ABSTRACT
Children develop a range of skills and attributes through their participation in rugby. For all children, this development is nonlinear in that there are peaks and troughs to their development, affected by their biopsychosocial development (i.e., dynamic interaction between biological, psychological and social factors). The ability of the coach to recognise a child’s biopsychosocial developmental needs and amend their coaching practice accordingly is crucial to a child’s ongoing enjoyment and participation within rugby. This chapter summarises the main developmental features of children that influence their sporting experiences and suggests a range of coaching practices that respond to their developmental needs. This includes a perspective of coaching effectiveness, specifically for those coaches working with children in rugby. A case study of applied research is then used to articulate how these developmentally appropriate practices are implemented into player development environments using a movement-based approach. The chapter concludes with a range of recommendations and implications for practice that a coach would find useful when coaching young rugby players.
