Julie McCoy to Coach at Tiger Rugby Camps at IMG Academy
Tiger Rugby Release: James Walker, April 27, 2017
Tiger Rugby today announced that Julie McCoy, long time Tiger Rugby women’s coach and Director of the highly successful ARPTC Academy in Little Rock, will be joining an already stellar cast of coaches at their High-Performance camp to be held at the IMG Academy in June.
“I’ve known Julie for years, and have always been impressed by her utter dedication to putting her players first. Not only is Julie the most successful USA Rugby women’s head coach of all time, but she has also always been an incredibly dedicated servant to growing the game across all ages and genders. As well as being a good friend, she is also a role model to both coaches and players alike, and will be an invaluable addition to our high-performance staff,” said Tiger Rugby co-founder James Walker
“Tiger Rugby is the clear leader in the Men’s developmental rugby academy space here in the USA. Their push for quality in their players and their associations with IMG, and the like separate them from the rest of the pack. I am honored to be associated with Coach James Walker and Paul Holmes, as they demonstrate the core values of integrity, honor and a merit-based, action oriented, approach” said Julie McCoy.
McCoy will be joining an extensive list of luminary coaches from across the United States and abroad, as the collaborative look to take a professional approach to high-performance training to rival other major American sports. “We are looking for the next generation of Olympians for both the men’s and women’s national teams. These types of athletes comprise of more than raw skills, and their identification cannot be taken for granted with the standard amateur approach which we have relied on in this country up to this point. Tiger is dedicated to first identifying the coaches who are already performing at this level, to create a clear pathway for finding the diamonds in the rough. It’s been a bit of the blind leading the blind out there at times, so we have been working hard on creating a collaborative to help spot and nurture these gems. Julie knows the women’s game better than anyone else in the United States by a country mile. She has been integral in the recruitment and development of athletes such as Alev Kelter, Naya Tapper and Jessica Javelet, without whom the U.S team would be in serious trouble in my humble opinion,” said James Walker
“Coach McCoy has worked extensively with our elite as well as developing athletes. She has coached XVs, sevens, women, men, all-star, academy, club, under-23s, with a proven track record of delivering victories under pressure,” noted USA Rugby Director of Performance Alex Magleby. “More importantly, Jules is a positive role-model for young women, as a former Eagle athlete, practicing physician, coach, and entrepreneur.”
“Adding Julie’s expertise to the best coaches from around the country, including the like of Ray Egan, Adriaan Ferris, Steve Lewis, Pedrie Wannenburg, Chris Brown, Frankie Horne and Nese Malifa to name a few, gives us a unique picture of what is truly available from a resource standpoint around the country. This is a critical time for our sport in the United States, and we look forward to delivering many more “Perry Bakers” to the national pipeline. This is a new professional era for development in the United States. There is still room for the NDA programs of which we will also be a part, but for true next level preparation we have had to initiate the development of our own comprehensive Player Development Pathway. We are working and partnering with the leading experts in both rugby and other professional sports, including NFL athletes Andrew Hawkins and Nate Ebner, All Black coach Sir Graham Henry, and our close friends from TheRugbySite out of New Zealand. This is a very exciting time indeed” said Tiger Rugby co-founder Paul Holmes.
One coach who stands to benefit from this new initiative is USA Rugby supremo Mike Friday. “What a great way for aspiring players to understand and learn what is required if you want to realize the Rugby Olympic Dream.
Tiger Rugby is a proven pathway for those that embrace the values and direction the Academy exposes you to. Perry Baker is living proof that sacrifice, work ethic and focus are key tools he packs in his kitbag. So if you aspire to succeed remember….life is not hoping, wishing and expecting….its about doing, being and becoming….so get comfortable being uncomfortable if you want to run with the USA 7’s Dawgs” enthused Friday
For more information, or to register for the Tiger Rugby at IMG Academy go to http://www.tigerrugby.com/high-performance-camps-at-img
