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Press Release
Local youngsters learn new skills from the region’s top rugby coaches
13 August 2008
Local junior rugby players spent last week learning tips from some of the region’s top rugby coaches as part of a summer camp run by community rugby organisation Bath Combination (4-8 August 2008).
Over 100 children from local clubs attended the inaugural, not-for-profit, rugby camp at Old Culverhaysians and Combe Down RFCs. Bath Combination, which encourages 'rugby for all and opportunities for all', teamed up with two local charities, PROPS and Mentoring Plus, to offer additional places to vulnerable children.
The children, aged 7-11 and 12-16 years, were coached by Bristol Rugby’s Geoff Moon and James Farndon and former England player Ben Sturnham. The sessions were designed to be both technical and fun. They focussed on the four key elements of the game: running, catching, passing and invasion, and more sophisticated techniques, including handling, attacking lines and different types of kicking. Each session ended with a game to enable the players to practice and demonstrate their new skills.
Kevin Moggridge, Head Coach at Bath Combination, said: "The quality of coaches was exceptional for a summer camp of this type - it's quite rare to get a top, level 5 coach and two level 4 coaches all together for these age ranges.
"The coach-to-child ratio was really high, which meant that we were able to work with small groups and really isolate and pinpoint individual needs and give corrective praise as well as fault identification.
"Having the lad from PROPS come along and take part has made my week. He had a brilliant sense of humour, was able to join in with nearly all of the activities, and, at the end of the session, told us he'd had the best two days of his life."
"These summer camps were a trial project but we’ve had such a great result we hope to run them again next year on a larger scale. I'm over the moon - the numbers of young players that have been here this week has been great and the amount they've got out of it has been really satisfying."
Jack Beech, aged 15, heard about the camps from his coach at Avon Rugby. He said: “I'd never been taught by coaches of such a high standard. They were able to teach us different techniques that we hadn't learnt before and it was really interesting seeing the techniques that premiership rugby clubs use.”
Joe Wicks, aged 12, from Walcot Rugby Club, said: “It's been really good to have some new coaches - I've learnt a lot - some things in more detail than I had before, such as defence, ball retention and the 'pod system' at the break-down. I've made some new mates at the camp and we're going to keep in touch on Bebo. It's been a real laugh; even though the coaching was serious the coaches were good fun. I'd like to come back next year."
On Friday (8 August), as the summer camps concluded, Bath Combination ran a free Coach Education session aimed at junior and senior coaches from the region.
Kevin Appleton, who has just starting a coaching career at Walcot Rugby, said: “The coaching sessions were very well organised. The players have developed skills specific to their game and it's easy to see their progression even over a short time. I can take away these lessons and teach them to the kids at Walcot over the coming season."
For more feedback about the summer camps, and background about Bath Combination, see the new website at www.bathcombinationrugby.co.uk or contact Kevin Moggridge on 07809 512429.
ENDS
Further information:
Press enquiries
Claire Hornshaw, Hutchinson Consultancy, 0845 873 6176,
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Bath & District Combination
Run by local players for local players, Bath Combination promotes good sportsmanship, inter-club activity and community rugby, through a series of matches, social events and summer camps.
www.bathcombinationrugby.co.uk
Mentoring Plus
Mentoring Plus is a charity which encourages local organisations to take an active role in youth crime prevention work.
www.mentoringplus.net
PROPS
Bristol-based rugby charity PROPS, develops sporting, vocational and educational initiatives to help those with special needs.
www.props4ward.org.uk
Hutchinson Consultancy
Local recruitment agency, Hutchinson Consultancy, sponsors both PROPS and Bath Combination as part of its community initiative. Based in Corsham, Hutchinson Consultancy is a leading interim supplier to the food industry and a company that can draw upon over 15 years of experience within food manufacturing recruitment.
www.hutchinsonconsultancy.co.uk
Claire Hornshaw
Group Marketing Manager
T - 0845 873 6176
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