Coaching the coach
8 Apr 2009
Discovery Vitality is partnering with Jake White to contribute to healthier schoolboy rugby.
World Cup-winning coach and former schoolmaster Jake White, in launching his satellite-coaching academy on Wednesday, said recognition of the value of the schools coach was long overdue in South African rugby.
White, in association with Discovery Vitality and Highbury Safika Media, has assembled the core of his 2007 Springbok World Cup management team, in bringing South African schools and club coaches the finest possible tuition in June.
‘I was a schoolmaster and I coached against some brilliant schools coaches who, if given the right exposure and opportunities, could well have a professional career in coaching. This course is the first step to giving them an opportunity to learn but to also show off their talent, but more than that it will add a further dimension to schools rugby overall and entrench South Africa as the best schoolboy rugby nation. We have fantastic schools players, but we also have very talented schools coaches,’ said White.
The academy, to be known as ‘Discovery Vitality enabling Jake White’s Winning Way’, won’t be limited to schools coaches, and White has also expressed the hope that club coaches and even those linked to professional teams see the value of tutorship from those who made South Africa’s win at the 2007 World Cup possible.
‘You only have to go to the schools rugby festivals that are on this week to appreciate how healthy the schoolboy game is, but speaking from my own experience as a rugby schoolmaster, the opportunities to improve oneself as a coach haven’t always been there. I keep on hearing we don’t have the intellectual capital in this country, but that’s crazy when you see what we have achieved at all levels of our rugby.‘
And ensuring the future health of the schoolboy game is exactly what is at stake, according to Dr Craig Nossel, Head of Vitality Wellness.
‘Jake’s peak performance approach – which focuses on injury prevention, healthy nutrition and physical fitness – closely mirrors the tenets of our Vitality wellness programme. The academy will not only equip school rugby coaches to embrace this approach, but will hopefully result in a healthier new generation of school rugby players.’
‘Discovery Vitality last year launched an initiative into 1 000 primary schools nationwide, representing around 17 000 teachers and 500 000 learners, with the aim of instilling healthy lifestyle habits in children. The initiative encourages kids to eat healthily, make regular physical activity a part of their lives and undergo regular preventive health screenings. It’s an approach that encourages kids to get active and involved in school sports; whether it’s rugby, cricket, ballet or swimming.’
‘Now, our association with Jake White’s Winning Way allows us to extend our message of a healthy, active lifestyle to the secondary school environment, where rugby is particularly popular – so we see it as a flagship project,’ said Nossel.
Former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones, who assisted White’s Springboks at the 2007 World Cup, has also aligned himself with the academy.
‘Any opportunity to work with Eddie is a bonus and he brings special qualities to the academy. He loved working with the Springboks and he loves the passion there is for rugby in our country,’ said White.
Highbury Safika Media CEO Kevin Ferguson said it was important for a South African company to back a South African brand and a South African product.
‘Jake White had a winning way that won South African rugby the biggest prize of all and as a company with a huge publishing interest in sport we see it as an obvious fit to our brands like SA Rugby magazine and the rugby website keo.co.za. It also creates another opportunity to improve the intellectual capital among schools and club coaches and it is our belief that if the education is there at those levels it makes for a better quality of professional coach in the future.’
Ferguson confirmed that the top 10 coaches on the course, as identified by White, would receive R125 000 from Highbury Safika Media, as well as media coverage in the company’s respective sports publications.
‘The school profile benefits through the excellence of the coach but there also had to be an incentive for that coach, and whoever impresses Jake the most will get R25 000, with the remaining R100 000 split on a sliding scale from second to tenth.’
SA Rugby Union president Regan Hoskins endorsed the academy, saying White’s experience as a former school master and his achievements as a World Cup-winning coach as senior and junior level meant the coaches would be learning from the best.
‘As a former winner of the IRB International Coach of the Year on two occasions, Jake can add value in training and developing coaches on all levels in South Africa,’ said Hoskins.
For all enquiries contact Kara Ross, e: kara@hsm.co.za, t: +27 21 416 0141, m: +27 71 682 6377
31 Comments
8 Apr 2009, 20:13 pm
great stuff
8 Apr 2009, 20:38 pm
Good
8 Apr 2009, 20:48 pm
So how many coaches can go to the top if their is only one top coach per country?
Good idea though. jake is certainly marketing his academy all aover the place. i just wonder why no country or club wasn’t interested in him?
8 Apr 2009, 20:55 pm
Good idea, sounds good.
8 Apr 2009, 21:14 pm
If this thread wants hits, it should read:
DISCOVERY VITALITY & JAKE WHITE VOTE DA. THE FEUD BETWEEN WHITE AND DE VILLIERS CONTINUES…
8 Apr 2009, 21:19 pm
Soon to be followed by:
CHEEKY WATSON IS STARTING HIS OWN RUGBY SCHOOL COACHING ACADEMY BACKED BY THE ANC GOVERNMENT FOR COACHES FROM PREVIOUSLY DISADVANTAGED SCHOOLS. NOBODY WHO EARNS MORE THAN R3500 PER MONTH IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY. B.E.E ONLY
8 Apr 2009, 21:56 pm
#6 BULLET: ha ha… you funny
8 Apr 2009, 22:59 pm
Stephen Nell, rugby scribe of Die Burger, says that SARU are about to announce they are pulling the plug on the off-again-on-again match against the NZ Maori.
8 Apr 2009, 23:01 pm
Its great that Jake White’s brain will be tapped for its ideas, and his skill will be taught DESPITE the SA rugby administrators.
Jeez they are bunch of idiots that just couldn’t be bothered.
We have been talking about a coaching academy for coaches on this site for a while. And that at school rugby level, sometimes the coaching is horrific. If Jake can at least just let the schools coaches know what the standard running patterns are for the various positons (hell, nobody even taght me that at school), the small skills tings like taking the ball in to contact, body positioning, catching high balls, scrumming techniques, etc. That means that our schools boys would not hit the club/provincial scene still not able to get a pass away quickly on the move, or catch a ball (a la the Lions/Stormers).
The basic skills must get drilled in from an early age.
8 Apr 2009, 23:51 pm
Why do the Sharks struggle so much to get out of their own 22? Because their best kicker is packing in the front row!
9 Apr 2009, 02:56 am
Dear Jake you legend.
I have the resume(written on a post it) of a bloke called Skop Skiet, yes I know it’s a strange name, but he’s applying for the job of president of your fan club.
He has no qualifications but says he’s passionate about your achievements and he has given you idol status.
Please consider his application.
Yours Sincerely.
9 Apr 2009, 03:32 am
#11 Manlybok:
9 Apr 2009, 03:51 am
Yep ain’t no gravy-trainer here… JW is an example of everything good in RSA… no help from govt, no funds from the SARU surplus… there is still hope…
9 Apr 2009, 07:29 am
#13 bryce_in_oz: ah, but he has god on his side now.
9 Apr 2009, 07:32 am
Jake & Co,
Sadly this thread (probably one with the most positive impact) will not be rendered useful and will not get many positive hits for Keo.
The reason for this is simple:
1) There is no scandal attached.
2) There is no government intervention (hence your set up is bound to actually work)
3) It has no race connitations (except your name of course)
4) It is not slandering anybody
5) Most importantly, it says nothing about the Stormers
Sorry Jake, we love you and respect what you have done for SA Rugby, but please be much more scandalous when going about your work and business ventures.
9 Apr 2009, 09:15 am
Can’t wait to see how this turns out. With Mexted’s International Rugby Academy in jhb now too, it seems coaches are finally getting the attention they need to step up to the next level. Yet another foundation for world rugby dominance.
9 Apr 2009, 10:09 am
If the bottom line of these ventures is really to share and improve coaching knowledge and skills, this will be great, SA coaching is woeful at present
. . .even if the bottom line turns out to be making a financial profit for a business venture, it will still benefit SA rugby
9 Apr 2009, 10:16 am
#17 spykerbaard: hey old toppie lol you seen the sharks team?
9 Apr 2009, 10:21 am
Great initiative by Jake. I am sure he will be highly sucessful (once again). Hope there is room for Heineke Meyer as well. Maybe Loffie and Naka can be the first students!!
9 Apr 2009, 10:26 am
#19 Horing:
Yip, and a much needed service too.
Good iniative by the maestro.
9 Apr 2009, 10:35 am
‘Jake White’s Winning Way’, yoh am not quite sure what i saw when supporting this oke, all this branding and boulstering.
sounds like a damn fool.
9 Apr 2009, 10:36 am
#18 sharks_lover: Hey ja, lekker team, Sykes deserves a rest, 21 tackles last week, more than Botes
9 Apr 2009, 10:40 am
#22 spykerbaard:
syke’s is getting better and better, could very well be the backup to bakkies that is so sorely needed given another year or two.
9 Apr 2009, 10:40 am
#22 spykerbaard: yeah i know , i think plum has gone for vdb because of the cheetahs lineout threat
the cheetahs always comptete in lineouts
9 Apr 2009, 11:01 am
#20 Pietman: One of the subjects will probably be: “Managing Politicians 101″
9 Apr 2009, 11:01 am
#23 cab: ive been thinking the same, lets see how he goes
#24 sharks_lover: i think its about giving Sykes a rest . . . i’m looking forward to the match
9 Apr 2009, 13:25 pm
Good bit of advertorial.
At the end of the day though, how seriously can you take this when most matrics are out getting completely fu&%ed (especially 1st team rugby players) and experimenting with drugs every weekend?
19 Apr 2009, 07:09 am
#27 Yetirat:
It’s ‘coaching the coaches’ toolbox… from grass-roots level and up… something lacking in RSA rugby for decades…
19 Apr 2009, 10:56 am
Speaking from experience as a schoolboy player at Pretoria Boys High, I can honestly say that the standard of coaching was ****. Sure I was only in the C-team (and this was in 1989), but there was no theory, there was no passing on of small skills tips (like how to catch a high ball, how to transfer the ball to the opposite side to a tackler, handing off properly, scruming technique, etc). There was just fitness opvok. Then again, our coach was the english teacher.
Jake must not just teach the coaches to coach- he maust also teach teh school coaches how to set up a consistency in coaching throughout the entire school. Like setting out basic drills, drill schedules for all teams, a log book for rnning lines for various positions, etc.
19 Apr 2009, 11:24 am
#29 SjamBok:
Well then just take a look who he has assisting him mate…
2007 World Cup-winning Springbok head coach Jake White
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2007 World Cup-winning Springbok specialist coach Eddie Jones
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2007 World Cup-winning Springbok scrum coach Balie Swart
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2007 World Cup-winning Springbok prop Os du Randt
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2007 World Cup-winning Springbok fullback Percy Montgomery
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2007 World Cup-winning Springbok conditioning coach Dr Derek Coetzee
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2003 (England) and 2007 (Springbok) World Cup-winning visuals specialist Dr Sherylle Calder
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2007 World Cup-winning Springbok physiotherapist Clint Readhead
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2007 World Cup-winning Springbok mental-strength coach Henning Gericke
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2007 World Cup-winning captain John Smit
19 Apr 2009, 11:24 am
#30 money_man:
All aspects of the game covered…
No thanks to SARU…
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