Hopkins won the 7s and 15s state titles. /// Photo courtesy Kim Ruckdaschel-Haley
A few days after Minnesota Youth Rugby (MYR) hosted 30 state championship games, executive director Sean Lindersmith was still recovering. In had been four months since the former USA Rugby Men’s National Team manager had arrived in Minnesota, and as he scratched one to-do off the list, a series of action items took its place. But there’s no sense of exhaustion in Lindersmith, as he reflects on lessons learned and near-future goals, because the potential of the youth game in Minnesota is energizing.
“Minnesota Youth Rugby has had a long history of having some pretty good people involved, and it’s a great community,” Lindersmith said. “I was brought in because there was a void of leadership for two years. I didn’t focus on what happened in the past; I mostly focused on a way to move forward. I wanted to provide some structure, some clarification, all while keeping the players happy and healthy and enjoying the game.”
Fortunately, former and current players from teams like Twin Cities Amazons, Minneapolis Menagerie, Minnesota Valkyries and Sioux Falls have invested their time in the girls’ high school game as coaches, administrators and referees (see the full list at the end of the article).
“I have been so lucky to have been able to give back to this great game through my roles as a coach and administrator the last handful of years,” wrote Mikayla Miller, a current Twin Cities player who coaches North Suburban and is co-founder of the Minnesota Tundra Rugby Academy. “When I sit back and look at my teammates and friends doing the same thing with other programs, I am reminded that this state is doing a lot of the right things with rugby. I can’t wait to see what great things come next for Minnesota.”
Coaches Christy Ringgenberg (left) and Carla Schleicher (right) led the Eagan Girls this season.
The effort and intention are there, and Lindersmith injected more structure and guidelines into the spring high school league. MYR offered 7s and 15s competitions to its membership, but a week before the girls’ 15s competition was to kick off, several teams balked due to numbers. Lindersmith didn’t reroute those teams into the 7s league, as that schedule had been confirmed and the teams in that competition had chosen it. Instead, teams that had committed to 15s remained in that league, but game day was flexible.
“We scaled things back and looked at the strength of each program,” Lindersmith said of the girls’ teams. “Each team’s numbers were going to determine what game format you were going to play [that day]. So, if you have 7-9 players, you got a 7s game. If you had 10-14 players, then you got a 10s game, and more than 15 players would be a full 15s match. The goal is to see the girls’ programs grow independently and get past this point.”
There was some pushback, but Lindersmith didn’t see the logic in forcing a 10s-shaped team into a 15s-sized mold, if not purely for safety reasons. As the season progressed, five teams – Hopkins, North Suburban, Armstrong, Minnetonka and Eagan – consistently fielded 15s games. The bottom-three teams had numbers issues, and when it came time for states, they joined the fifth-place 15s team in a 10s final four.
Miller coaches North Suburban and is co-founder of the Minn. Tundra Rugby Academy
Hopkins won the girls’ high school state championship, defeating North Suburban 49-7 in the final. Hopkins is the current Midwest club champion (read more) and competed in the club national tournament in mid-May. In the 7s bracket, Hopkins won a dramatic final over first-year Osseo, scoring a try at the death for a 10-7 win.
“I feel 7s is a great game to develop athletes in terms of fitness and skills – catch, pass, evasion – they all translate well to the 15s game,” Lindersmith said. “I’m still early in my days here, but 7s will always be a part of the developmental pathway for teams that need to rebuild. I will never push out 7s. … Fifteens is very strong here, and I don’t ever see that going away, but I also see a place for 7s – some of the most exciting matches at states were 7s games.”
The Minnesota Tundra, before becoming an academy this year, was the main outlet for high school girls to play 7s and 15s at a higher level. In 2017, the MYR girls’ select side program has new life, and the two entities aim to collaborate, so playing opportunities for young players are maximized.
First-year Osseo is coached by the Menagerie’s Rebecca Beal and Teagan Hughes
“In the past the girls might not have been as healthy in terms of numbers and participation,” Lindersmith said of the MYR select side. “But we had 140 girls and boys participate this year. We’ll have JV and varsity teams for girls and boys at the Midwest RCT.”
Looking into the future, Lindersmith wants to keep existing programs strong and healthy, and connect them with those that are struggling to sustain themselves. He wants to establish a standard where coaches are certified, athletes are registered, and parents and admin understand what a healthy team and regulation rugby match look like.
“There’s so much potential in terms of administration, coaches and players, and I’m excited to see where we are in 2-3 years,” Lindersmith said.
In the near future, watch for information on a high school 7s invitational to run in conjunction with the USA Rugby Club 7s National Championship, which will be held in Blaine, Minn. The effort is geared toward state 7s all-star teams and will hopefully develop into an annual event.
“I really appreciate the opportunity to come here to work with great people and coaches,” Lindersmith concluded. “I couldn’t imagine another job with so much satisfaction. Even with all of the challenges, every day I wake up and am thinking about ways to make it better.
(Thank you to Mikayla Miller for supplying this extensive list.)
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