March 25, 2016
NSCRO Launches Leadership
Development Program
National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO) Press Release: Medford, N.J., March 25, 2016
Program helps to develop and recognize student-athlete leaders and, provides guidance on developing a successful collegiate rugby program.
As part of the National Small College Rugby Organization’s (NSCRO) continued commitment to supporting small college rugby programs, NSCRO recognized that the key to a solid club leadership team is to create conditions for success and to bridge the training/skills gap – which is especially difficult for a collegiate team where turnover is high. To aid these teams, NSCRO’s Leadership Development Team created the NSCRO Leadership Development Program (LDP).
The NSCRO LDP, available on our website at www.nscro.org/leadership-development-program, outlines the fundamentals of creating and organizing a rugby team, guidance on working with school administrators to facilitate and gain support for the team while stressing the importance of community service as well as academic achievement. The LDP, not only provides the groundwork for players to become leaders but also gives coaches guidelines on mentoring these student-athletes and the role they play to the development of these future student-leaders.
As part of the program, NSCRO has also created the Student-Leader of the Month award. Starting April 2016, this award will be given to one male and one female NSCRO rugby player each month who exemplifies outstanding leadership skills both on the pitch and in leading a community service team-building event. Nominations for the Student-Leader of the Month should be submitted via this form by the 10th of the month and award winners will be announced by the 15th of the month.
The NSCRO Leadership Development Team is comprised of a mix of business leaders, educators and community leaders who are also rugby enthusiasts and/or former players, as well as proponents of the development of the sport. These individuals include:
Col. Tom Trumps (USA Ret.) – current assistant coach at Virginia Military Institute and leads the Leadership Development Team.
Dr. Tracy Schrems – advisor and coach of the St. Bonaventure University women’s rugby team.
First Lt. Roderick Bonner (USA) – a former rugby player who is currently serving overseas and working to obtain his Level 200 coaching certification.
Kurt Murrell – former coach for the University of Southern Indiana rugby team and now full-time rugby referee.
Michael Wenzel – a respected business leader and executive coach whose son recently played for Susquehanna University’s men’s rugby team.
For more information about NSCRO’s Leadership Development Program or the Student-Leader of the Month, please contact Tom Trumps at trumpsth@vmi.edu.
About National Small College Rugby Organization
Since 2002, the National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO) has been at the forefront of fostering and developing small college rugby programs in the United States. NSCRO is comprised of more than 240 men’s and 105 women’s colleges and universities who participate in more than 30 leagues for an opportunity compete on a national level and showcase their abilities to a broader and larger audience.
By focusing on small colleges and universities, we help bring these schools, their teams and players exposure outside of their conference/union while also giving them a chance at a national title and ranking. NSCRO provides a responsive national organization dedicated to small colleges and universities which has helped legitimize rugby in the eyes of school administrators. The increased visibility and recognition from NSCRO has led to better school support, greater on-campus interest in rugby and more alumni involvement.
Our goals are simple:
Foster the growth and development of men and women’s small college rugby in the United States.
Provide top-level competition and promote high-level sportsmanship on and off the field.
Be a resource for small college rugby players, coaches, trainers and staff; and, offer a sense of community for NSCRO members.
NSCRO is “The Home of Small College Rugby in America”.
For more information, visit www.nscro.org and follow us @nscrorugby on Twitter and on facebook.com/nscrorugby.
