The two-member coaching team from the United Kingdom (UK)-based Boost Coaching Academy continued their training sessions with local rugby players yesterday at the National Park.
The two certified rugby coaches who are in Guyana on a one-month visit that ends on September 6 are pleased with the improvements they have seen among the players, especially the under-19 players.
Boost Level Two qualified rugby coach, James Grabowski noted some of the improvements he has observed to Stabroek Sport, during yesterday’s training session.
“They have started to get a bit more physical and aggressive… They are looking to try to beat players rather than stop them like in the past,” Grabowski said.
“They are definitely playing a more physical game now, which is really good,” Grabowski added.
Other areas of improvement Grabowski cited are the “ball handling and overall enthusiasm for the game among the players.”
“Players are actually looking forward to the training sessions,” Grabowski noted.
The coaches are also focusing on other areas which will be beneficial to the development of the under-19 player’s rugby game, such as defensive work in terms of tackling and alignment and according to Grabowski “these are probably the main areas” that they have worked on and will continue to focus on.”
“We will also be focusing on creating space and maintaining space to put people in up to score,” Grabowski added.
Prior to their departure from Guyana, the coaching team has more work scheduled with the under-19 players and also other players around the Georgetown area.
Some of the areas outside Georgetown the coaching team has visited include the Essequibo Coast, where they recently concluded a four-day training programme from last Sunday to Thursday with the students of the New Opportunity Corps (NOC).
As a result of the training programme the Boost coaches have helped the NOC to introduce their own rugby programme, according to Grabowski.
“All the people we’ve worked with are working really hard, sessions going really well… Most people ended up smiling at the end of the session and that’s always a positive,” Grabowski concluded.
