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2021 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

Friday, April 9

 

6:00-7:30 p.m. EST - Opening Keynote, Courage. Connection. Resilience. Helping your Athletes Build Lives of Integrity, Confidence, and Self-compassion 

Rachel Simmons

 

7:30-8:30 p.m. EST - Welcome and Social Hour

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Sunday, April 11

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1:00-1:40 p.m. EST - The Theory of the Ball Hog: How One Economist Sees the Rugby Field

Chelsea Garber

 

1:50-2:40 p.m. EST - Players Gonna Play; Leaders Gonna Lead: Meet Some of the Creative Leaders Forging New Pathways to Grow the Game

Kat Aversano, Lauren Barber, Olivia Benzan Daniel, Katie Hunzinger, Mary Swanstrom, Katie Wurst, & moderater Koma Gandy

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3:00-4:30 p.m. EST - Building A Healthy, Effective Coaching Staff: Creating a Culture in which Coaches Want to Stay

Stacey Bridges, Katie Dowty, Sunny Meyers, Ricardo Rameriez, Kitt Wagner, & Koma Gandy

 

4:30 p.m. EST - Closing and Social Hour

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2020 CONFERENCE

ATLANTA, GA

FRIDAY

 

1:00-1:30 p.m. - Welcome from the USWRF Board
 

1:30-2:45 p.m. - Opening Keynote, Winning Without Apology, Shannon Miller

 

2:45-3:00 p.m. - Break
 

3:00-4:15 p.m. - Panel Discussion, What Rugby Taught Me About Winning, Kerri Heffernan (moderator), Kris Hermanns, Danita Knox, Pam Kosanke, Jenn Levi

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4:15-4:30 p.m. - Break

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4:30-5:30: The NCAA, College Club and High School: Structures that Influence the Retention and Growth of the Women’s Game, Karen Fong Donoghue (moderator), MaryBeth Mathews, Alex McCulloch, Faith Walker, Katie Wurst
 

5:30-7:00 p.m. - Welcome Reception - Sponsored by Ruggers

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SATURDAY


Breakfast on your own

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9:00-9:30 a.m. - The Landscape for Coaches, Kerri Heffernan


9:30-11:00 a.m. - Panel Discussion, We Make the Road by Walking: Building and Sustaining Racially Diverse Teams, Rosalind Chou (moderator), Farrah Douglas, Koma Gandy Fischbein, Phaidra Knight, Alycia Washington

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11:00 a.m.-11:15 a.m. - Break


11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. - Breakouts 

  • Fired for Being Too Good, Shannon Miller

  • Leveraging Title I, IV and IX Funding with Community Partners, Districts or Colleges, to Grow Girl's and Women's Programs, Audrey Billingsley

  • When Rugby Breaks Your Heart: Leaving, Grieving and Thriving, Margaret Dessypris Thomas
     

12:30-1:45 p.m. - Lunch - Sponsored by Penn Mutual


1:45-3:15 p.m. - Panel Discussion, Bodies Out of Bounds: Rugby's Unique Relationship to Gender and Sexual Minorities, Helen Carroll, Gwen DeGroff-Gunter, JJ Javelet, Jenn Levi (moderator)

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3:15-3:30 p.m. - Break

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3:30-4:45 p.m. - Saturday Keynote, Capitalizing on Winning: Investing in our Diversity, Pam Kosanke

Sponsored by World Rugby Shop

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4:45-6:30 p.m. - Break


6:30-7:00 p.m. - Cocktails 


7:00-9:00 p.m. - Dinner and Storytelling

Annemarie Farrell, Gwen Gunter, Sandra Kimokoti, Vanesha MaGee, Lisa Rosen

Sponsored by Atavus

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SUNDAY

 

Breakfast on your own

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9:00am-9:30 a.m. - Presentation, Women’s National Team 15’s: The Time is NOW to Diversify Revenue, Emilie Bydwell

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9:30-10:15 a.m. - Panel Discussion, USAR Board, Congress and Committees Updates, KJ Abel, Audrey Billingsley, Rosalind Chou, Phaidra Knight, Julie Lau, Monica Van Buskirk (moderator)

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10:15-10:30 a.m. - Break


10:30-11:15 a.m. - Panel Discussion, The WPL and Rugby Academies: Managing Organizations So They Are Financially Viable for Players, Parisa Asgharzadeh, Rosalind Chou (moderator), Julie McCoy, Kittery Wagner Ruiz, Josie Ziluca


11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. - Panel Discussion, WNT Pathways: Managing Organizational Structures to Identify Talent, Emilie Bydwell, Martha Daines, Katy Dowty


12:30-1:00 p.m. - Future Tense: What's Next? 

 

 

SUNDAY CONNECTED PROGRAMS

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2:00-4:00 p.m. - College Rugby 101 Seminar (for high school students and families), Karen Fong Donoghue, The Rugger's Edge

 

2:00-5:00 p.m. - USA Rugby Shadow Program Coaching Clinic at the Eagle Regional Training Center

 

6:00 p.m. - Social

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