ROSWELL — Atlanta’s professional rugby team, Rugby ATL, collaborated with Swift School on Wednesday, May 3, to introduce the Rookie Rugby program, teaching students the fundamentals of rugby. This event marked the first time Rugby ATL integrated the program into a school’s curriculum.
Swift School, located in Roswell, is an independent institution that offers remediation for students with dyslexia and related language-based learning differences in grades 1-8. The school emphasizes executive functioning, self-advocacy, and leveraging students’ strengths to build confidence.
During the 50-minute physical education classes, students engaged in four stations to learn the basics of rugby. Rugby ATL’s players and coaches introduced the game in a non-contact, safe, and engaging manner. The students learned the shape and size of a rugby ball, how to pass and carry the ball, and flag-pulling techniques. The class concluded with an intense game of ultimate rugby or hungry, hungry hippos – rugby style. Rugby ATL also provided equipment for Swift School students to continue their rugby exposure.
Lindsey Daniell, Swift School’s Physical Education Teacher, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity provided by Rugby ATL. “The students were inspired by the exceptional abilities of the players and looked up to them as role models,” Daniell said. “The exposure to a new sport via the Rookie Rugby Program was a fantastic initiative that allowed our students to broaden their horizons.”
Rugby ATL’s players and coaches were equally impressed by the students’ ability to learn a new sport quickly. Coach Blake Bradford commended the students for their enthusiasm and eagerness to learn, stating that their whole team “had a blast.”
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