Your Scrumhalf Connection - Women's Rugby Blog

Elite Camp Wraps Up
from womeneagles.com

4.26.08 - BOULDER, Colo. - The Women's National Team wrapped up its first 2008 Elite Training Camp in Philadelphia, Pa., on Wednesday, April 23. Forty-three athletes attended the five-day camp, which emphasized positional skills for the forwards and backs and even allowed time for a meeting with former first daughter Chelsea Clinton.

While training at a local YMCA on Sunday, it was arranged for the team to meet and present a USA game jersey to Clinton, who was also at the facility for a town hall meeting during the buildup to the Pennsylvania Democratic primaries on Tuesday, April 22.

"The town hall meeting was packed and the crowd's enthusiasm was obvious. Camp captain Ashley English thanked Chelsea and presented her with the signed jersey from the whole team," said USA Women's National Team Manager Annemarie Farrell. "Chelsea accepted the jersey and immediately put it on - it was very exciting for the team to be a part of the event."

Throughout the weekend, athletes worked on overall conditioning and developed individual skills geared toward their respective positions with several national team coaches. The forwards were instructed on specific positional binding and scrum tactics with USA Scrum Coach Bill LeClerc and WNT Forwards Coach Alex Williams, while the backs worked through their attack patterns from the scrum with WNT Backs Coach Candi Orsini and Assistant Backs Coach Krista McFarren.

Leading up to a scrimmage match on Tuesday, the group also worked on line outs and spent time with USA Rugby Defensive Specialist Peter Baggetta, focusing on increased communication and player decision making.

"Over the course of the camp we saw many players really starting to understand the necessity of practicing the skills of their position on their own. As we don't have many assemblies, every player needs to have their mechanical aspects down so we are not re-teaching at every event," Women's National Team Head Coach Kathy Flores said.

"For forwards, it's their body position in the scrum particularly - something a player can practice every day in front of a mirror. For the backs, it's understanding the importance of the agility work to make them as evasive and powerful in contact as possible."

Players at the Philadelphia camp:

1. Kristin Aliberto (Philadelphia)
2. Stacy Baker (Philadelphia)
3. Kristin Baja (New York)
4. Amber Benlian (NOVA)
5. Libby Berg (Minnesota Valkyries)
6. Kristin Bonomo (Beantown)
7. Jamie Burke (Berkeley All-Blues)
8. Lisa Butts (Berkeley All-Blues)
9. Brenna Costello (Washington Furies)
10. Mel Denham (Beantown)
11. Liz Dilley (Washington)
12. Farrah Douglas (Chicago North Shore)
13. Carrie DuBray (New York)
14. Ashley English (Berkeley All-Blues)
15. Ashley Groefsema (Boston)
16. Blair Groefsema (Berkeley All-Blues)
17. Allyson Hemstreet (Berkeley All-Blues)
18. Angela Heifort (MN Valkyries)
19. Katy Hertel (Minnesota Valkyries)
20. Christina Hobson (Morris Pride)
21. Mel Kanuk (Maryland Stingers)
22. Phaidra Knight (New York)
23. Tess Kohanski (Syracuse University)
24. Lynelle Kugler (Glendale Raptors)
25. Kristy Lear (MN Valkyries)
26. Kim Magrini (Keystone)
27. Nathalie Marchino (Berkeley All-Blues)
28. Angela Marfisi (Philadelphia)
29. Desiree Markovich (MN Valkyries)
30. Vanesha McGee (Philadelphia)
31. San Juanita Moreno (ORSU)
32. Elise Myer (Maryland Stingers)
33. Tina Nesberg (Berkeley All-Blues)
34. Saburah Posner (Philadelphia)
35. Jillion Potter (MN Valkyries)
36. Naima Reddick (Berkeley All-Blues)
37. Beckett Royce (ORSU)
38. Jen Sinkler (Philadelphia)
39. Lara Vivolo (New York)
40. Sharyn Wacht (Beantown)
41. Mari Wallace (Berkeley All-Blues)
42. Sarah Walsh (Chicago North Shore)
43. Sheara Williamson (Philadelphia)

A few rugby bloggers blogged about the camp...
The Penguin Files
Put Me in Coach!