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New Web Page
Please note the new website for the club:
www.foresthillsrugby.org
Still a work in process, but the basics are there.
Coach Ellwood
State Championships
May 26, 2007
Lakeview - Division 3 Champion
Perrysburg – Division 2 Champion
Birmingham – Division 1 Champion
U 17 Midwest Select Side
Chris Hopps is the MYRA contact working to develop our players for Midwest Select side. Let me know if you are interested at this point. U17 means you must have been born in 1990 or later.
Who should tryout?
Every athlete you feel has the potential to be a select side player. We will be doing development work along with assessment work at the Trial Camp in Bowling Green. Players will be exposed to some new or different techniques that can emphasize the basic skills you've already taught them. We don't believe in magic bullets... our philosophy is based on perfecting basic skills and playing hard and fast - this gives every player who hones their skills a shot at making the team. We'll also be tracking development with a player database so even if they don't make the squad we stay in contact and help them to grow as rugby players.
Time commitment: We have 3 dates including the camp this year
June - 2,3 in Bowling Green, OH will be our trials camp
June - 14-17 in Elkhart Indiana is the Midwest All Star Invitational Tournament
July - 11-15 in Indianapolis we will assemble and play the Ontario U-17 side and scrimmage the Midwest U-19
How to register?
Easy. Send me an email at this address or at chrishopps@selectsiderugby.com with the players name, email address, phone number, parent names ,position and team. The trial fee is $20.00. We can waive this if the player has a money issue. (Money should not be a reason why an athlete doesn't play for us!!!) Check in is at 7:00am Saturday June 2nd.
We have also arranged for players to stay at host houses of Bowling Green players to help with the cost and in case the parents can't come with them. Just let me know how many and when you're coming and we'll take care of the rest. We'll have hotel info to send back this week as well.
http://selectsiderugby.com
Notes from the Coaches
To all the Players
We appreciate your heart and willingness to play on during a challenging season. Enjoy your summer.
To the Seniors
Congratulations! You have achieved a major milestone in your life. Take time to enjoy this special moment with your family and friends. Thank you for including rugby as part of your high school experience.
To the Parents
Thank you for your support and patience.
Photos
Julie Romence has been kind enough to post photos from this season on her web site.
DII T-Shirts
Coach Ellwood has gray t-shirts with the Deadhead logo & DII Champions on the back. $15 or $16.50 for handling and shipping. Several small/medium white logo hats are also available. Money talks.
E-Mails
Does not matter if you are a player or a parent, please click the e-mail icon and send me an e-mail and state who you are. Trying to assemble a list as complete as possible at this time.
Forest Hill Rugby Football
Please feel free to e-mail Brock Ellwood at brellwood@comcast.net if you would like further information.
Team Philosophy
The goal of the club is to expose the students to a game played around the world, at many US colleges and major cities. Our goal is to introduce the members to the basics of the game, teach proper techniques and safety, and give everyone an opportunity to play.
Frequently Asked Questions
Isn’t rugby just football without pads?
Rugby is different from American football in several ways – no downs, no blocking, no separate offensive and defensive sides, the ability to kick the ball forward like in soccer. A better way to describe rugby is as "tackle basketball".
What about injuries?
While it is a demanding game, the injury rate is less than football. The goal of the tackle is not to stop the player from gaining yardage, but to get possession of the ball. One of our primary goals is safety. Like any other sport, teaching the proper basics and fundamental techniques will reduce the risk of injury.
Who can play?
Anyone in high school grades 9, 10, 11, & 12. We are a combined team for Forest Hills Northern, Forest Hills Central, and Forest Hills Eastern High Schools.
Is this just for football players?
No, some of the best rugby players are wrestlers, hockey players, and soccer players. Many of the aspects of their sports are applicable to rugby, such as no stoppage of play and quickly switching from offense to defense. There are 15 positions on a rugby team requiring a wide variety of body types. One does not have to be 6’1” and 210 lbs to play rugby. While there are power aspects to the sport, finesse and ball handling are also critical.
Who do you play?
Most schools playing rugby are on the east side of the state. Local teams include Rockford,Catholic Central,Lowell, Grandville, Kenowa Hills and Lowell. The season is usually around 5-6 games with one tournament weekend.
Who are the coaches?
This is a club sport, so the coaches are volunteers. Brock Ellwood coaches the forwards. Dr. J.D. Call, another former Gazelle, is the back coach. More details under Meet the Coaches.
When do you practice?
As a club sport we will likely not have daily practices. There will be two/three practices a week lasting 90 to 120 minutes. Most practices are at FHC as it is the closest school for the coaches.
When do you start?
We will begin practices indoor in the latter part of February. The focus will be on conditioning, rules of the game and ball handling techniques. Once the weather gets better, we will move outside and work on other aspects of the game. Games will start just around Spring Break time.
Does everyone play?
This is a no-cut sport. Anyone who comes out will be given an opportunity to play. There are fifteen (15) players on a side in rugby. We will attempt to have both A-side and B-side/3rd Half whenever possible to provide everyone with a chance to get game time.
What equipment is needed?
We ask the players purchase a team jersey, shorts, and socks. These are part of the dues. In addition, a cleated shoe, and a mouth guard are the essential gear. Players are allowed to wear light pads (1 1/2”) on the shoulders and similar headgear. However, these are optional and are not provided by the team.
To get more information on the game of rugby, go to the LINKS page. To sign up to play, please fill out the downloadable Signup Form
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Honor Society Members
Congrats to Brad Etheridge on his nomination to the FHC Honor Society. Grant Thomas was also recognized for his second year in the society.
If I have missed any other honors, please let me know.
Jerseys - Jerseys - Jerseys
Still MIA - two (2) Copper Jerseys and two (2) Green Jerseys - #1, #2, These need to be returned. No questions asked. Can be sent wrapped in plain brown paper to Coach Ellwood. Examples of missing jerseys are shown.
Plan is to go with the green/white harlequins for next year. That way you can either use your old one or order a new one. I would appreciate knowing who has what number, so I can pre-order jerseys and numbers.
Lost & Found
As usual by this point of the season, we have collected an amazing variety of clothing left behind at practices and games. Select Photo Album on the left hand column to see what Coach Ellwood has in his possession.
Parent Notes
Parents - Please review the Parents page as we are looking for more formalized assistance this year. Many volunteer opportunities exist.
To those that have volunteered already, I will be updating that portion of the web page soon.
Also, under the Handout section is a quick guide to the rules in PDF format.
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