"Talia is a great ambassador to the sport, her infectious desire to constantly play and improve made her easy to coach. After her sophomore season, she moved back to Milwaukee but would commute four times a week out to Delafield so she could continue playing with her teammates. The time, energy, and passion she commits to the sport are a great example to others and I'm extremely happy that she has continued to play for a top program in college"
Coach Noe, Kettle Moraine Knightmares
And a note about Kaisee:
"Congratulations to Kaisee for this well deserved honor. Kaisee was an integral part of Brookfield RFC's success with both her innate athleticism and her quiet leadership. Kaisee was such a great player, not only because of her strong performances on the field, but because she always provided a positive role model off the field, at practice and team events, building a real sense of team community. I am so happy to have had the opportunity to work with Kaisee, and glad that she is continuing to play at such a high level in the sport. I wish her the best of luck, both on and off the pitch."
Coach Dan, formerly of DS,KM, CMH, Brookfield, and Tosa :)
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Kevin Higgins Scholarship Winners 2011
The US Rugby Football Foundation, the USRFF, recently announced the award winners of the 2011 Kevin Higgins Scholarships. According to their website, "The $1,000 scholarships, named in honor of one of the all-time great U.S. centers, Kevin Higgins, are awarded to graduating high school seniors who have gone on to continue their education and rugby at the collegiate level."
This year not one, but TWO WGR players were awarded this prestigous award. They join Catholic Memorial alumn Amanda Pohle, now playing at Marquette University, who was awarded the scholarship in 2009, as the second and third young woman from Wisconsin high school rugby to be so honored!
Kaisee Wiesmeuller, from Brookfield, and Talia Carrasquillo, from Kettle Moraine are this year's recipients. Anyone familiar with girls rugby in Wisconsin will remember them well. Their impressive ability and leadership on the field are special.
A few highlights from the press release about Talia (click to read the full story):
"Captaining the Knightmares once again, she led her team to a 2nd place finish at the state championships and a 3rd place finish in the Midwest. She was named her team’s MVP"
"While in high school, Talia gave back to the Milwaukee community by providing community service at the Latin Community Center. In the summer months she mowed the lawns of her grandparents and several other elderly folks in their neighborhood. You could also find Talia in the gym…a lot. She worked out three times a day and many of those sessions would see Talia helping many of her teammates through their lifting routines.
Her discipline in the gym helps her on the field. “I have to always keep thinking to myself no matter how tired I am, no matter how much time is left in the game, and no matter what the weather is like, I have to play my hardest, going all out until the final whistle is blown. It is my goal to put my body through whatever challenges it needs to be put in in order for my team to win.”
What coaches and teammates probably remember most about Talia's high school rugby days is her character and leadership, and it's easy to see this quality shine through in her words.
Kaisee's full story is also a good one (click name for full story). It captures why so many young women participate in such a great team sport.
Highlights from her press release:
"Kaisee Wiesmueller was a very shy person who rarely voiced her opinion before she first started playing rugby in 2007 for the Brookfield Bruisers RFC in Brookfield, WI. But as the years have changed so too has Kaisee. “Throughout my years playing the sport, that shyness I had has slowly drifted away and many other qualities have taken its place. I have gained confidence, independence, leadership, courage and dedication, all from playing rugby.”
Her confidence and leadership earned her the captaincy of her Bruisers team in 2009 and since then she has led the Bruisers to new heights while also achieving individual accolades. The Bruisers excelled under Kaisee’s leadership in 2010. The team finished 2nd in the Midwest, after knocking off Lakewood, Ohio and finished 4th in the nation. They followed that up with a 3rd place finish in the state in the fall of 2010.
She would also like to coach rugby. “Teaching other people to love rugby as much as I do would bring so much joy to my life and hopefully theirs too.”
CONGRATS AGAIN to both our WGR alumni.
This year not one, but TWO WGR players were awarded this prestigous award. They join Catholic Memorial alumn Amanda Pohle, now playing at Marquette University, who was awarded the scholarship in 2009, as the second and third young woman from Wisconsin high school rugby to be so honored!
Kaisee Wiesmeuller, from Brookfield, and Talia Carrasquillo, from Kettle Moraine are this year's recipients. Anyone familiar with girls rugby in Wisconsin will remember them well. Their impressive ability and leadership on the field are special.
A few highlights from the press release about Talia (click to read the full story):
"Captaining the Knightmares once again, she led her team to a 2nd place finish at the state championships and a 3rd place finish in the Midwest. She was named her team’s MVP"
"While in high school, Talia gave back to the Milwaukee community by providing community service at the Latin Community Center. In the summer months she mowed the lawns of her grandparents and several other elderly folks in their neighborhood. You could also find Talia in the gym…a lot. She worked out three times a day and many of those sessions would see Talia helping many of her teammates through their lifting routines.
Her discipline in the gym helps her on the field. “I have to always keep thinking to myself no matter how tired I am, no matter how much time is left in the game, and no matter what the weather is like, I have to play my hardest, going all out until the final whistle is blown. It is my goal to put my body through whatever challenges it needs to be put in in order for my team to win.”
What coaches and teammates probably remember most about Talia's high school rugby days is her character and leadership, and it's easy to see this quality shine through in her words.
Kaisee's full story is also a good one (click name for full story). It captures why so many young women participate in such a great team sport.
Highlights from her press release:
"Kaisee Wiesmueller was a very shy person who rarely voiced her opinion before she first started playing rugby in 2007 for the Brookfield Bruisers RFC in Brookfield, WI. But as the years have changed so too has Kaisee. “Throughout my years playing the sport, that shyness I had has slowly drifted away and many other qualities have taken its place. I have gained confidence, independence, leadership, courage and dedication, all from playing rugby.”
Her confidence and leadership earned her the captaincy of her Bruisers team in 2009 and since then she has led the Bruisers to new heights while also achieving individual accolades. The Bruisers excelled under Kaisee’s leadership in 2010. The team finished 2nd in the Midwest, after knocking off Lakewood, Ohio and finished 4th in the nation. They followed that up with a 3rd place finish in the state in the fall of 2010.
She would also like to coach rugby. “Teaching other people to love rugby as much as I do would bring so much joy to my life and hopefully theirs too.”
CONGRATS AGAIN to both our WGR alumni.
Friday, December 16, 2011
National Championship 2012
USA Rugby has revamped the girls National Championships. 2011 will be a level-playing field with high school-only athletes playing. Prior to that, following USA Rugby decisions for their two years running the event, some teams such as Fallbrook and the Amazons competed as u-19 teams, in the same bracket as purely high school teams.
The event date has also been moved up to May 12-13 at Stanford University, to coincide with the women's collegiate playoffs. The event will no longer coincide with the boys. It remains to be seen how that affects the event. A chance to see Highland boys play, for example, and to see the level of professionalism in programs at that level creates a great atmosphere. On the other hand, the girls won't be second fiddle at the event ... they won't be placed on "the back field." The level of professionalism for the women's collegiate teams will be impressive too though. Combining the collegiate and high school girls events should boost the number of people in the stands for the girls games. That alone is a good thing.
The other significant change is that the event is an invitational, similar to NCAA March Madness, where certain teams get "bids" from a committee. The Midwest Regional is not an automatic qualifier anymore. In some ways, this isn't as big of a change for the rest of the country. Few regions had a true regional championship like the Midwest does. No other region holds an event with six to seven other state champions taking part. In some regions it appeared that teams from other states couldn't agree on when to play or where and when they did, there were concerns over fairness, equity, and complaints about having to travel to play bigger games.
An application and $50, gets you on the list for the High School National Championships Committee, made up of some noteable youth coaches and a few administrators and media. According to their press release, "The Committee agreed early on that long-term success on the field, combined with strong organizational and administrative abilities, are the main criteria through which the clubs will be judged. Clubs who are invited will be expected to put forth a $1,500 deposit, which will go toward their National Championship expenses."
A notable concern is if the event will truely be a championship. How will the committee take into account up-and-coming teams and programs that in the past could prove they were better on the field in a qualifier. Would Brookfield have even been considered if this was the system in place in 2010? Yet, they defeated past national participants Vernon and Lakewood to advance to Utah, where they then defeated Portland, Maine as they ended up 4th overall at Nationals.
A mark of the National Tournament's success has been the number of different programs that have benefited from the experience. Wisconsin alone has had FIVE programs participate:
-DSHA
-Northshore
-Kettle Moraine
-Vernon
-Brookfield
There was not an announcement about whether there will be two brackets or one. A decision is apparently pending. It might depend on the number of teams that apply, although one wonders if more teams would apply if they knew there would be two divisions.
Since USA Rugby has run the event it's been an 8-team tournament. Prior to that the Nationals event peeked at three brackets of eight, for a total field of 24 teams in three tiers. Interestingly, according to Rugby Mag's most recent team census, the number of girls teams has doubled in the last five years.
The Committee Includes:
Chairman – Mike Tolkin
USA Rugby Rep – Kurt Weaver
Press Rep – Alex Goff, RugbyMag
USA National Girls – Bryn Chivers
USA National Boys – Salty Thompson
Girls Coach – Marin Pinnell, Fallbrook
Girls Coach – John Klein, Divine Savior
Girls Coach – Brad Rockwood, West Carroll
Boys Coach – Lee Kelly, Gonzaga (Single School)
Boys Coach – Bart Bottorff, Penn (Single School)
Boys Coach – Stephen Edwards, Union County (Multi School)
The window to apply is December 15 through January 16.
To apply, click on this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFVrcEhpNHdsMVFrVG9lZ1dCcko2Vnc6MQ
The event date has also been moved up to May 12-13 at Stanford University, to coincide with the women's collegiate playoffs. The event will no longer coincide with the boys. It remains to be seen how that affects the event. A chance to see Highland boys play, for example, and to see the level of professionalism in programs at that level creates a great atmosphere. On the other hand, the girls won't be second fiddle at the event ... they won't be placed on "the back field." The level of professionalism for the women's collegiate teams will be impressive too though. Combining the collegiate and high school girls events should boost the number of people in the stands for the girls games. That alone is a good thing.
The other significant change is that the event is an invitational, similar to NCAA March Madness, where certain teams get "bids" from a committee. The Midwest Regional is not an automatic qualifier anymore. In some ways, this isn't as big of a change for the rest of the country. Few regions had a true regional championship like the Midwest does. No other region holds an event with six to seven other state champions taking part. In some regions it appeared that teams from other states couldn't agree on when to play or where and when they did, there were concerns over fairness, equity, and complaints about having to travel to play bigger games.
An application and $50, gets you on the list for the High School National Championships Committee, made up of some noteable youth coaches and a few administrators and media. According to their press release, "The Committee agreed early on that long-term success on the field, combined with strong organizational and administrative abilities, are the main criteria through which the clubs will be judged. Clubs who are invited will be expected to put forth a $1,500 deposit, which will go toward their National Championship expenses."
A notable concern is if the event will truely be a championship. How will the committee take into account up-and-coming teams and programs that in the past could prove they were better on the field in a qualifier. Would Brookfield have even been considered if this was the system in place in 2010? Yet, they defeated past national participants Vernon and Lakewood to advance to Utah, where they then defeated Portland, Maine as they ended up 4th overall at Nationals.
A mark of the National Tournament's success has been the number of different programs that have benefited from the experience. Wisconsin alone has had FIVE programs participate:
-DSHA
-Northshore
-Kettle Moraine
-Vernon
-Brookfield
There was not an announcement about whether there will be two brackets or one. A decision is apparently pending. It might depend on the number of teams that apply, although one wonders if more teams would apply if they knew there would be two divisions.
Since USA Rugby has run the event it's been an 8-team tournament. Prior to that the Nationals event peeked at three brackets of eight, for a total field of 24 teams in three tiers. Interestingly, according to Rugby Mag's most recent team census, the number of girls teams has doubled in the last five years.
The Committee Includes:
Chairman – Mike Tolkin
USA Rugby Rep – Kurt Weaver
Press Rep – Alex Goff, RugbyMag
USA National Girls – Bryn Chivers
USA National Boys – Salty Thompson
Girls Coach – Marin Pinnell, Fallbrook
Girls Coach – John Klein, Divine Savior
Girls Coach – Brad Rockwood, West Carroll
Boys Coach – Lee Kelly, Gonzaga (Single School)
Boys Coach – Bart Bottorff, Penn (Single School)
Boys Coach – Stephen Edwards, Union County (Multi School)
The window to apply is December 15 through January 16.
To apply, click on this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFVrcEhpNHdsMVFrVG9lZ1dCcko2Vnc6MQ
Monday, December 12, 2011
The Wauwatosa School District is seeking a new coach to take on the leadership of the high school girls rugby club. This is a volunteer position, but the head coach will be eligible for a $500 stipend to defray the costs associated with coaching.
Interested applicants should compplete an application on WECAN. The vacancy is posted in WECAN by the Wauwatosa school District.
Interested applicants should compplete an application on WECAN. The vacancy is posted in WECAN by the Wauwatosa school District.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
National Rugby Coaching Week
This is National Rugby Coaching Week: a time to thank all the coaches and volunteers who give players an opportunity to be a part of something special. Coaching is a role that never really has an off-season. Coaches do a lot of things players may not be aware of. To name a few, they plan schedules, help kids with tons of stuff, write recommendations, reserve fields, take care of equipment, and spread the word about their programs to give more kids the opportunity to play.
WGR hopes you will take a moment to drop a "shout out" below in our comments section to recognize and thank your coaches!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
"Girls Rugby is Misunderstood"
That's the headline from a thoughtful and well-researched article about the Colorado Youth Rugby season. Unlike the majority of the stories the American media tends to publish, it doesn't resort to trite stereotypes about "violence" or what rugby was supposedly like in the 1970's.
The laws of the game have changed multiple times in the past two decades, doing away with ponderous play and creating a safer, cleaner game. Scrums are managed with a cadence, lineout jumpers can be safely lifted for their own protection, and unsafe tacklers can be additionally penalized with red and yellow cards.
Brendan Fanning writes about that idea on his rugby website. Talking about how the game has improved with these law changes, he points out that, "we have a game (now) where not only is the ball in play 33 per cent more than in 1995, but other changes include a 50 per cent increase in the number of passes, a doubling of the number of rucks and mauls, and a reduction in scrums of 58 per cent, and lineouts of 54 per cent. Sounds great doesn't it -- all this ball whizzing about the place?"
A few excerpts from the Colorado Youth Rugby Article are quoted below. They point out how girls rugby is often misunderstood ......
“Medical studies say the injury rate is comparable to soccer,'said Chaparral coach Tom Dill, who has coached the sport nearly 18 years. 'It’s under the injury rate of football. It’s really not that dangerous a game. ... Yes, it’s a full-contact sport, but there’s a lot that goes into it.'
Dill said. “The women’s game is more technically proficient, because they can’t get away with brute force and ignorance like the men’s game, which is one way of looking at it.”
Another important point for girls rugby and its new players is learning how to tackle properly. However, once a player has it down, she generally doesn’t have a problem with it from then on.
“It takes a little time to get everyone up to speed, but first its about learning to hit and take a hit,” Dill said.
Proper training, especially proper tackling techniques, is what keeps the injury rate so low for a full-contact sport.
“It’s not as rough as you think,” Howell said. “We are taught how to play in a clean way. In football, you tackle anywhere, but in rugby, we’re taught to tackle at the waist.”
[Haley] Howell has played rugby three years [with Castle Rock] and fell in love with the sport for being different than any other. She also said it doesn’t have the drama that can infect some other sports. It’s just about playing rugby, she said.
Dill said one way rugby is unique is there is no difference in the rules between the boys and girls games. The rules, field and ball size are equal.
“Rugby gives girls the opportunity to play a full-contact sport, which is one of the very few they have available to them,” Dill said.
One would also think rugby is a game for brute size. Dill said the contrary. In fact, there’s a position on the field for every size and shaped individual, he said. Howell said her team has cheer, pom and track athletes on it, but usually rugby tends to attract soccer players. Two girls on the Castle Rock Rugby team are even in the school choir.
“It’s a very unstereotypical sport,” Howell said."
The laws of the game have changed multiple times in the past two decades, doing away with ponderous play and creating a safer, cleaner game. Scrums are managed with a cadence, lineout jumpers can be safely lifted for their own protection, and unsafe tacklers can be additionally penalized with red and yellow cards.
Brendan Fanning writes about that idea on his rugby website. Talking about how the game has improved with these law changes, he points out that, "we have a game (now) where not only is the ball in play 33 per cent more than in 1995, but other changes include a 50 per cent increase in the number of passes, a doubling of the number of rucks and mauls, and a reduction in scrums of 58 per cent, and lineouts of 54 per cent. Sounds great doesn't it -- all this ball whizzing about the place?"
A few excerpts from the Colorado Youth Rugby Article are quoted below. They point out how girls rugby is often misunderstood ......
“Medical studies say the injury rate is comparable to soccer,'said Chaparral coach Tom Dill, who has coached the sport nearly 18 years. 'It’s under the injury rate of football. It’s really not that dangerous a game. ... Yes, it’s a full-contact sport, but there’s a lot that goes into it.'
Dill said. “The women’s game is more technically proficient, because they can’t get away with brute force and ignorance like the men’s game, which is one way of looking at it.”
Another important point for girls rugby and its new players is learning how to tackle properly. However, once a player has it down, she generally doesn’t have a problem with it from then on.
“It takes a little time to get everyone up to speed, but first its about learning to hit and take a hit,” Dill said.
Proper training, especially proper tackling techniques, is what keeps the injury rate so low for a full-contact sport.
“It’s not as rough as you think,” Howell said. “We are taught how to play in a clean way. In football, you tackle anywhere, but in rugby, we’re taught to tackle at the waist.”
[Haley] Howell has played rugby three years [with Castle Rock] and fell in love with the sport for being different than any other. She also said it doesn’t have the drama that can infect some other sports. It’s just about playing rugby, she said.
Dill said one way rugby is unique is there is no difference in the rules between the boys and girls games. The rules, field and ball size are equal.
“Rugby gives girls the opportunity to play a full-contact sport, which is one of the very few they have available to them,” Dill said.
One would also think rugby is a game for brute size. Dill said the contrary. In fact, there’s a position on the field for every size and shaped individual, he said. Howell said her team has cheer, pom and track athletes on it, but usually rugby tends to attract soccer players. Two girls on the Castle Rock Rugby team are even in the school choir.
“It’s a very unstereotypical sport,” Howell said."
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Picture of the Year 2011: Cast your Vote
Thanks to everyone who provided a submission. A small panel of WGR staff, coaches, and players has been assembled to cast votes. In addition, any WGR supporters can cast a vote by leaving a comment on the bottom of the blog.
1 Rainbow
2 Cadence
3 Lifting to the Sun
4 Piggy Back
5 Laughter
The winners will receive a free t-shirt from the conference tournament.
Monday, November 14, 2011
League Meeting-New Teams
A slow week for WGR, as the emphasis shifts to off-season matters. Our staff field reporters are closing up shop for the winter, and finalizing picture entries for our state-wide contest.
Miscellaneous news bites:
Looking ahead, the All-Wisconsin Girls Rugby league meetings take place December 5th.
With scheduling on the agenda, any new high school girls rugby programs in Wisconsin are asked to attend and apply for membership. Interested girls, coaches, or parents should contact our league offices at wisconsingirlsrugby@gmail.com
It was great to see a lot of WGR alumni continuing their experience with collegiate women's rugby. Alumni girls were all over the fields at last weekend's Midwest Collegiate Chamionships in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin. Midwest D1 Champs, Univ-Northern Iowa had two freshman, Kaisse '11 from Brookfield and Talia '11 from KM respectively, starting on their team. The Midwest D2 champs likewise featured a starting freshman scrumhalf from Vernon and a wing from CMHS. Grand Valley St, third in Midwest D2 also featured a starting scrumhalf from CMHS. We probably missed some, but it was great to see so many young ladies continuing to play!
Miscellaneous news bites:
Looking ahead, the All-Wisconsin Girls Rugby league meetings take place December 5th.
With scheduling on the agenda, any new high school girls rugby programs in Wisconsin are asked to attend and apply for membership. Interested girls, coaches, or parents should contact our league offices at wisconsingirlsrugby@gmail.com
It was great to see a lot of WGR alumni continuing their experience with collegiate women's rugby. Alumni girls were all over the fields at last weekend's Midwest Collegiate Chamionships in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin. Midwest D1 Champs, Univ-Northern Iowa had two freshman, Kaisse '11 from Brookfield and Talia '11 from KM respectively, starting on their team. The Midwest D2 champs likewise featured a starting freshman scrumhalf from Vernon and a wing from CMHS. Grand Valley St, third in Midwest D2 also featured a starting scrumhalf from CMHS. We probably missed some, but it was great to see so many young ladies continuing to play!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Press on the State Championship
Several local papers covered the Wisconsin Girls Rugby State Championships last week. While the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel was poor in its coverage of the event, especially compared to past years, some local papers added some more detailed articles about the big event.
The Fond Du Lac Reporter, provided this article on our northern-most team's particpation.
The Express News, provided perhaps the most detailed article on the match and details about the solid program built in Menomonee Falls.
The Oak Creek Patch added a nice summary of their big game here.
and the Milw. Journel Sentinel provided at least a mention of the results, in addition to the previous week's preview.
The interest in rugby generated around our local communities by having long-standing girls programs continues to grow. Ten years ago, coverage was scare and attendance mediocre. Last week's tournament filled the park and the parking lot, and generated the most notice of any event to this date. In fact, the event has grown so much that moving locations to a facility with greater capacity is being discussed.
The Fond Du Lac Reporter, provided this article on our northern-most team's particpation.
The Express News, provided perhaps the most detailed article on the match and details about the solid program built in Menomonee Falls.
The Oak Creek Patch added a nice summary of their big game here.
and the Milw. Journel Sentinel provided at least a mention of the results, in addition to the previous week's preview.
The interest in rugby generated around our local communities by having long-standing girls programs continues to grow. Ten years ago, coverage was scare and attendance mediocre. Last week's tournament filled the park and the parking lot, and generated the most notice of any event to this date. In fact, the event has grown so much that moving locations to a facility with greater capacity is being discussed.
Legislative Update for Youth Coaches
State Representative Jason Fields (Milw) is the author of Assembly Bill 259, which would require schools to take student athletes off the field for practices and games if they suspect they have a concussion. The bill was approved by the State Assembly on November 5th, 2011 and is awaiting the next step in the legislative process. One provision of the bill is that student athletes would not be allowed to return to action until a medical professional clears them.
The debate among lawmakers has centered around whether the state should be involved in legislating youth sports directives or whether these issues should be left to youth sports organizations and parents. Some are arguing that the bill rightfully takes the burden of responsibiilty off of coaches, and places it in the hands of parents and medical professionals. Others say, the area is too murky to legislate, since medical professionals seem to treat this issue in a whole variety of ways.
For more information on the Wisconsin initiative to inform and prevent head injuries, check out Play Smart Wisconsin
The debate among lawmakers has centered around whether the state should be involved in legislating youth sports directives or whether these issues should be left to youth sports organizations and parents. Some are arguing that the bill rightfully takes the burden of responsibiilty off of coaches, and places it in the hands of parents and medical professionals. Others say, the area is too murky to legislate, since medical professionals seem to treat this issue in a whole variety of ways.
For more information on the Wisconsin initiative to inform and prevent head injuries, check out Play Smart Wisconsin
Sunday, October 30, 2011
State Final 2011
(picture 1: DSHA JV vs Brookfield)
(picture 2: CMHS v DSHA)
Sunday afternoon, Divine Savior Holy Angels High School won the Wisconsin Girls Rugby State Championship, 17-0 against Catholic Memorial High School of Waukesha.
Coach Klein, of DSHA, said afterwards, "that might've been the greatest high school game ever played in the state. The first half was so tight, back and forth. The speed of the game was impressive."
"I don't think people appreciated how hard-hitting that game was," he added. "That was as physical a match as we've ever played."
Catholic Memorial came out fast from the kickoff and preceded to hammer away at the Dasher's defense. Despite long periods of pressure and possession in DSHA's half, the Dasher's defense held. DSHA had two chances to score on counter-attack breakaways, but a scrambling defense from CMHS was able snuff out the opportunity.
The teams entered the halftime break deadlocked at 0-0.
DSHA showed its character by coming out with renewed intensity from the break. A try two minutes in, sparked by a gigantic tackle-breaking run from senior Captain Aleja Ross, set the tone for the second half.
CMHS came right back from the kickoff, approaching the DSHA 22, but were repulsed after multiple phases. A try from sophomore Kayla Pavella put DSHA up 12-0, and then again DSHA found itself again backed up near their tryline. Great defense and a clearing kick kept their shutout intact and sophomore Beth Pakorny was able to cross over for one more try to end a wonderful match.
Crusader coach Waliszewski added afterwards, "We gave everything we had. I'm incredibly proud of our ladies for their character and determination to play as a team against the most challenging of opponents."
Kettle Moraine finished off another good year with a hard-earned victory in the bronze medal match. Senior Captain Andrea Mertins, switching to fullback for this match, was impressive in defense and attack.
On field two, Menomonee Falls defeated Oak Creek in the closest match of the day, 8-0, for the division two championship. Oak Creek showed great improvement over their earlier loss during the conference season, and with two teams playing in the division, seem to be building momentum for future success. Congrats to Falls on another good season.
State Tournament Results
Championship DSHA 17 Catholic Memorial 0
3rd Place KM 20 Vernon 0
5th Place DS JV 22 Brookfield 17
D2 1st Place MFalls 8 Oak Creek 0
3rd FD Lac ? Oak Creek JV
5th Tosa 57 Muskego 22
Championship Day and Photo Contest
Well, championship day has arrived. WGR will be updating scores by the end of the day.
In the meantime, the 2012 Photo Contest is in full swing, so snap some great pictures today while at the tournament. The winner will get a free t-shirt from the tournament.
Please submit photos by November 9th, as an email attachment. Send them to our staff at wisconsingirlsrugby@gmail.com
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Playoff Matches and State Tourney Schedule
Division I
CMHS 44 Kettle Moraine O
CMHS JV 15 Wauwatosa 10
DSHA 73 Vernon 0
Division II
Menomonee Falls 83 Oak Creek B 0
Oak Creek 39 Fond Du Lac 5
On Saturday morning, DSHA ran in multiple tries against a young and rebuilding Vernon team. Vernon had some periods of sustained possession with repeated pick and go's, but they were unable to threaten DSHA's line. Senior Aleja Ross and junior Emily Van Bibber each put in a couple tries for the Dashers.
Sunday afternoon, the CMHS girls rugby team defeated Kettle Moraine in the other state semifinals, 44-0. In a match punctuated by long periods of possession by Kettle Moraine, Memorial was able to score off of a returned kick and long breaks.
The CMHS JV team defeated Wauwatosa 15-10. Tries by freshmen Lisdon Brannon, and sophomores Brittany Silas and Julie Else helped the Crusaders advance to (5-1) on their season.
Next Sunday, Oct 30th the State Championship Tournament is being held at Naga-Waukee Park in Delafield. The schedule is:
10:00am JV match D2: Muskego v Wauwatosa
11:15am D1 5th Place: D2 5th Place
DSHA II v Brookfield Fond Du Lac v Oak Creek II
12:30pm D1 3rd Place: D2: Championship
Kettle Moraine v Vernon Oak Creek v Menomonee Falls
2:00pm D1 Championship
DSHA v Catholic Memorial
3:30pm Awards Ceremony
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Upcoming Playoff Matches
A quick guide to all games this coming weekend:
10/22 Saturday
Vernon @ DSHA 10am Dretzka Park
10/23 Sunday
Kettle M @ CMHS 1pm Minooka
Tosa @ CMH JV 230pm Minooka
Oak Creek @ Fond Du Lac Noon
OAk Creek B @ MFalls 1pm
10/22 Saturday
Vernon @ DSHA 10am Dretzka Park
10/23 Sunday
Kettle M @ CMHS 1pm Minooka
Tosa @ CMH JV 230pm Minooka
Oak Creek @ Fond Du Lac Noon
OAk Creek B @ MFalls 1pm
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
WGR State Tournament 10/30 Naga-Waukee Park
The WGR State Championship will culminate Sunday Oct 23rd at Naga-Waukee Park. Each team in the state will be playing for their final ranking, in two different divisions. The Championship game will tentatively be played at 2pm.
Attached above is a black and white image of this year's t-shirt.
$12 for short-sleeve and $18 for a long sleeve t-shirt.
All proceeds go to benefiting WGR's efforts to support girls playing rugby!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
The Picture of the Year Contest
This image was taken during rugby practice this fall. We're told that it was an even better picture in-person. Each season is filled with it's own moments and memories and this year, WGR would like to kick off the playoffs with our first-ever, PICTURE OF THE YEAR, contest. If there's an image that captures a great moment from this year's competition, on or off the field, submit it to our editors. We'll publish the submissions and the winner will receive a free State Tournament T-shirt.Submit photo entries to our editors at:
wisconsingirlsrugby@gmail.com
Submissions will be due the week after the State Tournament.
Postscript:
The image above reminded us that we're generally blessed with wonderful weather during the fall rugby season, and despite a little rain somedays, the season has gone by without any cancellations. The last two weeks of the season are always a particular joy with the cool air, fall leaves, and good rugby on the pitch.
Playoff Scores
We'll update as the scores come in ....
Division I
Kettle Moraine 38 DSHA JV 7
A brave effort from the young DSHA squad is not enough to stop the experienced Knightmares from advancing to the next round. KM will face Catholic Memorial next Sunday afternoon, Oct 23rd, at 1pm at Minooka Park.
Vernon Brookfield
The winner advances to face DSHA next weekend.
The semi-final is tentatively scheduled for 10am @Dretzka Park, with DSHA hosting.
Pictured:
Kettle Moraine Sophomore Hayley Rozman finds
some space through the defensive line en route to the 2nd try of the match in
the Knightmares v DSHA-B quarterfinal and her first of the season.
Division I
Kettle Moraine 38 DSHA JV 7
A brave effort from the young DSHA squad is not enough to stop the experienced Knightmares from advancing to the next round. KM will face Catholic Memorial next Sunday afternoon, Oct 23rd, at 1pm at Minooka Park.
Vernon Brookfield
The winner advances to face DSHA next weekend.
The semi-final is tentatively scheduled for 10am @Dretzka Park, with DSHA hosting.
Pictured:
Kettle Moraine Sophomore Hayley Rozman finds
some space through the defensive line en route to the 2nd try of the match in
the Knightmares v DSHA-B quarterfinal and her first of the season.
Division II
Oak Creek over Muskego
Oak Creek B over Wauwatosa
Next Sunday:
Oak Creek Fond du Lac
OC
B will play Menomonee Falls at Menomonee Falls
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Division 2 Scores and Updates
From last weekend:
Menomonee Falls 23 Oak Creek 0
Fond Du Lac 30 Wauwatosa 15
Menomonee Falls 23 Oak Creek 0
Fond Du Lac 30 Wauwatosa 15
Muskego 25 Oak Creek JV 10
Division I Bracket Released
The Division I girls rugby playoffs begin this weekend. While some details are still being hashed out, what the league office does know is published above in their official bracket.
The top two teams receive a bye, since it is a six-team bracket. The tournament culminates in the State Championship on Sunday Oct 30th at Naga-Waukee Park. This annual event features every team in the state competing, in two divisions, for their final ranking in the state.
Saturday Oct 15th DSHA jv (#6) @ Kettle Moraine (#3) 10am
Sunday Oct 16th Brookfield (#5) @ Vernon (#4) 12pm
Monday, October 10, 2011
Division I Conference Wrap Up
Brookfield 17 Kettle Moraine 60
Vernon DSHA win
CMHS 26 DSHA JV 0
Final Conference Standings
DSHA 5-0
CMHS 4-1
KM 3-2
Vernon 2-3
Brkfld 1-4
DSHA JV 0-5
Playoffs Round One:
DSHA, CMHS have a bye
KM vs DSHA JV
Vernon vs Brookfield
Vernon DSHA win
CMHS 26 DSHA JV 0
Final Conference Standings
DSHA 5-0
CMHS 4-1
KM 3-2
Vernon 2-3
Brkfld 1-4
DSHA JV 0-5
Playoffs Round One:
DSHA, CMHS have a bye
KM vs DSHA JV
Vernon vs Brookfield
Friday, October 7, 2011
Final Week of the Regular Season
The conference season winds down this week, and playoffs loom on the horizon.
A few key matchups this week:
Vernon v DSHA 10am @Vernon Town Hall Saturday
DSHA has a chance to reclaim the conference title outright with a victory, after being Co-Champs last year.
Vernon showed improvement in narrowly losing to Kettle Moraine last weekend on the road.
Brookfield v Kettle Moraine 1pm Sunday Minooka Park
A Kettle victory secures third-place for them and a playoff match against the 6th ranked team.
Division II
Oak Creek v Menomonee Falls Noon (pictured scrumming above) Sunday
As it should be, the final match is the division ii conference title decider.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Division II, Week 4
Muskego 15 Wauwatosa 67
A historic first conference win for Wauwatosa in their first full conference season.
A historic first conference win for Wauwatosa in their first full conference season.
Division I, Week 4
CMHS 7 DSHA 26
Kettle Moraine 19 Vernon 12
CMH JV 14 DSHA JV 12
KM JV 26 Vernon 5
In the likely conference title decider, Catholic Memorial High School came out strong, scoring the game's opening try. DSHA came back to score a try at the end of the first half, to make it 7-7 at the break.
In the second half, DSHA's offense got rolling, and they added three tries to remain undefeated in conference play, with one match remaining at Vernon on Sat. Oct 8th.
In the other big game, Kettle Moraine held off a physical Vernon side 19-12 to move up to third place in the division.
Division I
DSHA 4-0
CMHS 3-1
Kettle 2-2
Vernon 2-2
Brookfiield 1-3
DS JV 0-4
Kettle Moraine 19 Vernon 12
CMH JV 14 DSHA JV 12
KM JV 26 Vernon 5
In the likely conference title decider, Catholic Memorial High School came out strong, scoring the game's opening try. DSHA came back to score a try at the end of the first half, to make it 7-7 at the break.
In the second half, DSHA's offense got rolling, and they added three tries to remain undefeated in conference play, with one match remaining at Vernon on Sat. Oct 8th.
In the other big game, Kettle Moraine held off a physical Vernon side 19-12 to move up to third place in the division.
Division I
DSHA 4-0
CMHS 3-1
Kettle 2-2
Vernon 2-2
Brookfiield 1-3
DS JV 0-4
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Women's Rugby Interviews (prt ii)
Part ii: Excerpts from an interview with Coach Bustillos:
Where do you see collegiate women’s rugby progressing over the next decade?
“I think we will see this positive trend and growth continue
over the next ten years. There are so many aspects of this game to be
learned that occur off the field of play that I truly believe keep us moving
forward. For the most part, the players are the decision makers in a
dynamic game, not the coach. This is empowering for high school girls
that are preparing to enter college and be an adult where they have to make
their own choices. Plus, the Americanized coaches and sports they probably
grew up playing were played under the orders of the coach. Rugby gives
these players a chance to make decisions.”
“Another place I foresee collegiate women's rugby growing is the fact that in less than 5 years, there will most likely be the opportunity for girls to
play for their university and get an education at the same time. I foresee
girls having the opportunity to get a free education and go to University on
scholarship. Women's rugby is on the list of NCAA emerging women's sports
and it will be a reality sooner then some probably think. I would not be
surprised, in the least, if there are 2015 high school graduates that
will have the opportunity for NCAA division I varsity scholarships to play
rugby in college here in Wisconsin.”
“AND, if that wasn't opportunity enough, we have rugby coming to the
Olympics. Again, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if a current, yes
current, member of a high school team in Wisconsin makes the roster to
represent the USA in the 2016 Olympics. It isn't far off and with girls in
Wisconsin possibly having 4-5 years under their belts when the USA Team
comes looking..... You never know.....”
“All in all, girls rugby, both collegiate and high school, has come leaps and bounds in just the last ten years, and I think that it will continue to gain
steam and prosper over the next ten years. Especially in Wisconsin.”
“So, if there are any girls reading this, thank your coaches who effortlessly give their time to you to promote this sport and work to give you the opportunity to capitalize on this growth in the future. Rugby and these
opportunities wouldn't be available without them.”
Where do you see collegiate women’s rugby progressing over the next decade?
“I think we will see this positive trend and growth continue
over the next ten years. There are so many aspects of this game to be
learned that occur off the field of play that I truly believe keep us moving
forward. For the most part, the players are the decision makers in a
dynamic game, not the coach. This is empowering for high school girls
that are preparing to enter college and be an adult where they have to make
their own choices. Plus, the Americanized coaches and sports they probably
grew up playing were played under the orders of the coach. Rugby gives
these players a chance to make decisions.”
“Another place I foresee collegiate women's rugby growing is the fact that in less than 5 years, there will most likely be the opportunity for girls to
play for their university and get an education at the same time. I foresee
girls having the opportunity to get a free education and go to University on
scholarship. Women's rugby is on the list of NCAA emerging women's sports
and it will be a reality sooner then some probably think. I would not be
surprised, in the least, if there are 2015 high school graduates that
will have the opportunity for NCAA division I varsity scholarships to play
rugby in college here in Wisconsin.”
“AND, if that wasn't opportunity enough, we have rugby coming to the
Olympics. Again, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if a current, yes
current, member of a high school team in Wisconsin makes the roster to
represent the USA in the 2016 Olympics. It isn't far off and with girls in
Wisconsin possibly having 4-5 years under their belts when the USA Team
comes looking..... You never know.....”
“All in all, girls rugby, both collegiate and high school, has come leaps and bounds in just the last ten years, and I think that it will continue to gain
steam and prosper over the next ten years. Especially in Wisconsin.”
“So, if there are any girls reading this, thank your coaches who effortlessly give their time to you to promote this sport and work to give you the opportunity to capitalize on this growth in the future. Rugby and these
opportunities wouldn't be available without them.”
Week 3, Division I
9/24/11
Vernon 0 CMHS 44
Vernon B 0 CMHS JV 27
The conference decider is Saturday Oct. 1st when DSHA visits CMHS at 10am at Minooka Park in Waukesha.
The battle for third place sees Kettle Moraine face off against Vernon.
Division I
CMHS (3-0)
DSHA (3-0)
Vernon (2-1)
Kettle Moraine (1-2)
Brookfield (0-3)
DSHA JV (0-3)
Friday, September 23, 2011
Women's Rugby Interviews (Prt i)
Part I of a Series of Interviews with Collegiate Women's Coaches
Shannon Bustillos is the head coach of Marquette University Women's Rugby. She has worked for USA Rugby for a number of years as a Coach Educator and holds an IRB (International rugby Board) Coach Educator Certification. She is one of a small panel of coaches who responded to our inquiries. Her responses are below
How has girls high school rugby changed over the last decade?
“The last decade has been one of tremendous growth for girls rugby. The
opportunities these girls have today were not available or even known ten
years ago. I remember trying out for the National Team and playing in the
old All-Star Championships (ITT’s) back in the late 90's during my collegiate playing days and if I didn't pay my own way to get to these camps or make the effort to be seen, I wasn't going to be seen. Now we have camps and championships for HS Girls all over the country where more sets of eyes can see them, therefore giving them a greater opportunity to play at a higher level.”
“Another huge change is the NUMBER of girls playing the game, which can in
turn, be attributed to the dedicated coaches and supporters who want to see
the game grow for this demographic. When I started playing, I had never
even seen a ball. I now see girls starting their college careers with four
year, or maybe even more, exposure to the sport.”
How has collegiate women's rugby changed over the last decade?
“As far as collegiate women's rugby, I REALLY like what I am seeing as far as where the game is headed. As an employee of both USA Rugby as well as the
International Rugby Board, it is refreshing to see that the game is
beginning to lose the hooligan stereotype and slowly gain respect.
Many parents of the girls we currently coach were in college at their
current daughter's age, and saw the singing and drinking that became the stereotype of our sport. We were not respected, nor was our sport.”
“With us respecting the game for what it is and not succumbing to or
perpetuating that stereotype, we are breaking the "mold" of rugby as these
girls' parents remember and that is important if we want the game to grow
and be respected in the United States. Young adults are becoming more and
more athletic as years go by and if we can harness this growth in a positive
light and promote our sport as one of great athleticism, we will be a power
to contend with worldwide sooner than we think.”
Shannon Bustillos is the head coach of Marquette University Women's Rugby. She has worked for USA Rugby for a number of years as a Coach Educator and holds an IRB (International rugby Board) Coach Educator Certification. She is one of a small panel of coaches who responded to our inquiries. Her responses are below
How has girls high school rugby changed over the last decade?
“The last decade has been one of tremendous growth for girls rugby. The
opportunities these girls have today were not available or even known ten
years ago. I remember trying out for the National Team and playing in the
old All-Star Championships (ITT’s) back in the late 90's during my collegiate playing days and if I didn't pay my own way to get to these camps or make the effort to be seen, I wasn't going to be seen. Now we have camps and championships for HS Girls all over the country where more sets of eyes can see them, therefore giving them a greater opportunity to play at a higher level.”
“Another huge change is the NUMBER of girls playing the game, which can in
turn, be attributed to the dedicated coaches and supporters who want to see
the game grow for this demographic. When I started playing, I had never
even seen a ball. I now see girls starting their college careers with four
year, or maybe even more, exposure to the sport.”
How has collegiate women's rugby changed over the last decade?
“As far as collegiate women's rugby, I REALLY like what I am seeing as far as where the game is headed. As an employee of both USA Rugby as well as the
International Rugby Board, it is refreshing to see that the game is
beginning to lose the hooligan stereotype and slowly gain respect.
Many parents of the girls we currently coach were in college at their
current daughter's age, and saw the singing and drinking that became the stereotype of our sport. We were not respected, nor was our sport.”
“With us respecting the game for what it is and not succumbing to or
perpetuating that stereotype, we are breaking the "mold" of rugby as these
girls' parents remember and that is important if we want the game to grow
and be respected in the United States. Young adults are becoming more and
more athletic as years go by and if we can harness this growth in a positive
light and promote our sport as one of great athleticism, we will be a power
to contend with worldwide sooner than we think.”
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Division I, Week 3
9/22/11
DSHA 86 Brookfield 0
DSHA C 15 Brookfield JV 20
9/21/11
DSHA JV 0 Kettle Moraine 42
9/24/11
CMHS @ Vernon
Division I
DSHA 3-0
CMHS 2-0
Vernon 2-0
Kettle Moraine 1-2
Brookfield 0-3
DSHA JV 0-3
DSHA 86 Brookfield 0
DSHA C 15 Brookfield JV 20
9/21/11
DSHA JV 0 Kettle Moraine 42
9/24/11
CMHS @ Vernon
Division I
DSHA 3-0
CMHS 2-0
Vernon 2-0
Kettle Moraine 1-2
Brookfield 0-3
DSHA JV 0-3
Friday, September 16, 2011
Week 2, Division I
9/17/11
Vernon 55 Brookfield 0
9/16/11
Kettle Moraine 5 Catholic Memorial 22
KM JV 5 Catholic Memorial JV 0
9/14/11
DSHA JV 15 Vernon 36 (unofficial score)
Division I
DSHA 2-0
CMHS 2-0
Vernon 2-0
Brookfield 0-2
Kettle Moraine 0-2
DSHA JV 0-1
Division II
Menomonee Falls 87 Muskego 0
Oak Creek 45 Wauwatosa 0
Oak Creek JV 29 Fond Du Lac 12
9/17/11
Vernon 55 Brookfield 0
9/16/11
Kettle Moraine 5 Catholic Memorial 22
KM JV 5 Catholic Memorial JV 0
9/14/11
DSHA JV 15 Vernon 36 (unofficial score)
Division I
DSHA 2-0
CMHS 2-0
Vernon 2-0
Brookfield 0-2
Kettle Moraine 0-2
DSHA JV 0-1
Division II
Menomonee Falls 87 Muskego 0
Oak Creek 45 Wauwatosa 0
Oak Creek JV 29 Fond Du Lac 12
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Week I, D2
Some Division 2 results:
Oak Creek 64
Muskego 5
Menomonee Falls 52
Fond Du Lac 5
Oak Creek b 45
Wauwatosa 7
Oak Creek 64
Muskego 5
Menomonee Falls 52
Fond Du Lac 5
Oak Creek b 45
Wauwatosa 7
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Week I, Division I Results
DSHA 61 Kettle Moraine 5
CMHS 73 Brookfield 0
JV Matches
DSHA 24 Kettle Moraine 24
CMHS 60 Brookfield 0
In the Founder's Cup, the annual matchup between friendly rivals Brookfield and Catholic Memorial, a very young and enthusiastic Brookfield side took to the field with a new coach and a several new starters.
The highlight of the match was the after-game social. Both teams shared some food and took pictures with the battered, but treasured cup. At one point, a few Brookfield girls even attempted to walk away with it. The picture posted shows the comraderie and respect the two teams have for one another.
CMHS 73 Brookfield 0
JV Matches
DSHA 24 Kettle Moraine 24
CMHS 60 Brookfield 0
In the Founder's Cup, the annual matchup between friendly rivals Brookfield and Catholic Memorial, a very young and enthusiastic Brookfield side took to the field with a new coach and a several new starters.
The highlight of the match was the after-game social. Both teams shared some food and took pictures with the battered, but treasured cup. At one point, a few Brookfield girls even attempted to walk away with it. The picture posted shows the comraderie and respect the two teams have for one another.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Respect your Local Referee
Opening weekend is upon us. Everyone's excited.
WGR thought this would be the appropriate time to offer a public service announcement and reminder to all our coaches, players, parents, and supporters.
To quote the Rugby Law Book, Law 6, A.4.a: "the referee is the sole judge of fact and law during a match. The referee must apply fairly all the laws of the game in every match."
This is the law from which rugby draws its age-old tradition that players, coaches, and supporters are not to contest a refereee decision. In fact no one is supposed to even yell at a referee during the match . This is one of the significant ways rugby differs with other sports. It's not like baseball where manager's kick sand on an umpire or spit in their face. You just don't see that kind of disrespect in rugby.
In addition, only one person on the pitch talks to the referee, to ask questions or clarifications. Teams are taught to channel communication through their spokesperson, the captain. A referee's job is hard enough; they can't have thirty people barking in their ear and expect to be able to see everything and communicate all they need to.
The flip side is the caveat that referee's must apply the laws of the game fairly. Consistency is a major component to any good refereeing.
Pictured below is one of Wisconsin's great captains from last year's Kettle Moraine team. Known for her passion for the game, positive leadership, and ability to communicate well, KM's captain shows how to interact with a referee respectfully:
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
A Classy Interview
One of the more rewarding things about seeing young women play rugby is how much they grow from the experience. Certainly rugby can't take all the credit ... parents, friends, family, teachers, jobs, sports ... they all play a significant factor in one's personal growth. Nonetheless we at WFGR have been around the girls game long enough to see, repeatedly, so many young women graduate their teams with an incredible gift of confidence. It's a trend and an incredibly positive one. Having to tackle other girls, to let loose completely on the pitch, to run full speed into an opponent; it takes so much character and teamwork that girls leave these programs as different people.
No one here at our offices knows personally the young lady in the interview below. We do know she is one of the most athletic, talented players, and captains to play in WGR. When we see this impressive interview, we see a confident, well-spoken, and classy representative of the qualities we strive to teach through WGR. As a senior in high school, this is a more impressive response to some tough questions than those you see from a lot of pro athletes on television. Great job Peyton. Wonderful interview.
No one here at our offices knows personally the young lady in the interview below. We do know she is one of the most athletic, talented players, and captains to play in WGR. When we see this impressive interview, we see a confident, well-spoken, and classy representative of the qualities we strive to teach through WGR. As a senior in high school, this is a more impressive response to some tough questions than those you see from a lot of pro athletes on television. Great job Peyton. Wonderful interview.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Waukesha Youth Rugby Celebrates Another Year
Waukesha Youth rugby celebrated another successful summer program this past August. Run through the Waukesha Park and Rec Dept., this is the longest-running youth rugby summer program in the state. It would not have been possible without the help of many volunteers, including some current high school girls players who helped with the coaching.
We'll let the pictures speak for themselves .... it was a GREAT summer activity:
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Who Coaches in WGR?
Where have coaches come from in WGR?
-Seven head coaches have come from Marquette University Men's Rugby Football Club. At least five different assistant coaches have come from that program as well.
-Five different coaches have come from the Marquette University Women's Rugby Football Club.
-Four different coaches have come from UW-Whitewater Women's Rugby.
-There are currently eight female asst. coaches in the league, and they are all alumni of WGR.
-We've had ten female head coaches over the course of WGR history. Six are alumni of WGR.
-Four asst. coaches never played rugby. They knew how to coach, understood sports and how to work with young people, and they learned rugby the rugby along the way.
-Five coaches have had significant referee experience.
-Eight coaches have had significant experience at other levels, including boys, men, women, collegiate, selectside, national.
-Three coaches have had an accent :)
-Seven head coaches have come from Marquette University Men's Rugby Football Club. At least five different assistant coaches have come from that program as well.
-Five different coaches have come from the Marquette University Women's Rugby Football Club.
-Four different coaches have come from UW-Whitewater Women's Rugby.
-There are currently eight female asst. coaches in the league, and they are all alumni of WGR.
-We've had ten female head coaches over the course of WGR history. Six are alumni of WGR.
-Four asst. coaches never played rugby. They knew how to coach, understood sports and how to work with young people, and they learned rugby the rugby along the way.
-Five coaches have had significant referee experience.
-Eight coaches have had significant experience at other levels, including boys, men, women, collegiate, selectside, national.
-Three coaches have had an accent :)
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Girls Coach Needed
A plea from Fond Du Lac, as they look for some help with a great group of young athletes:
"FDL Rugby inc. is looking for a high school girls coach. The FDL Sirens have 35 plus players but no coach. FDLRI will pay for any travel, dues and anything else the coach needs. FDLRI has all the equipment and facilities that a coach needs with great parent support. They start practice Thursday but the coach wont need to start until next week. The team also has a recruiting table at the schools student sign up days this Wednesday and Thursday which should increase the players on the team by at least 10. Any questions please contact Dale Klitzke. If a coach can't be found then they will have to cancel the season."
Brad S Casetta Sr.
President-Wisconsin Rugby Referee Society
Please go to the Fond Du Lac Rugby website for contact information and scheduling info.
Editorial:
The staff here at Wisconsin Girls Rugby can't refrain from commenting on this one. Over the last decade, we've seen many requests for coaching help in the girls league go without ever being answered. It's frustrating and disappointing. We've had teams fail to begin, even though a group of girls sign up and want to play. Worse is when existing teams fold not because of lack of interest from players.
During these same years, probably a dozen boys high school teams in the area have been created and coaches have stepped up to answer the call ... every single time.
This disparity comes across as unfair, really, to a group of young athletes hungry to learn and play. So, why doesn't the rugby community step up better? Why the difference?
We have coaches in WGR who have coached both boys and girls. There certainly is a difference. Coaching young adults, in general, can be incredibly trying of one's patience. But it's also incredibly rewarding and inspiring. That's why coaches coach.
One of the nice things about coaching girls is that they don't have to unlearn a football tackle. Girls generally don't spear tackle or hurl their head at a tucked ball ball like a football player taught to tackle with their "helmet to the ball" to create a fumble. That certainly makes the game safer and more like the flowing, skilled rugby games that can be seen at high levels of the game.
Girls don't try to carry a rugby ball like a football player would either, tucking it under one arm where it can't be passed or controlled.
In my time coaching boys, I remember doing some attacking and defense drills, marveling at the intensity level. I'd taken over an experienced team with 11 returning starters. Practice was undoubtedly more physically intense than one of the girls practices that year. I thought the boys were really getting it.
Come game time it was a different story. Right from kickoff, the boys quickly reverted back to football technique and did whatever they wanted. The mental and technical aspects of the game weren't applied well. That was consistently true throughout my time coaching high school boys.
Girls teams on the other hand consistently applied the lessons of practice far better come game time. Even with far less experienced players, they were more successful and skilled in much less time. They listened and soaked up all aspects of the game incredibly well.
Surely, this is anecdotal, but i know many others in WGR and at the collegiate level who would agree.
part ii of our office's commentary coming in a day or two
"FDL Rugby inc. is looking for a high school girls coach. The FDL Sirens have 35 plus players but no coach. FDLRI will pay for any travel, dues and anything else the coach needs. FDLRI has all the equipment and facilities that a coach needs with great parent support. They start practice Thursday but the coach wont need to start until next week. The team also has a recruiting table at the schools student sign up days this Wednesday and Thursday which should increase the players on the team by at least 10. Any questions please contact Dale Klitzke. If a coach can't be found then they will have to cancel the season."
Brad S Casetta Sr.
President-Wisconsin Rugby Referee Society
Please go to the Fond Du Lac Rugby website for contact information and scheduling info.
Editorial:
The staff here at Wisconsin Girls Rugby can't refrain from commenting on this one. Over the last decade, we've seen many requests for coaching help in the girls league go without ever being answered. It's frustrating and disappointing. We've had teams fail to begin, even though a group of girls sign up and want to play. Worse is when existing teams fold not because of lack of interest from players.
During these same years, probably a dozen boys high school teams in the area have been created and coaches have stepped up to answer the call ... every single time.
This disparity comes across as unfair, really, to a group of young athletes hungry to learn and play. So, why doesn't the rugby community step up better? Why the difference?
We have coaches in WGR who have coached both boys and girls. There certainly is a difference. Coaching young adults, in general, can be incredibly trying of one's patience. But it's also incredibly rewarding and inspiring. That's why coaches coach.
One of the nice things about coaching girls is that they don't have to unlearn a football tackle. Girls generally don't spear tackle or hurl their head at a tucked ball ball like a football player taught to tackle with their "helmet to the ball" to create a fumble. That certainly makes the game safer and more like the flowing, skilled rugby games that can be seen at high levels of the game.
Girls don't try to carry a rugby ball like a football player would either, tucking it under one arm where it can't be passed or controlled.
In my time coaching boys, I remember doing some attacking and defense drills, marveling at the intensity level. I'd taken over an experienced team with 11 returning starters. Practice was undoubtedly more physically intense than one of the girls practices that year. I thought the boys were really getting it.
Come game time it was a different story. Right from kickoff, the boys quickly reverted back to football technique and did whatever they wanted. The mental and technical aspects of the game weren't applied well. That was consistently true throughout my time coaching high school boys.
Girls teams on the other hand consistently applied the lessons of practice far better come game time. Even with far less experienced players, they were more successful and skilled in much less time. They listened and soaked up all aspects of the game incredibly well.
Surely, this is anecdotal, but i know many others in WGR and at the collegiate level who would agree.
part ii of our office's commentary coming in a day or two
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Division I Schedule Released
Wisconsin Girls Rugby is proud to release the 2011 Division I Conference Schedule. The competition will culminate at the 4th Annual State Championship Tournament on Sunday Oct 30th at Naga-waukee Park.
Wisconsin's 2011 Division I competition features:
Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, Kettle Moraine, Brookfield, Catholic Memorial High School, and Vernon.
A few notes on the upcoming competition:
-The two teams that make the Division I State Final earn Wisconsin's two seeds to the Midwest Regional Championship in the spring of 2012.
-Divison I teams will all field a second, developmental team in matches played shortly after the first.
-The season opener features Wisconsin's oldest rivalry, now in it's 11th year. It's also a repeat of last year's state championship, as KM faces DSHA.
-The other opener is a repeat of the 2010 3rd Place title match, as well as a Founder's Cup challenge match to boot. with Catholic Memorial facing crosstown rival Brookfield.
-Vernon welcomes Lindsey Fickau, a WGR and Vernon alumn, as their new head coach.
Week 1
9/9/11 Fri CMHS v Brookfield Minooka 5:00pm
9/9/11 Fri DSHA v KM Dretzka 5:00pm
Week 2
9/16/11 Fri KMv CMHS Naga-Waukee 4:30pm
9/18/11 Sun Brookfield v Vernon BCHS/Minooka 12:00pm
Week 3
9/23/11 Fri DSHA v Brookfield Dretzka 5:00pm
9/24/11 Sat Vernon v CMHS Vernon Town Hall 9:30am
Week 4
10/1/11 Sat CMHS v DSHA Minooka 10:00am
10/2/11 Sun KM v Vernon Naga-Waukee 1:00pm
Week 5
10/8/11 Sat Vernon v DSHA Vernon Town Hall 10:00am
10/9/11 Sun Brookfield v KM BCHS/Minooka 1:00pm
Wisconsin's 2011 Division I competition features:
Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, Kettle Moraine, Brookfield, Catholic Memorial High School, and Vernon.
A few notes on the upcoming competition:
-The two teams that make the Division I State Final earn Wisconsin's two seeds to the Midwest Regional Championship in the spring of 2012.
-Divison I teams will all field a second, developmental team in matches played shortly after the first.
-The season opener features Wisconsin's oldest rivalry, now in it's 11th year. It's also a repeat of last year's state championship, as KM faces DSHA.
-The other opener is a repeat of the 2010 3rd Place title match, as well as a Founder's Cup challenge match to boot. with Catholic Memorial facing crosstown rival Brookfield.
-Vernon welcomes Lindsey Fickau, a WGR and Vernon alumn, as their new head coach.
Week 1
9/9/11 Fri CMHS v Brookfield Minooka 5:00pm
9/9/11 Fri DSHA v KM Dretzka 5:00pm
Week 2
9/16/11 Fri KMv CMHS Naga-Waukee 4:30pm
9/18/11 Sun Brookfield v Vernon BCHS/Minooka 12:00pm
Week 3
9/23/11 Fri DSHA v Brookfield Dretzka 5:00pm
9/24/11 Sat Vernon v CMHS Vernon Town Hall 9:30am
Week 4
10/1/11 Sat CMHS v DSHA Minooka 10:00am
10/2/11 Sun KM v Vernon Naga-Waukee 1:00pm
Week 5
10/8/11 Sat Vernon v DSHA Vernon Town Hall 10:00am
10/9/11 Sun Brookfield v KM BCHS/Minooka 1:00pm
Monday, August 8, 2011
Division II Schedule Released
Wisconsin Girls Rugby is proud to announce the Division Two Fall Conference Schedule. With the season about a month away, teams will begin gearing up over the next few weeks.
The Division Two competition will culminate with the State Championship Tournament on Sunday Oct 30th, 2011 at Naga-Waukee Park in Delafield.
The Division Two conference includes: Menomonee Falls (last year's conference champ), Oak Creek, Fond Du Lac, Muskego, and Wauwatosa.
A few notes on the competitors:
This will be Wauwatosa's first conference campaign, after playing a successful developmental spring season.
Menomonee Falls earned promotion to division one last year after their defeat of Vernon for 5th place at last years state tournament. They elected to remain in the division two competition.
Oak Creek consistently fielded two sides all last year, and looks poised for a strong season.
The Division Two competition will culminate with the State Championship Tournament on Sunday Oct 30th, 2011 at Naga-Waukee Park in Delafield.
The Division Two conference includes: Menomonee Falls (last year's conference champ), Oak Creek, Fond Du Lac, Muskego, and Wauwatosa.
A few notes on the competitors:
This will be Wauwatosa's first conference campaign, after playing a successful developmental spring season.
Menomonee Falls earned promotion to division one last year after their defeat of Vernon for 5th place at last years state tournament. They elected to remain in the division two competition.
Oak Creek consistently fielded two sides all last year, and looks poised for a strong season.
Date-Day-Division-Home-Visitor-Field-Time
Week 1
9/11/11 Sunday ii Oak Creek Muskego Oak Creek 11:00am
9/11/11 Sunday ii Oak Creek Wauwatosa Oak Creek Noon
9/11/11 Sunday ii Fond du Lac Menomonee F UW FDL Noon
Week 2
9/18/11 Sunday ii Wauwatosa Oak Creek Longfellow MS Noon
9/18/11 Sunday ii Oak Creek Fond du Lac LFMS 1:00pm
9/18/11 Sunday ii Muskego Menomonee F Bluhm Park Noon
Week 3
9/25/11 Sunday ii Oak Creek TBD Oak Creek Noon
9/25/11 Sunday ii Fond du Lac Muskego UW FDL Noon
9/25/11 Sunday ii Menomonee F Wauwatosa Menomonee F 1:00pm
Week 4
10/2/11 Sunday ii Oak Creek Fond du Lac Menomonee F Noon
10/2/11 Sunday ii Menomonee F Oak Creek Menomonee F 1:00pm
10/2/11 Sunday ii Wauwatosa Muskego LFMS 1:00pm
Week 5
10/9/11 Sunday ii Oak Creek Menomonee F Oak Creek Noon
10/9/11 Sunday ii Oak Creek Muskego Oak Creek 11:00am
10/9/11 Sunday ii Fond du Lac Wauwatosa UW FDL Noon
Thursday, August 4, 2011
The Late Hit Problem in Girls Rugby
This is a reprint from an article that struck a chord with a lot of coaches. For the full article, including reader comments, please check out the Goffonrugby Column at Rugby Magazine's website.
GoffonRugby: The Late-Hit Problem in Girls Rugby
written by Alex Goff, May 11, 2011
"Dirty and dangerous play is bad, even if you don’t mean it.
For some years now, I have noticed a problem within girls high school rugby.
[M]y time at the latest U19 Girls Championships, plus discussions with other coaches has shown me this is a bigger problem than just mine.
It is: hitting a try-scorer after she has scored.
This happens much more often in girls rugby than in any other aspect of the game. Generally it goes like this: a player has a breakaway, and dives in at the corner. A girl is chasing said player, and just after the ball is touched down, the defender comes flying in. She comes in knees first and strikes the scorer in the back, the neck, and the head.
At this year’s nationals I saw it happen frequently, and also saw a player touching the ball down (and not sliding) while a defender ran by her and smacked her knee-to-knee.
This rarely, if ever, gets penalized
Why doesn’t it get penalized? I think referees often can’t imagine young girls can be dirty players. Others have suggested the refs have simply registered the try and turned their backs. What gets missed is, this is incredibly dangerous play. Even if it’s a mistake, it’s dangerous. Flying into an unprotected player a she scores a try, and driving two knees into her back, neck or head is very dangerous and should be stopped.
Why does this happen in girls rugby more than others? I think for a few reasons (and remember, I coached girls HS rugby for seven years;):
1. Defenders like to be seen trying, even when it’s hopeless. The best way to be seen doing this is to run desperately (but hopelessly) at a player about to score. Then, to protect themselves, they try to slide on their shins. They are not interested in making a real tackle to prevent a try;
2. Coaches are busy teaching many aspects of the game. They don’t go into the minutia of how it’s illegal to kick a ball out of someone’s hands, or how to legally and effectively tackle to prevent a try;
3. Girls are generally not fighters. In a men’s or boys game, and even in an older women’s game, if someone hit late after a try, there’d be a crowd of angry teammates looking to exact some retribution. Some chest-thumping can be useful. Girls, generally, don’t do that. They gather around their fallen teammate to help her, but don’t seek revenge.
How can we stop it? We can stop it by having refs look for it, and having them penalize teams. A few penalties at midfield, and a few yellow cards can go a very long way to discouraging such dangerous play. One 15-minute session from a coach on avoiding late hits can do a lot, too."
So, have any of you players, coaches, and supporters noticed this or is Goff being overprotective of girls playing rugby?
GoffonRugby: The Late-Hit Problem in Girls Rugby
written by Alex Goff, May 11, 2011
"Dirty and dangerous play is bad, even if you don’t mean it.
For some years now, I have noticed a problem within girls high school rugby.
[M]y time at the latest U19 Girls Championships, plus discussions with other coaches has shown me this is a bigger problem than just mine.
It is: hitting a try-scorer after she has scored.
This happens much more often in girls rugby than in any other aspect of the game. Generally it goes like this: a player has a breakaway, and dives in at the corner. A girl is chasing said player, and just after the ball is touched down, the defender comes flying in. She comes in knees first and strikes the scorer in the back, the neck, and the head.
At this year’s nationals I saw it happen frequently, and also saw a player touching the ball down (and not sliding) while a defender ran by her and smacked her knee-to-knee.
This rarely, if ever, gets penalized
Why doesn’t it get penalized? I think referees often can’t imagine young girls can be dirty players. Others have suggested the refs have simply registered the try and turned their backs. What gets missed is, this is incredibly dangerous play. Even if it’s a mistake, it’s dangerous. Flying into an unprotected player a she scores a try, and driving two knees into her back, neck or head is very dangerous and should be stopped.
Why does this happen in girls rugby more than others? I think for a few reasons (and remember, I coached girls HS rugby for seven years;):
1. Defenders like to be seen trying, even when it’s hopeless. The best way to be seen doing this is to run desperately (but hopelessly) at a player about to score. Then, to protect themselves, they try to slide on their shins. They are not interested in making a real tackle to prevent a try;
2. Coaches are busy teaching many aspects of the game. They don’t go into the minutia of how it’s illegal to kick a ball out of someone’s hands, or how to legally and effectively tackle to prevent a try;
3. Girls are generally not fighters. In a men’s or boys game, and even in an older women’s game, if someone hit late after a try, there’d be a crowd of angry teammates looking to exact some retribution. Some chest-thumping can be useful. Girls, generally, don’t do that. They gather around their fallen teammate to help her, but don’t seek revenge.
How can we stop it? We can stop it by having refs look for it, and having them penalize teams. A few penalties at midfield, and a few yellow cards can go a very long way to discouraging such dangerous play. One 15-minute session from a coach on avoiding late hits can do a lot, too."
So, have any of you players, coaches, and supporters noticed this or is Goff being overprotective of girls playing rugby?
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Eagle Camp Next Week in Milwaukee
Our offices would like to pass on a quick note from USA u20 Team Manager Jeff Noe to any players interested in attending the USA Rugby Flight Camp next week:
Last chance to sign up for the USA Rugby camp at Marquette University on August 4th-7th. For the local girls that want to commute each day, it is $170 and will provide dinner on Th/F/Sa, and lunch on F/Sa as well as a camp t-shirt.
It is $250 if they wish to spend the night at the dorms. There will be a morning and afternoon practice followed by a chalk talk each night.
To register, please follow this link:
https://spreadsheets0.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dGVvRVVna0VOZnRxdWdYbkg4VGtXWXc6MQ#gid=0
Thanks,
Jeff Noe
Manager
USA U20 Women's Rugby
Last chance to sign up for the USA Rugby camp at Marquette University on August 4th-7th. For the local girls that want to commute each day, it is $170 and will provide dinner on Th/F/Sa, and lunch on F/Sa as well as a camp t-shirt.
It is $250 if they wish to spend the night at the dorms. There will be a morning and afternoon practice followed by a chalk talk each night.
To register, please follow this link:
https://spreadsheets0.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dGVvRVVna0VOZnRxdWdYbkg4VGtXWXc6MQ#gid=0
Thanks,
Jeff Noe
Manager
USA U20 Women's Rugby
Friday, July 22, 2011
The Rugby World Cup 2011
This fall the Rugby World Cup begins. Second only to the soccer world cup and the Olympics, it's one of the biggest sporting events in the world. Now through early September countries will be playing warmup matches.
The USA's schedule is a challenging one. As if the matches aren't emotional enough for the players, everyone will be looking forward to the USA's opening World Cup pool match against Ireland on the tenth anniversary of SEPTEMBER 11th.
RWC BUILD-UP SCHEDULE
August 6, 2011: USA v. Canada (BMO Field, Toronto, Canada)
August 10, 2011: USA Selects v. Glendale Selects (Infinity Park, Glendale CO)
August 13, 2011: USA v. Canada (Infinity Park, Glendale, CO)
August 21, 2011: USA v. Japan (Tokyo, Japan)
RWC 2011 SCHEDULE NEW ZEALAND
September 11, 2011: USA vs. Ireland (New Plymouth)
September 15, 2011: USA vs. Russia (New Plymouth)
September 23, 2011: USA vs. Australia (Wellington)
September 27, 2011: USA vs. Italy (Nelson)
Here's a snapshot of what to expect:
The USA's schedule is a challenging one. As if the matches aren't emotional enough for the players, everyone will be looking forward to the USA's opening World Cup pool match against Ireland on the tenth anniversary of SEPTEMBER 11th.
RWC BUILD-UP SCHEDULE
August 6, 2011: USA v. Canada (BMO Field, Toronto, Canada)
August 10, 2011: USA Selects v. Glendale Selects (Infinity Park, Glendale CO)
August 13, 2011: USA v. Canada (Infinity Park, Glendale, CO)
August 21, 2011: USA v. Japan (Tokyo, Japan)
RWC 2011 SCHEDULE NEW ZEALAND
September 11, 2011: USA vs. Ireland (New Plymouth)
September 15, 2011: USA vs. Russia (New Plymouth)
September 23, 2011: USA vs. Australia (Wellington)
September 27, 2011: USA vs. Italy (Nelson)
Here's a snapshot of what to expect:
Monday, July 18, 2011
8-Man Football and 10's Rugby
The WIAA announced this month that five schools in the southern part of the state and eight in the north are going to play eight-man football. Once there are enough schools, playoff options will then be offered and expanded. Milwaukee's School for the Deaf has had a very successful 8-man football team for many years.
With some smaller schools finding it difficult to fund football teams and struggling to find large numbers of participants, this smaller version of the game is gaining popularity. It uses three lineman, a quarterback, and four backs. Other states, notably Alaska, play a lot of 8-man football.
Clearly, it's not only rugby that has a challenge in some places finding enough players for a large team sport.
At the same time, we are reminded about how rugby is a true particpant sport with 15 players on the field. Every rugby team we've seen has athletes getting on the field a lot. It's not like basketball or even soccer, which, while being great sports, often have lots of players sitting on the end of a bench waiting to get in.
This also reminded our board members here about the discussion over whether Wisconsin should have a Rugby 10's division with ten players on the field for smaller teams. Maybe for it's division III (B-side or JV level) competition?
Any comments from our readers on this one?
With some smaller schools finding it difficult to fund football teams and struggling to find large numbers of participants, this smaller version of the game is gaining popularity. It uses three lineman, a quarterback, and four backs. Other states, notably Alaska, play a lot of 8-man football.
Clearly, it's not only rugby that has a challenge in some places finding enough players for a large team sport.
At the same time, we are reminded about how rugby is a true particpant sport with 15 players on the field. Every rugby team we've seen has athletes getting on the field a lot. It's not like basketball or even soccer, which, while being great sports, often have lots of players sitting on the end of a bench waiting to get in.
This also reminded our board members here about the discussion over whether Wisconsin should have a Rugby 10's division with ten players on the field for smaller teams. Maybe for it's division III (B-side or JV level) competition?
Any comments from our readers on this one?
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Wisconsin's First Youth Tag Rugby Festival
The first-ever Youth Rugby matches in the state of Wisconsin were played this past Saturday at North Middle School in Menomonee Falls. Youth rugby players divided into two divisions: grades 3-5 and grades 6-8, and participants in each division included teams from Menomonee Falls, Waukesha, and Fond Du Lac. In all, over 40 youth participated on a warm and sunny day. The Menomonee Falls Burgundy team won the 6th-8th grade division, and Waukesha took top honors in the 3rd-5th grade division.
Menomonee Falls Head Coach Dan Zeroth noted that, " It was great to see the players, especially the 3rd-5th graders, pick up the game so fast. They were able, in a short amount of time, to grasp concepts about teamwork and new rules in only a few practices."
Menomonee Falls Head Coach Dan Zeroth noted that, " It was great to see the players, especially the 3rd-5th graders, pick up the game so fast. They were able, in a short amount of time, to grasp concepts about teamwork and new rules in only a few practices."
Zeroth also came away impressed with the older division of youth players. "The 6th-8th grade teams were just as impressive, with some dynamic passing, back row moves, and impressive runs. The future of rugby in the State of Wisconsin just got brighter. Today we played simple flag rugby, but the impact that this will have on the high school, college, and club teams, will be tremendous for years to come."
Just looking at the attached picture leads us at WGR to wholeheartedly agree.
What's more exciting is the fact that there's much more to come.
What's more exciting is the fact that there's much more to come.
Youth rugby players have the opportunity to play again in August as the Wauwatosa Recreation Department hosts an event on Saturday, August 6th. For more information on the August matches, please contact Dan Chanen at 414-773-1042.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Participation in Interscholastic Activities
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, or the WIAA, is a voluntary membership organization that supports and governs competitive school sports in Wisconsin. Over 90,000 student athletes participated last year in WIAA sports.
Rugby at this time would not be considered for inclusion in the WIAA until many more teams formed and became included in schools. Inclusion is another topic for another day. What interested our office staff this morning is the idea of participating in high school athletics in general, regardless of WIAA inclusion.
The article from the WIAA excerpted below, has some compelling information on why being a member of a team has special value for high school participants. Some, maybe all, of the benefits could apply to club teams depending on the program, but the unique relationship of a school team that requires and monitors participants' grades, behavior, and health probably makes the benefits more pronounced.
It is worth noting that the value of participation by student athletes cannot be fully quantified. How does one quantify the gift of memories, personal growth, and lifelong friendships formed?
"The “Case for High School Activities” presents volumes of research and survey data that dispels myths or misconceptions that involvement in school activities may be a diversion to a quality education.
Participation the Key
Students that participate and are engaged in school programs, whether it’s athletics or any other extracurricular activity, have less truancy, lower drop-out rates, fewer disciplinary issues and better grade point averages on average than their peers that have no involvement. In 2007, the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise reported that students who took part in more vigorous sports like soccer or football performed nearly 10 percent better in math, science, English and social studies classes. Similar findings were produced by a survey in Minnesota in 2007.
It may also be undeniable that involvement in high school activities bodes well for participants after high school as well. According to researchers in a 2005 study, participation in extracurricular activities gives all students--including those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those without stellar academic accomplishments in high school--measurable improvements on college admission exam scores. Furthermore, students who compete in sports in high school were more likely than those not participating to be active in volunteering, voting, speaking publicly and being aware of current events.
Similar results were confirmed in a 2003 Journal of Adolescent Research report. It indicates high school extracurricular participation leads to fewer school drop outs, greater community involvement, greater academic achievement and a plethora of other positive outcomes. Perhaps the most important impact of participation in high school activities is the short- and long-term personal and emotional benefits that lead to making appropriate choices. According to a United States Department of Education article published in 2002, those who have no involvement in interscholastic activities are 49 percent more likely to use drugs and 37 percent more likely to become teen parents.
The volume of materials and information supporting the values and life-long lessons learned through interscholastic activities is vast. However, we must be careful not to take extracurricular opportunities for granted or underestimate the impact they have on schools and a school’s community.
Interscholastic events are one of the largest windows into what is being taught and learned in our schools. There is no doubt that great things are being learned in traditional classrooms to prepare students for life beyond school; however, access to these learning environments are far less common for those outside the school. This fact makes school activity programs–proclaimed as extensions of the traditional classroom–even more valuable.
Therefore, it is increasingly important to demonstrate to those that live, work and pay taxes in the community the value of extracurricular activities. Typically, the average cost of extracurricular programs is less than one percent of most school budgets, making them a fantastic bargain and value. "
Rugby at this time would not be considered for inclusion in the WIAA until many more teams formed and became included in schools. Inclusion is another topic for another day. What interested our office staff this morning is the idea of participating in high school athletics in general, regardless of WIAA inclusion.
The article from the WIAA excerpted below, has some compelling information on why being a member of a team has special value for high school participants. Some, maybe all, of the benefits could apply to club teams depending on the program, but the unique relationship of a school team that requires and monitors participants' grades, behavior, and health probably makes the benefits more pronounced.
It is worth noting that the value of participation by student athletes cannot be fully quantified. How does one quantify the gift of memories, personal growth, and lifelong friendships formed?
"The “Case for High School Activities” presents volumes of research and survey data that dispels myths or misconceptions that involvement in school activities may be a diversion to a quality education.
Participation the Key
Students that participate and are engaged in school programs, whether it’s athletics or any other extracurricular activity, have less truancy, lower drop-out rates, fewer disciplinary issues and better grade point averages on average than their peers that have no involvement. In 2007, the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise reported that students who took part in more vigorous sports like soccer or football performed nearly 10 percent better in math, science, English and social studies classes. Similar findings were produced by a survey in Minnesota in 2007.
It may also be undeniable that involvement in high school activities bodes well for participants after high school as well. According to researchers in a 2005 study, participation in extracurricular activities gives all students--including those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those without stellar academic accomplishments in high school--measurable improvements on college admission exam scores. Furthermore, students who compete in sports in high school were more likely than those not participating to be active in volunteering, voting, speaking publicly and being aware of current events.
Similar results were confirmed in a 2003 Journal of Adolescent Research report. It indicates high school extracurricular participation leads to fewer school drop outs, greater community involvement, greater academic achievement and a plethora of other positive outcomes. Perhaps the most important impact of participation in high school activities is the short- and long-term personal and emotional benefits that lead to making appropriate choices. According to a United States Department of Education article published in 2002, those who have no involvement in interscholastic activities are 49 percent more likely to use drugs and 37 percent more likely to become teen parents.
The volume of materials and information supporting the values and life-long lessons learned through interscholastic activities is vast. However, we must be careful not to take extracurricular opportunities for granted or underestimate the impact they have on schools and a school’s community.
Interscholastic events are one of the largest windows into what is being taught and learned in our schools. There is no doubt that great things are being learned in traditional classrooms to prepare students for life beyond school; however, access to these learning environments are far less common for those outside the school. This fact makes school activity programs–proclaimed as extensions of the traditional classroom–even more valuable.
Therefore, it is increasingly important to demonstrate to those that live, work and pay taxes in the community the value of extracurricular activities. Typically, the average cost of extracurricular programs is less than one percent of most school budgets, making them a fantastic bargain and value. "
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Wisconsin u19 Update
The Wisconsin Rugby Union's u19 girls team finished the Midwest Selectside Tournament at 1-2 two weekends ago.
WI 36 Michigan 0
Tries: Oury, Ortiz, Wiesmueller, Capelle, Mertins
WI 7 Ohio 17
Tries: Wiesmueller
WI 10 Minn 40
Tries: Mertins (2)
Indiana won their 5th consecutive title by defeating Ohio in the final.
According to head coach Will Traber, "All the girls put forth a great effort and am happy with the way Wisconsin performed with finalizing the roster one week earlier. I am looking forward for the future of U-19 and U-17 women's rugby in this state."
Team Roster
Becker, Lauren KM 8-Man/Prop
Bukvich, Sabrina Brookfield Prop/Row
Bukvich, Becca Brookfield Flanker/W/C
Capelle, Shannon KM Hooker
Capelle, Samantha KM Flanker/Back
Carrasquillo,Talia KM Flanker
Dunn, Danielle Vernon
Dunn, Samantha Vernon
Evans, Lelaina Northshore Prop/Hooker
Harvey,Katelyn Vernon Row/8-man
Hoover, Ashley Vernon Prop
Mertins, Andrea KM Flyhalf
Ortiz, Cheyenne Brookfield Fb/Wing
Porter, Marissa Vernon Flanker/P/H
Rodrigues, Beatrice KM Flank
Rozman,Taylor KM Flank/SH
Rozman,Hayley KM 8-Man/Flank/Row
Sokol, Jaimie Brookfield Prop/Row
Stich, Maggie Brookfield W/OC
Wiesmueller,Kaisee Brookfield C/Wing
Oury, Hannah KM
WI 36 Michigan 0
Tries: Oury, Ortiz, Wiesmueller, Capelle, Mertins
WI 7 Ohio 17
Tries: Wiesmueller
WI 10 Minn 40
Tries: Mertins (2)
Indiana won their 5th consecutive title by defeating Ohio in the final.
According to head coach Will Traber, "All the girls put forth a great effort and am happy with the way Wisconsin performed with finalizing the roster one week earlier. I am looking forward for the future of U-19 and U-17 women's rugby in this state."
Team Roster
Becker, Lauren KM 8-Man/Prop
Bukvich, Sabrina Brookfield Prop/Row
Bukvich, Becca Brookfield Flanker/W/C
Capelle, Shannon KM Hooker
Capelle, Samantha KM Flanker/Back
Carrasquillo,Talia KM Flanker
Dunn, Danielle Vernon
Dunn, Samantha Vernon
Evans, Lelaina Northshore Prop/Hooker
Harvey,Katelyn Vernon Row/8-man
Hoover, Ashley Vernon Prop
Mertins, Andrea KM Flyhalf
Ortiz, Cheyenne Brookfield Fb/Wing
Porter, Marissa Vernon Flanker/P/H
Rodrigues, Beatrice KM Flank
Rozman,Taylor KM Flank/SH
Rozman,Hayley KM 8-Man/Flank/Row
Sokol, Jaimie Brookfield Prop/Row
Stich, Maggie Brookfield W/OC
Wiesmueller,Kaisee Brookfield C/Wing
Oury, Hannah KM
Friday, July 1, 2011
The 29th Annual Lakefront 7's
Next weekend, Saturday July 9th is the 29th Annual Lakefront 7's on the shoreline of Lake Michigan along Lake Drive in downtown Milwaukee.
For the first time in a number of years, there won't be a bracket just for girls high school rugby. There's an 8-team boys bracket, but not enough interest from the girls teams. There are two women's brackets, so they will feature collegiate and adult club team players.
Why no girls sevens this summer?
Well, that's a tough question. Some proponents of 7's suggest it's easier to form teams and new teams in particular during a 7's season. Certainly, since you need less players, that should be easy. Plus, there are less skills and set pieces to teach since rucking, scrumming, and lineouts are all simplified in the 7's version of rugby.
With that as a given, we think there are two reasons for 7's being less attractive to recreational athletes. First, it's the summer time. That's synonymous with festival time in Milwaukee. There's music, water sports, and a million other events going on. It's vacation time and travel time. Coaches and athletes return to the rest of their lives. It's also a time for young students to work summer jobs and learn what it's like to have responsibility. In short, it's time to do all those things you can't the rest of the year in the Midwest.
The second reason, and this is purely an opinion and not the official position of WGR, is that Sevens rugby needs only one kind of athlete: A fast one. If you're not fast, it's just not going to be your game. If you're not fast, try playing in the hot summer months on a full size field with half the teammates of a regular match. Be prepared to sprint. The entire time. 15's rugby has grown so rapidly in the Midwest because the short and the tall; the fast AND the slow contribute in meaningful ways to a successful team. Every kind of athlete can find success in 15's. Now, certainly 7's can be a lot of fun. Certainly a lot of tries can be scored, quickly. But i wonder if 7's will ever be as popular as 15's. What do you think? Leave us a note .....
For the first time in a number of years, there won't be a bracket just for girls high school rugby. There's an 8-team boys bracket, but not enough interest from the girls teams. There are two women's brackets, so they will feature collegiate and adult club team players.
Why no girls sevens this summer?
Well, that's a tough question. Some proponents of 7's suggest it's easier to form teams and new teams in particular during a 7's season. Certainly, since you need less players, that should be easy. Plus, there are less skills and set pieces to teach since rucking, scrumming, and lineouts are all simplified in the 7's version of rugby.
With that as a given, we think there are two reasons for 7's being less attractive to recreational athletes. First, it's the summer time. That's synonymous with festival time in Milwaukee. There's music, water sports, and a million other events going on. It's vacation time and travel time. Coaches and athletes return to the rest of their lives. It's also a time for young students to work summer jobs and learn what it's like to have responsibility. In short, it's time to do all those things you can't the rest of the year in the Midwest.
The second reason, and this is purely an opinion and not the official position of WGR, is that Sevens rugby needs only one kind of athlete: A fast one. If you're not fast, it's just not going to be your game. If you're not fast, try playing in the hot summer months on a full size field with half the teammates of a regular match. Be prepared to sprint. The entire time. 15's rugby has grown so rapidly in the Midwest because the short and the tall; the fast AND the slow contribute in meaningful ways to a successful team. Every kind of athlete can find success in 15's. Now, certainly 7's can be a lot of fun. Certainly a lot of tries can be scored, quickly. But i wonder if 7's will ever be as popular as 15's. What do you think? Leave us a note .....
Friday, June 17, 2011
The Conferences are Set
A slow week for rugby news. The one noteable announcement from the league office is that following a productive league meeting, WGR decided to continue building its high school leagues with two divisions of play.
Division II: Oak Creek, Muskego, Northshore, Wauwatosa, Fond Du Lac, and Menomonee Falls.
A five team conference composed of top programs will compete for the State Championship and Wisconsin's two seeds to the Midwest Championships. The six remaining programs elected to vie for the Division II title.
Division I: DSHA, Kettle Moraine, Brookfield, Catholic Memorial, and Vernon
Division II: Oak Creek, Muskego, Northshore, Wauwatosa, Fond Du Lac, and Menomonee Falls.
Monday, June 13, 2011
The MVP
The National All-Star Championships were this past weekend. The Midwest Thunderbirds defeated the USA u20 team in the final 26-25, in a thrilling match.
Brittany Houston, of UWM and Vernon, earned MVP honors for her play over the course of the tournament. Our editor here thought this worth a shout out because she's the first WGR alumn to earn such recognition. Just let that sink in a little. That means she was selected as the most outstanding player out of all the all-star players at the selectside tournament. Pretty cool.
An excerpt from Rugby Magazine's match report gives readers an idea as to why she is so deserving of recognition:
"She's a field general," Rileysaid of the tournament MVP. "She had a marvelous game. Brit is about to graduate but won't be a full-time student next semester, so there's a lot of talk about where she's going to play her club rugby."
A longtime scrumhalf, she's been a widely respected player for many years now, first playing for the USA u20 team and after aging out, continuing to play selectside rugby with the Midwest.
It's also nice to see her giving back to the game, as she's an asst. coach for the Wisconsin u19 selectside, set to play this summer. Best of luck!
While rosters have been hard to find, word on the street is that CMHS alumn and Grand Valley State scrumhalf Emma Pesci was also on the Midwest all-star roster. Congrats on the championship!
Brittany Houston, of UWM and Vernon, earned MVP honors for her play over the course of the tournament. Our editor here thought this worth a shout out because she's the first WGR alumn to earn such recognition. Just let that sink in a little. That means she was selected as the most outstanding player out of all the all-star players at the selectside tournament. Pretty cool.
An excerpt from Rugby Magazine's match report gives readers an idea as to why she is so deserving of recognition:
"She's a field general," Riley
A longtime scrumhalf, she's been a widely respected player for many years now, first playing for the USA u20 team and after aging out, continuing to play selectside rugby with the Midwest.
It's also nice to see her giving back to the game, as she's an asst. coach for the Wisconsin u19 selectside, set to play this summer. Best of luck!
While rosters have been hard to find, word on the street is that CMHS alumn and Grand Valley State scrumhalf Emma Pesci was also on the Midwest all-star roster. Congrats on the championship!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Wisconsin Selects
WI Select Info
Will Traber, the Vernon coach for the last number of years has been named as the WI Girls Selectside Coach.
Here's this summer's info:
Seniors that just graduated can still tryout. If you or any of your players have anyquestions feel free to contact me. Please spread the word to all your players.
Thank you.
Will
Camp 1 - 6/11 - Vernon Town Park, Big Bend, WI
9:15-1:00 -
No Cost
Camp 2 - 6/18 - Dretzka Park, Milwaukee, WI
9:15-1:00 -
No Cost
Tournement - 6/25-6/26 -
Will travel down there on the 24th
St. Charles, Ill
Cost is still being determined but looks like very minimal.
Update 6/13: Former Vernon and UWM players Lyndsey Fickau and Brittany Houston are also on the coaching staff.
Will Traber, the Vernon coach for the last number of years has been named as the WI Girls Selectside Coach.
Here's this summer's info:
Seniors that just graduated can still tryout. If you or any of your players have anyquestions feel free to contact me. Please spread the word to all your players.
Thank you.
Will
Camp 1 - 6/11 - Vernon Town Park, Big Bend, WI
9:15-1:00 -
No Cost
Camp 2 - 6/18 - Dretzka Park, Milwaukee, WI
9:15-1:00 -
No Cost
Tournement - 6/25-6/26 -
Will travel down there on the 24th
St. Charles, Ill
Cost is still being determined but looks like very minimal.
Update 6/13: Former Vernon and UWM players Lyndsey Fickau and Brittany Houston are also on the coaching staff.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Book Review: Miracle in the Andes
Nando Parrado's nonfiction story of survival, Miracle in the Andes, was a book I'd been meaning to read for a long time. One of those I'd never found time for, until a late Easter Break and a short rugby season opened a brief window of freetime. You might be familiar with his story: a team of Uruguayan ruggers from the Old Christian Brothers Rugby Club board a plane for a tour of Chile. They never make it, crashing deep in the Andes Mountains. For 90 days they struggle to survive. A lack of food leaves them with no choice but to turn to the bodies of the dead. With no other hope, Nando and two teammates trek over the Andes to find help: no winter clothes or climbing gear ... just some rugby cleats.
I'd known that Nando Parrado had played rugby, but it wasn't until i found myself immersed in the pages of his personal story that i'd discovered how much rugby was a part of this story. Much of the first chapter is about how rugby's influence helped him survive. In a land dominated by soccer, the Christian Brothers from Ireland sent missionaries to Uruguay and brought with them rugby, insisting the boys learn the game through the mission school because in their words "no other sport taught so devoutly the importance of striving, suffering, sacrificing in the pursuit of a common goal," fundamentals inherent in living a Chrisitan life. Nando would draw on these lessons daily in the mountains.
Another great passage captures why many play and coach youth rugby. Playing with the same group of guys for eight years, Nando says: "We had grown up as teammates, drawing from each other's strengths, learning to trust one another when the pressure was on. But the game of rugby had not only shaped our friendships, it had shaped our characters, and brought us together as brothers."
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
WGR League Meeting
On June 2nd, WGR convenes its league-wide meeting at the Wauwatosa School District Offices at 7pm.
Any new teams wishing to join the conference must be present at this board meeting to petition for admission. In addition, several key agenda items including Division Realignment will be resolved for next fall. Keeping in mind that rugby is still an emerging sport, should teams elect which division they play in? Should divisions be determined by objective factors such as won/loss record, school enrollment, or how many schools and communities a club draws from? Should the goal be to eventually move all programs up to division one? Should there be a mandatory and objective promotion/relegation system?
These aren't issues unique to rugby. The WIAA continues to struggle with division and conference alignment. They regularly adjust conferences every few years as some communities have shifting school enrollments and populations. They do have a clear cut policy of division alignment based on school enrollment, but some conferences mix teams of different divisions.
While players may have finished their seasons, coaches and administrators are hard at work, year round, working together as a league to decide what's in the best interest of everyone, working to grow the game.
Any new teams wishing to join the conference must be present at this board meeting to petition for admission. In addition, several key agenda items including Division Realignment will be resolved for next fall. Keeping in mind that rugby is still an emerging sport, should teams elect which division they play in? Should divisions be determined by objective factors such as won/loss record, school enrollment, or how many schools and communities a club draws from? Should the goal be to eventually move all programs up to division one? Should there be a mandatory and objective promotion/relegation system?
These aren't issues unique to rugby. The WIAA continues to struggle with division and conference alignment. They regularly adjust conferences every few years as some communities have shifting school enrollments and populations. They do have a clear cut policy of division alignment based on school enrollment, but some conferences mix teams of different divisions.
While players may have finished their seasons, coaches and administrators are hard at work, year round, working together as a league to decide what's in the best interest of everyone, working to grow the game.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
DSHA Wins 3rd Place Championship Match
DSHA 8 Kent 7
Two of the first girls rugby programs in the USA squared off again at Nationals in the 2011 Third Place match. Adding another memorable chapter to a storied rivalry, DSHA was able to edge out Kent, as both sides completed a brutal weekend of three matches against amazingly talented and well coached teams. Between them, the two sides played Sacramento, Fallbrook, West Carroll, and Lakewood. While a little less known to us in the Midwest, one observer called West Carroll's forward pack "one of the most physical i've ever seen." Congratulations go out to DSHA for such an amazing accomplishment.
In the title game, Fallbrook defeated Sacramento 60-0.
Two of the first girls rugby programs in the USA squared off again at Nationals in the 2011 Third Place match. Adding another memorable chapter to a storied rivalry, DSHA was able to edge out Kent, as both sides completed a brutal weekend of three matches against amazingly talented and well coached teams. Between them, the two sides played Sacramento, Fallbrook, West Carroll, and Lakewood. While a little less known to us in the Midwest, one observer called West Carroll's forward pack "one of the most physical i've ever seen." Congratulations go out to DSHA for such an amazing accomplishment.
In the title game, Fallbrook defeated Sacramento 60-0.
Another challenge for rugby?
Wisconsin politics and education policy have made big headlines over the past few months. However, relatively modest proposal in 2011 Sensate Bill 95 may have unintended consequences for Wisconsin's growing high school rugby community.
This bill, among other proposed changes to education policy, would allow school districts to grant credit to student-athletes for participation in athletics if the sport is WIAA sanctioned. Over the past decade, we have successfully grown high school girls rugby programs. One challenge has always been changing the mindset of parents and players that playing for love of the game and putting rugby as your extra-curricular was as worthwhile as earning a varsity letter (with limited exceptions for those private schools that voluntarily grant varsity letters to their rugby athletes). Now will we need to convince players that rugby is a better deal than fulfilling course requirements?
Perhaps it is time that we ask, what does it take to be a WIAA sport? If anyone has connections with the state legislature, perhaps the bill can be amended? Why should the WIAA have control over a decision of whether credit should be granted versus a decision by the local school board or private school?
It is just one more potential challenge. But if we didn't enjoy tough challenges, we wouldn't play, coach, cheer for, and love rugby! B
This bill, among other proposed changes to education policy, would allow school districts to grant credit to student-athletes for participation in athletics if the sport is WIAA sanctioned. Over the past decade, we have successfully grown high school girls rugby programs. One challenge has always been changing the mindset of parents and players that playing for love of the game and putting rugby as your extra-curricular was as worthwhile as earning a varsity letter (with limited exceptions for those private schools that voluntarily grant varsity letters to their rugby athletes). Now will we need to convince players that rugby is a better deal than fulfilling course requirements?
Perhaps it is time that we ask, what does it take to be a WIAA sport? If anyone has connections with the state legislature, perhaps the bill can be amended? Why should the WIAA have control over a decision of whether credit should be granted versus a decision by the local school board or private school?
It is just one more potential challenge. But if we didn't enjoy tough challenges, we wouldn't play, coach, cheer for, and love rugby! B
Saturday, May 21, 2011
National Championship Semifinal Update
Semifinals
DSHA 0 Falbrook 19
Kent lost / Sacramento won:
Kent was up 10-0, before Sacramento came back to defend their title in tomorrow's championship
Consolation Bracket
Lakewood Sebastian River
West Carroll NYRC
DSHA 0 Falbrook 19
Kent lost / Sacramento won:
Kent was up 10-0, before Sacramento came back to defend their title in tomorrow's championship
Consolation Bracket
Lakewood Sebastian River
West Carroll NYRC
National Championship Update
No details yet, just some scores as DSHA advances to the semifinals:
Saturday May 21st
Quarterfinals:
DSHA 22 West Carroll 10
Fallbrook 18 New York RC 0
Kent 11 Lakewood 10 (OT)
Sacramento 33 Sebastian River 5
Semifinals
DSHA v Fallbrook
Kent v Sacramento
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Mauston Border Battle 2011
In a spring that has not seen great weather for rugby, teams from WI and MN met in Mauston, WI for the annual Border Battle between the two states. This is an open friendly competition where teams from the greater Milwaukee area meet at a neutral location with teams from the Twin City area.
After a 3rd place finish at Midwest, Kettle Moraine is looking to next fall and preparing for the highly competitive state competition. Said coach, Jeff Noe, "While the scores didn't reflect the way we wanted to end our season, the tournament allowed us to see multiple combinations and look at some players at different positions for future lineups next fall."
The MN teams are in the middle of their league season with three weeks before their State Championships on June 4th. They had probably the toughest time of any region getting started this spring because of the weather. Edina and Rogers are both at the top of the tier 2 bracket, while Armstrong is just behind the leaders in Tier I. Brookfield notched a nice win against Armstrong, who was Minnesota's representative to the D1 Midwest Championships two weeks ago, finishing sixth. Armstrong's season ending matchup against Wayzata could be a preview to the State Final as both teams remain undefeated
KM v Hopkins 57-7
Brookfield v Armstrong 15-5
KM v Rogers 0-25
Brookfield v Edina 32-12
KM v Armstrong 5-7
Brookfield v Hopkins 49-5
KM v Rogers 12-17
KM v Edina 34-0
After a 3rd place finish at Midwest, Kettle Moraine is looking to next fall and preparing for the highly competitive state competition. Said coach, Jeff Noe, "While the scores didn't reflect the way we wanted to end our season, the tournament allowed us to see multiple combinations and look at some players at different positions for future lineups next fall."
The MN teams are in the middle of their league season with three weeks before their State Championships on June 4th. They had probably the toughest time of any region getting started this spring because of the weather. Edina and Rogers are both at the top of the tier 2 bracket, while Armstrong is just behind the leaders in Tier I. Brookfield notched a nice win against Armstrong, who was Minnesota's representative to the D1 Midwest Championships two weeks ago, finishing sixth. Armstrong's season ending matchup against Wayzata could be a preview to the State Final as both teams remain undefeated
KM v Hopkins 57-7
Brookfield v Armstrong 15-5
KM v Rogers 0-25
Brookfield v Edina 32-12
KM v Armstrong 5-7
Brookfield v Hopkins 49-5
KM v Rogers 12-17
KM v Edina 34-0
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Championship Week 2011
"I hated every minute of training. But i said to myself, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion." Muhammad Ali
It's 'Championship Week' again. Congrats to all those who strove to be the best this year. A special note of congratulations and best wishes to DSHA as they play in the final eight this weekend at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Since they are there every year, perhaps it's taken for granted by some observers just how hard it is to be a state and regional champion, year after year, and to continue to acheive that kind of sustained excellence.
Posted below is last year's High School National Championship promo video. Enjoy the highlights; you might see a few familiar faces and teams!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Founders Cup Pictures
Some great pictures from the best and most competitive Founders Cup Match to date. It was a physical and skilled battle by two outstanding programs.
The Founder's Cup is a traveling silver trophy passed on to the victor anytime CMHS and Brookfield meet. The head coaches of Brookfield and CMH at the time were the 'founding' coaches of the first girls team in the state of Wisconsin. Finding themselves on opposite sides after starting new programs and teaching the game to other kids years later, 'The Cup' was initiated to add a little fun and tradition whenever two old friends met on the field on opposite sides.
The Cup has remained with these two programs as coaches continue to move, and the tradition has come to be represent healthy competition among young adults from two cross-town competitors. Defeats can always challenge one's emotions. The exchange of 'The Cup' after the matches is one of the more memorable moments of a season. Not because one side or the other rejoices over a vanquished foe, like you might see with trash-talking pro athletes on T.V. Rather, because as captains, players, and coaches meet eye to eye after expending all their heart and sweat, it tests the grace and good sportsmanship of those on both sides, and reminds us of what it feels like to be on either side of that hand shake.
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