able to accommodate.
Visit this link to find the right coaching course for you and register now.
If your junior club wants to host a Coaching Skills Night or a ‘Waratah Way’ Night, please contact your local development officer to book one in.
