And so our first high school season ends, with both the boys and girls making the state championship semi-finals. I hope no one is upset or angry about this performance; it is truly outstanding. Winning records are always something to be proud of, and winning records that propel you into the top level of the playoffs are even better. For two teams in their very first year of competition. Again, this is a fantastic achievement.
Thank you, players, for your dedication and your discipline, and for your enthusiasm in training and in the matches. Thank you for your bumps, bruises, and scrapes, and for a few of you, the season-ending injuries. We are looking forward to having you back with us next spring.
Thank you, parents, for supporting your rugby players so well. Thank you for supporting our home-game socials, and for providing rides to away matches. Thank you for becoming Fort Hunt Rugby parents.
We are working on plans for a combined boys/girls end of season party, with details out by the end of the week, hopefully.
There are a few loose ends, with a few boys players needing to pay for kit bags, and for shorts/socks. Please step forward and make this happen.
And summer rugby is fully underway now, with training begun and matches to start on 18 June. Go to our website and sign on up.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Boys HS Notes: Focus, Discipline and Dedication
If you train in a half-assed manner, not taking anything seriously, being lazy, cutting corners, being inattentive and goofing off with your buddies, this is how you will play in matches, since this is how you've trained yourself to behave. You will have missed or ignored important coaching points, and will be unprepared to compete against players who have been paying attention. If you take training seriously, and focus on your individual weak points, and listen to and take on board specific coaching recommendations and instructions, then you will play with discipline and focus, and you will improve.
Game focus flows directly from training focus. You will play the way you train, be it well or poorly. Bad game play reflects poor individual and team discipline. It shows a lack of dedication to yourself to better yourself as a player, and a lack of dedication to your teammates and yoru mission to improve and win.
We have a great deal of exceptional individual talent, and some very serious athletic depth in speed, size and strength, but none of this counts for anything against a team that has trained hard and well, and is cohesive in a single game plan, showing discipline to put into action the skills and tactics trained at practice. Every single player on our team needs to get better. This is not a criticism, but a simple observation based on the fact that we are young and inexperienced, and many of our players are true first-year novices. We need to improve fitness, strength, ball handling, tackling, rucking/mauling, developing the counterattack, and basic knowledge of the Laws of the Game. The coaches are ready to work on all of these, if players are willing to show the discipline and dedication to take it onboard.
Players should take EVERY training session as a unique opportunity to improve their game, to work on a specific weak point--and every player has at least one, and usually many. Training is for serious work, and socializing and goofing off is for before and after, and there is plenty of time for this. Show discipline and dedication to your team and teammates, and buckle down and work hard in training. It will pay off in matches.
Game focus flows directly from training focus. You will play the way you train, be it well or poorly. Bad game play reflects poor individual and team discipline. It shows a lack of dedication to yourself to better yourself as a player, and a lack of dedication to your teammates and yoru mission to improve and win.
We have a great deal of exceptional individual talent, and some very serious athletic depth in speed, size and strength, but none of this counts for anything against a team that has trained hard and well, and is cohesive in a single game plan, showing discipline to put into action the skills and tactics trained at practice. Every single player on our team needs to get better. This is not a criticism, but a simple observation based on the fact that we are young and inexperienced, and many of our players are true first-year novices. We need to improve fitness, strength, ball handling, tackling, rucking/mauling, developing the counterattack, and basic knowledge of the Laws of the Game. The coaches are ready to work on all of these, if players are willing to show the discipline and dedication to take it onboard.
Players should take EVERY training session as a unique opportunity to improve their game, to work on a specific weak point--and every player has at least one, and usually many. Training is for serious work, and socializing and goofing off is for before and after, and there is plenty of time for this. Show discipline and dedication to your team and teammates, and buckle down and work hard in training. It will pay off in matches.
High School Rugby: Conduct
This is for Fort Hunt high school rugby, both boys and girls. Let's talk about conduct.
On the field, we do not talk trash, even when provoked. We do not taunt, even if provoked, whether winning or losing. Let your actions speak for themselves, be it a score, a tackle, or any other aspect of your positive, focused play. When you talk trash or taunt, you are losing your focus on play and team, and thinking about something other than working to benefit your teammates. We are gracious in victory, and we are humble in defeat.
Off the field, you are a representative of Fort Hunt Rugby. If you use a photo of yourself in any form of Fort Hunt Rugby gear in any kind of online forum or post, you are identifying yourself primarily as a Fort Hunt Rugby player and member, and you therefore represent your team, our program, and the Fort Hunt Eagles Rugby Football Club. As such, we expect all of our representative to conduct themselves properly. We expect respectful and thoughtful conduct, in action and in words. This includes online posting. Our off-field conduct can do nothing to bring shame upon you the player, your family and your friends, your team or teammates, or the club.
When in doubt, check out the club player code of conduct for a specific list of what is expected of you, and what can happen if you choose not to abide by the code of conduct.
On the field, we do not talk trash, even when provoked. We do not taunt, even if provoked, whether winning or losing. Let your actions speak for themselves, be it a score, a tackle, or any other aspect of your positive, focused play. When you talk trash or taunt, you are losing your focus on play and team, and thinking about something other than working to benefit your teammates. We are gracious in victory, and we are humble in defeat.
Off the field, you are a representative of Fort Hunt Rugby. If you use a photo of yourself in any form of Fort Hunt Rugby gear in any kind of online forum or post, you are identifying yourself primarily as a Fort Hunt Rugby player and member, and you therefore represent your team, our program, and the Fort Hunt Eagles Rugby Football Club. As such, we expect all of our representative to conduct themselves properly. We expect respectful and thoughtful conduct, in action and in words. This includes online posting. Our off-field conduct can do nothing to bring shame upon you the player, your family and your friends, your team or teammates, or the club.
When in doubt, check out the club player code of conduct for a specific list of what is expected of you, and what can happen if you choose not to abide by the code of conduct.
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