Julie Wilson will be our netball mentor and brings many years of experience to the academy. Julie was Southland Representative Player for netball, softball and basketball. She has been a Wellington Netball Rep Coach for many years for both age groups and Senior teams and coach and player mentor for the past 10 years. Julie was the PIC national league coach throughout the 90s with many Silver Ferns playing for the team including current ANZ coaches Debbie Matoe, Gail Parata, Noeline Taurua Barnett and Julie Seymour.

Julie specialises in developing players skills required for netball, body balance, footwork, defence and attack court play and patterns.

There are still places available in our Wellington academy so email us for more information at info@nzsportsacademy.co.nz or call Alex on 0212995295

Gracias por todo Olga y extiende el agradecimiento a toda la academia!

It has been an unforgettable experience. The boys at the academy are
great and the coaches very approachable. This has helped me a lot to understand
the Maori philosophy about Rugby and how they work in the field. Is a pity that
I’ve only be for a week, even it has been a very good learning experience.
I’ve left very good friends at  Rotorua that I hope to see one day.

Raul Garcia (Coach) from Spain

Both Wellington and Rotorua academies did a 20 minute Neuro session at Jenkins Gym then went to the grounds to prepare for kick off. Before the game commenced as tradition the Wellington academy preformed  the Whanganui-a-tara haka and the Rotorua academy boys preformed the Te Arawa Haka.  It was typical Wellington weather raining and the grounds were muddy the game was entertaining between academies, with Wellington taking the lead initially the game was neck in neck with the score always within one try, Wellington lead through out until the final 5 minutes where the Rotorua academy conjured up a try and a conversion which drew the match 30 all.

 All in all it was a very high quality game the skill level of the players was also at a high level . Players from both sides who stood out in particular were:   Murphy MacCormick (Wellington) Va’a Asomua ( Wellington), Petara Rikiriki ( Wellington), Te Amo Wilbore( Rotorua) Te Haata Wilbroe ( Rotorua) Joe Va’atuitui ( Rotorua), Jaya Vahua ( Rotorua).

1: Be prepared, be professional

With only six days before the first game for a team that had never previously played together it was important to be prepared, professional, effective and efficient.

Every one of the six days and beyond was planned so I knew what was happening, and, more importantly, the players knew exactly what was happening to them.

And we want to treat the players as professionals – this meant that the players only needed to think about training and playing.

All their kit and equipment needs were provided for so there was no waiting around or setting up. Objectives and targets were clearly defined before every session.

This level of readiness can be translated into every level of club and team training. Time with a team is always limited. With players, coaches and equipment organised, we could maximise this time together.

2: One thought, one practice

One of my golden rules in coaching is not to overload the players, whatever  the level. Each practice concentrated on one aspect of the game, whether it be restarts, defence or back row moves.

3: Set piece – the whole team

We had one very physical scrummaging session, and lineout moves were practiced in the players own time, under my guidance. Otherwise, set piece was practiced as a whole team during training time. When the whole team is together, I like them to run together and get to know more about each other. The US Falcons was a scratch team – many had only played against each other, and rarely together.

At club and school level, I would suggest a similar pattern. The backs and forwards should rarely “split” in the guts of a training session, but practice their moves on either end of the practice or meet separately.

4:My first meeting – get the environment right

When I met the players for the first time, I set out my philosophy. Those who have been regular readers will know how much I emphasise getting the environment right. A positive environment allows players to express themselves. I asked them to enjoy their rugby, have fun and trust in each other ( and me! )

5: Train hard, recover twice as hard

A team should be professional not just before and during training, but after as well. We had to play a game at the end of the week and we needed everyone to be fit. Therefore we made sure there were good facilities to aid the recovery process. Warm downs were followed by contrast baths ( hot and cold), stretching and work with the medical team.

Showers, stretching and proper hydration and diet can be carried out by all teams. If players are feeling stiff the next day, then the coach has to reappraise their systems.

Summary:

• Treat the players as professional – and be professional yourself.
• Don’t jam too much into one practice.
• When the whole team is together, practice together – leave set piece to the beginning and end of the practice.
• Get the environment right first – enjoyment, trust and positive.
• Recovery is vital – spend as much time as possible on this area.

Jim Love

All four academies will be coming to Rotorua on the 24th May for a tournament.

 All are welcome to come to the Rotorua International Stadium to watch some great rugby and league games.