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Chadwick Talks NE Academy Expansion

  • 19 Jan 2021
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There are two National Development Programs (NDPs) physically rooted in the Northeast: the long-established Northeast Academy (NEA) and the MLR-aligned Free Jacks Academy. The two are structured differently and in different stages of development, with some overlap in geography, but ultimately they offer options that cater to a larger cast of aspiring rugby players in the region.

The Northeast Academy was established in 2013 and has been part of USA Rugby’s pathway since the Olympic Development Academy and National Development Academy days. The organization focuses on local talent – i.e., doesn’t pool players from across the country – and builds its calendar around domestic competitions. The Wolfpack has been most prominent at the senior 7s level – playing international tournaments in Las Vegas, Barbados, Spain and more – but focus continues to evolve with the new NDP status.

“There’s a deeper focus on the younger age group,” NEA Executive Director Ryszard Chadwick said. “The instruction from [USA Rugby Women’s High Performance General Manager] Emilie [Bydwell] is we’re looking for players who could compete at the LA 2028 Games. So for us, it’s how can we find them younger and younger?”

High schoolers train in NEA’s three hubs – New York City, Boston and New Haven, Conn. – and the academy has fielded teams in international tournaments like the New York 7s. But a deeper dive into the age group is the goal.

“We’ve had a good high school program, especially in the Boston area,” Chadwick said. “Engagement was really starting to pick up with people Devin DiGiovanni, our Community Development Director, stepping up. There’s also been more outreach into the smaller colleges, where maybe we haven’t looked before because a high schooler looking to play in college might be looking at the varsity schools. We’re looking to really broaden our outreach to find that diamond in the rough.”

DiGiovanni is the head coach of the Bentley University women’s team and also the commissioner of the Rugby Northeast conference. Chadwick also praised the work of influential figures like T Fletcher, Director of Rugby at American International College, who is also developing programming for NEA and involved with the Free Jacks Junior Academy. They’ve been incredibly valuable as the NDP continues to expand.

“We’re not focused completely on 7s now,” Chadwick added. “Our big thing now is: How can we develop anyone who wants to develop into a next-level rugby player?

“Previously, we’ve had a couple of front row or tight five players come to Northeast practices, but we had to almost turn them away because we were focused on 7s,” he continued. “We want to completely supplement the clubs – up-skill them to improve the community and quality of rugby – but also find those who have the potential to play for the Eagle 15s team, but needs extra reps or more skill sets.”

There’s a big focus on discovering talent, and Chadwick explained that, once rugby is fully operational again, the NEA will be investing more into crossover athletes as well. The American Rugby Pro Training Center (ARPTC) could certainly help in that growth process. Chadwick is the program director for the Little Rock, Ark.-based facility, which is the only fulltime NDP focusing solely on girls and women. ARPTC has been the unofficial incubator of crossover athletes with USA 7s potential. Kelly Smith and Lindsey Mayo are just two examples of crossovers who both spent time as USA 7s residents before continuing the Daily Training Environment in Arkansas.

“My role with ARPTC also means that we have a very solid connection with Jules [McCoy],” Chadwick said of ARPTC founder and former USA Women’s 7s head coach. “We want to combine so if I have a player who draws interest during a Northeast combine, then I might invite her to ARPTC to train. We’ve done that already with a couple Northeast players who went to ARPTC’s residency games at the end of the fall.”

The NEA held a combine in fall 2020 but Covid-19 has canceled a lot of in-person activity. But the NDP has certainly not been idle and has built a schedule for the near future.

“We’ve done a lot of work [during Covid-19], more so with the men this year because they were more willing to take risks, I think,” Chadwick said. “We opened the door for training sessions with the women, but it wasn’t something they wanted to do because of the safety element – and that’s understandable with not being able to travel out of state, etc. We’re starting to see more women’s participation now, and spent the rest of the time working on team culture and bringing in women’s coaches who can run a program from a female perspective.”

There’s another combine in the works, as well as a Rugby 101 program for newcomers and crossovers. Traditionally, the NEA is less prominent during the high school, college and club seasons, but Chadwick explained that the NDP could be a unique option for those whose competitions have been suspended this spring.

“With everything that’s going on, we can still be safe and provide a product to play and enjoy rugby,” Chadwick said. “There’s a lot of fear around leadership, but you can still implement safe practices during these times. ARPTC showed as much and the men’s side of the Northeast Academy has, too. But we’re not forcing anyone to do anything.”

In addition to his work with the NEA and ARPTC, Chadwick will also be returning to the Women’s Premier League and serve as head coach of the New York Rugby Club. The WPL has an optimistic timeline for a spring 15s season, with a final decision being made by March 1. With the post at NYRC, Chadwick is operating in much of the girls and women’s pathway, with plenty of more space in which to expand.

UP NEXT: New England Free Jack Academy’s Tom Kindley

Article Categories:
COLLEGE · HIGH SCHOOL · SR CLUB · USA

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