JUNIOR REPORT: Coaches meeting proved helpful

It was originally put in place to be used as a thank you from the club to all those that give up their time on a weekly basis.

But the night turned into one of in-depth discussion and long-term planning, which turned out to be incredibly useful for myself and the volunteers present as well.

As well as bringing our coaches together to strengthen their working and social relationship, it was also really useful for the coaches to discuss ideas with one another.

Collaboration often leads to development, as it opens up your mind to a different way of thinking.

Playing devil’s advocate isn’t always about being as difficult as possible, it can be used for the sake of debate or to explore the thought further.

The purpose of such a process is typically to test the quality of the original argument and identify weaknesses in its structure, using such information to either improve or abandon the original, opposing position.

I always do my best to try and hold the opposite viewpoint when planning something new or different, but this can be difficult without someone else helping you to think outside of the box.

A number of our volunteers were able to pick the brains of coaches in the age groups above them, gathering enhanced knowledge and foresight for what will test their players in the future.

I’m very confident that processes like these will ensure all of our players have the best guidance possible for future seasons.

Upon reflection, it makes me even happier that I get to work for such a fantastic club where events like this can be hosted.

Last week, the club held its first Primary Schools Tag Rugby Tournament of the season, with up to 16 schools in attendance.

This was a fantastic turnout and showed significant growth from the previous season.

The event itself was a great success, with many playing competitive rugby for the first time in their careers.

Notable strong performances came from Barrowcliffe and Northstead, who both weren’t able to attend last year’s tournaments.

Newby & Scalby also performed very well, winning their group and were also ever-present last season.

Both of these statements, as well as a significant rise in player numbers in Scarborough RUFC’s mini set up, prove the growth of mini (under-sixes to under-12s) rugby in the Scarborough area.

Schools that weren’t previously able to deliver rugby are now doing so, and those that have done in the past are able to do it sustainably and long may this continue.

On Sunday our under-13s, under-14s and under-15s, under-16s and under-17s all took to the field to compete in matches against opposition from around East Yorkshire.

Although our under-13s, under-14s and under-15s lost their respective fixtures, there were convincing wins for our older junior sides.

The under-16s put in a superb performance, going a whole match without conceding a point, scoring 58 points in the process.

Jack Smith picked up the man of the match accolade after a fine performance.

Our under-17s also put in a terrific performance gaining their first league win of the season.

The side have struggled for some consistency recently, but they have always been close to snatching victories even when not playing very well.

Things certainly clicked into place nicely for the side, with a massive morale-boosting 59-10 win.

Hopefully this will be a sign of things to come for them in their upcoming fixtures.

They have one of the most dedicated coaches I’ve ever met in Mark Fowler, and the team certainly possesses the talent required to win the league.

I hope this win will allow them to kick-on from here and have a successful campaign.

Thanks as always for reading.

Tomasz