Youth (U13) Boys Team | (5th - 7th)

This page is designed to provide pertinent information about rugby and our club to the parents of our players

Introduction

A Letter to Parents

Health & Safety

At the Doylestown JR RFC the heath and safety of our players is a primary concern. Although we believe rugby can be played in a safe and fun environment, it is a contact sport and we do want to work together with players and parents to minimize injuries and lasting effects of injuries. The first thing we ask of all players and parents is to report any injuries to their coach, regardless of severity or where there they occurred.

• Injuries
  • Concussion: Here is a link for a fact sheet on concussions from the CDC including symptoms of a concussion that parents can observe. Please download and review - Download
  • Returning to Play - We will work with parents and their medical professionals to determine when a player can return to play following an injury
• Trainers
  • We will have an experienced athletic trainer at all our home matches.

Article - Is Rugby Safe

Parent Resource

• Rugby Position Guide - Link
• Preseason Conditioning for Players:  Strength training drills for young rugby players
• by Dan Cottrell
• The advice from most strength and conditioning coaches is that players should not start lifting weights until 16 at the earliest and even then it depends on their individual physical maturity. However, there is plenty that young players can do during your team's training drills to improve their strength and to learn the correct techniques for when they do start lifting weights.Core Strength :The one area young players should really try and develop is their core strength. This is a very important area of strength conditioning. These rugby training drills will help develop core strength in your players.

  The “Bridge”: The simplest training drill is the “bridge”, where a player holds a press up the shape, but has their weight on their elbows, not hands. They must hold this position for as long as possible.

  Circuits: Bodyweight circuits can be used as an alternative to the gym. Ensure players perform all the drills with good technique; keep the number of repetitions low (5 – 10) to start with and increase gradually. Remember to include squats, lunges, crunches, vertical jumps, squat thrusts, ruck pad drives over two to five meters, press-ups (on knees if necessary), sit-ups, and step-ups.

  Wrestling training drills: Ball wrestle – Two players wrestle to rip a ball off each other. Encourage the players to keep their feet still and use their upper body strength.

  Seated wrestle – Two players sit back to back with their legs straight out in front of them. They link arms. On your call of “LEFT” or “RIGHT”, they try to pull their opponent over to that side.

  Wrestle on knees – Two players sit back to back with their legs straight out in front of them. On your signal they get to their knees, turn to face each other, and wrestle, trying to pin their opponent’s shoulders on the ground.

Volunteer Opportunities

The Doylestown Junior Rugby Club is a "Not for Profit" organization with a volunteer coaching staff serving over 100 young athletes. The club also depends on help from parents to help the club in many ways including:

• Fundraising
• Event Coordinators
• Game Day Cooking
• Video Taping of Games

Sponsorships

As a community sports organization, players, parents, coaches, and sponsors support most of our expenses.  In the past, we have had sponsors fund equipment and jerseys or provide a service or the general fund.   Each season new needs arise and new ways to support the team present themselves including:

• Team Jersey Sponsor
• Kit Bag
• Web Site Sponsors

Articles

Here are links to articles and web sites with other relevant information to parents

How Rugby Makes Better Football Players