There are myriad ways that one can aid rugby in the U.S. but Kat Aversano is making a special case for the impact one can effect with USA Youth & High School Rugby (USAY&HSR). In an open letter to the larger rugby community, the Southeast Regional Director explained that the new national organization is uniquely positioned to do groundbreaking work, to the tune of diverse voices, and beyond the burdens of a status quo. But as USAY&HSR attempts to do just that and seat its national committees, the opportunity isn’t being met with the community engagement that Aversano expected.
READ Aversano’s, ‘Youth & HS Needs You’
The USAY&HSR was born out of the USA Rugby (USAR) reorganization and is the official national governing body of the youth and high school age groups. The two entities are partners but separate organizations. USAY&HSR spent 2020 laying foundation, and that’s when Aversano – a youth and senior club coach and administrator based in Virginia – was named as one of seven regional directors (read more). In mid-December, the organization announced that two of seven committees were accepting applications for chairs and members, but the response has been lackluster. Aversano chairs the working group that will review applications, and her recruitment efforts were also met with resistance.
“I would use the word, ‘hesitancy,’” Aversano clarified the general reaction to volunteerism. “The community of rugby as a whole has been so focused on their little corner of the world that the idea of taking on more can be overwhelming.
RELATED: USA Youth & HS Committee Positions
“But I also think there is hesitancy because people – especially people who have been shut out of the decision-making process in the past – worry about taking on more and continuing to not be heard or not be effective,” Aversano referenced an array of underrepresented communities. “But the beauty of it is: We’re starting fresh. We don’t have to dismantle a system and build one up. Since Youth & High School is a new organization, I view the work that gets done as nothing but productive. We’re very careful how we’re creating these systems, so it’s not about getting things done quickly, but applying a consistent effort so they’ll be effective.”
Aversano explained that none of the board members have not served USA Rugby national office positions before. They’re mostly grassroots people, many still coach, and they want more of that community voice framing USAY&HSR.
“The result is new ideas into the system, and new energy, new enthusiasm for the game,” Aversano envisioned the impact of all these first-time committee members. “Not every organization has those opportunities, and so what we need is ownership from the community.”
Aversano acknowledged that the holidays have slowed the process and that Covid-19 has redirected people’s attention.
“Covid hit the rugby community in two very different ways,” Aversano said. “One encouraged people to get involved off the pitch and move their rugby energy to growing and building the game. But at the same time the community is weary of what is going to be next. Where are we going? And some of that hesitancy is a result of USA Rugby’s reorganization. But combined with Covid there’s a lot of psychological and emotional things that Covid has affected in people. On an individual level, you never know how someone is going to react to something like a pandemic. There’s just a lot of uncertainty.”
USAY&HSR needs to seat its seven committees by the end of February, before potential spring seasons get moving.
“It’s about finding anybody who is really passionate about growing the game. Anyone who can take off their personal club or state union hat and really switch mindsets to: What is really good for the game at the national level,” Aversano said. “There are tons of people who haven’t been tapped. I just came into a national position in May. I’ve been one of those people who had good ideas and could assess what was happening around me and just hadn’t been heard, and I know I’m not the only one.”
If you have any questions or an inkling of interest, contact Aversano. And if you don’t feel comfortable speaking with her, she’ll refer you a working group that is diverse in age, race and gender expression.
“I like to distinguish [USAY&HS] because I feel a renewed sense of hope and excitement in to what we can do for USA youth and high school, but at the same time, having spent so long in grassroots rugby, I understand the hesitancy as well,” Aversano closed. “It’s threading that needle and talking to people and opening that dialogue to find those who are comfortable giving time and energy and have the emotional capacity to give to the rugby community again.”
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