January 14, 2012 (Knoxville, TN) The Smoky Mountain Athletic Club held the 2012 coaches clinic at Next Level Training on Saturday. After a catered lunch by Salsaritas, the 24 coaches in attendance were treated to an impressive agenda to help improve their player and team performance.
Coaches from the following teams were on hand: McMinn County, Bearden, South Doyle, Maryville, Central, Karns, Powell, Polk County, Knoxville RFC and UT.
 The session opened with a review by Devin Driscoll of the services offered by Next Level Training. Many local high school and collegiate rugby athletes train at Next Level Devin and his staff have been longtime supporters of rugby in East Tennessee.
Next on the agenda was Eddie Raymond, owner of The Health Shoppe in the Suburban Center. Eddie provided valuable insight into the importance of proper nutrition and proper use of dietary supplements.
Colin Heenan of Tennessee Orthopaedic Clinic was up next with an overview of medical coverage for SMAC matches and details on injury management for the coming season. Colin's presentation also covered details on the most recent updates in the concussion and head injury policy of TRA and TSSAA.
After the trio of presentations on how to prepare the athlete for the game, Dan Payne stepped forward to take the coaches through a comprehensive review of the contact area. Dan was a member of the 2007 USA World Cup Team and was on the staff as a skills coach for the 2011 team. He is currently Director of Rugby at Life University where he oversees a Rugby Super League team and a collegiate team that plays in the Premier Division. Dan's insightful perspective and engaging personality combined for an entertaining and informative afternoon.
Special thanks to the following:
- Devin Driscoll for providing the facilities of Next Level
- Jay Hawkins and Maryville Rugby for providing equipment for the afternoon session
- Bearden Rugby Team for providing players to assist Dan with demonstrations
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