Bowdoin College head coach MaryBeth Mathews was pleasantly surprised to see so many early registrations for the Polar Bear Rugby Camp (July 12-15), with athletes from all over New England, as well as New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee, Oregon, Colorado, Washington, Canada, Hong Kong, China and Jakarta making their way to Maine this summer.”There have always been west coast and international representatives at Polar Bear Rugby Camp and that’s because Maine’s official nickname is ‘Vacationland’ and many families spend time in the summer here,” Mathews explained. “I believe the rest of the expansion is coming from word of mouth, from the exceptional coaches who’ve worked at the camp spreading the word, and better social media marketing. Also, college women and high school girls want to become better rugby players so they seek out opportunities.”
Earnshaw with the England U18s
Russell Earnshaw is also a huge draw. The International Performance Coach has roots in the English RFU and is in high demand all over the United Kingdom and Europe. He left a lasting impression on the 2017 campers and will be returning in 2018.Asked how the U.S. coaches in the Coaching Workshop took to him,”I think they were freaked out to start with. Maybe they encountered some stuff they have not come across before, or it was my accent,” Earnshaw joked. “Spending time in the classroom and on the pitch together helped us explore some other solutions to learning environments they may not have considered before. I hope they felt challenged and supported.”Mathews asserted that campers responded positively to Earnshaw, who was respectful to all players, coaches and referees, regardless of their experience or level. Mathews also described a humble, gracious, fun-seeking educator, and that energy resonated with the attendees.
Regarding the rugby campers: “They were awesome to coach and loved the experience of being coached by MaryBeth, Farrah [Douglas] and [Jonathan Griffin],” Earnshaw reflected on 2017. “I’m always looking at their faces and their engagement to judge impact, and they loved the camp … even I didn’t want to go home! The coaches became skilled at coaching through and in games, using the skills we explored to maximise learning moments on the pitch.””Earnshaw is amazing because while he’s leading a Coach Development Course in the classroom and on the field with cutting-edge methods, which establish creative learning environments for problem-solving and skill acquisition, he’s also having an immediate impact on the campers,” Mathews added.There are a few spots left for the player camp and the coaching course, so visit PolarBearRugbyCamp.com to learn more!”I’m hopefully another year older and wiser and have been spending time learning in a whole range of new environments,” Earnshaw said, setting expectations for this summer. “I’m excited to share lots of new skills and techniques with the coaches at The Camp this summer.”