Rugby Ohio in a new year

First, welcome back to our blog! This will be the online home to keep everyone updated, pass on information and share news. Please feel free to submit items you would like shared!

Now onto the business of the day...

High School Rugby 2009:
- Our spring seasons have been turned in and we are moving forward on assigning Trainers and Referees.

- We have a few exciting new teams starting this spring, including Cincinnati Moeller High School, which has already received Varsity status in the school with a full coaching staff, access to school fields and resources. This will be a banner program right out of the gate, and a great catalyst for growth in the Cincinnati Area.


- Recently in the Cincinnati Area we have found 4 or 5 interested coaches. They are looking to start a few programs down there in Fairfield, on the East side, Northern Kentucky and Lexington. This is exciting for the area and these new teams will only be the start.

- Cleveland. Right now it looks like there are 10+ teams starting in the Cleveland area this year. I anticipate 5 new Guys teams and 3 new girls teams to actually make it and play this spring. There will be a division in the league specifically for new and developing teams to help them get acclimated and grow.

- Columbus. Growth has been slow here, but we are fixing some of the issues preventing the growth. Delaware is promising, Grove City is there but im not sure the viability of it. For the women it looks like we will have Worthington and Hilliard up and moving this spring. We need coaches in the Columbus area!

- Coaching Clinic – was a wild success and we put a bunch of coaches through the training. It was underwritten by the Ohio Youth foundation and Tom Mack and the Ohio classic folks. They put $100 toward each coach attending.


RugbyOhio Business:
- I am meeting Friday with the group about fundraising. The meeting Friday is to get everything finalized and moving. This will be a tough year to ask for money but we have to push forward. I have a call into Barack asking him to write us into the stimulus bill, we will see how it turns out.

- We are working on office space for RugbyOhio. This will work as a hub for the organization, a central location used to launch our programming, storage for all the boxes currently in my basement and a place to house staff. This is not a lavish space, but will allow work to get done in a professional office environment when needed.

- I am meeting with the Pickerington Local School district, the Southwestern Schools, Strongsville Schools, and a charter school chain called KIPP schools to implement Rugby physical education curriculum. Nearly every week we gain access to a new school to implement rugby through physical education.

Together in Rugby