My son

Question
Hi my name is Margarita i have a 12 year old son who is a very gifted rugby player he plays in the field as a forward . Can you help us know what are the steps to follow for him to make it big in Rugby and how to become a professional rugby player in Australia as this is his dream and me as his mother will do anything to help him achieve his dream.
King Regards
Margarita

Answer
Hello Margarita, I m so sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I have had a nasty flu that has laid me low for a couple of weeks.

First it is great that you take such an interest in your boys aspirations. Rugby can be intimadating to some mums so I appreciate you getting in behind him.

I would start by contacting a successful local rugby club. You may need to ask around and check a few out before you decide. You need to look for a club with a successful senior mens' team, that has some current professional players. More importantly it should have a dedicated youth program specifically designed to nurture young players and expose them to a professional ethos. Most good clubs have an officer who is in charge of player development. Ask a lot of hard questions about the success of the clubs programs and contacts. Contacts are a big deal a club with good contacts can get you a lot further.

There should be local representative trials, make sure you know when and were they are so you are both prepared.

Also I beleive the Australian Institute of sport may have one of the best programs for up and coming players. It has a wealth of information and you might look at the site and call them to see if they have advice for parents of young players who desire to be professional.

Your son needs make the decision to go pro himself as well. You need to sit down as a family to decide what that means. Some players are going pro as early as 18 so he needs to realize that he has the next 5 years to focus and work hard. He may need to sacrifice a little in his social life but his schooling and health need to be prioritized. The key is balance - too much work and rugby can burn a kid out so he needs to learn how to rest and relax. Too many young players these days focus too much on rugby and loose social and mental skills along the way with regards to life - The best teach here is obviously you so I will not tell you how to do your job.

Start thinking about getting him to a quality gym or talking to a highly qualified personal trainer. Look for one who has rugby experience and has a proven track record of success. Talk to your doctor about his nutrition and training too. He needs to eat a lot at this age but try to keep it healthy - whole grain foods, milk, water, no fizzy pop drinks or junk food.

If you have a family friend or relative who is a rugby buff to mentor him is a good thing also.

Sit down after all this and write down some goals for a season / year and some mid and long term goals. Allow for set backs along the way and for unexpected successes.

% years to your son will seem like ages but we both know it flies by so he needs to get a perspective on what needs to be done over this time.

He could struggle for a long time and it could take him a lot of work, sweat and tears but he needs to make a self assured decision that he will keep on the path and work at it.

Get him a journal that he notes all his goals in, his diet, work outs, game and practice notes and his personal thoughts.  It will help him keep focused and perspective and if he does become a pro it could be the base for his tell-all biography!

Good luck and please feel free to ask more questions, sorry again for being so late.