Training with Dave Alred: A Turning Point in Issy’s Journey
As the rugby season went on, Issy’s love for kicking grew stronger. She had been going to special camps with the School of Kicking, and it had been a great chance for her to improve. As a parent, I couldn’t attend her games because I was coaching her brother, Oscar, and his team. I didn’t see much of Issy’s progress first hand, but I knew she was improving. She was doing great in training, and whenever we went kicking, she was often showing huge gains, even if I couldn’t be there to watch. I made sure to take her to all the extra rugby events I could UR7s, Girls Rugby Club, and the School of Kicking camps. These camps were new and pioneering for girls rugby and had never been done before, and though they cost us some money, I could tell it was an investment that would pay off.
In Six months, the Alred Trophy was coming up, and Issy was getting really excited about it. Then, out of the blue, an amazing opportunity came up: Issy was invited to train with the founder of school of kicking world famous kicking coach Dave Alred in Exeter. We didn’t think twice. One early weekend morning, we drove down to Exeter, arriving early despite the awful weather. But, as luck would have it, the rain stopped just as the School of Kicking team arrived, with Dave Alred leading the session alongside England international Natasha “Mo” Hunt.
Issy was one of only a few players who got to train with Dave, and the session lasted for a tough four hours. Dave took a special interest in Issy because of her natural talent, and he showed her his signature kicking style the same one used by Jonny Wilkinson, Emily Scarratt and Jonny Sexton. Issy also learned how to do box kicks from Mo Hunt, which was a skill she could add to her growing toolbox.
While Issy and the others were working hard, I sat in the stands chatting with a couple of parents. One of them mentioned that her daughter had recognized Issy. I asked how she knew her, and she told me from her Instagram account a few months earlier we had started it to show her kicking progress @IssyHrugby. It turned out that Issy had gained a little following, with people tracking her journey
As the day came to an end, Dave Alred made sure to speak to Issy. He told her that if she kept working hard, she had a bright future ahead of her. On the drive home, Issy couldn’t stop talking about everything she had learned. She talked about everything she had learned what she wanted to do at practice, how she wanted to play for England one day and how she wanted to be as good as her hero, Emily Scarratt, at kicking.
The day had been a huge success, not just in terms of new skills, but also in helping Issy grow as a player. It felt like a turning point in her rugby journey one that would push her to work even harder and chase her dreams. The future looked bright for Issy, and I couldn’t wait to see where her dedication would take her next.