American Pro Rugby Training Center Post Camp Press Release

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New American Rugby Pro Training Center Hosts Successful High Performance Women’s Rugby 7s Camp in Little Rock, Arkansas

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Little Rock, AR: Under brutal 100-degree August heat last weekend, former USA Rugby National 7s Team Head Coach, Jules McCoy, successfully launched American Rugby Pro Training Center with an inaugural high performance camp for Women’s Rugby 7s Olympic hopefuls in training.

“My 4 days at the ARPTC in Little Rock was the best rugby training experience I've had in all of my 5 years as a player. The coaches were so knowledgeable and broke even the most complex ideas down into simple drills that built on each other…Not to mention meeting and instantly connecting with 32 other elite athletes who all share the same dreams as I do. The camp was nothing short of amazing,” said University of California-Berkeley Women’s Rugby Team Captain, Lauren Butler.

Camp attendee Abby Gustaitis shared, “We trained in 100-degree weather from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and I would do it all over again. This was an incredible camp that emphasized the general principles of offense and defense in rugby sevens then allowed us to build on the basics and unite as teams in scrimmages. This 4-day camp allowed us to be in the high performance environment and live as elite athletes including training, eating and playing as such. The camp elevated my game in this short period of time and I'm excited to work with ARPTC in the future to continue to be the best rugby player I can be.”

With a rap sheet of impressive staff and support, including current Women’s National 7s Team Head Coach Ric Suggitt and the “Grandfather of Women’s Rugby 7s” himself, Emil Signes, the ARPTC created an ideal learning environment focused on elite performance and improvement. Highlights of the camp included wrestling matches to teach leverage and leg power in the tackle, “rugby basketball” to reinforce offensive and defensive principles, and a Fantasy Rugby Team Coaches Draft that resulted in a day-long tournament and all close scores.

“The intensity and improvement over the 4 days was brilliant,” remarked Coach McCoy. “And wow, was I impressed by some of the youngsters out there. Grace Flowers from Broken Arrow, OK, at just 16 years of age, showed adult-level, textbook tackling just 3-4 months after collarbone surgery! And 20 year-old Lauren Butler, of ICEF Rugby used impressive running, support and finishing lines, while Cynthia Wright (Furies) and Jessica Turner (Berkeley) were able to role model what hard work in the gym can do for passing, tackling and change of direction.”

With several rugby pitches on site, local government and business support and a fully equipped gym, the ARPTC training center (also a designated Tiger and Atlantis Rugby facility) located at the Greater Little Rock Rugby Complex is perfect for hosting elite level men’s and women’s rugby players and tournaments.

The ARPTC environment energized even the guest coaching staff. "The atmosphere at the ARPTC was electric. You had high-level players working with other high-level players and top coaches learning from one another to produce nothing short of a rugby euphoria. The chance to work alongside such great coaches was an invaluable learning experience,” said guest coach and observer, Billy Nicholas.

Moving forward, Coach McCoy and her staff plan to negotiate contracts for part-time and full-time residencies, including several scholarships, with target number of 15-20 contracted adult players by January 2015. They will likely hold another camp in December with a similar format for women, and then begin a series of men's camps starting in early 2015. The target audience for summer contracts will include high school and college players, both male and female.

All rugby coaches are asked to contact Coach McCoy directly should they identify promising young rugby talent they feel should be included in future camps. Select elite athletes will be given opportunities to try out and become a part of the development program, as well as become eligible for Atlantis and Tiger tours going forward.

For more information on American Rugby Pro Training Center, contact Head Coach, Jules McCoy at julesmccoy@sbcglobal.net. 

Camp Staff:
Head Coach/Director: Julie McCoy

Camp Director/Asst Coach: Ellie Karvoski

Team Manager(s): Breean Walas/Jen Shields

Strength/Conditioning Coach: Sean Ross

Atlantis Staff Coaches: Emil Signes, Dana Creager

Apex/Tiger/Atlantis Staff Coach: Karl Barth

Guest Coach/Observers: Billy Nicholas/Liz Entwhistle

In Attendance: Coach Ric Suggitt and Leah Berard, Referee

Camp Participants:

Jaime	Albarelli
Stephanie "Parma"	Bowers
Bianca	Bradley-Rael
Lauren	Butler
Cynthia	Campbell
Chloe	Chiasson
Elena	Clark
Rhiannon	Clark
Elisabeth Grace	Flowers
Megan	Foster
Kaylan	Gambill
Hannah	Gauthreaux
Stephanie	Goetz
Hunter	Griendling
Abby	Gustaitis
Jennifer	Harig
Corinne	Heavner
Ariel	Johnson
Augusta	Maguire
Bulou	Mataitoga
Bulou	Mataitoga
Amy Talei	Naber
Maggie	Olney
Ashley	Perry
Neariah	Persinger
Tracy Kaleikehaulani	Poch
Jinnie	Pratt
Brie	Rahrig
Lauren	Rhode
Katy	Stewart
Jessica Anne	Turner
Lea	Walsh
Nia	Williams
Cynthia	Wright
Denisse	Zambon
Josie	Ziluca