When starting out in their chosen sport, amateur athletes can make many mistakes and can often cause injury to themselves when setting their goals, training excessively or simply by wearing unsuitable sportswear or choosing the wrong training kit solution. Regardless of your chosen sport, whether it is long-distance running, cycling or weight training, amateur athletes should define their goals and reach them in a controlled logical manner. Rushing your objectives will in fact delay your progress and in some cases, could result in permanent injury.

Preparation

Many athletes will train indoors, even if the target activity is an outdoor one. For example, if you are a budding long-distance runner, a treadmill will be an essential piece of indoor training kit. Weightlifters will perhaps require a multi-purpose weight-training solution to target various muscle groups. Regardless of your chosen activity, your indoor training area must have sufficient space to perform your training schedule in a safe manner. Packing all your gym equipment and training mats into the spare bedroom may well work if it is big enough but if awkward movements are required to use the equipment, injury is likely. Follow the recommended manufacture specs in relation to space requirements for training equipment. Think of it a snooker player that places a table in a room only slightly bigger than the table – the player will obviously have difficulty playing in a normal manner. Sportswear selection is crucial as incorrect clothing will cause chafing, irritation and interfere with your enjoyment of the activity. Purchase sportswear that is specifically designed for your chosen activity.

Increasing Stamina

Amateur long-distance runners cannot immediately face the challenge of running 26 miles and have to build up their stamina for this distance. Consider your initial level of fitness and consult with your doctor prior to beginning any strenuous activity. Once you doctor has given the all clear, you are free to begin your training schedule. Start slow and as your stamina increases you can increase your training in a progressive manner, whether that goal is to run a marathon, cycle 200 miles or lift your own body weight. It will take some time to achieve, but the rewards of a consistent but challenging training schedule are worth it.

Picture: Christopher Edwin Nuzzaco

Women’s rugby in the US has a short but distinguished history, dating back to 1972 when three universities established teams: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO; University of Colorado, Boulder, CO; and University of Illinois, Champaign, IL. Other college campuses began to create teams throughout the rest of the 1970’s as the popularity and recognition of the sport increased.

The United States Rugby Football Union, or USARFU, was established in 1975. During the development of the women’s rugby union, four regions were established, Pacific, West, Midwest, and East. A National Women’s Championship was held in Chicago, IL in 1978 and Portland, ME was the champion. The first draft of a women’s national team was not created until 1985 under the name Wyvern, the team members were provided an invitation to participate in the team rather than holding open tryouts.

The official recognition of the USA Women’s National Team occurred in 1987, when they were matched against the Canadian Women’s National Team. An annual match known as the CanAm has been held ever since. The USA Women’s National Team is named the Women Eagles.

1990 saw the team playing as a USA President’s 15, in the Women’s World Rugby Festival in New Zealand. The USA President’s 15 played out a 3-1 tournament, losing only to New Zealand.

1991 was the first year that the Women’s Rugby World Cup was held. The women chosen for the US World Cup Team were largely drawn from the Women’s National Team and went on to win the Cup in a final test against England.

A National Women’s 7’s team, known as Atlantis, was created in 1996 to participate in the Hong Kong Women’s International 7’s tournament. Their tournament play went undefeated throughout the event.

The U23 Women’s National Team was made in 1997 and first tested in the CanAm while being cheered by the Women Eagles. Additional divisions include U19 Girls National Team and the high school division of women’s rugby.

The many competitions that the various women’s rugby teams have participated in have routinely been dominated by their play.

Women’s rugby is considered one of the fastest growing sports in the United States and around the world.

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Women standouts in rugby get noticed because they give their all for the team and for the sport, even after the game days are over. Legends of women’s rugby can be found in every team at every level, but a number of them rise above the rest because of their dedication to the sport. More importantly, these players continued to push for women’s rugby even when they had hung their cleats up from team play.

British Legends

Though retired from the pitch since 2002, Gillian Burns and Emma Mitchell both contributed to British women’s rugby significantly.

As an English captain of the national women’s rugby team for 5 years in the second half of the 1990s, Gillian Burns quit official play at age 38 after securing 70 international caps for her country. In 2002 she then took her experience to the administrative side and continued her influence on the game as the president of the Rugby Football Union for Women.

Emma Mitchell played the key position of scrumhalf for the British international team for 14 years, leaving a serious vacuum of lost power and speed in the national team with her retirement. She began her international play in 1988 and scored over 50 international caps before bowing out.

American Stars

Phaidra Knight stands out both on and off the pitch as a vibrant American women’s rugby star, with serious credentials under her belt. Having spent time on both a 2007 U.S. team tour of England as well as the 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup U.S. team, Phaidra has her share of pointers on how the game can be played well from a woman’s perspective.

Currently taking a break from national play in 2011, Phaidra continues to push for improved exposure of women’s rugby, trying to generate more groundswell of support for the game in the U.S.

By all measure, Allison Price started late in rugby, first holding a game ball at the age of 21. That didn’t stop her development, and she saw first international play in Hong Kong in 2004 on the U.S. Women’s Eagles 7s team. She then graduated to World Cup play in 2009 in Dubai and served on the U.S. Eagles repeatedly until her game retirement.

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Rugby is not often thought of as an American sport. On top of that, women do not come to mind when thinking of rugby. However, the state of Arizona has embraced women’s rugby. Three teams are recognized as part of the Arizona Women’s Rugby Club organization. These three teams are part of the Arizona Rugby Union, which began in 1975. The three clubs are the Northern Arizona Women’s Rugby Football Club, the Tempe Women’s Rugby Club and the University of Arizona Women’s Rugby Club.

Northern Arizona Women’s Rugby Club

The Northern Arizona Women’s Rugby Club is located in Flagstaff and originated in 1991. The team’s original name was the Timberdoodles. When things got tough and the wins weren’t as plentiful during the late 1990′s, the team tried a few name changes for a different image. They named themselves the Piranhas and then the Lady Sharks. A lost bet in 2002 returned the team to its original name. The team’s founder recruited 10 members in 1991 to play an exhibition match, which the team lost. Rather than being discouraged, the team members decided to continue playing.

Tempe Women’s Rugby Club

The rugby program at Tempe has been in existence since 1980. However the Tempe Women’s Rugby Club was only started in 2009. Located in Phoenix, the team draws an eclectic group of women from varying nationalities and backgrounds. Although the team is relatively new, the coaching staff has over 20 years of experience. During their second season in 2010, the Tempe women played in the national semifinal game in Austin Texas and are now rated as one of the top ten division 1 women’s team in the United States.

University of Arizona Women’s Rugby Club

The University of Arizona Women’s Rugby Club is located in Tucson Arizona. They are known as the Wildcats. The women’s team was founded in 1990. They were the first team in Arizona. At the time, no teams existed in New Mexico or Nevada, so the nearest option for playing games was competing teams in California. At first the team recruited college and community members. In 1997, they became solely affiliated with the university.

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Arizona is a beautiful and expansive state in the south west of the United States of America, and is home to a rich cultural and sporting history. Arizona covers a huge area of the south west corner of America, and is home to a variety of different landscapes and cities. From the dry and hot southern section to the expansive mountains of the north, there is a wide range of different activities and sporting events happening all over.

Sporting Events

Arizona is home to a wide array of large sporting events, and is an ideal destination for anyone looking to witness a selection of what American sport has to offer. The PGA golf tour stops off in three locations in the state, including at the TPC of Scottsdale for the Phoenix Open. It is also an important place for baseball, and is home to spring training, where fans can get to witness some fantastic out of season warm up games. There is only one other state that runs spring training, so for anyone looking to witness the games, it can be a fun event with a very relaxed, laid back atmosphere. For those looking to witness some college football, the state is home to the oldest rivalry in the country between the Arizona State University and the University of Arizona, which dates back to 1889.

Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is one of the greatest domestic sporting events in the world and the pinnacle of the NFL. It has now been announced that the state of Arizona will be hosting the event once more, as Glendale has been awarded the Super Bowl XLIX in 2015. The grand event will be held at the impressive University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale and is set to be a grand event. This is great news for the state, as it is such a prestigious honor to host the event.

Sport is a very important part of life for many in the great state of Arizona and in every town and city the legacy that sport has left is clear to see. For anyone who is a big sports fan, of whatever sport, it is truly inspirational to see the passion and joy that sport can bring to an area.

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Almost all young people love to socialize and compete with their friends, and playing team sports is a great way to strengthen friendships, meet new people, and get in a bit of exercise! There are a variety of team sports that can be played in a regular, competitive way, but are also great for parties and summertime fun. If you have an indoor arena in your area, these sports can also be played in the wintertime.

Rugby

Rugby is a great sport for anyone and encourages teamwork, flexibility and running. Generally 15 players are needed for each team, although a modified version is played with 7 per team. The object of the game is to score more tries than the opposite team. The opposite team is only allowed to tackle the person holding the ball. A normal game lasts 40 minutes each way with a break in-between. Although not a typical American sport, it’s very popular in Europe and the Southern Hemisphere, and there is also a women’s rugby team in Arizona. It’s a great alternative to more well-known sports.

Football

Football is a great game for guys, girls, and mixed groups. Although football normally requires padding and a helmet, a great way is playing using a “two-hand” tackle. When the opposite team tags the player with the ball with both hands, it’s counted as a tackle and the play stops. The object of the game is to score more points than the opposing team by getting touchdowns and field goals. Football is one of the great American team sports.

Soccer

Soccer, like rugby, is one of Europe’s famous team sports. Soccer also encourages good team work skills. A typical soccer game is played in two halves of 45 minutes each. The object of the game is to get more goals than the other team. Unlike the other games mentioned, a player is penalized for touching the ball with their hands. Players can only touch the ball using their feet. Soccer generally doesn’t require any special gear, and anything can be used to mark the goal lines. Generally 11 players are needed per team, although in a friendly game not as little as 3 on a team works well.

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A rugby player is only as good as the team she plays on, so fitness is critical for the entire team to perform well on the pitch. If you are a fan of rugby, you’ll know that no one stands still on the rugby field for long. It’s quite common for all players on a team to have run at least five to ten miles in a game up and down the pitch at varying speeds. The only way to do this consistently is by building your fitness with a good training schedule.

Cardiovascular Fitness

Rugby is a high-intensity endurance game as much as it is physical tackling game. Players have to be able to run for 80 minutes in a full game. To build this kind of reliable endurance, a practice training schedule should include at least three days of cardiovascular work in the week, with off-days in between to allow the body and muscles to rest. A training schedule should start with a warm up, stretching, group run, sprint drills, play drills, more group runs and then an hour of field work. Each cardio session should last at least two hours a day.

Strength Training

Along with cardiovascular and endurance training, strength training is also critical. Rugby players have to be able to tackle, hold opposing players, push, and recover from opposing hits. This sort of quick recovery doesn’t occur without good muscular development.

Strength training should occur on alternate days to cardiovascular development, allowing rest periods in between. At least one day should be focused work on arms, core back and stomach, and chest zones. The secondary day should be focused on leg strength development. Much of this work can be had with free-weights, but plyometrics and good old-fashioned stairs or bleacher runs work well on legs too.

Successful strength training depends on a consistent training schedule so players should increase resistance weights steadily rather than sudden surges. Doing otherwise can cause muscle tear injuries in training or on the pitch.

Rest

During the rugby season, the day after a game should be a complete rest day in the training schedule. This is critical to provide the body time to recovery from the game and recuperate.

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