Swaffham
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Swaffham
RUGBY UNION FOOTBALL CLUB
Article provided by Jim Crouchman, Hon. Secretary & Minis Chair, Swaffham RUFC
I first became involved with the club about six years ago
following my eldest son taking up rugby as an Under 10. He was
soon followed by his younger brother who started as an U6.
We were attracted to Swaffham
because my son already had school
friends playing there, we live very close
to the ground and, being relatively
small, it is a real family club where we
were instantly made to feel welcome.
I soon got drawn into coaching
and quickly went from helping out the
coaches to coaching at U8s, attaining my
level 1 coaching award and taking that
squad through to U10s.
In 2015, I became the minis chair,
which duties I share with my wife,
Alison. I also now coach the U7s. This
season, I was elected on to the committee
as Honorary Secretary.
As I got more involved with the
running of the club, what was soon very
apparent is the dedication of the small
54 Issue 75
team of people who run the club. For my
part, the challenge is coordinating all the
various strands of my roles and doing so
in my spare time.
However, the biggest reward is seeing
the large number of children of various
ages and from various backgrounds
enjoying engaging in a sport that is not
only fun, but will equip them with the
core values that are equally applicable in
their life outside the sport.
The club has a proud record of
carrying players through from minis,
through youth, to the senior sides.
Indeed, our current club captain, Matt
“Fish” Clarke, started out at the club as
a mini player himself.
The club has always had a strong
minis section, although it has often