U12 News Letter No 1

Under 12s 2007/8 Newsletter #1
2 September 2007

Hotline 07974 759871

Welcome back everyone, I hope you’ve all had a good summer and hope all the boys have been playing some sport to keep yourselves fit. Welcome also to any new boys who have joined the squad for their first season at SRUFC. Sadly also we have lost a couple of boys who have stayed with their football clubs, good luck to Jed and Adam.

Training during September will run from 10:30 until 12:30. Please ensure you are on-time. Boys, if you are not available please let one of the coaches know.

Membership and RFU Registration.
Please complete your annual membership forms and return to Terry with your cheques by the end of September to get your discounts. Sorry but there is no leaway this season on the end of September date should it be left in a childs’ kit bag for instance. Please help the club by paying promptly.
We also need to progress ensuring that all boys are RFU registered. There is no cost involved in this. I will provide forms to those boys whose registration cards I do not have. It is possible some of you have completed a form previously, many apologies but some were destroyed in a very wet kit bag of mine.

Web-Site
Here’s the link to our new site
http://www.u12rugby.site-online.co.uk/ & http://www.srufcminis.com/02Homepage
This site is now also to be linked to from the main SRUFC we site. From now on my newsletters will be posted on here to save me printing out lots of copies and I know some are not read….shame on you !!!. If you’d like to have something posted on the site then please contact one of the coaches or Jurgen….appropriate rugby material only !!! Thanks again to Jurgen for keeping this up-2-date.

Touchline Coaching
Rugby is a game of physical strength but also requires great mental agility and quick thinking as well. With these last couple of points in mind the coaches are asking parents not to coach from the touchline. The boys need to occasionally work out for themselves what to do.
This will allow us to see which boys need more coaching on certain key skills and where as a team we need to practice through drills and game situations other things.. Maybe there is a budding songwriter who can write a couple of Stockport chants to “up the ante” on match days.
Thank you in anticipation.

Coaches Roles
The coaches have decided to specialise a little this season so the boys know which of us is more responsible for certain aspects of the game. So…
Andy will be our Forwards coach
Keith will be our backs and Lead coach
Terry will be our fitness coach and Individual skills coach.

It would also be nice to make greater use of parents skills. If you’ve played in the past and can offer help on a regular or part-time basis please offer. Eg Steve Driscoll has offered to referee occasionally to allow the coaches more time to focus on the team.

School Rugby
Many boys will be playing rugby at school this season and with slight rule variations. If you are picked at school for a different position than you play with us then please let us know so we can try and work something out.

Mid-week training
This will continue to be on a Wednesday at the astro at Hazel Grove. Please bring a drink and a £1 to cover the cost of the court hire. Any surplus funds have been used to buy the fitness ladders and hurdles that have appeared for the training we’ve done this summer. Well done to everyone who managed to come to some of those sessions.

2007/8 Tour
We have two new volunteers to help organise this seasons tour, Rachel and Caroline. Here’s looking forward to another great tour.
Prices will be put together soon along with our venue selection. I think the plan will be to start collecting small sums on a regular basis so we have sufficient funds for deposits, so please pay promptly when asked.

Other things planned this season
We have a few ideas of other things we’d like to organise this season.
Paintballing again….my bruises from last time have just about faded.
A home Saturday fixture against a visiting team. We’d play before the first team, video the match and watch it on the screen whilst having a little food.
Parents night out. Hopefully someone will volunteer to organise another curry night or similar.
A fixture against Sean’s cousins team from Mansfield.

Parent Help
The u12’s are very fortunate with fantastic support for the boys and coaches too. However we would always welcome more formal help, another coach, more admin help, especially on match days. Please offer.
Likewise the club is always in need of help, on committees, festival organisation and many other things. If you’ve got any amount of time to spare please let someone know.

Sponsorship
Many thanks again to Steve for his generosity last season.
Boys……please wear those tops for training and especially for warming up on match days. To any newcomers, I may be able to get additional tops although there will be a charge.
Again, should anyone else fancy sponsoring the team in any way please let us know.

Health and Safety
Will all boys please ensure that they wear a gumshield for all training sessions and fixtures. The RFU have stated again that these are mandatory. Refs and coaches would be right to ask players to leave the field if they are not wearing one. Thank you.
Whilst not a problem at the moment, it is important the boys are warm during the winter months so that they can get the most out of training sessions. Please wear too much clothing and remove some if you are too warm, it’s better than being cold.

Forthcoming Fixtures
2 Sept Training & Registration
9 Sept Training
16 Sept Training
23 Sept Manchester (H)
30 Sept Training
7 Oct Stockport Mini Festival
14 Oct Manchester Festival
21 Oct Training
28 Oct Training

Contacts Keith, 0161 292 1528
Andy, 01625 872119
Terry, 0161 456 2168
Clive. 0161 355 9016