Photo: Colleen McCloskey for Atavus
No matter if you are an athlete aspiring to be an Eagle, a starter on your collegiate team, or trying to improve play for your local club, this summer female rugby players have a set of unique opportunities to immerse themselves in a national team-like assembly at a USA Rugby Academy (USARA) Resident Camp. Being held at four spectacular facilities across the U.S. in partnership with Atavus, the USARA is a critical part of USA Rugby’s player development – identifying and developing the nation’s top young players, while meeting athletes are their skill and aspirational levels.
Photo: Norma Salinas for Atavus
“Since we began this type of resident camp program five years ago, we’ve continued to evolve the environment and content ensuring each summer provides a unique athlete experience. Our goals are to develop skillful and adaptive players that will excel in modern rugby and maximize each player’s individual potential,” said Emilie Bydwell, USARA coach and Director of Rugby Operations at Atavus. “Rooted in a positive, player-centered environment, camp programming focuses on increasing skill execution by the integration of technical and game understanding, leading to players’ ability to act instinctively under pressure.”
These four-day, three-night camps are held at premier training sites on both coasts, allowing for players from around the country to participate, with a comprehensive education of both on and off-field needs of today’s game. Alongside hours on the field, athletes received the most updated information on nutrition and mental skills, while using video analysis to review technical skills and game play from daily training sessions.
Photo: Norma Salinas for Atavus
Key to this immersive experience is hands-on instruction from the top minds in the game. Athletes work directly with the likes of:
• Emilie Bydwell – USA Rugby Olympic Team Leader, Atavus Head of Rugby
• Farrah Douglas – USA Rugby Girls High School All-Americans Head Coach
• Lance Hohaia – former New Zealand Rugby League international, World Cup Champion
• Greg McWilliams – Yale University Head Coach, USA Rugby Men’s Collegiate All-Americans Coach
• Wil Snape – USA Rugby Women’s Junior All-Americans Head Coach
• Les Spellman – USA Rugby Speed Coach
• Michaela Staniford – 2012 World Rugby Player of the Year, 60+ caps for England
• Shalom Suniula – USA 7s and 15s Eagle
• Matt Trouville – Former USA Eagle, World Cup 2015
• Richie Walker – USA Women’s Eagles 7s Head Coach
For any player at any level with any level of dreams, the USA Rugby Academy resident camps offer an opportunity to both improve individual skills, and immerse into a community of elite coaches and athletes to learn all aspects needed to thrive in the modern rugby game.
The four women’s focused Resident Camps this summer include:
- June 27-20 Girls High School West – Army & Navy Academy, Carlsbad, CA
- July 11-14 Girls High School East – Fairfield University, CT
- Aug 15-18 Women’s 7s – Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center, CA
- Aug 15-18 Women’s 15s – Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center, CA