What does that mean? If you ask any successful athlete or scientist or mathematician or any professional what had the biggest impact on their success, they all say it is practice. The key with practice is to put the effort in. That does not mean just showing up and going through the motions of practice.…
Coach’s Corner
How should athletes act? Do we care? What do we tell kids?
I am sure you have all heard, seen, discussed the actions of one of the players from the Seattle Seahawks after their playoff win. The first question I asked myself was, “Who cares?” Seriously, why was it such a shock and a big story that immediately following a very rough, emotional game, one player acted…
Practice: Does it matter?
We always hear the story, practice makes perfect. Or the old joke, “how do you get to Carnegie Hall?” The reply is “practice.” What about attendance? I always liked the saying, “Half of life is just showing up!” So I decided to do a little experiment this year and take attendance of the U13 and…
Job of coaches is to be role model to kids, not teach worst kinds of behavior
This column has to do with the U15 game on April 28 and the acts/language of the other team and their coaches. I guess the rest of the world has come to Pelham Rugby. Over the years, I have done my best to shield the program and the kids from things that have become all…
Is a coach’s style of play important? Or is it more about substance?
Coaching wise, it’s been an interesting month. With the NBA season in full swing, the NFL season ending and the NHL back, there has been a lot of talk about coaches, coaches’ styles of play and their philosophies. I have read/heard much talk asking, “What style of play does that coach institute?” As one radio-talk…
End of year wrap-up: Now is the time to set goals
After every season, it’s good to take a few minutes and look back to think what could I have done better, what went well, what didn’t. And where am I going? Standing still is, in essence, going backwards. You must strive to improve everyday, every season, every year. In order to do so, you must…
Winning, is it an attitude?
This month’s article is on winning. Is winning something that is purely about performance on the field and ability? Or is it more about the total package? By total package, I mean, is there an intangible that some teams have and some don’t? What is an intangible? How does one get it? How does one lose it?…
Basics of rugby: ball handling, protecting possession and defending
Coach Persanis provides timely pre-season tips on ball handling, protecting possession and defense. With the ball: Carry it in two hands so the defense doesn’t know what you will be doing. Bring the defender to you and then pass. Pass to where your teammate will be, not where they are. Stay low! Run straight (don’t…
Stiff arm, or the fend, good to use to avoid being tackled; here’s how to do it
The stiff arm, or “fend” as it is known around the world, is a very good tool to have to avoid being tackled. The whole idea of the stiff arm is to create space between the tackler and the ball carrier. When teaching tackling, we always emphasize being close when you make contact and driving…
Winning, is it all the same?
This past weekend I experienced the rare occurrence of winning two leagues on back-to-back days. On Saturday, I was in Seattle with the New York Athletic Club’s rugby team—I am assistant coach—winning the U.S. Super League Final, which is the national championship. On Sunday, I was back in Pelham as coach of our seventh-eighth grade team as…