Dr. Victor Lopez Jr, and Dr. Richard Ma, board members of the Rugby Research and Injury Prevention Group, affiliated with Hospital for Special Surgery, SPRINZ/Auckland University of Technology, Research Associates, and members of the Rugby Codes Research Group will be presenting for the first-year, with our attendance, topics relevant to the growth of rugby in the Americas, which may have implications globally.

We will be discussing our Hospital for Special Surgery’s, AUT/SPRINZ rugby-codes on-going project, on the USA North American Rugby-7s RISERugby injury surveillance project and its injury preventive-potential data.

Since 2010, Dr. Lopez, Dr. Ma, and team et al have presented at many conferences ACSM, AOSSM, BASES, ISAKOS, SMA and the renown IOC Conference. Our team will present inaugurally at the USA Rugby National Development Summit, in the beautiful city of Houston Texas.

The USA Rugby 2019 National Development Summit

The USA Rugby National Development Summit (NDS) has found a home for 2019 in Houston, Texas. The annual conference will run from January 11-13 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel near Reliant-Medical. Early Bird Registration is open now.

NDS is now in its 13TH YEAR and as it continues to be an integral part of the USA Rugby calendar, the entirety of the American rugby community is encouraged to attend with increased activation coming this year. After being held in Baltimore, San Francisco and Denver in recent years, NDS will now move to a historic American rugby town in Houston.

Houston has been on the forefront of the American rugby landscape in recent years, between hosting the USA Men’s Eagles victory over Scotland, the Houston SaberCats MLR franchise, countless club, and college teams and a thriving youth rugby scene; the southern mecca is widely recognized as a focused hub for the sport.

“Without a doubt, we’re thrilled to land in Houston this year,” said NDS Manager with USA Rugby, Alicia Allen, “The city has been good to rugby so we’re incredibly happy to experience the same hospitality this January.”

Over the years, NDS has brought in some of the best rugby minds from around the world to impart their knowledge on those in attendance. For the third consecutive year “High Performance Friday” will be used to kick off the summit’s festivities. In the past, speakers have included Michael Chieka, Emilie Bydwell, Mike Friday, and Phaidra Knight. It also attracts some of the best players in the world including Ryan Carlyle, Alev Kelter, and a panel of players from the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup team.

As popularity continues to grow from year to year, NDS has seen over 1,000 attendees walk through its doors in the past two years. The Call for Proposals is currently open, allowing members and influencers from around the community to submit their proposal for hosting a seminar or presentation.

By Mr Angus Bishop Sept 13, 2018

Submit Proposal

The 2019 National Development Summit will look to build attendees knowledge on community growth, diversity, and development at all levels of the game. It also provides great networking opportunities for coaches, administrators, referees, and players to swap knowledge on a host of topics. It also provides sponsors and exhibitors with a chance to connect and grow their business and get in front of the rugby community.

Read more at https://www.usarugby.org/2018/09/houston-tx-to-host-2019-national-development-summit/

SNEAK PEEK INTO 7 NDS SESSIONS HAPPENING THIS JANUARY

Ashley Brooks   December 6, 2018

The 2019 National Development Summit brings best practices in rugby development for all coaches, referees, administrators, and players around the country. This can’t-miss seminar is sure to be one of the best events of the year with sessions and clinics from the country’s top experts! But don’t just take our word for it – below is an in-depth look into 7 sessions that will be offered in Houston, TX on January 11- 13th, 2019.

The current 2019 NDS agenda can be found HERE.

Referee, Player and Coach Welfare. Is it Everyone’s Responsibility?
Presented by Katie Wurst

Katie Wurst is the Director of Rugby at Queens University of Charlotte. During her presentations, Katie will explore the idea that coach and referee welfare is often overlooked and that it is paramount to long-term success in rugby. Participants will also look into practical ways to ensure a healthier environment for themselves and others around them.

Developing a Process for Using the Ball Most Effectively. 
Presented by Greg McWilliams

Greg McWilliams is the Assistant Coach with the USA Men’s National Team as well as the Director of Rugby at Yale University.  His valuable workshop will take attendees through an interactive session that explores how coaches can create an environment that promotes “using the ball most effectively.” In doing so, participants will be able to identify the relationship between decision making under pressure and skill execution.

Referee Recruiting and Development 
Presented by Lee Bryant

Lee Bryant is a USA Rugby National Panel Referee and holds a certification as a World Rugby Educator. Lee will be leading a discussion on the barriers of recruiting new referees and what some societies are doing around the county to combat these issues. Additionally, Lee will cover data collection and analysis tools, as well as behavior theory, that will prove to be beneficial for improving and recruiting new referees.

Is Jujistu and Other Training a fit as a Supplement to Your Rugby Training
Presented by John Diedenhofen

John Diedenhofen holds a black belt (faixa preta) in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has earned USA Rugby L200 Coach certification, and participated in the National Team Shadow Program. During his session, attendees will hear about the value of incorporating Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and other grappling exercises into a rugby training program to increase efficacy in the tackle area (i.e., tackle completion rates), breakdowns/rucks (e.g., quickly returning to feet for reengagement), and more.

image: https://cdn-img.usarugby.org/2018/12/unspecified-9.jpg

Analysis on a Budget 
Presented by Jimmy Harrison

Jimmy Harrison is the USA Rugby Men’s National Team Performance Analyst. He will discuss affordable ways to capture and analyze match and training footage. This will include a brief review of the importance of performance analysis, as well as, different methods to produce a proper analysis. Attendees will leave this session with an understanding of best practices for filming training and matches to optimize learning all while keeping with a budget.

Rugby Injury and Research Group 
Presented by Dr. Richard Ma and Dr. Victor Lopez Jr.

Dr. Richard Ma and Dr. Victor Lopez Jr. have extensive knowledge within orthopedic sports medicine and injury prevention. Together, the two will discuss injury risks among Rugby-7 participants in the U.S., including incidence, nature, and mechanism of injuries.  Furthermore, attendees will dive into the culture of rugby injury surveillance and research in other established Rugby nations, review injury trends among different U.S. amateur levels of Rugby-7 competitions, and discuss ideas on how to incorporate injury surveillance into the U.S. Rugby culture in order to promote player welfare and safety.

Player Welfare and Your Responsibility 
Presented by Karen Fong-Donoghue

Karen Fong-Donoghue is a trained facilitator within the “MBF Athlete Safety Matters” curriculum as well as Safe Sport trainings. Attendees will walk away from this presentation with a better understanding on recognizing, reporting and preventing child abuse and neglect, and other real-world safety concerns for young athletes such as cyberbullying. Additionally, attendees will learn how to implement discussions and education with their team to empower players to keep themselves safe and create an overall culture of safety.

Read more at https://www.usarugby.org/2018/12/sneak-peek-into-7-nds-sessions-happening-this-january/

USA Rugby National Development Summit.Agenda.12.30.18 updated topic