Wisconsin Growth Part iii: The Positive

The Positive

WGR’s first two installments examined Wisconsin’s rugby growth in terms of numbers of teams and players. The third and final part to our year-end-review looks at indications of excellence and the relative stability or strength of programs. Wisconsin Girls rugby and the Midwest in general is growing stronger and more stable than a decade ago:

(Picture courtesy of Ric Benavides. DSHA offloads in the 2010 final vs KM 2010)

-Every girls team in division one played second side matches. That’s a lot of young ladies getting the opportunity to play and learn on a regular basis. Kids stay involved when they play games and contribute.
-Girls teams get game and playoff experience each week. Each division one team played nine weekends of matches in the Fall. Playoff teams continue to play, even after a loss, to determine their final ranking and possible qualification for Midwest or for promotion/relegation. There were zero match cancellations in division one this Fall. Playing a Fall Conference season with its manageable weather helps in this regard. Couple that with eight or so weekends in the spring and young players are getting the opportunity to play on a regular basis. A decade ago it was difficult to find matches; they tended to be against the same two or three teams over and over again.

-The competitive success of these girls teams is remarkable.
-Wisconsin has had five different teams qualify and compete at the National Championship: DSHA, Northshore, Kettle Moraine, Vernon, and Brookfield.
-Of the thirteen Midwest championships, Wisconsin has won twelve and placed a second team 2nd or 3rd on seven occasions.

-The Midwest High School Girls Championships is an impressive event. Teams from seven states compete in three divisions of play. 24 girls sides competed in 2010. This event has improved the level of play for MW girls teams by providing serious incentive to compete at higher levels, against different regions. The event is well-run by dedicated volunteers in Carmel, Indiana, who continually impress parents, players, and supporters with the event.

-There isn’t another girls championship event of this size in the country. The Midwest has 81 girls teams. The Northeast is the next closest territory at 37. Overall, girls teams have more than doubled in the last five years, from 121 to 243. The results of this growth can be seen in the competitiveness and increasing athleticism in good teams. DSHA has acknowledged on more than one occasion that the challenge the MW Championship provides is part of the reason they find so much success at Nationals ---- they often have to defeat three state champions just to advance.

-The runner-up from the Midwest has finished in the top three at Nationals on nine occasions, out of eleven championships. Seven times a Wisconsin team has been the Midwest runner up and finished in the top three. These teams are competitive at the highest levels.

-DSHA’s success is unparalleled, both in height and longevity: Six National Championships and twice runner up since the championship was first held in 2000; Twelve Midwest Championships, and a seven-year unbeaten run.

-Division I and II works. Dividing teams by program size and development level helped these newer teams find some success, while also providing competition. The scores of teams playing in their own division showed that each week was competitive. There weren’t any 100-0 matches, which isn’t healthy for either side involved. The semi-finals were more competitive than the finals of year’s past.