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November Newsletter
Developing America's Most ELITE Rugby Players
| November 2012
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Greetings!
 We hope that everyone had a great Halloween. As we begin our new fiscal year on November 1st, we have implemented our slogan for the new year: Think Big.
Think Big applies to many areas of ELITE Camps.
We ask our players to Think Big on a daily basis. Young rugby players must understand how their actions on and off the field represent the growing sport of rugby. We also ask them to Think Big about reaching their goals and aspirations.
Our Directors Think Big about the growth of rugby in America and how ELITE can be involved in each facet.
The ELITE Foundation non-profit Board of Directors Think Big about how to offer as many scholarships to future ELITE Camps as possible.
The ELITE coaches Think Big about how to communicate and teach the proper fundamentals of the game in the most effective manner.
Lastly, our supporters Think Big about how their donations support young players who would otherwise would not be able to attend camp. They Think Big about how their donations directly benefit USA Rugby.
We hope you are a part of ELITE as we move forward and Think Big.
Enjoy our November newsletter. Alex Ross shares an insightful piece regarding the differences between American and New Zealand rugby. USA lock Brian Doyle speaks about getting ready for a USA tour. We catch up with Isaiah Chinnen who played for the USA High School All American team. We provide you with coaching videos and training tips. Finally we ask you to donate to two great causes; the Ronan Nelson fundraiser and the ELITE Rugby Foundation.
Regards,
Ethan Lee Willis
Director
ELITE Rugby Camp USA
  
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Thoughts from New Zealand
ELITE Coach Alex Ross Shares Thoughts from New Zealand
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| Coach Ross with High School 7s All American Matt Long at ELITE in 2012 |
An former USA 7s player, Alex currently lives in Auckland New Zealand where he is completing a PhD in applied sport science.
In this installment I'd like to compare youth rugby in New Zealand with the US, from my experience at least.
It goes without saying that New Zealand is a rugby crazy country. It's the number one sport here and the national rugby team, the All Blacks, are far and away the most popular sport team. Rugby is on TV every night and front-page newspaper stories are often about the game and it's players. New Zealand routinely produces many of the best players in the world and the All Blacks are the defending world cup champions and current number one team, and it's not close.
So how does a country with a population of only four million dominate a game played around the world? Most would agree success is in large part due to the massive emphasis on the youth game and talent development. Most kids start playing rugby here at around six years old, playing flag or "rippa rugby" as it's called over here, until around nine or ten years old. At around 14 years or so, provincial age grade teams start where players are selected to play against other kids their age from the different provinces around the country. Players that show well in these competitions are identified and put in comprehensive talent development programs to build their skills. Despite the emphasis on rugby, kids are still encouraged to play other sports and not focus solely on rugby until high school at the earliest.
When compared to youth rugby in the US, I think there are more similarities than differences. Kids in the US are now starting to play rugby at a very young age, there are age grade all-star teams all around the country and rugby is becoming more and more popular and played at many high schools. With that said, there are a few key differences that I believe are worth noting.
1) The major emphasis in youth rugby here is skill development and decision-making. They teach players to think for themselves and hone their skills while there is very little emphasis on competition until around 14 years of age. I think in the US we put far too much emphasis on winning with our youth teams, likely influenced by what goes on in other sports. The unfortunate thing is that this emphasis on winning is at the expense of skill development. Youth rugby should focus more on skill development and decision-making and less on winning and losing.
2) High school rugby in New Zealand is comparable to football in Texas. There are big crowds at all the matches and playoff and rivalry games are televised nationally. It is a big deal to make the first team and many schools field five or more teams to accommodate all the players. Teams practice five days a week as well as extra fitness and gym sessions.While rugby is now played on most high school campuses in the US, most teams train a fraction of the time as other sports and school and community support is also significantly less. US high school rugby teams could go a long way by adopting the standards and practices set by sports like football and developing rivalry games to boost school spirit.Though I can't imagine rugby ever being as popular as it is in New Zealand or like basketball, football, and baseball are in the US I don't think it's a stretch to see it on the same level as sports like soccer and lacrosse.
3) Fitness. What players do for their strength and conditioning represents a major difference between training practices here and in the states. A huge importance is placed on strength and conditioning in New Zealand much like it is in the states, however New Zealand is more about the conditioning while America is more about the strength. Player's focus on their fitness year round here and it is shown when you see the fast paced style most team's play. Contrast with America where most rugby players adopt training programs from sports like football where the major focus is on strength while fitness is an afterthought and left to a few weeks before the season starts. Rugby players in the states would do well to put a little less emphasis on strength and more on their fitness, particularly their aerobic fitness.
Placing an emphasis on skill and decision-making at the youth level, adopting the training practices of other established sports, and placing a greater emphasis on rugby specific conditioning would vastly improve the quality of rugby played in the US. I think we're heading in the right direction at the youth level and if New Zealand is the gold standard, I'd say we're really not that far off.
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 Help ELITE Develop Young Rugby Players
Help ELITE Provide More Scholarships and Continue to Grow Rugby in America
All donations to ELITE are tax deductible. In 2012, ELITE provided scholarships in excess of $22,000.00 to players who would otherwise not been able to afford an ELITE camp.
Why Donate to ELITE?
Your donations directly provide scholarships for players to attend ELITE camps who would otherwise not be able to afford the opportunity. ELITE's goal is to provide scholarships to 20% of our campers. We expect to have 500 campers at six camps in 2013. To achieve this goal we will need to raise $59,000.
Additionally, ELITE employs coaches who are members of the USA Rugby 15s and 7s teams. The only source of income for these players are small playing stipends. By providing consistent employment for USA players, ELITE enables them to concentrate on rugby and chase their Olympic dream.
Lastly, to keep ELITE camps financially solvent we need to attract new players. ELITE is in desperate need of a new website, an online registration system, advertising materials and the services of a marketing firm. Our goal is to raise $10,000 to fund these crucial areas of need as soon as possible.
Levels of Support
Gold Level - $1,000+
You will receive a voucher for half off of your 2013 camp fee,
an ELITE dry fit Nike tee shirt, a World Rugby Shop ball signed by Colin Hawley and an ELITE Ambassador of the Sport poster. Your name or company name will be featured on our supporters page on our website, newsletters and mailings.
Silver Level - $250 - $999
You will receive an ELITE dry fit Nike tee shirt, a World Rugby Shop ball signed by Colin Hawley and an ELITE Ambassador of the Sport poster. Your name or company name will be featured on our supporters page on our website, newsletters and mailings.
Bronze Level - $25 - $249
You will receive a World Rugby Shop ball signed by Colin Hawley and an ELITE Ambassador of the Sport poster. Your name or company name will be featured on our supporters page on our website, newsletters and mailings.
How Do I Donate?
You can donate by using the donation feature below. Or you can mail us a check directly.
Mail checks to:
ELITE Rugby Foundation
PO Box 90646
San Diego, CA 92169
How Do I Get My Tax Deduction?
ELITE will mail you a receipt for your donation. The receipt will include ELITE's EIN number and verification of your donation amount. This receipt can be given to your CPA or kept in your own records if you file taxes electronically.
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| Doyle getting mentally prepared. |
Doyle Refelcts on Selection
ELITE Coach and USA Lock Brian Doyle Selected for the USA Again
Brian Doyle has been selected for the USA Rugby November tour where the USA will play Tonga, Russia and Romania.
Doyle is a true American rugby product learning the game at 18 at the University of Rhode Island and playing in the New England Division II league. Doyle has immersed himself in the game to be able to stay competitive with players who have played all their lives in more well known rugby areas.
"I continually arrive at training before every player and leave after every player. During these times I work on my position specific skills to ensure my fundamentals are proper. I pride myself on excelling in the line-out and scrum. The only way to excel in these aspects of the game is repetition."
Doyle continued, "Hard work on and off the pitch has always been the key to the success that I have had. This hard work gives me confidence on the field; knowing I have done all the hard yards to get to this point."
"Off the field, I watch rugby when possible. I watch the best players in the world who play my position. I watch to see how they approach the game."
Doyle is renowned for his gym and fitness work, "In the gym, I concentrate on position specific lifts and core work. You can always find me on the track or on the rowing machine to keep my cardio and anaerobic fitness intact."
"My advice to young players is to work hard on the field and in the classroom. Many of the best players I come across are excellent students. You have to have a large IQ to be a great rugby player. The discipline that studying instills in you carries over into other areas of your life."
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| Isaiah center with the hang loose sign. |
Catching up with Campers
ELITE Highlights Past Campers who Achieve On and Off the Field
In 2011, Isaiah Chinnen was named the Most Valuable Player at ELITE at Stanford.
Isaiah recently completed his senior year of high school in Kailua, Hawaii. He was rewarded with a great honor at graduation. Isaiah was chosen to play scrum half for the USA High School All American team on their tour of South America. The team played five matches in which they went 4-1. Isaiah started two games before getting injured.
Isaiah in no stranger to success. He was chosen for the prestigious Education First program in Hawaii. Isaiah was chosen for his academic and athletic skills. This program sent Isaiah to New Zealand to play rugby in the summer of 2011.
Isaiah attributes hard work to his success. "Getting prepared for the All American tour, I had four weightlifting and four conditioning sessions per week." He discussed his sacrifice for the team, "I wanted to spend time with all my friends who were leaving for college, but I took care of my personal goals first."
Isaiah is now attending college at the extremely distinguished Menlo College in Silicon Valley.
Keep up the great work Isaiah!
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Drills of the Month
ELITE Provides you with Monthly Videos to Help Your Individual and Team Game
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| Drop Punt - Snap and Hold Warm Up Drill |
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| R80 Rugby Coaching: Halfback Clock Pass with Jamie Hamilton |
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| Powerade Better Your Best - '1 Vs 1 Tackle Contest' Rugby Training Drill |
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| Front Row Training with Mike Cron |
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Support Team Ronan
Fundraiser to Support Past ELITE Camper
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| Ronan at ELITE in 2011 with USA 7s star Mark Bokhoven |
On November 3, 2012, a BBQ/Fundraiser will be held to benefit Ronan Nelson, a youth rugby player who was critically injured in a club game this spring. Ronan suffered a broken neck, had surgery and is now undergoing intensive physical therapy in order to regain the ability to walk. Many of the costs associated with his rehabilitation are not covered by insurance. The Team Ronan BBQ/Fundraiser will be held at a private estate in Encinitas and will include lunch, hosted drinks, entertainment, raffles and a live auction.
We hope that you will be to attend this great even and support Team Ronan. We expect attendance to be over 200 and capping out at 225. Proceeds generated from this fundraiser will go to the Team Ronan Recovery Fund.
Ronan, a 4.5 GPA student at Cathedral Catholic High School and a talented multi-sport athlete has the strong will and work ethic to succeed. We need your help to make certain that Ronan is given every opportunity to reach his goal of walking again. Please help us make that goal a reality and enjoy a fabulous BBQ with your community.
Ticket purchases and cash contributions can be made online at: https://www.wepay.com/events/san-diego-mustangs-bbq-to-benefit-ronan-nelson <https://www.wepay.com/events/san-diego-mustangs-bbq-to-benefit-ronan-nelson>
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Monthly Training Tips
ELITE's Monthly Advice Geared Towards Your Season
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| Suns out. Guns out. |
There are numerous methods to train the aerobic system, most of which involve the whole body. These can range from conventional running to activities such as rowing, swimming and cycling. Any activity that elevates the heart rate to between 60 and 80% of its maximum level for 20-40 minutes builds aerobic endurance.
This type of training is useful for general health and wellbeing, and may be used during the teenage years to develop the heart and lungs (sometimes referred to as a player's engine). However, it is not specific to rugby and can work against developing rugby-specific aspects such as strength, power and critically, speed. The use of interval training is much more relevant to the intermittent nature of a rugby match.
Interval Training
The best way to train rugby players is via interval training. Intervals consist of a series of runs or activities over a specified distance or time with a set recovery period between them. The training programme will consist of high-intensity activities that raise the heart rate to 80% or more of its capacity.
The session becomes more effective if active recovery - in the form of walking or jogging - is undertaken between repetitions.
When looking at which methods of training to use in rugby, it is important to consider the demands of the game. Although the body needs a well developed aerobic system to help with recovery, it also has to be able to cope with phases of highly intense anaerobic work - e.g. chasing back after a line break and then defending, repeatedly tackling then regaining one's feet, or mauling then running to the next breakdown and repeating.
To improve physical performance in all these activities, aerobic fitness is important, but once this is at an acceptable level, improving a player's anaerobic threshold is far more important.
Types Of Intervals
An anaerobic threshold can be improved through quite short, very intensive intervals and longer, slightly less intensive intervals. These are best considered at three levels:
1. Very short (less than 30 seconds), very high-intensity work with rest periods of less than 30 seconds. This training will produce heart rates at between 95 and 100% of maximum and primarily address the anaerobic systems.
2. Work periods of two to four minutes and rest periods of between 30 seconds and two minutes, with a heart rate of approximately 90% of maximum, will work both the anaerobic and aerobic pathways.
3. Longer, intensive endurance methods can also be used, particularly earlier in the training year or with young players. Workouts take eight to 15 minutes, and these are also conducted in blocks or intervals. Here, intensity is at 85% to 90% of maximum and recovery time is up to five minutes. The number of repetitions is four to five, and the frequency is once or twice a week.
Combined training
For rugby, most training to improve fitness should be carried out using running activities. These should be as specific to the game as possible, i.e. they should involve the movement patterns and energy systems relevant to the game. This is even more important for the community player who may only train for 90 minutes twice a week.
It thus makes sense to combine skills, game-specific agility, decision-making and endurance training where possible. This can be done by a combination of skills drills, intense game-related conditioning activities and games if their intensity is correctly planned and monitored using the information in the Fitness section of this website.
Small-sided games often do not provide the anaerobic intensity that is experienced in a full game. Therefore, to mimic the demands of rugby effectively, some short, high-intensity activities - such as tackle-bag drills, wrestling and getting up and down from the floor - need to be included.
A combination of skill-based conditioning games, traditional conditioning activities and strength training will offer players variety, provide an appropriate training stimulus to the energy systems specific to rugby, and improve their game skills under pressure and fatigue.
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College Corner
Insights on Preparing for College by Karen Fong
By Karen Fong, MA, PPS
(p) 310-497-0619
(e) kf...@dunbarconsultants.com
It is great that you are already thinking about your college application essays. Drafting your college essays in the summer will give you more quality time to reflect and give thoughtful answers to the application prompts. Here are some general tips:
Tip #1 - Understand the point of a college essay. It is not a place for to repeat everything you just wrote in your application. This is your only chance to truly "meet" an admissions officer, so use it wisely. Remember, they already know all about your GPA, your test scores and your list of activities. The essay is a place for you add more to your profile that they wouldn't otherwise know. The essay is a tool used to find out who you are; not what you have done. They want to know why you did the things you did and/or why are those activities are important to you.
Tip #2 - Since you already have a main topic, sit down and brainstorm about why you are so passionate about rugby. Create a "Why? Spider web." Here is an example "dialogue" I would like you to try. Write this down on a piece of paper and see where it leads you:
"I love rugby because it makes me happy." "Why does it make you happy?"
"Rugby makes me happy because it is exciting." "Why is rugby so exciting?"
"It is exciting and fun because I can make decisions all the time. Every time you touch the ball, you decide what to do. No one tells you what play to run; you just read the defense and make a decision."
Bingo! Right there, you have found a good base for your essay. You've explained the reason you enjoy rugby is the opportunity to make decisions. You could then elaborate on how decision making makes rugby such a passion. This could explain further about your character as it relates to rugby without focusing entirely on the sport.
Tip #3 - Do not focus on a game. I am serious. Do NOT write about "the big game." There are a million essays which is essentially a play by play of a tough match and how that student led their team to victory. While winning a tough match was probably an exhilarating event in your life, it unfortunately doesn't say much about YOU as a person (other than you had a great moment in a game).
Tips #4 - Lastly, don't write about what you think the admissions officer wants to hear. Now is not the time to write about something you are only moderately excited about because you think "it makes you look better." Write about what YOU want to write about. Be honest and sincere. An admissions officer will care about whatever YOU truly care about.
Good luck and always go forward! Karen is a college admissions expert with specialized knowledge of the collegiate rugby landscape. She is a credentialed guidance counselor backed by a team at Dunbar Educational Consultants with over 130 years of combined experience in this field. She is also a former Division I Rugby player at University of California at Davis, National U-23 Team player and currently on the USA Rugby Referee circuit. With her deep knowledge and strong ties to the collegiate rugby world, Karen is the best resource for families searching for the best fit college for their young rugby player. Various packages are available to suit every family's needs. To schedule a consultation and discuss client options, please call Karen at (310) 497-0619 cell or email kf...@DunbarConsultants.com. www.DunbarConsultants.com
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Tackling Cancer
Tackling Cancer announces 2012 fundraising details!
Tackling Cancer
Raise funds for your rugby team this fall!
The Tackling Cancer Foundation © is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that was created by rugby players with the goal of supporting leading cancer researchers while promoting safe and active lifestyles through sport. By leveraging the global participation of rugby, the foundation and its donors will help tackle cancer.
Tackling Cancer is excited to announce two short raffles for the upcoming fall season, which will enable rugby teams to raise much needed funds for 2012/2013!
The California and Texas raffles will take place from October 1st to December 15th 2012, with the drawing held on January 5th.
The prizes are set to include: Grand Prize - a trip for two to the Las Vegas USA 7s tournament in February 2013, First Prize - a Rugby Athletic gift bag. These are two a completely separate raffles, with the prizes the same for each state.
This fundraiser sees tickets sold for $10 each with 50% donated to the various rugby teams involved, and 50% to Tackling Cancer, who will after expenses contribute the remaining balance to the Vanguard Cancer Foundation (CA). Contact dal...@TacklingCancer.org to get your club involved in this support cause!
Occidental Men's College RFC Head Coach | Cell: 512.565.5737
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  Eagles XV and Eagles 7s Information
Follow the USA 15s and 7s teams online Eagles XV and Eagles 7s are the two places to follow the USA Men's National Team - in both 15s and 7s. Eagles XV followed the USA at the recent 2011 Rugby World Cup, and has updates on American players during their overseas contracts. Eagles 7s will follow the HSBC World Sevens Series, especially the progress of the Eagles as they travel the globe. Both Facebook sites are updated often - with the actual websites being re-designed.
Eagles XV: https://www.facebook.com/eagles.xv
Eagles 7s: https://www.facebook.com/eagles7s
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 About ELITE
The mission of the ELITE Rugby Foundation is to provide rugby education to young athletes and coaches, and engender confidence and self-esteem on and off the rugby field, particularly to individuals from underserved areas that might not have opportunities to play rugby. We strive to accomplish this mission by granting scholarships to ELITE Rugby Camps to those who would otherwise not be able to afford the opportunity.
ELITE is dedicated to providing our campers with one on one and group coaching from current and past members of the USA Rugby Team. Our coaches carefully construct each day at ELITE to provide campers with the most memorable experience possible. ELITE aims to give our campers the opportunity to train at premier training facilities througout the United States. By exposing campers to top level coaching and facilities, we hope to inspire campers to achieve their dreams on and off the rugby field.
Currently, ELITE works with boy's and girls ages 8 to 18 of all skill levels. We ask our athletes to be ambassadors of the sport of rugby by coming to camp with a willingness to learn. Previous campers have gone on to gain numerous accolades in the sport of rugby, but more importantly have left camp with an understanding of how to become successful on and off the rugby field. At ELITE we have made a commitment to designing and coordinating the finest rugby camp system in the Nation. We are determined to develop the next generation of ELITE rugby players in America.
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Save up to 50%
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ELITE is proud to announce our new partnership with World Rugby Shop. World Rugby Shop is the world's leading rugby supplier to rugby players and fans in the USA and abroad. World Rugby Shop carries a vast selection of international rugby jerseys and rugby equipment. World Rugby Shop can outfit teams and clubs with kits from the sport's top brands at the best prices.
ELITE would like to offer our readers special access to World Rugby Shop ELITE. In this section you can save up to 50% on selected items. Username: ELITE, Password ELITE.
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