Want to Help Youth Rugby? Donate to Ball 4 All Program
Want to Help Youth Rugby? Donate to Ball 4 All Program
Very soon the United States Rugby Foundation will announce its new Ball-4-All donation recipients.
But it’s worth noting two things about that:
1. If you want to donate even a little bit of money to grassroots rugby, helping fund this program is hugely effective. Rugby balls are the most important thing that a new or growing program needs to get going. Everything else you can source more easily.
2. Many fledgling rugby teams have benefited from the donations already. We talked about HCYRA here. We have some other teams telling us what it meant for them below.
How Ball-4-All Grant Kick-Started the HCYA Team
Falcon Youth Rugby, Texas
“The US Rugby Foundation Ball 4 All program has played a pivotal role in the growth of our youth rugby club, and the Falcon Youth Rugby Program, here in Spring, Texas,” said Falcon Rugby President and Head Coach Bryan Siltanen. “When we received our 501c3 in 2020 and held our first practice in 2021 on a small patch of grass behind a local family-owned restaurant/brewery, we started with just six players. Thanks to the generous Ball 4 All grant, we were able to provide each new player with their own rugby ball, which was essential in fostering excitement and engagement with the sport.”
Rugby is still a relatively unknown sport in Spring, Texas. So it’s not easy to find basic equipment and families may not know really what a rugby ball is. Giving these players rugby balls to take home and play around with was a massive instigator for growth with the Falcons.
If you would like to support the Ball-4-All program, or donate to the US Rugby Foundation's general fund for grassroots rugby, please go to here>>
“The USRF’s support helped us grow our team to 50 players in just four years,” said Siltanen. “That allowed us to reach more kids and spark an interest in rugby in an area where the sport is still emerging. The grant not only provided us with the necessary equipment but also helped us create a sense of ownership and pride among our players, which has been vital for retention and growth. We are incredibly grateful for the US Rugby Foundation's impact on our program and the sport as a whole.”
Mudsock, Indiana
In central Indiana, Mudsock runs a variety of age levels of teams. While they have high school teams, their big focus was for the younger players, and that fit right in with the Ball 4 All program.
“Over the past couple years the Ball 4 All grants have allowed us to provide over 100 rugby balls to kids who attended one of our Try On Rugby days, or 1st-year players from 2nd through 8th grade,” said Mudsock’s Justin Mack. “The grants have allowed us to use our funds to purchase training equipment, keep registration fees as low as possible, and offer financial assistance for families in need so their child can play rugby at no cost to them.”
And that’s a good point to make—you help these teams with getting rugby balls, then they can focus on other things.
“Overall the Ball 4 All program has been very beneficial to our club as we continue to spread the gospel of rugby in our area,” added Mack.
Rio Rancho, New Mexico
In New Mexico, the recipient of the Ball 4 All grant was the city.
“Through this initiative, we received 55 rugby balls, which have been instrumental in enhancing our training sessions and expanding our outreach efforts,” said Dave Bracken, Director of the City of Rio Rancho Rugby Club.
Bracken and the club used the balls to host a series of clinics for players of all ages, and then they also gave the balls to new players so they could practice at home.
See their unboxing video here>>
“By ensuring that each player has the opportunity to practice with proper equipment; enabled us to introduce the sport to more young people in our community, fostering a love for rugby from an early age,” said Bracken. “In 2023, our flag program grew from nine athletes to 24 athletes. We saw the institution of our first middle school program with 10 athletes. Additionally, our high school boys' program experienced significant growth, expanding from 17 athletes to splitting into the U18 division with 24 athletes and creating a U16 division with 10 athletes.”
If you would like to support the Ball-4-All program, or donate to the US Rugby Foundation's general fund for grassroots rugby, please go to here>>
“We are incredibly grateful to the US Rugby Foundation for their support," added Bracken. "The Ball 4 All program is a fantastic initiative that helped a club like ours to grow and thrive.”
