 |
||
UNITED STATES QUAD RUGBY ASSOCIATION
Related Pages |
In ten short years, Quad Rugby in the United States has grown by leaps and bounds. Quite remarkable for a segment of the disability population that had been left out of competitive team sports activity. What did quads do before Rugby surfaced in the early 80's? Some high functioning quads came off the bench in wheelchair basketball games only to play against more functional pares and amputees. It wasn't until the late 1980's that quads could showcase their athletic abilities in a team sport against other quads. In 1988, six rugby teams managed to unite for the first national tournament. Five years later, at the 1992 National USQRA Tournament, Terry Vinyard pitched the idea of grass roots instructional clinics to the Paralyzed Veterans of America Sports Coordinator at the rime, Andy Fleming. Fleming was tentative, at first. But after watching his first USQRA National Tournament he was sold on the fact that the sport was here to stay. By the summer of 1993, the USQRA and PVA began holding clinics in three under-served areas in the United States. These grass roots clinics assisted in the development of teams in ten different states and Puerto Rico. In 1996, the USQRA/PVA clinics evolved into a dual curriculum for both advanced and novice players by providing advanced instruction at a grass roots clinic. On the first day of the clinic, the experienced players went through advanced drills, tactics and training while the new players were simultaneously learning the basic fundamentals. The novices then joined the advanced players as they got into the more intricate parts of the game on the second day. By the summer of 1997, players in the sport were hungry for advanced curriculum and the USQRA was ready to provide it. The PVA made it all possible by sponsoring top coaches to develop curriculum for the first, full-fledged advanced clinic. With a little advanced promotion, the clinic filled up quickly. Over thirty participants representing eight teams attended the inaugural clinic. Also noteworthy were two International players. Curtis Palmer of New Zealand's Paralympic team comparing the clinic to Rugby in New Zealand, "I'm envious. We are not as organized and here it's a different style for me to learn. Along with the knowledge-seeking players were three coaches and four referees. The referees were able to participate in their own instructional clinic that was held in conjunction with the player's clinic. Lisa Peterson of Fort Collins, Colorado was the clinic's only female. She described the clinic this way, "Awesome. I've been lost at practices at home, but here I'm finding out the purpose for everything. Last night I dreamed about the plays we learned yesterday." Rick Bradshaw, a .5 player from Utah, called the clinic "A hardcore workout." He valued getting instruction from top coaches and playing with a different mix of players. Local organizer, Dave Riske, expressing his views on the clinic, "It was highly valuable. I recommend it for anyone who wants to improve their Rugby game. Even though the clinic was advanced, our four new players benefited." Currently the USQRA/PVA are planning on hosting a national camp similar to the PVA Basketball camps. They are currently looking for a sight and local organizer to host the week long camp and hope to have a sight located by January 1998. Clinic instructor Terry Vinyard states, "We should have all of our curriculum polished and ready to go to print by then. Eventually, we will have it in manual form which will assist players and coaches for years to come." USQRA President Ed Suhr feels that this will assist in increasing leadership in our sport while developing the talent pool. National Camp information and future clinics will be listed on the USQRA internet site @ www.quadrugby.com and advertised in Sports 'n Spokes magazine. For information on bringing an instructional clinic to your area or hosting a National camp contact Terry Vinyard @ (813) 251-7712 or PVA Sports and Recreation @ (800) 424-8200. The preceding article was contributed by Quad Rugby Today
|
|
How to Contact us | Quad Rugby Central Index Home Page | Rugby Calendar | Sports Page | Score Board | USQRA Zone | Files |
||
