The Gazette’s new Young Stars of St. Albert collection will spotlight inspiring younger leaders ages 19 and underneath in St. Albert every month. If you already know of a younger chief who deserves the highlight, please e mail our newsroom: [email protected]
If you’re a younger rugby participant in St. Albert, you’ve in all probability met Emma Lynn Kumka and Josh Looker. They are youth improvement officers with the St. Albert Rugby Football Club, and it’s their job to assist youths get into rugby.
The Gazette is having a look at Kumka and Looker as a part of its new Young Stars of St. Albert collection, which is able to highlight inspiring younger leaders in St. Albert roughly as soon as a month.
Kumka, 18, stated she got here to rugby 4 years in the past after having tried soccer, badminton, volleyball, and CrossFit at school. She bought out of soccer as she was too tough for it, and was drawn in by the extra private, hands-on nature of rugby.
“Being hands-on offers you a chance to bleed a bit extra!” she joked.
Kumka stated she enjoys working with youths and has beforehand volunteered for St. Albert’s Canada Day, Rainmaker Rodeo, and International Children’s Day occasions. She began teaching the U7 and U11 rugby groups about two years in the past, wanting to show children methods to do a correct deal with after a nasty hit took her off the sector for a season.
“Your coach could make or break your sport,” she stated, and he or she needed to verify these youths had an excellent expertise on the sector.
St. Albert Rugby senior director Kendall Dewitt stated Kumka is sort, pleasant, and affected person on the sector, and really prepared to let youths use her as a tackling dummy — all traits you need in a youth coach. Kumka has additionally been holding girls’s health periods with the membership’s grownup gamers to enhance their well being.
“Her dedication is large,” Dewitt stated, including that Kumka was voted “Our Players Player” by her teammates final yr for her management with the membership.
Looker, 19, stated he performed basketball for about eight years however wasn’t that nice at it. After his father prompt he strive rugby, Looker stated he discovered the game supplied him a brand new solution to make use of his measurement and pace on the sector. He has been enjoying with St. Albert Rugby for about six years, and has additionally served on different groups in North American and European tournaments.
Paul, Looker’s father, stated Josh has been his right-hand man when teaching junior gamers in St. Albert and is keen about constructing the membership’s youth program.
“He simply has that pure reference to children,” Paul stated, lots of whom respect Looker’s worldwide expertise.
Looker stated he signed up for these worldwide video games to see what rugby was like exterior of Alberta. From what he noticed, European rugby groups undoubtedly had extra talent, as they might observe year-round, however nonetheless had that very same sense of fellowship he discovered again residence.
“Rugby is massive on the social side,” he defined: gamers would possibly punch and kick one another on the sector, however they may nonetheless get collectively to share a drink after the sport.
Looker stated he suspects his age lets him higher relate to the struggles his gamers face. Playing is enjoyable, however teaching carries its personal thrills, reminiscent of the power to look at gamers develop up and discover success on the sector.
Kumka stated teaching can be a bit irritating at first, however it is price it to see that second the place every part clicks in a child’s head, they usually go from begging their dad and mom to take them residence to vowing to join her courses once more subsequent yr.
“It simply makes me really feel I’ve finished one thing proper.”
Looker stated he hopes to proceed enjoying rugby as he earns his psychology diploma at MacEwan University.
Kumka stated she is incomes a private health coaching diploma on the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and hopes to maintain enjoying and training rugby within the years forward.
“The neighborhood is so sturdy, it’s loopy,” she stated.
“Even if I couldn’t play, I might nonetheless go to each single sport simply due to how sturdy the [rugby] membership is.”
https://www.stalberttoday.ca/local-news/rugby-stars-shine-on-pitch-kumka-looker-5244743
