MANCHESTER RUGBY CLUB
founded 1860
WELCOME TO THE
UNDER 9’S
(MANCHESTER DRAGONS)
Season 2015/16
@ManchesterRugby
Founded as Manchester Football Club in 1860, one of the oldest rugby clubs in the world. First XV, 2nd, 3rd & 4th XV, Women & Girls, Mini, Midi & Junior teams
Grove Park, Cheadle Hulme
MANCHESTER RUGBY CLUB
Grove Park, Grove Lane
Cheadle Hulme
Stockport
Cheshire
SK8 7NB
View with Google Maps Tel: 0161 485 3733
We are extremely proud to be a KIDS FIRST RUGBY CLUB and we have a player centred coaching philosophy.
Kids First Rugby is about developing children through rugby union. There is a different emphasis that is subtle but quite significant.”
“It’s all about putting the child at the centre, building their confidence and self-esteem as well as their competence.”
“If we look at their social and personal skills, we can develop them into decision-makers who recognise that making mistakes is a natural part of learning. To develop creativity, they are going to make lots and lots of errors – that’s OK.”
“Ruckley just brings the whole thing to life and focusses the coaches on the fact that this is all about the kids.”
The Under 9’s
We aim to provide a very high standard of coaching and we strive for excellence from both our players and coaches. We encourage our players to be the best that they can be. We look to play a fast, attacking brand of rugby within a fun and enjoyable environment.
The Under 9’s Coaching Staff are
Head Coach - Dave Morford
Rugby Ready, Appointed Person (First Aid), Play it Safe, Legacy - Coaching Children Rugby Union Award (UKCC Level 1), CPD Scrum Factory, and Refereeing Children Rugby Union: Level 1
Currently Studying for Level 2
Mobile07771 747392
Team Manager/Coach – Alison Kelly
Rugby Ready, Appointed Person (First Aid), Play it Safe, Legacy - Coaching Children Rugby Union Award (UKCC Level 1), CPD Scrum Factory
Mobile07832 719686
Assistant Coach – Ian Hooper
Rugby Ready, Legacy - Coaching Children Rugby Union Award (UKCC Level 1),
Assistant Coach - Gareth Stockdale
Rugby Ready
Assistant Coach - Emma Cockayne
Emma has joined our coaching team for the 2015/16 and will be undertaking her Rugby Ready course at the earliest opportunity
Summer Training
We will be returning for summer training on Thursday 9th July between 6.30pm and 7.30pm, we will be situated over the brook.
Please allow extra time to walk down from the clubhouse as we will aim to start on time.
The sessions will be NON CONTACT and will focus on Passing and Evasion.
Season 2015/16
The 2015/16 season will begin on Sunday 6th September, all of our sessions will begin at 10.00am and will finish at 12 noon.
It will be really important that the players are on time so that they can fully warm up both physically and mentally for the session.
We will be working on the following areas.
Attack, Defence, (Counterattack and Turnover) Contact Skills, Core Skills – Passing, Catching, Running Evasion, Game Understanding and Management.
In matches we will be introducing the players to patterns of play, this will give them a framework to work with, but at the same time give them the freedom to develop their Game Understanding
Practice Sessions will slightly more structured so that we get a consistent approach, they will include a Warm Up, Technical/Skills, Guided Match Practice and a Captains Run (the players will run a 10 minute match without the intervention of coaches), Cool Down, Review and Reflection.
We operate a ROTATION policy, all of our players are given equal game time,
The players naturally grow both at different rates and we look carefully at the needs of both the individual and the team in terms of their development, we use both one on one coaching as well as small sided games.
We play CONTACT rugby in both training and matches, but we also use TOUCH rugby in training sessions
On Sunday 13th September we will hold a Parents and Players meeting at 10.00am in the clubhouse prior to
the mornings training session, this will allow us to outline our plans and objectives for the season ahead
The following notes have been adapted from a blog by Coach James Leath
In your role as a coach you have more influence over your players than youwill ever realize.“I love watching you play” and “I am so proud of you.”
Sunday is the day we put our training to the test. This is what myself and the 100% volunteer coaching staff goes through every week. Our players are ready to compete. Win or lose, we are prepared- we are ready.
We won’t win every week. We won’t lose every week. But we will always prepare. We will always be ready, no matter how big or fast or strong the other team is, we work with what we have. We practice the fundamentals of the game. We will have a simple playbook
Are they having fun? Are they learning new skills? Are they improving every week? Rarely does the scoreboard in youth sports express the true winners.
Often an athlete on the other team can carry that team
Developmentshould be the goal. In youth sports, playoffs are a by-product of developing players and managing the game well. I agree with the coaching philosophy of John Wooden that says,
“Prepare your athletes, focus on excelling at the fundamentals, and the winning will take care of itself.”
Simplicity breeds success.
The lesson: keep it fun, keep it simple, teach fundamentals, then get out of the way and let the kids play.
We as coaches have a responsibility to do the very best for the children under our care and guidance, we’re all human and we don’t always make the right decisions, but it is important that we continue to learn both as players and coaches.
We can have a coaching philosophy but what is really important is what happens on the pitch on a Sunday morning, get to know and understand each of your players. Actions speak louder than words.
“We all want our team to win, of course we do, but for me seeing the players develop as individuals and a team, gain confidence and learn new techniques which they can then turn into skills that they can use in matches and maybe in life away from rugby gives me as a coach far more pleasure and satisfaction” superb!
Fixtures
We play both Home and Away fixture over the course of the season, we play teams such as Wilmslow, Broughton Park, Sedgely Park, Sale Scorpions, and Macclesfield.
We will send out a fixture list at the beginning of the season, it is also available on the club website
Safeguarding
We provide an environment that is SAFE for all of our youngsters and we fully adhere to the RFU’s SAFEGUARDING GUIDELINES and all of our coaches hold current ENHANCED DBS Checks.
Eligibility
Eligibility to play for the Under 9’s your child must be 8 years old on the 1st September 2015 and in Year 4 at school.
MEMBERSHIPS
Memberships are due at the beginning of the season and must be paid by the 1st October 2015 (late payments will be subject to a £20 additional charge)
Player £70.00
Parent£30.00
ALL PLAYERS MUST BE REGISTERED WITH THE RFU
ATTENDANCE
Polite Notice - Please inform a member of the coaching staff if your son or daughter is are unable to attend a session. This will aid us in managing the group.
REGISTRATION & KIT INSPECTION
Please arrive in good time for registration at 9.55am. We will also do a mouth guard and boot check at the beginning of each session.
The Manchester Festival 2015
The Manchester Festival will be on Sunday 4th October when we will welcome clubs from across the North West.
We will be entering two teams in the festival so all of the children will get game time, but we will need help from everyone to ensure things run smoothly.
The Under 9’s event will be run as a “Tackle Rugby Festival”as it will give players the opportunity to develop and improve their tackling in competitive matches.
The Coaching staff need to be able to concentrate on Coaching and Refereeing, so we would like to have two Event Coordinators in place, we will also require Pitch Marshalls.
We would like to hold a buffet style lunch for the players and parents, if everyone brings something to share then we can have a lovely picnic. I once heard that you can tell if someone is a good referee if you see them with a whistle in one hand and a pork pie in the other, needless to say I’ll bring some.
We are asking you to consider volunteering at this early stage as we are very busy at the moment planning for the season. The summer has been far from quiet and we need to be as organised as possible.
We will need to provide volunteers to help with Car Parking on the 11th October which is the 2nd week of the festival, if we get enough help then we will arrange a fixture at a club nearby
Tour/Festivals
We will be looking to attend a number of other festivals over the course of the season, we will hopefully go on “Tour” for the first time and hope to have details of what we will be doing early in the season.
The MANCHESTER DRAGONS have set their own CORE VALUES, this has allowed the players to take ownership of their team.
FRIENDSHIP, RESPONSIBILITY, TEAM, ENJOYMENT, DISCIPLINE
STRENGTH, SPORTSMANSHIP, NO SHOWING OFF, NEVER GIVE UP, RESPECT EVERYONE, EXPRESSION
DON’T PICK ON PEOPLE, MAKE OUR OWN DECISIONS and LET US LEARN
The success of the team is down to the efforts of the coaches and the commitment of the children and their parents.
PLAYER WELFARE
The health and wellbeing of our players is of utmost importance, and for this reason the Under 9’s will be introducing PLAYER PROFILES at the beginning of the 2015/16 season for all of our players.
CONCUSSION - any player that receives a knock to the head will be immediately REMOVED from play and will NOT be allowed to return. We will assess the player and we will if necessary recommend that the player is taken for assessment by a medical professional
It is essential that any potential head injury is treated with the utmost diligence
NUTRITION AND HYDRATION
It is really important that the players have a decent and healthy breakfast before coming to rugby on a Sunday morning
My personal favourites are Scrambled/Poached Eggs on Toast, Porridge or Wholemeal Toast, Peanut Butter and Honey it’s up to you but stay off the fry ups.
The Irish Rugby Union has some excellent advice, most of which is common sense.
Aim to have breakfast around 8am, this will allow the players to digest their food properly. A snack such as a banana, apple, and yoghurt at around 9.30am prior to setting off will have the players set up and ready to go once they arrive.
Please provide a drink such as water or squash for your child.
The Club will always provide water or the players
SLEEP
In order for the players to perform to the best of their ability a good night’s sleep is recommended on a Saturday night.
SPORTS SPECIALIZATION
We firmly believe that children should have the opportunity to explore whole range of sports, not just rugby. We will only start mid-week training when we reach Under 12’s as we need to ensure players do not burn-out and stop enjoying their rugby. We will play other teams who do train mid-week and their mind-set is the opposite of ours. If you believe in win at all costs then this is the wrong team/club for your child.
Are we competitive? Do the players want to win? – Yes, absolutely, but not at all costs.
Only 0.01% of children playing grassroots rugby will go on to elite level rugby, and this is why projects such as Kids First Rugby are so important.
A player who is seems to be highly skilled at Under 9’s may not be when they reach Under 16’s or senior rugby, we have to ensure that we retain as many players as possible.
The following links are to one of the best coaching articles that I have read recently
“You have to make sure they know that life is more than one sport”
KIT
Having the right kit to play in and for the conditions is paramount to both player and parent enjoyment. If you are new to the club, you are not expected to purchase the kit immediately. General advice would be to leave it for a few weeks at least to see if your child likes playing.
Official Manchester Rugby Kit is available from the club shop, which is located in the club house.
Please follow the link
A full junior match kit – Jersey, Shorts, and Socks is £45.00
For order enquiries or other information please contact:
Anne-Marie Booth
Suzanne Morton
MOUTHGUARDS
All players who play contact rugby MUST wear a guard for training and playing. Coaches must check their players have mouth guard no mouthguard, no play.
A mouthguard needs to be replaced every season to ensure it provides the best protection
When correctly fitted, your mouthguard will provide you with a personal fitting designed for maximum protection and comfort. After use, rinse your mouthguard in cold soapy water and store in the airtight container provided. Wear your mouthguard for all sport practices and games.
You may contact your own dentist for proper moulded ones which are best. Self fix ones are available at all good sports shops or online sports stores as well as the club shop.
If your child forgets to wear dental protection - your child WILL NOT be allowed to play.
If your child has not played rugby before and does not yet have a mouthguard we will manage them accordingly
CLOTHING - Important
All players will be expected to turn up to training wearing appropriate rugby kit. A tracksuit (top and bottoms) is also required for use on cold days and for traveling to festivals. Boots with aluminium studs or rubber moulded soles are to be worn for training and matches.
BOOTS - Important
It is preferable that players wear boots that have aluminium rugby (preferably kite marked) screw in studs or rubber moulded sole boots. The player will have their boots checked before each practice session/match.
BODY ARMOUR/HEADGUARDS
These are becoming increasingly popular amongst players. They are not obligatory and players may wear them if they so wish. They must be correctly fitted.
HEADGUARDS DO NOT PREVENT CONCUSSION
SKINS/BASE/THERMAL LAYERS - Important
We recommend that all players wear COMPRESSION shorts underneath their kit, these are more comfortable and in the event of an accident/injury allow the players to retain their decency should they need medical attention.
SKINS/BASE LAYERS are becoming increasingly popular in cold weather, but again not obligatory. They are anti wicking and provide warmth, traditional cotton t-shirts become heavy and players will get cold when wet.
Some children wear the black running tights over which they wear shorts and socks.
Players will be unable to wear tracksuit trousers in matches
STICKY MITTS
These are allowed for playing in and are particularly effective in very cold weather when young hands can get cold in order to catch and grip the ball. There are now thermal versions available as well with the sticky pad. Ordinary gloves will NOT be allowed.
SPECTACLES
Unfortunately but especially in contact rugby any normal eyewear (excluding contact lenses) is not allowed because the risk of injury to the wearer and possibly other players. There will also be risk of damage to the equipment itself.
World Rugby have been trialling “Rugby Goggles” please follow the link for more information
http://playerwelfare.worldrugby.org/goggles
SEVERE WEATHER
Please come to training/matches with appropriate clothing for the weather on the day. Always have hats, gloves, waterproof tops. All parents know their own children’s tolerance levels to both the cold and hot conditions. We will always use common sense, but we reserve the right to manage both the players and the team. If a child is cold and wet they won’t enjoy their rugby, the best place can be the clubhouse with a hot chocolate to warm up with.
A snack and a drink is always useful.
These can be found in the clubhouse for adults and children....and finally
All items of jewellery must be removed before training. This includes necklaces, rings and bracelets plus the coloured rubber and cord wrist bands that are currently popular
PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO LABEL YOUR KIT (including boots)
Hopefully this guide cover’s everything you need to know about playing rugby at Manchester, if you have any additional thoughts, questions or concerns, please feel free to contact a member of the coaching staff.
Kind Regards
The Manchester Dragons (Under 9’s) Coaching Staff.