by Nigel Melville
Nigel Melville Direct
As you know from an earlier blog today, I have been at the High School All American Camp in Phoenix this week, I thought I would share with you some interesting statistics I collected from the players.
There were 73 players in camp with an average age of 17 years.
14 players (19%) started playing rugby overseas (UK/New Zealand/South Africa) at an average age of 8 years and have now been playing rugby for about 9 years
Compare this with 59 players (81%) who started their playing careers in the USA at an average age 13.5 years and have been playing for around 3.5 years.
A smaller number of players, 17 (29%), have only been playing for 2 years!!
Our challenge is simple, to create winning age grade teams we have to fast track the basics through quality coaching for our High School and College players who are at a competitive disadvantage to their peers in the mature rugby nations.
If we want to catch up with the top rugby nations we have to provide top class core skill coaching to the new generation of Rookie Rugby players aged 10 - 12 years.
The good news - the process has already started!
Which takes me back to my blog from yesterday about our Coach Development process - in its existing format do you think it delivers what our coaches and their players need?
Let me know?
With an impressive resume as player, coach and administrator, Nigel David Melville took over as CEO and President of Rugby Operations of USA Rugby, the National Governing Body of the sport in America, in 2006. In addition to his full time job promoting the sport in the U.S., Melville has launched his own blog, Nigel Melville Direct, to further the discussion and his passion for what it will take to make the U.S. a great rugby playing nation.
CLICK HERE to read more on Nigel Melville
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