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Reeds Under 5’s is a perfect introduction to the world of rugby, teaching team spirit and personal success in a safe and very active environment.  Our approach will help children to grow confidence in their own abilities, give them core practical skills and to encourage them to enjoy sport more.

While the Under 5’s participate in a non-competitive environment, we encourage each child to strive to perform to the best of their ability. The coaches reward individual and group success with consistent coaching, praise and encouragement.

Our coaches are volunteer parents who often participate in the club development courses run by or in conjunction with the RFU.  Each coach is CRB checked in accordance with strict club policy. All the U6 coaches  ( Alex, Paul, Gavin and Aaron ) have sons in this age group and coached last year in the U5’s setup .

Our players typically join Reed’s from Reception age and we are fairly unique in the area in catering for this level. Younger players are also welcome but parents should be aware that the very young can sometimes struggle with the energy, discipline and concentration needed for some games.   During an hour's coaching session we complete a variety of rugby skills and games, keeping it interesting, fun and varied. 

We build up the players skill level throughout the season so that by the end of the rugby playing year each child has advanced in their own capability and therefore confident to move up and onto the next level of coaching (age permitting). 

We actively encourage parents to get involved with the club and the training sessions by providing support and encouragement to both the players and coaches.  We are proud of the fact that so many parents choose to stay with us and contribute from the Under 5's – Under 15's. This involved attitude from the parents gives our club a community feel which is not always present at other clubs where coaching begins in an older age bracket. 

U6’s is a transition year with the players working towards their first tournaments at the end if the season ( for those eligible under RFU ruling) .This transition will see us move from the playground style activities at U5 to more structured game and team activities

• Warm Up: The players are taken through stretches and warm up exercises. These exercises are planned to loosen up and gently raise the players energy level. 
• Skills Session: Building on the tag games of last year the players will participate in a combination of drills and games that reinforce the general principles of tag rugby .
• Group Games: As a fun end to the coaching session all the players take part in a group game which provides them the opportunity to release even more energy and for the team to bond.
• Wash up: At the end of every coaching session all the players are brought together to praise them for their effort and contribution. The Coach will award boomerang trophies to the players of the week, and the group are asked to thank the coaches for their efforts

Parents please can you familiarise yourself with the game of tag rugby as whilst our focus as always in on having fun we are also starting down the road of developing real game skills. On the park the coaches will encourage and direct but a knowledgeable comment from Mum or Dad after the game is far more important.

We have some difficult  skills for them to learn this year but here are our top 3 .

• Getting behind the ball  - Sounds simple but when you have 7  or more players in a line passing the ball this can be challenging.
• Communication  - All the “to me” of last year will begin to make sense
• Non contact  - The players are that bit bigger this year and later in the year we will have them running at each other as attack and defence, body position and focus on the tag will be critical.

As the year progresses and we focus more on skill and teamwork we will start forming squads,  this is always a tricky stage as our intention is to ensure that everyone is included and provided with a chance to develop. It is not streaming and no ability ranking will be assigned  ( we will probably use animal names etc to avoid the A,B, C model) .  One group will be the older players that are eligible to play in a tournament at the end of the year but this will be the only mandated group.  We ask our parents support in this, if your child is not enjoying the group they are in or the coach they have please let us know  ( They can’t all play for Alex though J ).

Sessions start at 09:30 , please can we register promptly 09:15) as we want to start no later then 09:45 , sessions will run for one and a half hours this year.

We play in all conditions unless extreme weather is forecast or the pitch is considered unsuitable (check the web site for bulletins of this nature).  Remember that children at this age usually still need one more layer than you to keep warm, even when they spend their time running around at high speed! A good breakfast is a good idea to maintain energy levels. We provide water to keep hydration levels up.  (Parents, there are also coffee and bacon rolls for sale at the club house to keep your energy levels up too!)

Keeping your child warm and dry is paramount and sensible trainers are a must.  If you want to get your child rugby boots make sure that there is no leading stud or blade on these boots. Despite the no-contact rule at this age it is not always possible for an Under 6 to stop in time! There is no mandatory kit at this age however we do wear the Reeds team strip with pride and are recognised as an important part of the club identity and future.

We believe that teaching all our club players the core rugby values of respect, discipline and sportsmanship is vital to a successful future club. Our coaches will set the tone on the field of play but rely on the parents in terms of reinforcement.

Please note that it is Club policy that no child should be left at the Club without a responsible adult in attendance. We ask parents to be aware of what their child is doing during a session and support us in teaching the right behaviours on and off the field, before and after sessions.

Registration opens at 9:15 am each Sunday and kick-off is at 09:30  am, until 11:30 am.  We look forward to seeing you there!

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