TOKYO AMERICAN CLUB YOUTH RUGBY PROGRAM, Fall 2016 - Class 4 Report
Sunday Oct. 2nd
6-9 years - 11:00-12:00
10-12 years 12:00-13:00
The number of kids is slowly getting better each week. I hope this continues because it will allow us to practice more team play.
In the lower age group "team play" is a big thing I want to help them start to understand. The kids, particularly the youngest (6 year olds) are not yet capable of understanding what they need to do to make a team activity successful. I want to help them develop this ability and also to listen and understand the rules/instructions.
This week I started the 6-9 year old class by reminding them of the 2 big things that I want them to try to remember about:
- LISTEN
To play any game you need to know the rules, to know the rules you have to LISTEN!
- TEAMWORK
To be part of team you have to cooperate - work as a team. Stay ready and do your part, don't stop thinking about the game when it seems its not your turn to be doing something!
These were the 2 things that last week I asked them to remember and they did. Some of them will still need much more time to really understand how to do these things effectively though, so I have to remember to be patient with them!
I tried a very simple version of a running and passing exercise with the kids working as one team of 5, passing the ball don the line as they run. At this age the kids are naturally selfish and some hold onto the ball when they get it instead of working as a team and passing it. Some throw the ball high into the air instead of passing it so their team mate can easily catch it. Some, even when I have checked they have listened and understood the instructions, will decide to do something different. It took about 20 minutes to get the ball passed along the line once, and the kids to all to turn around and do the same back the other way.
If I want to do structured activities like this I need to find a better way of getting the kids to buy into it. Otherwise it takes too long, the kids get bored and frustrated.
I changed plan after this and we did a 1 on 1 channel race that I knew the kids would be more excited by. This changed the mood of the class and the kids really enjoyed themselves from this point. Even so, some still decided to do their own thing several times.
In the more game like team Att. V Coach DF touch rugby activity the kids without the ball are naturally inclined to get in front of the ball carrier and "block" in between the person with the ball and me as the defender. I need to think about ways gradually breaking this habit.
In the 8 -10 year old class, there is a very big difference in the level of understanding of team play. They were able to practice attacking as a line and I was able to gradually add in several different factors for them to think about at a time: Straight running, pass timing, good speed and pass/catch technique.
I tried to introduce a 3 on 2 drill where there is always 1 attacker in space and the ball carrier has to react and make the correct decision. This difficult with the small number of people in this class and didn't work well. I'll have to rethink it.
6-9 years
- Team Run Pass
- 1 on 1 Channel Race
- Team Att. V Coach DF (different player starts with ball each time)
8-10 years
- 3 person Attack Line Run & Pass
- 3 on 2 (DF Coach + Marker) Attack the Space
- 3 x 3 on 1 Attack - Attack as a 3 on 1 3 times, different player starts with ball each time
Coach: Roy