| PLAYER DEVELOPMENT | Age Where


Weekly sessions


Playing load and type


Male: U13–U16 programmes. Female: U14–U16 programmes.


Schools, community clubs, scholarships and England Youth.


Progressive increase of 2–5 (60–90 minutes) sessions relative to player’s talent, including conditioning work.


Barchart - Till et al


type of player may fail to develop the skills required by the end of the developmental stage (16 years), and by this time his physical advantage has been eroded and the later maturer accelerates past him.


Training


We need to focus on a long-term developmental approach, rather than instant team success. Coaches should aim to provide equal opportunity in terms of game time and training activities to all players. This will go some way to ensuring that participation numbers remain healthy. Research suggests that in team sports there is a dramatic drop in participation from age 14.


There is a temptation to over play the talented players in order to achieve success. Research into England youth players has indicated that they can play as many as 70 competitive games in a year. This does not allow for recovery or preparation and leads to injury, burn out and mental fatigue.


Coaches should be mindful that technical and tactical aspects need to be worked on by all players and not allow the more physically dominant ones to rely on this alone. Regard should be given to playing position and not necessarily labelling a player with a position because of their ability as a child. This needs to be communicated by the coach to the player and the child’s parent/carer.


In 2012, the RFL undertook a series of workshops to provide clubs with knowledge and understanding to help them plan for the long term. By using the new knowledge and understanding co-ordinators and coaches can influence others in the community club setting to provide a more player-focused approach in an appropriate environment.


Opposite is a summary of the development framework and what a player is expected to be able to do and understand by the end of this developmental stage.


Tactical


35 games per year, with a maximum of 1 game per week: the highest level of playing takes priority for the talented player. Maximum game time: U13: 50 minutes U14: 60 minutes U15/U16: 70 minutes


Technical


Decision making – Multi-functional roles within the defensive cycle; create and maintain space on the inside. Handling – Play the ball in two movements; spin pass. Evasion – Swerve; hit and spin; bump and offload. Tackling – Introduction to defensive cycle: Approach; contact; finish; next action; retreat line; line-speed. Kicking – Develop and apply punt technique: targeted cross-field kicking.


Positional skills and attributes of the playing position aligned to the positional responsibilities; team principles and patterns relating to exit good ball and controlled restarts.


Movement skills


Athletic Development


Lifestyle management skills


Psychological development


Focus on learning to put (keep) the posture into the correct position so that it can always exert and withstand force.


Use varied and challenging movement, strength and speed training opportunities prior to puberty. Use it or lose it!


Parents educated in the importance of rugby – school – social – balance. Player takes increasing responsibility for rest, health and hygiene.


Development of goal-setting abilities relative to practice.


7


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16