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.

WI Youth Growth Part II: Rugby and Lacrosse

Marquette University’s announcement today that it is fully funding varsity men’s and women’s Lacrosse should not come as a shock. It’s a reflection of LAX’s enormous growth. Let’s look at the facts (see the chart above).

This is the explanation from Marquette's Athletic Director, Steve Cottingham;

“We saw this as a strategic opportunity. There has been incredible growth in lacrosse. There are only two men’s and three women’s programs in the Upper Midwest, in five states. Eighty-two percent of our freshmen class come from those states.

“We really thought it was an opportunity, a great demographic fit. And if you look at the schools that play lacrosse, it’s sort of a natural demographic. It’s a sport we thought we could become competitive at fairly quickly. Lacrosse made a great deal of sense to us.”

I wonder if rugby's incredible growth the last ten years will lead to more schools adopting MU's philosophy. It's not too hard to imagine similar comments about rugby. The catch is, it's also difficult to imagine schools (high school or college) adopting two new sports. So, let's look at how rugby's growth compares. The numbers above compare WI’s rugby from ’05-’10, to Lacrosse’s growth from ’04-’09. The data comes from Rugby Magazine’s 2010 census and a study conducted by the Wisconsin Lacrosse Federation in 2009.

Observations:

I. LACROSSE IS GAINING MAINSTREAM ACCEPTANCE:

Eighteen varsity LAX programs in a matter of five years, with six more teams in the process of applying for varsity status. Clearly, they are organized. They have trained coaches, and they’ve convinced parents that this is a safe, rewarding contact sport. Varsity status equates to more access to students and more funding. Kids like getting recognition for playing for a school team. It might not be the main reason they play, but it certainly helps and gives the sport creditability.
Rugby has made few inroads in this area. Name one varsity rugby program in the state? Our most successful program, DSHA, is NOT one. Is this a conscious strategic choice by our rugby teams not to pursue varsity acceptance? Has rugby failed to show the qualities needed to gain mainstream acceptance?

Another observation: varsity lacrosse programs dominate the Madison area: Sun Prairie, LaFollette, Verona, and Middleton all boast impressive numbers of boys and girls. Has Lacrosse affected high school rugby in Madison? The girls rugby team there folded a number of years ago.
II. Selectside Teams Have Played Little Role in LAX’s Growth in WI:

It’s just not a big focus. They encourage local teams and building numbers in order to play. Look around their league and youth websites. One of their lead articles is that they announce an All-State team, like other traditional high school sports, in order to recognize kids.

III. THE SNOWBALL EFFECT:

How many more Lacrosse teams will start up as a result of the number of grade school kids playing or because of the lure of a college program? Where’s the motivation or interest for kids to start high school rugby teams going to come from? Check out Dunhams or Sportmart. Do you see rugby balls for sale there? No. Lacrosse nets and sticks? Probably. It seems Lacrosse is hitting up both ends of the spectrum: elite collegiate teams and youth.

WGR Coach Development Program Continues

In an effort to support the efforts of young coaches, WGR has renewed its coach development program for a second year. The most significant obstacle to starting and developing existing programs is a lack of coaches and the hope is that this will make things just a little bit easier.

Any coach may apply to this program through the WGR board, and if the application is approved, WGR will help cover the costs of a USA Rugby Coaching accreditation course. Conveniently, Marquette University is planning to host these courses in Milwaukee for the third consecutive summer.

Coaching certification offers several benefits:
(1) Education: there's always something to learn about rugby, something to get better at, especially as the laws continue to change.
(2) Credibility: certification is tangible. It's something we can show parents or school administrators to reassure them that coaches are properly trained and knowledgeable about the sport and safety issues.
(3) Prevention: We live in a litigous society and certification helps protect individuals from liability. Awareness of safety issues and concussion procedures, wth an eye towards prevention, is fundamental to coaching in any sport. If an injury were to occur, and an angered parent is looking for blame, an uncertified coach is unfortunately an easy target. It would be unwise for any coach these days to not possess some sort of documented certification.

Out of the twelve programs in WGR, there are four registered coaches according to USA Rugby.

Midwest Youth Rugby Growth Trends

Rugby Magazine conducted a club census comparing growth from 2004 to 2010. A direct comparison of teams in the Midwest is revealing. The "union total" statistic is an indication of overall strength, totaling male and female clubs at all levels. A few observations:

--Look out for Chitown!
Chicago youth rugby is exploding. They added almost as many boys teams in this period as currently exist in Wisconsin in total. Perhaps some of their success comes from the Illinios Youth Rugby Assocation's implementation of three different divisions for their boys competition, plus an additional championship for b-sides AND their u-15 teams. We imagine this creates a place for new teams, small schools, and the established competitive programs to all find the right fit. This system is being coupled with a whole league's worth of u-15 teams. Sure, they conceivably have a larger pool of ruggers scattered around the big city to help coach and ref, but they've set up a model that is clearly helping these volunteers get connected to families new to rugby.

--The Indiana Anomaly
So, they lead the Midwest in youth teams, an impressive 13 clubs. Yet, they contracted the number of high school teams. Did they grow too quickly? Focus resources on introducing rugby to younger kids? Time will tell if their youth programs lead to greater growth down the road.

--Ohio, who knew?
A huge team total of 122. They have the most boys teams and second-most girls teams.

--WISCONSIN: FALLING BEHIND.
The four states ahead of Wisconsin at least DOUBLED Wisconsin's youth growth. Look at the number of youth teams added. This should be a wake up call to all those in Wisconsin. A chunk of Wisconsin's growth came from the increase in girls teams. The truth behind the numbers is more disconcerting. One of the 12 teams won't compete in 2011, and another, baring a dramatic change in recruiting efforts, will find itself unable to field a team next fall. That's 16% of the girls teams right there. If this is taken into account, Wisconsin finds itself last in total number of high school and youth teams.

What's one common denominator? Wisconsin is the only state on the list without a unified youth rugby organization. Certainly that's not everything. It's only paper. A core of dedicated volunteers has to run any organization. That's been the case with all of Wisconsin's youth efforts to date. The work of the boys leagues to build 27 programs was probably inconceivable 25 years ago. But, now we have to look at the present landscape. The question has to be, can we be doing even better? As they say, can't let what's 'good be the enemy of what's great.' Would Wisconsin be better served if there was a unified youth rugby organization that crosses all the lines: counties, genders, schools, clubs, and traditional rivalries?

Looking forward to hearing your comments ...

Rugby's Youth Conference on the Game

Next month the national Youth Conference on the Game is being held in nearby Carmel, Indiana.

A quick review of Wisconsin shows that youth participation continues to grow steadily. Rugby Magazine recently conducted a state-by-state census and found that Wisconsin teams grew 16% from 2006-2010. The high school girls league showed the most growth, peaking at 12 teams this fall. The Badgerland boys high school conference has 15 teams in the Madison and Milwaukee area, while the Northeast Wisconsin (NEW) Conference now boasts 12 programs in the Green Bay and Fox Cities area.

This census did not account for some youth programs run through local park and rec organizations, since they are not considered official clubs in their own right. The Fond Du Lac rugby club has been offering elementary age kids a program for years, as has the Waukesha County Park and Rec Dept each summer.

One area where Wisconsin differs from other states, at this time, is organizationally. The three high school organizations run independently of one other. This decentralized approach has resulted in substantial growth. What's interesting is that all of Wisconsin's bordering states have moved in a new direction, forming State-Based-Organizations like Rugby Indiana or Illinois Youth Rugby. Their sole focus is the growth of high school and youth rugby. 26 States now have chartered SBO's.

In the long run, will these other states outpace Wisconsin's growth, because they have paid administrators organizing and promoting the sport? A recent example: Rugby Indiana hired a professional executive director in January 2009.

These issues and more will be discussed at the national Youth Conference on the Game (YCOG). It is an annual event held for all those involved in youth and high school rugby. This conference provides professional development workshops and presentations to better the game at the youth level.

When and Where is the YCOG?
The 2011 YCOG will be held on the following dates:
January 21-23, 2011
Carmel, IN

What is the agenda for the YCOG?
The agenda includes:
Workshops and Discussions on Game Development
High School Coaching Course Modules
Rookie Rugby 7s Launch (Introduction to Contact)
Youth Referee Certification
Concussion and Safety Information
CEUs for Coaches
Networking Opportunities