Youth
Finally, after all the preparations, Round 1 of the new season has been played by our Youth teams (except U14 Girls who kick off this weekend). Some very impressive rugby was played by all teams. I am de-briefing and working with our Pro Coaches to review these performances which is important for the development of all teams and provides a focus for the training sessions moving forward.
We recorded wins in the U13 Boys Premiership and U18 Boys Championship fixtures and had a stirring draw in the U16 Boys Premiership game against HKFC. It was also particularly great to see our U16 Girls out on the pitch and finishing on a high – the first VF U16 girls in many years. There is a great deal to be positive about as the season continues and we build upon what we learn.
In training, as all teams continue to work on the basic skills needed to compete then the team play will also develop. A focus on core skills is the key to consistent performances both as individuals and teams. I am pleased to see that skills and game sense activities are also a major part of training for all our teams.
I would also like to commend all our team managers and supporters for the positive way they supported the teams across all our game venues. I continue to encourage all associated with Valley Fort to be a leading example to all our boys and girls on game day behaviour.
A big thanks to Janet Zomerman, Georgi Oxley and everyone else associated with the kit distribution and the collection of our old kit for Crossroads. Our teams looked fantastic on the pitches on Sunday. We will be organising our official team photos in the next couple of weeks so look out for further details on this.
A quick reminder also that mouthguards are essential and no boy or girl will be allowed to participate games or training without one.
Bring on Round 2!
Minis
It was another action packed Sunday of training for our U5’s to U8’s at HKIS and it was fantastic to see our U9 – U12 age groups in friendly games against Sandy Bay.
The improvement I have seen from week to week in these age groups is a credit to the coaches and the focus they are putting into the basic skills of the game. More importantly however is the smiles on the faces of the boys and girls as I travel around the venues each week. There are excited and enthusiastic Valley Fort players and coaches everywhere I go!
In the weeks ahead, games will be arranged against other clubs to add the competitive edge to the teams and give a clearer picture of their progression from training session to competitive environments. Nick Carlsen is working with both the HKRU and the other clubs to finalise this and the festival schedule.
A big thanks to Nick, Paul Brodie and everyone involved with Minis kit distribution, name printing and old kit collection for Crossroads. We will be organising our first official Minis team photos in the next couple of weeks so look out for further details on this.
Finally, a reminder to encourage your daughters’ and sons’ friends who haven’t had a go at playing rugby that they are more than welcome to come and try with Valley Fort at any time.
Yours in Rugby,
Justin Carroll
Director of Rugby, Valley Fort RFC