GAIN Rugby Workshop – The GAIN Network

Ground-Based Agility & Grappling Workshop

Date: Pre-recorded video lessons can be accessed at any time.

Cost: £50 per coach

Registration: Apply on the Excelsior Club webpage

Content: Access course content

Agenda:

Over 2 hours of self-learning videos, including:
- 53 minute ground-based agility progressions & coaching points
- 35 minute sample ground-based agility session
- 37 minutes of wrestling and grappling variations, games, and sport-specific examples.
60 minutes of Q&A session with past course participants

Learning Goals:

Build the capability and capacity to play low and drop body height.
Get off the ground quickly and accelerate.
Land and fall safely to reduce the impact.
Handle the opposition in contact situations to gain leverage and control.

Faculty: James Marshall and Andy Stone. Learn more about them below.

Faculty

James Marshall - Head Coach, Excelsior Athletic Development Club Having been employed as a strength and conditioning coach within professional rugby and with several National Governing Bodies, Marshall decided to set up his own club where he guides youth athletes through holistic training methods. The club has the unique distinction as being a registered club for athletics, gymnastics, and weightlifting.

Marshall has experience in rugby working with: Exeter Chiefs Academy fitness coach, England Rugby Under 18s and Under 16s fitness coach, Great Britain Rugby League Under 18s and Under 16s fitness coach, London Welsh RFC fitness coach. He also brings experience in martial arts as a former England Karate Squad member and 4th Dan black belt.

Andy Stone – Wrestling Coach and PE Teacher, The Collegiate SchoolAndy Stone is a physical education teacher and wrestling coach at the Collegiate School in Virginia. As an athlete, he competed at the University of Tennessee and post-collegiatelly for the New York Athletic Club. Prior to his role at the Collegiate School he also worked as an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee and Syracuse University.

Module 1

This class shows James coaching groups of young players. You can see the mistakes they make and how James adjusts and adapts to help them. The content includes:

Basic rolling progressions.
How to transition from ground to feet quickly.
A game to practise the above.
Reducing force on impact, how to land safely on the upper body and conditioning exercises to help prepare.
Two drills to help apply into contact.

“There are only two statistics we look at. Firstly, how long does it take a player to get up off the ground and get back in his place for defence? Secondly, how long it takes a player to get up off the ground and get back in his place for attack.” Eddie Jones again.

Testimonials

“I believe James’s ground-based conditioning concepts are superb. The content would be equally valuable to rugby coaches, strength & conditioning coaches and medical staff returning players to full training.”

Dean Benton, Former Head of Sport Science, England Rugby

“I have known Andy for 5 years and often talk with him about applying wrestling knowledge to rugby at GAIN. When working in the USA I met up with Andy to discuss in detail the exercises, skills and drills that can be transferred. This led to practical sessions that combined my rugby law knowledge with Andy’s wrestling techniques to find the most applicable wrestling exercises to use in Rugby training.”

Nick Hill, Assistant Head of Rugby at St. Joseph’s College, Ipswich.

Module 2

This class focusses on wrestling games & partner coordination:

Tag games

Knee tag
Foot tag
On knees foot tag
Shoe game

Chest to Chest

No hands
Square feet
Staggered stance
High & low position
Hip & shoulder hold
Goal to push-out
Goal to pass
Shoulder grab
Hip to hip (no hands)
Hand and shoulder grab
Hand and wrist
Over/under (pummeling position)

Advantaged positions

Far hip grab w/ head on back
Far hip grab hoping
Bear crawl chest wrap position
Bear crawl far hip grab position.